12 ranked · data checked October 26, 2026
Best AI Receptionist for After-Hours Calls 2027
NextPhone ranks first of the 12 AI receptionists we scored for after-hours calls, with 77.7 of 95 points from published prices and terms checked October 26, 2026. Upfirst is second (73.9) and Goodcall third (69.8). Eleven of the 12 state 24/7 answering on their own pages, and all of them document a live transfer to a person, Phonely and Rosie on higher plans only (checked October 27, 2026).
The ranking
Prices checked against each vendor's own pricing page on October 26, 2026; integrations checked October 27, 2026. Each row carries its own read date.
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| # | Service | 100 calls/mo | 200 calls/mo | 24/7 stated | Live transfer | Part-time cover | Minutes run out | Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NextPhone | $199 | $199 | Yes | Included | After hours or missed calls | No allowance (unlimited) | 77.7 /95 | getnextphone.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 2 | Upfirst | $69.95 | $159.95 | Yes | Included | After hours or missed calls | Published rate per extra unit | 73.9 /95 | upfirst.ai read October 26, 2026 |
| 3 | Goodcall | $79 | $129 | Yes | Included | After hours or missed calls | Published rate per extra unit | 69.8 /95 | goodcall.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 4 | My AI Front Desk | $114 | $189 | Yes | Included | After hours | Published rate per extra unit | 58.6 /95 | myaifrontdesk.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 5 | Phonely | $75 to $85 | $150 | Yes | On Starter and up, not the free plan | After hours | Published rate per extra unit | 56.0 /95 | phonely.ai read October 26, 2026 |
| 6 | Dialzara | $135 | $239 | Yes | Included | After hours or missed calls | Voicemail, unless auto-recharge is on | 52.7 /95 | dialzara.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 7 | Rosie | $149 | $149 | Yes | On Scale and Growth, not Professional | After hours or missed calls | Moves you up a plan | 52.4 /95 | heyrosie.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 8 | Smith.ai AI Receptionist | $212.50 | $385 | Yes | Included | After hours or missed calls | Published rate per extra unit | 51.4 /95 | smith.ai read October 26, 2026 |
| 9 | RingCentral AI Receptionist | $149 | $299 | Yes | Included | After hours or missed calls | Published rate per extra unit | 36.3 /95 | ringcentral.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 10 | Simple Phones | $97 | not computable | Not published | Included | Missed calls | Phone numbers released | 33.1 /95 | simplephones.ai read October 26, 2026 |
| 11 | Moneypenny AI Answering (US) | $199 | $418 | Yes | Included | After hours or missed calls | Published rate per extra unit | 26.9 /95 | moneypenny.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 12 | Go Answer AI Receptionist | $270 | $510 | Yes | Included | After hours or missed calls | Published rate per extra unit | 23.7 /95 | goanswer.io read October 26, 2026 |
Ordered by score, highest first. Costs are each vendor's cheapest published plan for that volume plus its published rate past the allowance, at 3-minute calls; taxes, setup and add-ons are not included. The score weighs price, bill predictability, integrations, contract terms and spam billing; test-call scores are coming. How we rank.
An AI receptionist answers at 2 am the same way it answers at 2 pm, so the after-hours question is not whether it picks up. It is whether the vendor commits to 24/7 answering in its own words, whether a night emergency can reach a person, whether the AI can cover only the hours you are closed, and what happens when the plan’s minutes run out overnight. The table answers each from the vendor’s pages; the order is the standard score.
Why each vendor ranks where it does
Each entry adds what the vendor publishes about nights and weekends: 24/7 answering, reaching a person, answering only after hours, and what happens when the minutes run out.
Rank 1
NextPhone
77.7 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 3.8 points ahead of Upfirst: it gains 10 on bill predictability, 5.9 on integrations and 1 on contract terms and gives up 13.1 on price.
- Where it loses
- At 100 calls it costs $199, the 9th lowest of the 12 here.
- Nights and weekends
- States 24/7 answering. “Answers every call, 24/7” (getnextphone.com, read October 27, 2026).
- Reaching a person
- Urgent-call routing documented, with live transfer. “Critical calls like active flooding or gas leaks transfer immediately to your on-call team.” (getnextphone.com, read October 27, 2026).
- Part-time cover
- Can cover after hours only, or only the calls you miss. Source: getnextphone.com, read October 27, 2026.
Rank 2
Upfirst
73.9 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 4.1 points ahead of Goodcall: it gains 6 on contract terms and 2.7 on integrations and gives up 4 on bill predictability and 0.6 on price.
- Where it loses
- Its bill rises $90 a month when calls double from 100 to 200.
- Nights and weekends
- States 24/7 answering. “All plans include professional, around-the-clock answering.” (upfirst.ai, read October 27, 2026).
- Reaching a person
- Urgent-call routing documented, with live transfer. “Transfer the call if the caller is having an emergency.” (help.upfirst.ai, read October 27, 2026).
- Part-time cover
- Can cover after hours only, or only the calls you miss. Source: upfirst.ai, read October 27, 2026.
Rank 3
Goodcall
69.8 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 11.2 points ahead of My AI Front Desk: it gains 8 on spam-call billing, 7 on bill predictability and 5.8 on price and gives up 6 on contract terms and 3.6 on integrations.
- Where it loses
- Its bill rises $50 a month when calls double from 100 to 200.
- Nights and weekends
- States 24/7 answering. “It answers the phones 24/7, and every caller gets a real conversation.” (goodcall.com, read October 27, 2026).
- Reaching a person
- Live transfer documented. “By default it transfers the call to your business line” (goodcall.com, read October 27, 2026).
- Part-time cover
- Can cover after hours only, or only the calls you miss. Source: help.goodcall.com, read October 27, 2026.
Rank 4
My AI Front Desk
58.6 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 2.5 points ahead of Phonely: it gains 5 on contract terms and 2.7 on integrations and gives up 5.2 on price.
- Where it loses
- Its bill rises $75 a month when calls double from 100 to 200.
- Nights and weekends
- States 24/7 answering. “Business-in-a-Box costs a fixed $99 per month and covers nights, weekends, and holidays” (myaifrontdesk.com, read October 26, 2026).
- Reaching a person
- Urgent-call routing documented, with live transfer. “If it's an emergency, text the on-call manager.” (myaifrontdesk.com, read October 27, 2026).
- Part-time cover
- Can cover after hours only. Source: myaifrontdesk.com, read October 27, 2026.
Rank 5
Phonely
56.0 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 3.3 points ahead of Dialzara: it gains 9.3 on price and gives up 6 on contract terms.
- Where it loses
- A live transfer to a person needs a higher plan (Starter and up, not the free plan).
- Nights and weekends
- States 24/7 answering. “Whether you use Phonely as your 24/7 receptionist or for after-hours calls” (phonely.ai, read October 27, 2026).
- Reaching a person
- Urgent-call routing documented, with live transfer on Starter and up, not the free plan. “smart escalation can make urgent calls bypass the queue.” (phonely.ai, read October 27, 2026).
- Part-time cover
- Can cover after hours only. Source: phonely.ai, read October 27, 2026.
Rank 6
Dialzara
52.7 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 0.3 points ahead of Rosie: it gains 3 on bill predictability and 2 on contract terms and gives up 2.9 on price and 1.8 on integrations.
- Where it loses
- Past its allowance it sends callers to voicemail unless auto-recharge is on.
- Nights and weekends
- States 24/7 answering. “24/7 availability” (dialzara.com, read October 27, 2026).
- Reaching a person
- Urgent-call routing documented, with live transfer. “immediately escalate via warm transfer to an on-call teammate's mobile” (dialzara.com, read October 27, 2026).
- Part-time cover
- Can cover after hours only, or only the calls you miss. Source: dialzara.com, read October 27, 2026.
Rank 7
Rosie
52.4 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 1 point ahead of Smith.ai AI Receptionist: it gains 16.4 on price and gives up 6.4 on integrations, 6 on bill predictability and 3 on spam-call billing.
- Where it loses
- A live transfer to a person needs a higher plan (Scale and Growth, not Professional).
- Nights and weekends
- States 24/7 answering. “24/7 availability - Rosie never sleeps, never takes breaks” (heyrosie.com, read October 27, 2026).
- Reaching a person
- Urgent-call routing documented, with live transfer on Scale and Growth, not Professional. “Perfect for emergency on-call rotations, urgent calls, and high priority leads.” (heyrosie.com, read October 27, 2026).
- Part-time cover
- Can cover after hours only, or only the calls you miss. Source: heyrosie.com, read October 27, 2026.
Rank 8
Smith.ai AI Receptionist
51.4 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 15.1 points ahead of RingCentral AI Receptionist: it gains 13.6 on integrations, 5 on contract terms, 3 on bill predictability and 3 on spam-call billing and gives up 9.5 on price.
- Where it loses
- 30 days of notice to cancel. “If you ever cancel, we need 30 days' notice, and then you're done.” (smith.ai, read October 5, 2026).
- Nights and weekends
- States 24/7 answering. “24/7 AI call answering” (smith.ai, read October 27, 2026).
- Reaching a person
- Urgent-call routing documented, with live transfer. “Complex or urgent matters are routed. Transfer the call to your team or one of our Live Agents immediately when needed.” (smith.ai, read October 27, 2026).
- Part-time cover
- Can cover after hours only, or only the calls you miss. Source: smithaivoiceassistant.freshdesk.com, read October 27, 2026.
Rank 9
RingCentral AI Receptionist
36.3 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 3.1 points ahead of Simple Phones: it gains 5.1 on price and 3 on bill predictability and gives up 5 on contract terms.
- Where it loses
- At 100 calls it costs $149, the 7th lowest of the 12 here.
- Nights and weekends
- States 24/7 answering. “AI Receptionist answers every call during business hours, after hours, weekends, and holidays.” (ringcentral.com, read October 27, 2026).
- Reaching a person
- Urgent-call routing documented, with live transfer. “It can answer questions, capture lead details, schedule appointments, send follow-up texts, or route urgent calls based on your rules” (ringcentral.com, read October 27, 2026).
- Part-time cover
- Can cover after hours only, or only the calls you miss. Source: ringcentral.com, read October 27, 2026.
Rank 10
Simple Phones
33.1 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 6.2 points ahead of Moneypenny AI Answering (US): it gains 6 on contract terms, 4.7 on price and 2 on spam-call billing and gives up 6 on bill predictability and 0.5 on integrations.
- Where it loses
- Past its allowance it releases your phone numbers.
- Nights and weekends
- Its own pages do not state 24/7 answering.
- Reaching a person
- Live transfer documented. “The agent can instead be programmed to forward to the call onto any other number.” (help.simplephones.ai, read October 27, 2026).
- Part-time cover
- Can cover only the calls you miss. Source: simplephones.ai, read October 27, 2026.
Rank 11
Moneypenny AI Answering (US)
26.9 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 3.2 points ahead of Go Answer AI Receptionist: it gains 10.4 on price and 3 on bill predictability and gives up 6 on contract terms, 2.3 on integrations and 2 on spam-call billing.
- Where it loses
- Answered spam calls are billed. Only silent calls are free; any call where noise registers is charged, spam included. “If the caller does not speak to the AI Receptionist (i.e. no noise is registered), the call will not be charged.” (cdn.prod.website-files.com, read October 7, 2026).
- Nights and weekends
- States 24/7 answering. “24/7 service” (moneypenny.com, read October 27, 2026).
- Reaching a person
- Live transfer documented. “either a Moneypenny Receptionist, available 24/7, or a member of your own team.” (moneypenny.com, read October 27, 2026).
- Part-time cover
- Can cover after hours only, or only the calls you miss. Source: moneypenny.com, read October 27, 2026.
Rank 12
Go Answer AI Receptionist
23.7 /95
- Why it ranks here
- Last on this list by its order rule.
- Where it loses
- At 100 calls it costs $270, the most of the 12 here.
- Nights and weekends
- States 24/7 answering. “24/7 Automated Answering” (goanswer.io, read October 26, 2026).
- Reaching a person
- Live transfer documented. “Call routing and warm transfers (where applicable)” (goanswer.io, read October 26, 2026).
- Part-time cover
- Can cover after hours only, or only the calls you miss. Source: goanswer.io, read October 26, 2026.
Which one fits your situation
24/7 with live transfer on the entry plan, for least
Goodcall states 24/7 answering and lists live transfer on its entry plan, at $129 for 200 calls (9 of the 12 do both).
Why it may not fit: Its bill rises $50 a month when calls double from 100 to 200.
Urgent calls transferred to a person, for least
Rosie documents transferring urgent calls, at $149 for 200 calls (7 of the 12 document it).
Why it may not fit: A live transfer to a person needs a higher plan (Scale and Growth, not Professional).
Overnight spam costs nothing
Goodcall does not bill spam, at $129 for 200 calls.
Overnight spam and the bill
Robocalls and wrong numbers do not stop at night, and on a metered plan each one can use part of the allowance. A vendor that does not count spam, or a plan with no usage meter, takes that cost off the table; a vendor with no published spam rule leaves it open.
Night overflow: when the minutes run out at 2 am
A busy night can finish an allowance. Then the plan decides: a published rate keeps the line open, an automatic upgrade keeps it open at a higher price, and a voicemail fallback means the 2 am caller gets a machine. The last column says which applies to each vendor.
What to check before you sign
- Which calls reach a person at night, in what order, and what the caller hears if nobody answers.
- Whether failed transfers at night are billed.
- Whether you can run the AI after hours only and answer yourself in the day.
- Whether spam, wrong numbers and hang-ups count toward the bill, in the vendor’s own terms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do AI receptionists answer 24/7?
NextPhone, Upfirst, Goodcall, My AI Front Desk, Phonely, Dialzara, Rosie, Smith.ai AI Receptionist, RingCentral AI Receptionist, Moneypenny AI Answering (US) and Go Answer AI Receptionist state 24/7 answering on their own pages. Simple Phones does not say so on the pages we read. NextPhone, Upfirst, Goodcall, My AI Front Desk, Phonely, Dialzara, Rosie, Smith.ai AI Receptionist, RingCentral AI Receptionist, Simple Phones, Moneypenny AI Answering (US) and Go Answer AI Receptionist can also be set to answer only after hours or when you miss a call. Checked October 27, 2026.
Do AI receptionists charge extra for after-hours calls?
None of the 12 AI receptionists on this list publishes an after-hours surcharge (checked October 26, 2026), so a night call costs what a day call costs on the same plan. What differs is how each plan meters calls and what happens when the minutes run out.
Can an AI receptionist transfer an emergency call to me?
NextPhone, Upfirst, Goodcall, My AI Front Desk, Phonely, Dialzara, Rosie, Smith.ai AI Receptionist, RingCentral AI Receptionist, Simple Phones, Moneypenny AI Answering (US) and Go Answer AI Receptionist document a live transfer to a person. NextPhone, Upfirst, My AI Front Desk, Phonely, Dialzara, Rosie, Smith.ai AI Receptionist and RingCentral AI Receptionist also document rules for urgent calls, such as routing or alerting the person on call. Checked October 27, 2026; ask for a test transfer before you rely on it.
How much does an after-hours AI receptionist cost?
For the 12 AI receptionists on this list, the cheapest published plan for three-minute calls costs $129 to $510 at 200 calls a month, prices checked October 26, 2026. Simple Phones publishes nothing that covers 200 calls. Each cost is the vendor's cheapest plan for that volume plus its published rate past the allowance; taxes, setup and add-ons are not included.
Sources
- Pricing pages are linked in the table’s Source column, each with its read date. The other pages quoted here:
- NextPhone: pricing page, read October 27, 2026; product page, read October 27, 2026; home page, read October 27, 2026.
- Upfirst: pricing page, read October 27, 2026; help center, read October 27, 2026.
- Goodcall: home page, read October 27, 2026; help center, read October 27, 2026.
- My AI Front Desk: pricing page, read October 26, 2026; product page, read October 27, 2026; help center, read October 27, 2026.
- Phonely: product page, read October 27, 2026; product page 2, read October 27, 2026.
- Dialzara: pricing page, read October 27, 2026; FAQ, read October 27, 2026.
- Rosie: pricing page, read October 27, 2026; help center, read October 27, 2026.
- Smith.ai AI Receptionist: pricing page, read October 5, 2026 and October 27, 2026; home page, read October 27, 2026; help center, read October 27, 2026.
- RingCentral AI Receptionist: product page, read October 27, 2026.
- Simple Phones: help center, read October 27, 2026; home page, read October 27, 2026.
- Moneypenny AI Answering (US): terms (PDF), read October 7, 2026; pricing page, read October 27, 2026; product page, read October 27, 2026.
- Go Answer AI Receptionist: pricing page, read October 26, 2026.
- Integrations: the vendors' own integration pages and the tools' app directories, checked October 27, 2026. Every connection's evidence is on the data page.
Data changes for vendors on this list
- October 27, 2026: Upfirst: cancellation notice recorded as none. Its pricing FAQ says "You can cancel, upgrade, or downgrade anytime, no questions asked," the same strength as other cancel-anytime terms. Its setup-fee summary now reads "None stated": no page says there is no fee. No price changed.
- October 27, 2026: My AI Front Desk: the 1,000 monthly overage credits its pricing page lists as included ("Extra credits you get each month in case you go over your included usage") now count as 40 included minutes, so Business-in-a-Box covers 240 minutes before the $0.25 rate applies (was 200). Phonely: noted that its Professional plan card says 650 minutes and its comparison table 750; the card is used. Cost arithmetic: when two plans tie on their lowest cost, the one with the narrower range is chosen, so Phonely at 10 calls a day prices on Professional alone.
How to cite: AI Receptionist Rankings, Best AI Receptionist for After-Hours Calls 2027, data checked October 26, 2026, https://www.aireceptionistrankings.com/best-ai-receptionist-for-after-hours/. The full dataset is on the data page (CC BY 4.0).