{
  "name": "AI Phone Answering Services: AI phone answering services, side by side",
  "url": "https://aiphoneansweringservices.com/",
  "asOf": "2026-11-10",
  "license": "Quote with attribution",
  "pick": "Goodcall",
  "call": {
    "pick": "Goodcall",
    "why": "My starting choice for a small business with repeat callers: $79 a month covers 100 distinct callers without minute charges. The Starter plan includes one external tool, so confirm the integration you need before committing.",
    "runnerUp": "Smith.ai when human escalation matters more than the lowest bill. Pro is $150 for 75 calls; its published FAQ describes North America-based receptionist backup.",
    "mistake": "Treating dollars per call, per minute and per unique caller as the same price. Calculate the bill using your actual call pattern."
  },
  "columns": [
    {
      "key": "rate",
      "label": "Published rate per minute",
      "unit": "$/min",
      "type": "money",
      "note": "Lowest self-serve list rate per agent minute. For receptionist plans, the overage rate. Blank means no per-minute price is published."
    },
    {
      "key": "covers",
      "label": "What the rate covers",
      "unit": null,
      "type": "text",
      "note": "Which layers (orchestration, STT, LLM, TTS, telephony) the per-minute rate includes, per the vendor."
    },
    {
      "key": "entry",
      "label": "Published plan base",
      "unit": "$/mo",
      "type": "money",
      "note": "The named plan's monthly base, with free tiers and usage charges stated separately. This is not a total-cost ranking."
    },
    {
      "key": "concurrency",
      "label": "Concurrent calls, entry",
      "unit": "calls",
      "type": "number",
      "note": "Simultaneous calls included on the cheapest plan, as published."
    },
    {
      "key": "billing",
      "label": "Billing increment",
      "unit": null,
      "type": "text",
      "note": "How call time is rounded, where the vendor states it."
    },
    {
      "key": "latency",
      "label": "Vendor-stated latency",
      "unit": null,
      "type": "text",
      "note": "Latency figure the vendor publishes. These are vendor claims, not our measurements."
    },
    {
      "key": "telephony",
      "label": "Carrier / SIP options",
      "unit": null,
      "type": "text",
      "note": "Whether you can bring your own carrier or SIP trunk, and what the vendor charges for it."
    },
    {
      "key": "compliance",
      "label": "Published certifications",
      "unit": null,
      "type": "tags",
      "note": "Certifications and BAA terms as the vendor lists them, including which plan they apply to."
    }
  ],
  "rows": [
    {
      "name": "Rosie",
      "category": "AI receptionist",
      "verdict": "Lowest small-business entry at $49 for 250 minutes. But booking and transfers start at $149, and going over moves you up a plan instead of billing overage.",
      "bestFor": "Solo trades and home-service owners on a tight budget who mainly need messages taken.",
      "watchOut": "Its Feb 2026 terms round minutes up per call and keep an upgrade for at least the next two billing periods.",
      "page": "https://aiphoneansweringservices.com/providers/rosie/",
      "values": {
        "rate": {
          "display": "No overage rate; auto-upgrade",
          "number": null,
          "source": "https://heyrosie.com/legal/terms"
        },
        "covers": {
          "display": "250 min plan; English and Spanish on every call",
          "number": null,
          "source": "https://heyrosie.com/pricing"
        },
        "entry": {
          "display": "$49/mo, 250 min",
          "number": 49,
          "source": "https://heyrosie.com/pricing"
        },
        "concurrency": null,
        "billing": {
          "display": "Rounded up to the next full minute",
          "number": null,
          "source": "https://heyrosie.com/legal/terms"
        },
        "latency": null,
        "telephony": null,
        "compliance": null
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Phonely",
      "category": "AI receptionist",
      "verdict": "Cheapest annual entry at $33/month, with unlimited concurrent calls. But its page lists 200 minutes on the plan card and 250 in the table.",
      "bestFor": "Small teams that want inbound and outbound AI calls on a low fixed fee.",
      "watchOut": "Starter overage is $0.35/min on annual billing vs $0.25 monthly. Post-transfer minutes can bill at $0.02/min.",
      "page": "https://aiphoneansweringservices.com/providers/phonely/",
      "values": {
        "rate": {
          "display": "$0.25 overage (Starter, monthly)",
          "number": 0.25,
          "source": "https://www.phonely.ai/pricing"
        },
        "covers": {
          "display": "Plan minutes; Enterprise from $0.05/min",
          "number": null,
          "source": "https://www.phonely.ai/pricing"
        },
        "entry": {
          "display": "$50/mo ($33 billed annually)",
          "number": 50,
          "source": "https://www.phonely.ai/pricing"
        },
        "concurrency": {
          "display": "Unlimited",
          "number": null,
          "source": "https://www.phonely.ai/pricing"
        },
        "billing": null,
        "latency": null,
        "telephony": {
          "display": "3 free numbers on Starter; SIP trunking on Enterprise",
          "number": null,
          "source": "https://www.phonely.ai/pricing"
        },
        "compliance": {
          "display": "SOC 2, GDPR; HIPAA BAA on Enterprise",
          "number": null,
          "source": "https://www.phonely.ai/pricing"
        }
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Goodcall",
      "category": "AI receptionist",
      "verdict": "Best billing unit for small businesses: $79/month for 100 unique callers, and minutes are never metered. Repeat callers in a month count once.",
      "bestFor": "Shops with long or variable calls, where per-minute bills would swing.",
      "watchOut": "Starter allows 1 external tool and 30 days of call history. Each extra caller is 79¢.",
      "page": "https://aiphoneansweringservices.com/providers/goodcall/",
      "values": {
        "rate": {
          "display": "Per unique caller, not per minute",
          "number": null,
          "source": "https://www.goodcall.com/pricing"
        },
        "covers": {
          "display": "Unlimited minutes for 100 unique callers",
          "number": null,
          "source": "https://www.goodcall.com/pricing"
        },
        "entry": {
          "display": "$79/mo",
          "number": 79,
          "source": "https://www.goodcall.com/pricing"
        },
        "concurrency": null,
        "billing": null,
        "latency": null,
        "telephony": {
          "display": "Local number included, or forward your own",
          "number": null,
          "source": "https://www.goodcall.com/pricing"
        },
        "compliance": null
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "My AI Front Desk",
      "category": "AI receptionist suite",
      "verdict": "Voice plus chat, SMS and a CRM for $99/month ($79 annual). But voice is only 200 minutes, then 25 credits ($0.25) a minute.",
      "bestFor": "Property managers and small offices that want phone, text and chat follow-up in one tool.",
      "watchOut": "Outbound calls are hard-capped at 20 a day. API access is Partner/Enterprise only.",
      "page": "https://aiphoneansweringservices.com/providers/my-ai-front-desk/",
      "values": {
        "rate": {
          "display": "$0.25 overage (25 credits)",
          "number": 0.25,
          "source": "https://www.myaifrontdesk.com/pricing"
        },
        "covers": {
          "display": "200 voice min, 100 chats, 400 SMS per month",
          "number": null,
          "source": "https://www.myaifrontdesk.com/pricing"
        },
        "entry": {
          "display": "$99/mo ($79 billed annually)",
          "number": 99,
          "source": "https://www.myaifrontdesk.com/pricing"
        },
        "concurrency": null,
        "billing": null,
        "latency": null,
        "telephony": null,
        "compliance": null
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Smith.ai AI Receptionist",
      "category": "AI receptionist + live humans",
      "verdict": "Includes live North America receptionist backup. You pay for it: $2.00 a call on Pro, and $3.00 per call past the Free tier's 25.",
      "bestFor": "Law firms and professional services, where a mishandled lead costs more than the call.",
      "watchOut": "Short calls cost the same as long ones. Custom prompting and integrations are on Enterprise ($500/month) only.",
      "page": "https://aiphoneansweringservices.com/providers/smith-ai-ai-receptionist/",
      "values": {
        "rate": {
          "display": "Per call: $2.00 (Pro)",
          "number": null,
          "source": "https://smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist"
        },
        "covers": {
          "display": "AI answering with live-agent escalation",
          "number": null,
          "source": "https://smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist"
        },
        "entry": {
          "display": "$150/mo Pro; free tier: 25 calls",
          "number": 150,
          "source": "https://smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist"
        },
        "concurrency": null,
        "billing": null,
        "latency": null,
        "telephony": null,
        "compliance": null
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Slang.ai",
      "category": "Restaurant phone agent",
      "verdict": "Built for restaurants only, booking through OpenTable, SevenRooms, Yelp and Resy. At $399 per location it costs 8x Rosie's entry plan for a single venue.",
      "bestFor": "Restaurant groups that take reservations by phone and need them written into their booking system.",
      "watchOut": "Prices are 'starting at' and quote-based. The 97-language Superhost needs Premium, from $599 per location.",
      "page": "https://aiphoneansweringservices.com/providers/slang-ai/",
      "values": {
        "rate": {
          "display": "Per location, quote-based",
          "number": null,
          "source": "https://www.slang.ai/pricing"
        },
        "covers": {
          "display": "Reservations, VIP routing, CSAT per call",
          "number": null,
          "source": "https://www.slang.ai/pricing"
        },
        "entry": {
          "display": "From $399 per location",
          "number": 399,
          "source": "https://www.slang.ai/pricing"
        },
        "concurrency": null,
        "billing": null,
        "latency": null,
        "telephony": null,
        "compliance": null
      }
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "url": "https://www.retellai.com/pricing",
      "date": "2026-11-10",
      "title": "AI Phone Agent Pricing",
      "publisher": "Retell AI"
    },
    {
      "id": 2,
      "url": "https://vapi.ai/pricing",
      "date": "2026-11-10",
      "title": "Pricing",
      "publisher": "Vapi"
    },
    {
      "id": 3,
      "url": "https://www.bland.ai/pricing",
      "date": "2026-11-10",
      "title": "Pricing",
      "publisher": "Bland AI"
    },
    {
      "id": 4,
      "url": "https://telnyx.com/pricing/voice-ai-agents",
      "date": "2026-11-10",
      "title": "AI Voice Agent Pricing",
      "publisher": "Telnyx"
    },
    {
      "id": 5,
      "url": "https://www.twilio.com/en-us/products/conversational-ai/pricing",
      "date": "2026-11-10",
      "title": "Conversations pricing (current as of October 2026)",
      "publisher": "Twilio"
    },
    {
      "id": 6,
      "url": "https://elevenlabs.io/pricing/agents",
      "date": "2026-11-10",
      "title": "ElevenAgents Pricing",
      "publisher": "ElevenLabs"
    },
    {
      "id": 7,
      "url": "https://elevenlabs.io/pricing/api",
      "date": "2026-11-10",
      "title": "ElevenLabs API Pricing",
      "publisher": "ElevenLabs"
    },
    {
      "id": 8,
      "url": "https://deepgram.com/pricing",
      "date": "2026-11-10",
      "title": "Deepgram pricing",
      "publisher": "Deepgram"
    },
    {
      "id": 9,
      "url": "https://www.cartesia.ai/pricing",
      "date": "2026-11-10",
      "title": "Pricing",
      "publisher": "Cartesia"
    },
    {
      "id": 10,
      "url": "https://www.cartesia.ai/use-cases/customer-support",
      "date": "2026-11-10",
      "title": "AI customer support agent",
      "publisher": "Cartesia"
    },
    {
      "id": 11,
      "url": "https://synthflow.ai/pricing",
      "date": "2026-11-10",
      "title": "Enterprise AI Voice Agent Pricing",
      "publisher": "Synthflow"
    },
    {
      "id": 12,
      "url": "https://smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist",
      "date": "2026-11-10",
      "title": "AI Receptionist Plans & Pricing",
      "publisher": "Smith.ai"
    },
    {
      "id": 13,
      "url": "https://www.goodcall.com/pricing",
      "date": "2026-11-10",
      "title": "Goodcall Pricing",
      "publisher": "Goodcall"
    },
    {
      "id": 14,
      "url": "https://heyrosie.com/pricing",
      "date": "2026-11-10",
      "title": "Rosie AI Plans & Pricing",
      "publisher": "Rosie"
    },
    {
      "id": 15,
      "url": "https://heyrosie.com/legal/terms",
      "date": "2026-02-05",
      "title": "Terms of Service",
      "publisher": "Rosie"
    },
    {
      "id": 16,
      "url": "https://www.myaifrontdesk.com/pricing",
      "date": "2026-11-10",
      "title": "AI Receptionist Pricing",
      "publisher": "My AI Front Desk"
    },
    {
      "id": 17,
      "url": "https://www.phonely.ai/pricing",
      "date": "2026-11-10",
      "title": "Phonely AI Pricing",
      "publisher": "Phonely"
    },
    {
      "id": 18,
      "url": "https://poly.ai/pricing",
      "date": "2026-11-10",
      "title": "Pricing",
      "publisher": "PolyAI"
    },
    {
      "id": 19,
      "url": "https://www.slang.ai/pricing",
      "date": "2026-11-10",
      "title": "Slang AI Pricing",
      "publisher": "Slang.ai"
    }
  ]
}