Best AI receptionist for small business (2026)

Contains affiliate links. Vendors cannot pay to change picks. Disclosure. Updated 2026-10-26.

Our picks for the AI receptionists that suit most small businesses, chosen by use case rather than one overall winner. The right choice depends on how many calls you get and whether you need a person as backup.

How we chose

• Pricing: published entry price, what a plan counts (minutes, calls, callers or seats), and trial terms, read from each vendor's own pricing page in October 2026.
• Fit: booking, transfers, CRM and calendar integrations, and human fallback.
• Limits: we flag where pricing isn't public. We don't publish star ratings we haven't earned, and we'll add test-call results as we complete them.

Our method follows Google's guidance for review content (https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/ecommerce/write-high-quality-reviews).

Our picks

1. Upfirst: Best low-cost per-call plan

Starter at $24.95/mo ($20 annual) with a 14-day free trial. Plans are sized by calls, so the cost is easy to predict for solo pros and small offices. Read the review · Visit Upfirst

2. Dialzara: Lowest entry for light call volume

Business Lite is $29/mo with a 7-day trial. Billing is by minutes, so check the overage rate if your calls run long. Read the review · Visit Dialzara

3. Rosie: Budget pick for trades

Professional is $49/mo with a 7-day trial, and annual billing gives 2 months free. Built for solo owners and trades. Read the review · Visit Rosie

4. Goodcall: Best for long home-service calls

Starter is $79/mo. Plans are sized by unique callers, not minutes, so long calls don't raise the bill. Read the review · Visit Goodcall

5. My AI Front Desk (Frontdesk): Best all-in-one front office

$99/mo or $79/mo annual. Bundles CRM, SMS and chat with the receptionist. Read the review · Visit My AI Front Desk (Frontdesk)

6. Smith.ai: Best AI with live-human backup

Free tier for 25 calls a month; AI plans from $150/mo. Live North American agents step in when needed. Read the review · Visit Smith.ai

7. Abby Connect: Best human + AI blend

From $165/mo for 50 Abby minutes, with a free trial on every plan and no setup fee. Read the review · Visit Abby Connect

8. Quo (formerly OpenPhone) – Sona: Best if you also need a phone system

Phone system from $19/user/mo plus Sona AI agent credit tiers. A good fit for teams replacing their phone provider. Read the review · Visit Quo (formerly OpenPhone) – Sona

Not on the list, and why

• Synthflow: an enterprise voice platform with contracts from $30,000/yr. Not a typical small-business fit.
• Bland: a developer platform at $0.14/min with no turnkey receptionist. Good if you have a developer.
• Ruby: live human receptionists with no public receptionist pricing. See AI vs live.

Full comparison table Have us set it up