Honest comparison

Conduit vs Upfirst: paying per call vs a fixed allowance

Upfirst is an AI receptionist metered by the call: Starter is $24.95/mo for 30 calls, $1.50 per extra call; Premium $59.95 for 90; Pro $159.95 for 300; 14-day free trial with no card; booking into Google, Outlook, Clio, Acuity, Calendly, and Square on every plan (October 2026, per upfirst.ai/pricing; verified 2026-10-09). Check their site for current pricing.

Prices verified 2026-10-09 · source: upfirst.ai/pricing

Side by side

The same nine questions, asked of both

Upfirst compared with Conduit, dimension by dimension
Question	Upfirst	Conduit
Entry price and what it includes	Starter $24.95/mo — 30 calls	Solo $79/mo — 150 minutes, 300 texts, every capability
What happens past the allowance	$1.50 per extra call on Starter ($1 on Premium)	Message-taking; optional one-time packs; no overage billing, ever
What counts against the allowance	Counted per call, not per minute	Only a real person talking to the assistant; spam, robocalls and hang-ups under ten seconds are refunded
Books into your calendar	Every plan — Google, Outlook, Clio, Acuity, Calendly, and Square	Every plan — two-way Google Calendar, capacity-aware, no double-booking
Texting	In-call texting on every plan	Confirmations, reminders, missed-call text-back, mid-call links — once carrier registration clears (we file and chase it)
Emergency path	Not stated on their pricing page	Puts the caller through to you, then texts each emergency contact in turn until someone opens the alert
Disclosure	Not stated on their pricing page	Every call opens with the AI-and-recording sentence; it can't be removed
Owner visibility	Not stated on their pricing page	Every recording and transcript in Calls; one briefing every morning; every lead written down
Trial / guarantee	14-day free trial, no card; free 30-minute onboarding call; no guarantee stated	No trial; free setup; 30-day money-back on the first payment

Entry price and what it includes: Upfirst: Starter $24.95/mo — 30 calls; Conduit: Solo $79/mo — 150 minutes, 300 texts, every capability
What happens past the allowance: Upfirst: $1.50 per extra call on Starter ($1 on Premium); Conduit: Message-taking; optional one-time packs; no overage billing, ever
What counts against the allowance: Upfirst: Counted per call, not per minute; Conduit: Only a real person talking to the assistant; spam, robocalls and hang-ups under ten seconds are refunded
Books into your calendar: Upfirst: Every plan — Google, Outlook, Clio, Acuity, Calendly, and Square; Conduit: Every plan — two-way Google Calendar, capacity-aware, no double-booking
Texting: Upfirst: In-call texting on every plan; Conduit: Confirmations, reminders, missed-call text-back, mid-call links — once carrier registration clears (we file and chase it)
Emergency path: Upfirst: Not stated on their pricing page; Conduit: Puts the caller through to you, then texts each emergency contact in turn until someone opens the alert
Disclosure: Upfirst: Not stated on their pricing page; Conduit: Every call opens with the AI-and-recording sentence; it can't be removed
Owner visibility: Upfirst: Not stated on their pricing page; Conduit: Every recording and transcript in Calls; one briefing every morning; every lead written down
Trial / guarantee: Upfirst: 14-day free trial, no card; free 30-minute onboarding call; no guarantee stated; Conduit: No trial; free setup; 30-day money-back on the first payment

Upfirst pricing and features are read from their own published pages and were verified on 2026-10-09 (October 9, 2026). Plans change — check their site before deciding. Trademarks belong to their owners; named for identification only.

The honest verdict

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. It meters by call, $1.50 each past the plan, so a 90-call month is $59.95 on Premium and a 150-call month about $120 there (about $205 on Starter); Conduit Solo's $79 covers 150 minutes however many calls that is, refunds spam and hang-ups, and never bills past the allowance. Pick Upfirst for a light line or if you book in Outlook, Acuity, or Square; pick Conduit for a busy line and a bill that doesn't move.

Compare further: every comparison · the best AI receptionists, ranked honestly · what an AI receptionist costs · Conduit pricing

Questions

Common questions

Is Upfirst cheaper than Conduit?

For a light line, clearly: Starter is $24.95 a month for 30 calls (October 2026, per upfirst.ai). Per-call billing climbs with volume — $1.50 a call past the plan on Starter. Conduit Solo is $79 for 150 minutes and 300 texts, with no overage of any kind.

Which calendars does each one book into?

Upfirst books into Google, Outlook, Clio, Acuity, Calendly, and Square on every plan. Conduit connects Google Calendar only, two ways, on every plan. If you run your book in Outlook or Acuity, that alone may decide it — and we'd rather you know now.

Can I switch from Upfirst to Conduit?

Yes. Your number stays yours: build your assistant free, pick a plan when you're ready, and point your call forwarding at your assistant's number. Forwarding is reversible, so switching back is pointing it back. Calls work from day one; texting switches on once carrier registration clears.

Start free — no card

Prices on this page verified 2026-10-09 · Trademarks belong to their owners; named for identification only.