13 ranked · data checked October 26, 2026
Best AI Receptionist for Plumbers 2027
NextPhone ranks first of the 13 AI receptionists we scored for plumbers, 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). When a burst-pipe week uses up the allowance, Rosie moves you up a plan, Dialzara sends callers to voicemail unless auto-recharge is on, Simple Phones releases your number and Sameday AI publishes nothing.
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 | When the allowance runs out | Trade tools | Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NextPhone | $199 | $199 | No allowance (unlimited) | Jobber native, ServiceTitan and Housecall Pro through Zapier | 72.8 /95 | getnextphone.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 2 | Upfirst | $69.95 | $159.95 | Published rate per extra unit | Jobber, ServiceTitan and Housecall Pro through Zapier | 71.6 /95 | upfirst.ai read October 26, 2026 |
| 3 | Goodcall | $79 | $129 | Published rate per extra unit | Jobber, ServiceTitan and Housecall Pro through Zapier | 70.2 /95 | goodcall.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 4 | My AI Front Desk | $114 | $189 | Published rate per extra unit | Housecall Pro native, Jobber and ServiceTitan through Zapier | 58.7 /95 | myaifrontdesk.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 5 | Phonely | $75 to $85 | $150 | Published rate per extra unit | Jobber, ServiceTitan and Housecall Pro through Zapier | 55.6 /95 | phonely.ai read October 26, 2026 |
| 6 | Smith.ai AI Receptionist | $212.50 | $385 | Published rate per extra unit | Jobber, ServiceTitan and Housecall Pro native | 52.8 /95 | smith.ai read October 26, 2026 |
| 7 | Dialzara | $135 | $239 | Voicemail, unless auto-recharge is on | Jobber, ServiceTitan and Housecall Pro through Zapier | 52.3 /95 | dialzara.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 8 | Rosie | $149 | $149 | Moves you up a plan | Jobber, ServiceTitan and Housecall Pro through Zapier | 50.2 /95 | heyrosie.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 9 | RingCentral AI Receptionist | $149 | $299 | Published rate per extra unit | None documented | 36.3 /95 | ringcentral.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 10 | Simple Phones | $97 | not computable | Phone numbers released | None documented | 33.1 /95 | simplephones.ai read October 26, 2026 |
| 11 | Moneypenny AI Answering (US) | $199 | $418 | Published rate per extra unit | None documented | 26.4 /95 | moneypenny.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 12 | Go Answer AI Receptionist | $270 | $510 | Published rate per extra unit | None documented | 21.0 /95 | goanswer.io read October 26, 2026 |
| 13 | Sameday AIhome services only | $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.
Plumbing calls come in bursts: a cold snap or a run of burst pipes can use a month’s allowance in a week. So this list leads with the question that week raises, what each vendor does when the allowance runs out mid-month, in its own words. 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 what the vendor does when a busy week uses up the plan, in its own words, and the arithmetic for a 200-call month.
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
- At 100 calls it costs $199, the 9th lowest of the 13 here.
- When the allowance runs out
- It has no allowance to run out. “Truly unlimited calls at one flat rate: no per-minute charges, no overage, no surprise bills.” (getnextphone.com, read October 26, 2026).
- A 200-call month
- $199 ($199 flat, unlimited inbound calls).
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.
- When the allowance runs out
- It keeps answering and bills a published rate per extra unit. “$1.50 per additional call” (upfirst.ai, read October 27, 2026).
- A 200-call month
- $159.95 (200 calls fit Pro ($159.95 for 300) = $159.95).
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
- Its bill rises $50 a month when calls double from 100 to 200.
- When the allowance runs out
- It keeps answering and bills a published rate per extra unit. “Extra customers bill at your plan's own rate: 79¢ on Starter, 26¢ on Growth, 15¢ on Scale.” (goodcall.com, read October 27, 2026).
- A 200-call month
- $129 (200 unique callers fit Growth ($129 for 500) = $129).
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
- Its bill rises $75 a month when calls double from 100 to 200.
- When the allowance runs out
- It keeps answering and bills a published rate per extra unit. “after that, each extra minute draws 25 credits ($0.25) from the plan's monthly pool of 1,000 overage credits” (myaifrontdesk.com, read October 27, 2026).
- A 200-call month
- $189 (Business-in-a-Box $99 for 240 minutes, that is 200 voice minutes plus 40 from its 1,000 monthly overage credits, + 360 extra minutes × $0.25 = $189).
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
- Its bill rises $75 a month when calls double from 100 to 200.
- When the allowance runs out
- It keeps answering and bills a published rate per extra unit. “$0.30/min” (phonely.ai, read October 26, 2026).
- A 200-call month
- $150 (600 minutes fit Professional ($150 for 650) = $150).
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
- 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).
- When the allowance runs out
- It keeps answering and bills a published rate per extra unit. “Extra per real call rate” (smith.ai, read October 26, 2026).
- A 200-call month
- $385 (Pro (150 calls) $270 + 50 extra calls × $2.30 = $385).
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 its allowance it sends callers to voicemail unless auto-recharge is on.
- When the allowance runs out
- 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).
- A 200-call month
- $239 (Business Plus $199 + 100 extra minutes × $0.40 = $239).
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
- Past its allowance it moves the account up a plan, which stays until you downgrade.
- When the allowance runs out
- It moves the account up a plan, which stays until you downgrade. “Rosie will automatically upgrade the Subscriber to a higher Subscription Plan to cover the additional Services Minutes usage.” (heyrosie.com, read October 27, 2026).
- A 200-call month
- $149 (600 minutes fit Scale ($149 for 1,000) = $149).
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
- Its bill rises $150 a month when calls double from 100 to 200.
- When the allowance runs out
- It keeps answering and bills a published rate per extra unit. “Pay-as-you-go charges of $0.50 per minute apply if usage exceeds the total included minutes.” (ringcentral.com, read October 26, 2026).
- A 200-call month
- $299 (Standalone $49 + 500 extra minutes × $0.50 = $299).
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
- Past its allowance it releases your phone numbers.
- When the allowance runs out
- It releases your phone numbers. “If you cancel your plan, or you exceed the number of calls per month for your tier, your phone numbers will be released.” (simplephones.ai, read October 26, 2026).
- A 200-call month
- not computable from the published prices.
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
- 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).
- When the allowance runs out
- It keeps answering and bills a published rate per extra unit. “If your usage exceeds your plan, additional calls are charged at a simple, transparent rate.” (moneypenny.com, read October 26, 2026).
- A 200-call month
- $418 (the “100 calls” plan $199 + 100 extra calls × $2.19 = $418).
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 100 calls it costs $270, the 12th lowest of the 13 here.
- When the allowance runs out
- It keeps answering and bills a published rate per extra unit. “Overage: $0.95/min” (goanswer.io, read October 26, 2026).
- A 200-call month
- $510 (AI Receptionist 500 $425 + 100 extra minutes × $0.85 = $510).
Rank 13
Sameday AI
16.0 /95
- Why it ranks here
- Last on this list by its order rule.
- Where it loses
- It publishes no rate past its plan allowance, so a busy month is priced by asking.
- When the allowance runs out
- Not published: a month past the allowance is priced by asking.
- A 200-call month
- $789 (600 minutes fit Scale ($789 for 1,000) = $789).
The catch
- Built for home services only. It ranks only on lists for that trade.
Which one fits your situation
Lowest cost in a 200-call month
Goodcall costs $129 a month at 200 calls.
Why it may not fit: Its bill rises $50 a month when calls double from 100 to 200.
Keeps answering past the allowance, for least
Goodcall keeps answering and bills a published rate per extra unit, and costs $129 at 300 calls.
Most Jobber, ServiceTitan and Housecall Pro connections
Smith.ai AI Receptionist: Jobber, ServiceTitan and Housecall Pro native.
Why it may not fit: Cancelling takes 30 days of notice.
What happens to the phone when the allowance runs out
There are four answers in this market, and the table names each vendor’s. Some keep answering and bill a published rate per extra minute or call, which costs money but keeps the line open. Some move the account up a plan, which can stay in place after the busy week is over. Some send callers to voicemail unless you have switched on automatic top-ups. One releases your phone numbers. Read your vendor’s rule before the busy week, not during it.
Getting the urgent call to a plumber
Ask how the AI decides a call is urgent, which numbers it tries and in what order, and what the caller hears if nobody answers. Ask too whether the minutes or calls spent trying to reach you are billed. These are routing questions; the test-call rubric will measure them once the recordings exist.
What to check before you sign
- What the plan does when the allowance runs out, in the vendor’s own terms.
- Whether automatic top-ups are on by default, and what they cost.
- How the AI decides a call is an emergency, and the order it tries your numbers.
- Whether bookings land in your scheduling software directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens when an AI receptionist runs out of minutes mid-month?
It depends on the vendor. On this list, NextPhone has no allowance to run out, Upfirst, Goodcall, My AI Front Desk, Phonely, Smith.ai AI Receptionist, RingCentral AI Receptionist, Moneypenny AI Answering (US) and Go Answer AI Receptionist keep answering and bill a published rate per extra minute, call or caller, Rosie moves the account up a plan, Dialzara sends callers to voicemail unless auto-recharge is on, Simple Phones releases your phone numbers and Sameday AI publishes no rule, per their own pricing pages and terms (read October 27, 2026 or earlier, each quoted on the page).
How much does an AI receptionist cost a plumber in a busy month?
For the 13 AI receptionists on this list, the cheapest published plan for three-minute calls costs $129 to $789 at 200 calls and $129 to $789 at 300 calls a month, prices checked October 26, 2026. Simple Phones publishes nothing that covers 200 calls. Simple Phones publishes nothing that covers 300 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.
Which AI receptionists integrate with Housecall Pro?
My AI Front Desk and Smith.ai AI Receptionist document a native Housecall Pro connection, and NextPhone, Upfirst, Goodcall, 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.
Do AI receptionists charge for spam calls?
On this list, Upfirst and Goodcall state that spam is not counted, Smith.ai AI Receptionist waives spam only under its own conditions and Moneypenny AI Answering (US) bills answered spam like any call (checked October 26, 2026). Eight metered vendors (My AI Front Desk, Phonely, Dialzara, Rosie, RingCentral AI Receptionist, Simple Phones, Go Answer AI Receptionist and Sameday AI) publish no full rule, which we score as unknown rather than free. On unlimited plans (NextPhone) there is no per-call charge for spam to add to.
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 26, 2026.
- Upfirst: pricing page, read October 27, 2026.
- Goodcall: pricing page, read October 27, 2026.
- My AI Front Desk: pricing page, read October 27, 2026.
- Phonely: pricing page, read October 26, 2026.
- Smith.ai AI Receptionist: pricing page, read October 5, 2026 and October 26, 2026.
- Dialzara: pricing page, read October 27, 2026.
- Rosie: terms, read October 27, 2026.
- RingCentral AI Receptionist: pricing page, read October 26, 2026.
- Simple Phones: pricing page, read October 26, 2026.
- Moneypenny AI Answering (US): terms (PDF), read October 7, 2026; 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.
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 Plumbers 2027, data checked October 26, 2026, https://www.aireceptionistrankings.com/best-ai-receptionist-for-plumbers/. The full dataset is on the data page (CC BY 4.0).