The best AI receptionists and answering services, compared
An AI receptionist is software that answers your business line around the clock, talks to callers, and — in the better products — books appointments and texts missed callers back. This is our read of the 2026 market. Full disclosure up front: we make Conduit, so we put the receipts on every claim — each price below is quoted from the vendor's own published pricing with the source named, and each rival entry says when that rival is the better buy.
- 01
Conduit
That's us — judge accordinglyBest for: Owner-run businesses that want the whole front office handled
Our product, so grade this entry accordingly. Conduit answers 24/7 with a named assistant that always discloses it's AI, books into your real calendar with conflict checks, texts missed callers back from your own number, captures every lead, escalates emergencies to you and your backup, and writes a morning brief. Flat monthly plans with included minutes; spam calls are free and there is no overage billing — at the cap it degrades to message-taking instead of charging you.
Flat plans from $129/mo — published on our pricing page
- 02
Rosie
Best for: The budget pick for pure phone answering
A well-regarded AI receptionist at the lowest credible entry price. It answers, takes messages, and on higher plans books appointments and transfers calls. If your only problem is 'the phone rings and nobody answers,' Rosie solves it for the least money — the follow-through (calendar truth, lead capture, text threads) stays yours to do.
$49/mo for 250 minutes; $149 for 1,000; $299 for 2,000 (heyrosie.com)
- 03
Goodcall
Best for: High volumes of short, similar calls
An AI phone agent with unlimited minutes, metered by unique callers instead — a shape that genuinely favors busy lines answering simple questions (hours, status, routing). You assemble its logic flows yourself, and booking depth depends on the integrations you wire up.
$79/$129/$249 per agent/mo, unlimited minutes, 100/250/500 unique callers included, then $0.50 each (goodcall.com)
- 04
My AI Front Desk
Best for: The cheapest self-serve AI receptionist
A budget self-serve receptionist: answering, messages, scheduling links, and bundled SMS. You script your business into it and handle the follow-through. At its price, a fair buy for a very simple line — just compare included minutes against your actual call volume first.
$99/mo with 200 voice minutes (Business-in-a-Box); the $20 tier includes no voice minutes (myaifrontdesk.com)
- 05
Jobber AI Receptionist
Best for: Businesses already running on Jobber
If Jobber runs your operation, this is the obvious add-on — cheap, native, and answering inside the platform your jobs already live in. If you're not on Jobber, the receptionist means adopting the platform: the honest comparison is add-on plus plan plus migration, not the add-on price alone.
$29/mo add-on on any Jobber plan (base plans $21–280/mo billed annually, getjobber.com)
- 06
Housecall Pro CSR AI
Best for: Businesses already running on Housecall Pro
Housecall Pro's native AI answering, sold separately on top of its field-service platform. Committed Housecall Pro shops should evaluate it first — native integration is worth real money. Pricing isn't published; it's quoted on a demo call.
Sold separately; no published price — demo-quoted (housecallpro.com)
- 07
Smith.ai
Best for: Firms that want humans in the loop
The established premium option: receptionists with AI assistance, per-call billing, strong reviews, deep integrations. Where callers expect a person — legal intake, consultative sales — it earns its price. At service-business call volumes the per-call math adds up fast.
$300/mo for 30 calls, $810 for 90, $2,100 for 300; overage ~$8.50–11.50/call (smith.ai)
- 08
Ruby
Best for: Pure human warmth, by the minute
The best-known human virtual-receptionist service, now with AI enhancements included. A skilled human is still the gold standard on a hard call, and Ruby staffs good ones — billed by the receptionist minute, so cost tracks talk time directly.
$250/mo for 50 receptionist minutes, $395 for 100, $720 for 200, $1,725 for 500 (ruby.com)
- 09
Sameday
Best for: Multi-location home-service operations
A sales-focused AI answering product for booking-heavy, multi-location home-service companies, with vendor-led onboarding and voice cloning on its higher tier. Priced for operations with staff, not for the owner answering between jobs.
From $449/mo (500 minutes, 3 locations); $789/mo for 1,000 minutes (sameday.ai)
- 10
Avoca
Best for: Enterprise groups and franchises with CSR teams
An enterprise AI platform for large home-service groups: answering, outbound nurture, and CSR coaching with call scoring. A different weight class from everything above — if you have brands (plural) and a CSR team to coach, book their demo.
No published pricing — demo-led sales (avoca.ai)
All product names are trademarks of their respective owners; references here are for identification and comparison only. Pricing is drawn from each vendor's published pricing page and may change — always check their site before deciding.
Choosing an AI receptionist
How can a vendor's own roundup be trusted?
Judge it by its specifics. Every price here is quoted from the vendor's own published pricing page with the source domain named and a visible verification date, and every rival entry states the case where that rival is the better buy. Where a vendor publishes no price, we say that instead of guessing.
What should I compare when choosing an AI receptionist?
Five things decide it. What happens after the call — message taken, or visit booked into a real calendar? The pricing model — per minute, per call, per caller, or flat, and what happens at the cap. Whether business texting is included and who files your US carrier registration. The emergency path — urgent calls must reach a human. And platform lock: an add-on priced at $29 can cost a whole migration.
Is an AI receptionist better than a human answering service?
Different tool, different job. A skilled human is still better on the hardest, most emotional calls — and costs like it, billed per minute or per call. An AI receptionist answers instantly, around the clock, at a flat software price, and the good ones book real appointments and text missed callers back. Most owner-run businesses are better served by AI for the routine 90% with a human escalation path for the rest.
Why isn't [some product] on this list?
The list covers the products small-business buyers actually weigh against each other in 2026 — verified against each vendor's own site on the date shown. It isn't exhaustive, and it updates: if a product belongs here, tell us at support@conduitapp.ai and we'll evaluate it honestly.
Every price on this page verified against the vendor's published pricing on August 24, 2026