Honest comparisons
Compare AI receptionists (October 2026).
A Conduit comparison puts another AI receptionist or answering service next to Conduit on the same nine questions, with their published prices and the date we read them. Each page says where the other product is cheaper or better. We make Conduit; judge accordingly.
Competitor prices on these pages were read from each vendor's own pricing page; each page shows its date, most recently 2026-10-11. Trademarks belong to their owners; named for identification only.
Head to head
15 comparisons, one frame
- 01Conduit vs Rosie
Conduit vs Rosie: more minutes vs the booking on the cheapest plan
If what you need is the phone answered and a message taken, Rosie's $49 plan gives you 250 minutes — more minutes for less money than Conduit Solo, and a 7-day trial.verified 2026-10-11Read the full comparison - 02Conduit vs Goodcall
Conduit vs Goodcall: metering callers vs metering minutes
At the same $79, Goodcall never meters talk time and counts unique callers instead — if your line takes hundreds of short, repetitive calls a month, that shape is cheaper than minutes, and spam doesn't count there either.verified 2026-10-11Read the full comparison - 03Conduit vs Dialzara
Conduit vs Dialzara: a per-minute meter vs a fixed allowance
If you expect under 60 minutes a month and need messages taken rather than bookings, Dialzara's $29 plan is cheaper than Conduit Solo, with a 7-day trial and minutes counted to the second.verified 2026-10-11Read the full comparison - 04Conduit vs Reception AI
Conduit vs Reception AI: ElevenLabs direct vs a fixed allowance
Reception AI is ElevenLabs selling direct: $29 buys 75 minutes with automatic booking and Google Calendar, thousands of voices, and a 14-day no-card trial — for a line under 75 minutes a month it is the cheaper product.verified 2026-10-11Read the full comparison - 05Conduit vs Upfirst
Conduit vs Upfirst: paying per call vs a fixed allowance
Upfirst is the cheapest entry on this site — $24.95 for 30 calls with booking and in-call texting on every plan, a 14-day no-card trial, and more calendar integrations than Conduit, which connects Google Calendar only.verified 2026-10-11Read the full comparison - 06Conduit vs Beside
Conduit vs Beside: a new phone line vs keeping your number
Beside bundles a business phone line — unlimited US calling and texting — with an AI receptionist, and its $29 plan is cheaper than Conduit Solo if 30 answered calls a month is enough; its $99 plan removes the cap.verified 2026-10-11Read the full comparison - 07Conduit vs Smith.ai
Conduit vs Smith.ai: paying per call vs a fixed allowance
Smith.ai's AI receptionist starts at $0 for 25 calls a month with scheduling included — for a line taking fewer than 25 calls, nothing beats free.verified 2026-10-11Read the full comparison - 08Conduit vs My AI Front Desk
Conduit vs My AI Front Desk: a bundle of channels vs a fixed bill
If you'd pay annually and want texting, a website chatbot and outbound calls in one plan, My AI Front Desk's $79-a-month annual price is the same as Conduit Solo and includes 200 minutes to Solo's 150.verified 2026-10-11Read the full comparison - 09Conduit vs Jobber Receptionist
Conduit vs Jobber Receptionist: an add-on vs a standalone front desk
If you already run your business on Jobber, its $29 receptionist add-on is the cheapest way to get calls answered and booked straight into the jobs you already manage there.verified 2026-10-11Read the full comparison - 10Conduit vs Housecall Pro CSR AI
Conduit vs Housecall Pro CSR AI: an unpriced add-on vs a published price
If your business already runs on Housecall Pro, CSR AI books calls straight into the system you use every day, and that native fit is worth asking them to price.verified 2026-10-11Read the full comparison - 11Conduit vs Ruby
Conduit vs Ruby: human receptionists vs an AI front desk
Ruby's receptionists are people, and some callers deserve a person — if that's your clientele, Ruby is the right buy and nothing on this page changes that.verified 2026-10-11Read the full comparison - 12Conduit vs human answering services
Conduit vs a human answering service
If your callers need a person — crisis lines, grief, a delicate intake — hire people, and pay what people cost.verified 2026-10-11Read the full comparison - 13Conduit vs Sameday
Conduit vs Sameday: a multi-location sales tool vs an owner's front desk
If you run several locations with office staff and your jobs live in ServiceTitan or a similar system, Sameday is built for that operation and books straight into it.verified 2026-10-11Read the full comparison - 14Conduit vs Avoca
Conduit vs Avoca: a demo-sold AI front office vs a published-price front desk
If your jobs live in ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro or FieldRoutes and you have customer-service reps on the phones, Avoca books straight into that system, hands escalated calls to your rep with the context, scores every call for coaching, and runs outbound campaigns — worth the demo whether you have one location or many.verified 2026-10-11Read the full comparison - 15Conduit vs Lindy
Conduit vs Lindy: a general AI teammate vs a dedicated front desk
If your team already wants an AI teammate for email, research and support, Lindy's receptionist role puts the phone on the same bill, and its entry tiers cost less than Conduit Solo.verified 2026-10-11Read the full comparison
The whole market on one page: the best AI receptionists and answering services, ranked honestly.
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About these comparisons
Why do your comparisons say when a competitor is the better choice?
Because sometimes they are, and pretending otherwise costs more trust than a lost signup. If all you need is the phone answered and a message taken, a cheaper receptionist solves it — Conduit only earns its price when you need the booking, the texts, and the morning briefing done too.
How current are the numbers on these pages?
Each page shows the date we read the other product's own pricing page, most recently October 11, 2026, and names the page we read. Plans change — check their site before deciding.
What should I actually compare between AI receptionists?
Five things decide it, and the headline price is rarely the one that bites. First, what happens after the call — a message taken, or a visit booked into your real calendar? Second, the meter: per minute, per call, or per caller, and the sentence describing what happens at your cap is the one to read twice. Third, whether business texting is included and who files your US carrier registration. Fourth, the emergency path — anything urgent must reach a person. Fifth, what it does when it doesn't understand: take a callback number, put the caller through, or strand them.
Is an AI receptionist cheaper than a human answering service?
Usually, and the gap widens with volume. Ruby's published plans run $250 a month for 50 receptionist minutes ($5.00 a minute) and $720 for 200 ($3.60); Smith.ai's human plans start at $300 for 30 calls ($10 a call) — October 2026, per ruby.com and smith.ai. A person handles a genuinely strange call better than any assistant, so the real comparison is a predictable bill and calendar booking against human judgment on the calls that need it.
Do I have to switch phone numbers?
No. You forward your existing business number to your assistant, so the number on your cards, your website, and your Google Business Profile keeps working. Forwarding is a code you dial once on your phone, you can forward every call or only the ones you miss, and it's reversible.
Competitor prices last verified 2026-10-11 · Trademarks belong to their owners; named for identification only.