12 ranked · data checked October 26, 2026
Best Cheap AI Receptionist 2027
Upfirst is the cheapest AI receptionist we priced: $69.95 a month for 100 three-minute calls on its Premium plan, prices checked October 26, 2026. Phonely is next at $75 to $85, and Go Answer AI Receptionist costs the most at $270. At 300 calls the order changes: Goodcall costs least, at $129.
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/mo | 100 calls/mo | 200 calls/mo | 300 calls/mo | Plan at 100 calls | Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Upfirst | $54.95 | $69.95 | $159.95 | $159.95 | Premium: 90 calls | 73.9 /95 | upfirst.ai read October 26, 2026 |
| 2 | Phonely | $50 | $75 to $85 | $150 | $225 | Starter: 200 minutes | 56.0 /95 | phonely.ai read October 26, 2026 |
| 3 | Goodcall | $79 | $79 | $129 | $129 | Starter: 100 unique callers | 69.8 /95 | goodcall.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 4 | Simple Phones | $97 | $97 | not computable | not computable | Entry: 100 calls | 33.1 /95 | simplephones.ai read October 26, 2026 |
| 5 | My AI Front Desk | $99 | $114 | $189 | $264 | Business-in-a-Box: 240 minutes | 58.6 /95 | myaifrontdesk.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 6 | Dialzara | $72.20 | $135 | $239 | $349 | Business Pro: 220 minutes | 52.7 /95 | dialzara.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 7 | Rosie | $49 | $149 | $149 | $149 | Scale: 1,000 minutes | 52.4 /95 | heyrosie.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 8 | RingCentral AI Receptionist | $74 | $149 | $299 | $449 | Standalone: 100 minutes | 36.3 /95 | ringcentral.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 9 | NextPhone | $199 | $199 | $199 | $199 | Pro: unlimited inbound calls | 77.7 /95 | getnextphone.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 10 | Moneypenny AI Answering (US) | $99 | $199 | $418 | $529.50 | 100 calls plan | 26.9 /95 | moneypenny.com read October 26, 2026 |
| 11 | Smith.ai AI Receptionist | $75 | $212.50 | $385 | $500 | Pro: 75 calls | 51.4 /95 | smith.ai read October 26, 2026 |
| 12 | Go Answer AI Receptionist | $142.50 | $270 | $510 | $765 | AI Receptionist: 300 minutes | 23.7 /95 | goanswer.io read October 26, 2026 |
Ordered by monthly cost at 100 calls, cheapest first (the low end, where a vendor publishes a range); ties go to the cheaper vendor at 200 calls, then the higher score. 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.
This list is ordered by cost at 100 calls a month, not by score, because cost is the question. The table adds a 50-call quiet month and a 300-call busy month, because the cheapest plan at 100 calls is not always the cheapest at the other two.
Why each vendor ranks where it does
Each entry adds the bill at 50 and at 300 calls a month, with the arithmetic, so you can see whether the cheap plan stays cheap.
Rank 1
Upfirst
73.9 /95
- Why it ranks here
- $5.05 a month cheaper at 100 calls than Phonely ($69.95 against $75 to $85).
- Where it loses
- Its bill rises $90 a month when calls double from 100 to 200.
- A 50-call month
- $54.95 (Starter $24.95 + 20 extra calls × $1.50 = $54.95).
- A 300-call month
- $159.95 (300 calls fit Pro ($159.95 for 300) = $159.95).
Rank 2
Phonely
56.0 /95
- Why it ranks here
- Phonely costs $75 to $85 at 100 calls, against Goodcall's $79: cheaper only at its lower rate.
- Where it loses
- Its bill rises $75 a month when calls double from 100 to 200.
- A 50-call month
- $50 (150 minutes fit Starter ($50 for 200) = $50).
- A 300-call month
- $225 (Professional $150 + 250 extra minutes × $0.30 = $225).
Rank 3
Goodcall
69.8 /95
- Why it ranks here
- $18 a month cheaper at 100 calls than Simple Phones ($79 against $97).
- Where it loses
- Its bill rises $50 a month when calls double from 100 to 200.
- A 50-call month
- $79 (50 unique callers fit Starter ($79 for 100) = $79).
- A 300-call month
- $129 (300 unique callers fit Growth ($129 for 500) = $129).
Rank 4
Simple Phones
33.1 /95
- Why it ranks here
- $17 a month cheaper at 100 calls than My AI Front Desk ($97 against $114).
- 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).
- A 50-call month
- $97 (50 calls fit Entry ($97 for 100) = $97).
- A 300-call month
- not computable from the published prices.
Rank 5
My AI Front Desk
58.6 /95
- Why it ranks here
- $21 a month cheaper at 100 calls than Dialzara ($114 against $135).
- Where it loses
- Its bill rises $75 a month when calls double from 100 to 200.
- A 50-call month
- $99 (150 minutes fit Business-in-a-Box ($99 for 240; 200 voice minutes plus 40 from its 1,000 monthly overage credits) = $99).
- A 300-call month
- $264 (Business-in-a-Box $99 for 240 minutes, that is 200 voice minutes plus 40 from its 1,000 monthly overage credits, + 660 extra minutes × $0.25 = $264).
Rank 6
Dialzara
52.7 /95
- Why it ranks here
- $14 a month cheaper at 100 calls than Rosie ($135 against $149).
- Where it loses
- At 300 calls it costs $349, the 7th lowest of the 12 here.
- A 50-call month
- $72.20 (Business Lite $29 + 90 extra minutes × $0.48 = $72.20).
- A 300-call month
- $349 (900 minutes fit Business Elite ($349 for 1,000) = $349).
Rank 7
Rosie
52.4 /95
- Why it ranks here
- Same cost at 100 calls as RingCentral AI Receptionist; ahead on cost at 200 calls.
- 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).
- A 50-call month
- $49 (150 minutes fit Professional ($49 for 250) = $49).
- A 300-call month
- $149 (900 minutes fit Scale ($149 for 1,000) = $149).
Rank 8
RingCentral AI Receptionist
36.3 /95
- Why it ranks here
- $50 a month cheaper at 100 calls than NextPhone ($149 against $199).
- Where it loses
- At 300 calls it costs $449, the 8th lowest of the 12 here.
- A 50-call month
- $74 (Standalone $49 + 50 extra minutes × $0.50 = $74).
- A 300-call month
- $449 (Standalone $49 + 800 extra minutes × $0.50 = $449).
Rank 9
NextPhone
77.7 /95
- Why it ranks here
- Same cost at 100 calls as Moneypenny AI Answering (US); ahead on cost at 200 calls.
- Where it loses
- At 100 calls it costs $199, the 9th lowest of the 12 here.
- A 50-call month
- $199 ($199 flat, unlimited inbound calls).
- A 300-call month
- $199 ($199 flat, unlimited inbound calls).
Rank 10
Moneypenny AI Answering (US)
26.9 /95
- Why it ranks here
- $13.50 a month cheaper at 100 calls than Smith.ai AI Receptionist ($199 against $212.50).
- Where it loses
- At 300 calls it costs $529.50, the 10th lowest of the 12 here.
- A 50-call month
- $99 (50 calls fit the “50 calls” plan ($99) = $99).
- A 300-call month
- $529.50 (the “250 calls” plan $435 + 50 extra calls × $1.89 = $529.50).
Rank 11
Smith.ai AI Receptionist
51.4 /95
- Why it ranks here
- $57.50 a month cheaper at 100 calls than Go Answer AI Receptionist ($212.50 against $270).
- Where it loses
- At 300 calls it costs $500, the 9th lowest of the 12 here.
- A 50-call month
- $75 (Free $0 + 25 extra calls × $3 = $75).
- A 300-call month
- $500 (300 calls fit Pro (300 calls) ($500) = $500).
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 300 calls it costs $765, the 11th lowest of the 12 here.
- A 50-call month
- $142.50 (AI Receptionist 100 $95 + 50 extra minutes × $0.95 = $142.50).
- A 300-call month
- $765 (AI Receptionist 500 $425 + 400 extra minutes × $0.85 = $765).
Which one fits your situation
Lowest cost in a quiet month (50 calls)
Rosie costs $49 a month at 50 calls.
Why it may not fit: Past its allowance it moves the account up a plan, which stays until you downgrade.
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.
Lowest cost in a busy month (300 calls)
Goodcall costs $129 a month at 300 calls.
Why the cheapest plan is not always the cheapest bill
The sticker price holds only to the allowance. Past it, a vendor charges its published rate, moves you to a dearer plan, sends callers to voicemail, or publishes nothing at all. Spam that counts toward the allowance uses it up faster. Read across each row from 50 to 300 calls: a row that climbs steeply is cheap only while you are quiet.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest AI receptionist?
At 100 three-minute calls a month, Upfirst costs least of the 12 we priced: $69.95 on its cheapest published plan for that volume, prices checked October 26, 2026. At 300 calls, Goodcall costs least, at $129.
Are there free AI receptionist plans?
Yes: Phonely and Smith.ai AI Receptionist publish a permanent free plan with a small monthly allowance, as of October 26, 2026. Past that allowance you pay the published rate or move to a paid plan, so a free plan suits a business with very few calls.
How much does an AI receptionist cost in a quiet month and a busy one?
For the 12 AI receptionists on this list, the cheapest published plan for three-minute calls costs $49 to $199 at 50 calls and $129 to $765 at 300 calls a month, prices checked October 26, 2026. 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.
Do AI receptionists charge a setup fee?
Moneypenny AI Answering (US) charges a one-time setup fee. Most of the rest say nothing either way, which we score as unknown rather than free (checked October 26, 2026). Ask for the first invoice in writing.
Sources
- Pricing pages are linked in the table’s Source column, each with its read date. The other pages quoted here:
- Simple Phones: pricing page, read October 26, 2026.
- Rosie: terms, read October 27, 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 Cheap AI Receptionist 2027, data checked October 26, 2026, https://www.aireceptionistrankings.com/best-cheap-ai-receptionist/. The full dataset is on the data page (CC BY 4.0).