12 ranked · data checked October 26, 2026
Best AI Receptionist for Small Business 2027
NextPhone ranks first of the 12 AI receptionists we scored for small businesses, with 79.5 of 95 points from published prices and terms checked October 26, 2026. Upfirst is second (76.6) and Goodcall third (70.2). Its Pro plan is $199 a month with unlimited inbound calls, so 100 and 200 calls cost the same.
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 | Spam calls | Calendars and CRMs | Contract | Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NextPhone | $199 | $199 | No per-call charge | Google Calendar, Calendly, HubSpot and GoHighLevel native | Cancel any time | 79.5 /95 | getnextphone.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 2 | Upfirst | $69.95 | $159.95 | Not counted | Google Calendar and Calendly native, HubSpot and GoHighLevel through Zapier | Cancel any time | 76.6 /95 | upfirst.ai read October 26, 2026 |
| 3 | Goodcall | $79 | $129 | Not counted | Google Calendar, Calendly, HubSpot and GoHighLevel through Zapier | Monthly, notice not stated | 70.2 /95 | goodcall.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 4 | My AI Front Desk | $114 | $189 | No published rule | Google Calendar, HubSpot and GoHighLevel native, Calendly through Zapier | Cancel any time | 62.9 /95 | myaifrontdesk.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 5 | Phonely | $75 to $85 | $150 | No published rule | Google Calendar native, Calendly, HubSpot and GoHighLevel through Zapier | Not published | 58.1 /95 | phonely.ai read October 26, 2026 |
| 6 | Rosie | $149 | $149 | No published rule | Google Calendar, Calendly and HubSpot native, GoHighLevel through Zapier | Cancel any time | 57.7 /95 | heyrosie.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 7 | Dialzara | $135 | $239 | No published rule | Google Calendar native, Calendly, HubSpot and GoHighLevel through Zapier | Cancel any time | 54.8 /95 | dialzara.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 8 | Smith.ai AI Receptionist | $212.50 | $385 | Free under conditions | Google Calendar, Calendly, HubSpot and GoHighLevel native | Monthly, 30 days' notice | 52.8 /95 | smith.ai read October 26, 2026 |
| 9 | RingCentral AI Receptionist | $149 | $299 | No published rule | None documented | Not published | 36.3 /95 | ringcentral.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 10 | Simple Phones | $97 | not computable | No published rule | None documented | Cancel any time | 33.1 /95 | simplephones.ai read October 26, 2026 |
| 11 | Moneypenny AI Answering (US) | $199 | $418 | Billed | None documented | Monthly, one calendar month's notice | 26.4 /95 | moneypenny.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 12 | Go Answer AI Receptionist | $270 | $510 | No published rule | None documented | Cancel any time | 21.0 /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 (on this page: Google Calendar, Calendly, HubSpot, GoHighLevel), contract terms and spam billing; test-call scores are coming. How we rank.
A small business buys an AI receptionist for one of two reasons: missed calls are lost revenue, or the owner is the receptionist and wants the evenings back. This list weighs the general-purpose tools a small business is most likely to connect (Google Calendar, Calendly, HubSpot and GoHighLevel) and shows how each vendor treats spam, which is part of every small business’s call count.
Why each vendor ranks where it does
Each entry adds the vendor’s connections to the calendars and CRMs a small business uses, and how it treats spam calls.
Rank 1
NextPhone
79.5 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 2.9 points ahead of Upfirst: it gains 10 on bill predictability, 5 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.
- Calendars and CRMs
- Google Calendar native (vendor docs); Calendly native (vendor docs); HubSpot native (vendor docs); GoHighLevel native (vendor docs). Evidence.
- Spam calls
- No per-call charge, so spam adds nothing to the bill.
Rank 2
Upfirst
76.6 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 6.4 points ahead of Goodcall: it gains 6 on contract terms and 5 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.
- Calendars and CRMs
- Google Calendar native (vendor docs); Calendly native (vendor docs); HubSpot through Zapier (Zapier directory); GoHighLevel through Zapier (Zapier directory). Evidence.
- Spam calls
- Not counted toward the plan. “We use AI to automatically detect and block spam, telemarketing, and other robocalls, so they don't count against your plan.” (upfirst.ai, read October 27, 2026).
Rank 3
Goodcall
70.2 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 7.3 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 7.5 on integrations and 6 on contract terms.
- Where it loses
- Its bill rises $50 a month when calls double from 100 to 200.
- Calendars and CRMs
- Google Calendar through Zapier (Zapier directory); Calendly through Zapier (Zapier directory); HubSpot through Zapier (Zapier directory); GoHighLevel through Zapier (Zapier directory). Evidence.
- Spam calls
- Not counted toward the plan. “Spam and wrong numbers don't count.” (goodcall.com, read October 27, 2026).
Rank 4
My AI Front Desk
62.9 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 4.8 points ahead of Phonely: it gains 5 on integrations and 5 on contract terms and gives up 5.2 on price.
- Where it loses
- Its bill rises $75 a month when calls double from 100 to 200.
- Calendars and CRMs
- Google Calendar native (vendor docs); Calendly through Zapier (Zapier directory); HubSpot native (vendor docs); GoHighLevel native (GoHighLevel's own app directory). Evidence.
- Spam calls
- Robocall filter blocks spam; billing of blocked calls not stated.
Rank 5
Phonely
58.1 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 0.4 points ahead of Rosie: it gains 6.4 on price and 3 on bill predictability and gives up 5 on integrations and 4 on contract terms.
- Where it loses
- Its bill rises $75 a month when calls double from 100 to 200.
- Calendars and CRMs
- Google Calendar native (vendor docs); Calendly through Zapier (Zapier directory); HubSpot through Zapier (Zapier directory); GoHighLevel through Zapier (Zapier directory). Evidence.
- Spam calls
- No published rule.
Rank 6
Rosie
57.7 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 2.9 points ahead of Dialzara: it gains 5 on integrations and 2.9 on price and gives up 3 on bill predictability and 2 on contract terms.
- Where it loses
- Past the allowance, 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).
- Calendars and CRMs
- Google Calendar native (vendor docs); Calendly native (vendor docs); HubSpot native (HubSpot's own app directory); GoHighLevel through Zapier (Zapier directory). Evidence.
- Spam calls
- Blocked numbers use no minutes; calls its spam detection hangs up on: not stated.
Rank 7
Dialzara
54.8 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 2 points ahead of Smith.ai AI Receptionist: it gains 13.5 on price and 2 on contract terms and gives up 7.5 on integrations, 3 on bill predictability and 3 on spam-call billing.
- 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).
- Calendars and CRMs
- Google Calendar native (vendor docs); Calendly through Zapier (Zapier directory); HubSpot through Zapier (Zapier directory); GoHighLevel through Zapier (Zapier directory). Evidence.
- Spam calls
- No published rule.
Rank 8
Smith.ai AI Receptionist
52.8 /95
- Why it ranks here
- 16.5 points ahead of RingCentral AI Receptionist: it gains 15 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).
- Calendars and CRMs
- Google Calendar native (vendor docs); Calendly native (vendor docs); HubSpot native (HubSpot's own app directory); GoHighLevel native (vendor docs). Evidence.
- Spam calls
- Free only under its conditions. Known spam numbers are filtered before the AI answers; answered spam is billed past the 10% allowance. “Every call answered by your AI Receptionist counts toward your call quota by default.” (smith.ai, read October 5, 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.
- Calendars and CRMs
- No documented connection. Evidence.
- Spam calls
- No published rule.
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 the allowance, 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).
- Calendars and CRMs
- No documented connection. Evidence.
- Spam calls
- No published rule.
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.
- Calendars and CRMs
- No documented connection. Evidence.
- Spam calls
- Billed like any call. 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).
Rank 12
Go Answer AI Receptionist
21.0 /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.
- Calendars and CRMs
- No documented connection. Evidence.
- Spam calls
- No published rule.
Which one fits your situation
Lowest cost at 100 calls
Upfirst costs $69.95 a month at 100 calls.
Why it may not fit: Its bill rises $90 a month when calls double from 100 to 200.
Lowest cost at 200 calls
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.
Spam costs nothing, for least
Goodcall does not count spam, at $129 for 200 calls.
Most connections to the tools on this page
Tie: NextPhone and Smith.ai AI Receptionist, each with Google Calendar, Calendly, HubSpot and GoHighLevel native.
Why it may not fit: NextPhone: At 100 calls it costs $199, the 9th lowest of the 12 here. Smith.ai AI Receptionist: Cancelling takes 30 days of notice.
How to match a plan to your call count
Count three numbers from your phone bill or call log: calls in an ordinary month, calls in your busiest month, and how many of them were spam or wrong numbers. Price the busiest month on each plan, then check how the vendor treats the spam share. A vendor that does not bill spam can be cheaper in practice than one with a lower sticker price.
What to check before you sign
- Your real call count: last month, your busiest month, and how many of those calls were spam.
- What the plan does past its allowance: a published rate, an automatic upgrade, or voicemail.
- Whether spam, wrong numbers and hang-ups count toward the bill, in the vendor’s own terms.
- Notice to cancel and what happens to your phone number when you leave.
- Whether the trial needs a card, and whether it turns into a paid plan on its own.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an AI receptionist cost per call?
At 100 three-minute calls a month, the cost per call on this list runs from $0.70 (Upfirst) to $2.70 (Go Answer AI Receptionist), prices checked October 26, 2026. At 200 calls, plans with no usage meter halve their cost per call, while metered plans fall less or not at all.
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). Seven metered vendors (My AI Front Desk, Phonely, Rosie, Dialzara, RingCentral AI Receptionist, Simple Phones and Go Answer AI Receptionist) 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.
Can I cancel an AI receptionist at any time?
NextPhone, Upfirst, My AI Front Desk, Rosie, Dialzara, 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 and RingCentral AI Receptionist do not publish contract terms, so ask before you sign.
Which AI receptionists integrate with HubSpot?
NextPhone, My AI Front Desk, Rosie and Smith.ai AI Receptionist document a native HubSpot connection, and Upfirst, Goodcall, Phonely and Dialzara connect through Zapier, per the integration pages we read (checked October 27, 2026). Rosie and Smith.ai AI Receptionist are listed in HubSpot's own app directory. 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:
- Upfirst: pricing page, read October 27, 2026.
- Goodcall: FAQ, read October 27, 2026.
- Rosie: terms, read October 27, 2026.
- Dialzara: pricing page, read October 27, 2026.
- Smith.ai AI Receptionist: pricing page, read October 5, 2026.
- Simple Phones: pricing page, read October 26, 2026.
- Moneypenny AI Answering (US): terms (PDF), read October 7, 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 Small Business 2027, data checked October 26, 2026, https://www.aireceptionistrankings.com/best-ai-receptionist-for-small-business/. The full dataset is on the data page (CC BY 4.0).