13 ranked · data checked October 26, 2026
Best AI Receptionist for Contractors 2027
NextPhone ranks first of the 13 AI receptionists we scored for contractors, including one built for home services only, with 72.8 of 95 points from published prices and terms checked October 26, 2026. Upfirst is second (71.6) and Goodcall third (70.2). In a 50-call slow month, Rosie costs least at $49; three of the 13 say a downgrade waits for the next billing period.
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 | 50 calls (slow) | 100 calls/mo | 200 calls/mo | Downgrade takes effect | Trade tools | Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NextPhone | $199 | $199 | $199 | Next billing period | Jobber native, ServiceTitan and Housecall Pro through Zapier | 72.8 /95 | getnextphone.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 2 | Upfirst | $54.95 | $69.95 | $159.95 | Any time, timing not stated | Jobber, ServiceTitan and Housecall Pro through Zapier | 71.6 /95 | upfirst.ai read October 26, 2026 |
| 3 | Goodcall | $79 | $79 | $129 | Not published | Jobber, ServiceTitan and Housecall Pro through Zapier | 70.2 /95 | goodcall.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 4 | My AI Front Desk | $99 | $114 | $189 | Not published | Housecall Pro native, Jobber and ServiceTitan through Zapier | 58.7 /95 | myaifrontdesk.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 5 | Phonely | $50 | $75 to $85 | $150 | Not published | Jobber, ServiceTitan and Housecall Pro through Zapier | 55.6 /95 | phonely.ai read October 26, 2026 |
| 6 | Smith.ai AI Receptionist | $75 | $212.50 | $385 | Next billing period | Jobber, ServiceTitan and Housecall Pro native | 52.8 /95 | smith.ai read October 26, 2026 |
| 7 | Dialzara | $72.20 | $135 | $239 | Any time, timing not stated | Jobber, ServiceTitan and Housecall Pro through Zapier | 52.3 /95 | dialzara.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 8 | Rosie | $49 | $149 | $149 | Next billing period | Jobber, ServiceTitan and Housecall Pro through Zapier | 50.2 /95 | heyrosie.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 9 | RingCentral AI Receptionist | $74 | $149 | $299 | Not published | None documented | 36.3 /95 | ringcentral.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 10 | Simple Phones | $97 | $97 | not computable | Any time, timing not stated | None documented | 33.1 /95 | simplephones.ai read October 26, 2026 |
| 11 | Moneypenny AI Answering (US) | $99 | $199 | $418 | Not published | None documented | 26.4 /95 | moneypenny.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 12 | Go Answer AI Receptionist | $142.50 | $270 | $510 | Any time, timing not stated | None documented | 21.0 /95 | goanswer.io read October 26, 2026 |
| 13 | Sameday AIhome services only | $449 | $449 | $789 | Not published | ServiceTitan native | 16.0 /95 | sameday.ai 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 (on this page: Jobber, ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro), contract terms and spam billing; test-call scores are coming. How we rank.
A contractor’s year has slow months and busy ones, so this list prices a 50-call slow month beside 100 and 200, and quotes each vendor on when a downgrade takes effect. It includes the home-services-only vendor in our data and weighs Jobber, ServiceTitan and Housecall Pro.
Why each vendor ranks where it does
Each entry adds the bill in a 50-call slow month, with its arithmetic, and when a downgrade takes effect, in the vendor’s own words.
Rank 1
NextPhone
72.8 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 1.3 points ahead of Upfirst: it gains 10 on bill predictability, 3.3 on integrations and 1 on contract terms and gives up 13.1 on price.
- Where it loses
- A downgrade waits for the next billing period, so a slow month starts on the busy plan.
- Slow month, 50 calls
- $199 ($199 flat, unlimited inbound calls).
- Downgrading for the slow season
- A downgrade starts with the next billing period. “If you downgrade, the change takes effect at the start of your next billing cycle” (getnextphone.com, read October 27, 2026).
Rank 2
Upfirst
71.6 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 1.4 points ahead of Goodcall: it gains 6 on contract terms 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.
- Slow month, 50 calls
- $54.95 (Starter $24.95 + 20 extra calls × $1.50 = $54.95).
- Downgrading for the slow season
- It allows a downgrade at any time without saying when it starts. “You can cancel, upgrade, or downgrade anytime, no questions asked.” (upfirst.ai, read October 27, 2026).
Rank 3
Goodcall
70.2 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 11.5 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 3.3 on integrations.
- Where it loses
- It does not publish when a downgrade takes effect.
- Slow month, 50 calls
- $79 (50 unique callers fit Starter ($79 for 100) = $79).
- Downgrading for the slow season
- Not published: ask when a downgrade takes effect.
Rank 4
My AI Front Desk
58.7 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 3.1 points ahead of Phonely: it gains 5 on contract terms and 3.3 on integrations and gives up 5.2 on price.
- Where it loses
- It does not publish when a downgrade takes effect.
- Slow month, 50 calls
- $99 (150 minutes fit Business-in-a-Box ($99 for 240; 200 voice minutes plus 40 from its 1,000 monthly overage credits) = $99).
- Downgrading for the slow season
- Not published: ask when a downgrade takes effect.
Rank 5
Phonely
55.6 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 2.8 points ahead of Smith.ai AI Receptionist: it gains 22.8 on price and gives up 10 on integrations, 4 on contract terms, 3 on bill predictability and 3 on spam-call billing.
- Where it loses
- It does not publish when a downgrade takes effect.
- Slow month, 50 calls
- $50 (150 minutes fit Starter ($50 for 200) = $50).
- Downgrading for the slow season
- Not published: ask when a downgrade takes effect.
Rank 6
Smith.ai AI Receptionist
52.8 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 0.5 points ahead of Dialzara: it gains 10 on integrations, 3 on bill predictability and 3 on spam-call billing and gives up 13.5 on price and 2 on contract terms.
- Where it loses
- A downgrade waits for the next billing period, so a slow month starts on the busy plan.
- Slow month, 50 calls
- $75 (Free $0 + 25 extra calls × $3 = $75).
- Downgrading for the slow season
- A downgrade starts with the next billing period. “Changes will take effect on the next monthly payment date.” (smith.ai, read October 27, 2026).
Rank 7
Dialzara
52.3 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 2.1 points ahead of Rosie: it gains 3 on bill predictability and 2 on contract terms and gives up 2.9 on price.
- Where it loses
- Past the allowance, it sends callers to voicemail unless auto-recharge is on. “so you can turn on auto-recharge or buy extra minutes a la carte. If it hits zero, callers go straight to voicemail.” (dialzara.com, read October 27, 2026).
- Slow month, 50 calls
- $72.20 (Business Lite $29 + 90 extra minutes × $0.48 = $72.20).
- Downgrading for the slow season
- It allows a downgrade at any time without saying when it starts. “You can switch plans anytime.” (dialzara.com, read October 27, 2026).
Rank 8
Rosie
50.2 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 13.9 points ahead of RingCentral AI Receptionist: it gains 6.9 on price, 5 on integrations and 5 on contract terms and gives up 3 on bill predictability.
- Where it loses
- A downgrade waits for the next billing period, so a slow month starts on the busy plan.
- Slow month, 50 calls
- $49 (150 minutes fit Professional ($49 for 250) = $49).
- Downgrading for the slow season
- A downgrade starts with the next billing period. “Subscription changes that result in lower or fewer Fees will be effective beginning on the first day of the next monthly billing period” (heyrosie.com, read October 27, 2026). Upgrades bind for three periods. “apply to the then-current monthly billing period and at least the subsequent two consecutive billing periods” (heyrosie.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
- It does not publish when a downgrade takes effect.
- Slow month, 50 calls
- $74 (Standalone $49 + 50 extra minutes × $0.50 = $74).
- Downgrading for the slow season
- Not published: ask when a downgrade takes effect.
Rank 10
Simple Phones
33.1 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 6.7 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.
- Where it loses
- At 50 calls it costs $97, the 8th lowest of the 13 here.
- Slow month, 50 calls
- $97 (50 calls fit Entry ($97 for 100) = $97).
- Downgrading for the slow season
- It allows a downgrade at any time without saying when it starts. “you can always upgrade or downgrade at any time.” (simplephones.ai, read October 26, 2026).
Rank 11
Moneypenny AI Answering (US)
26.4 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 5.4 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 and 2 on spam-call billing.
- Where it loses
- It does not publish when a downgrade takes effect.
- Slow month, 50 calls
- $99 (50 calls fit the “50 calls” plan ($99) = $99).
- Downgrading for the slow season
- Not published: ask when a downgrade takes effect.
Rank 12
Go Answer AI Receptionist
21.0 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 5 points ahead of Sameday AI: it gains 7 on contract terms and 3 on bill predictability and gives up 5 on integrations.
- Where it loses
- At 50 calls it costs $142.50, the 11th lowest of the 13 here.
- Slow month, 50 calls
- $142.50 (AI Receptionist 100 $95 + 50 extra minutes × $0.95 = $142.50).
- Downgrading for the slow season
- It allows a downgrade at any time without saying when it starts. “You can change plans or cancel at any time.” (goanswer.io, read October 26, 2026).
Rank 13
Sameday AI
16.0 /95
- Why it ranks here
- Last on this list by its order rule.
- Where it loses
- It does not publish when a downgrade takes effect.
- Slow month, 50 calls
- $449 (150 minutes fit Launch ($449 for 500) = $449).
- Downgrading for the slow season
- Not published: ask when a downgrade takes effect.
The catch
- Built for home services only. It ranks only on lists for that trade.
Which one fits your situation
Lowest cost in a 50-call slow month
Rosie costs $49 a month at 50 calls.
Why it may not fit: A downgrade waits for the next billing period, so a slow month starts on the busy plan.
Smallest gap between a slow and a busy month
NextPhone costs $199 at 50 calls and $199 at 200.
Why it may not fit: A downgrade waits for the next billing period, so a slow month starts on the busy plan.
Most Jobber, ServiceTitan and Housecall Pro connections
Smith.ai AI Receptionist: Jobber, ServiceTitan and Housecall Pro native.
Why it may not fit: A downgrade waits for the next billing period, so a slow month starts on the busy plan.
Seasonal work, seasonal calls
The Census Bureau describes construction’s seasonal swings as weather-driven, giving as its example “the average January decrease in new home construction in the Northeastern region of the U.S. due to cold and storms.” That is construction activity, not phone traffic, but it is the reason to price a slow month and a busy month from your own call log rather than one average.
The 50-call column is the slow month. The downgrade column says whether you can follow the season down: a downgrade that waits for the next billing period means the first slow month is still billed at the busy plan, and an upgrade that binds you for several periods can keep you there.
A receptionist that can reach you on site
A receptionist that cannot put a caller through to the person on site is an answering machine with a monthly fee. Ask which calls it transfers, to whom, and what it does when the transfer fails. Transfers are not in the score yet; the test-call rubric will measure them.
What to check before you sign
- Your call count in a slow month and a busy month, from the call log.
- When a downgrade takes effect, and whether an upgrade binds you for more than a month.
- Which calls transfer to a person on site, and what happens when nobody answers.
- Notice to cancel and what happens to your phone number when you leave.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an AI receptionist cost a contractor in a slow month?
For the 13 AI receptionists on this list, the cheapest published plan for three-minute calls costs $49 to $449 at 50 calls a month, prices checked October 26, 2026. 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.
Can I downgrade an AI receptionist plan in the slow season?
NextPhone, Smith.ai AI Receptionist and Rosie say a downgrade starts with the next billing period. Upfirst, Dialzara, Simple Phones and Go Answer AI Receptionist allow a plan change at any time without saying when it takes effect. Goodcall, My AI Front Desk, Phonely, RingCentral AI Receptionist, Moneypenny AI Answering (US) and Sameday AI publish nothing on downgrades. Rosie also binds an upgrade for the current period and at least the next two. Change plans before the billing date, not on it.
Can I cancel an AI receptionist at any time?
NextPhone, Upfirst, My AI Front Desk, Dialzara, Rosie, Simple Phones and Go Answer AI Receptionist state that you can cancel at any time. Smith.ai AI Receptionist asks for 30 days of notice; Moneypenny AI Answering (US) asks for one full calendar month's notice. Phonely, RingCentral AI Receptionist and Sameday AI do not publish contract terms, so ask before you sign.
Which AI receptionists integrate with Jobber?
NextPhone and Smith.ai AI Receptionist document a native Jobber connection, and Upfirst, Goodcall, My AI Front Desk, Phonely, Dialzara and Rosie connect through Zapier, per the integration pages we read (checked October 27, 2026). A logo on a vendor page with no stated mechanism does not count.
Sources
- Pricing pages are linked in the table’s Source column, each with its read date. The other pages quoted here:
- NextPhone: terms, read October 27, 2026.
- Upfirst: pricing page, read October 27, 2026.
- Smith.ai AI Receptionist: terms, read October 27, 2026.
- Dialzara: pricing page, read October 27, 2026.
- Rosie: terms, read October 27, 2026.
- Simple Phones: pricing page, read October 26, 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.
- U.S. Census Bureau: Construction Spending, seasonal adjustment questions, read October 27, 2026.
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 Contractors 2027, data checked October 26, 2026, https://www.aireceptionistrankings.com/best-ai-receptionist-for-contractors/. The full dataset is on the data page (CC BY 4.0).