Best AI receptionists for small businesses (2026)
The best AI receptionists for small businesses in 2026 are Upfirst and Dialzara for the lowest price, Ruby and PATLive for a live person on every call, Smith.ai and Abby Connect for people and AI together, and Remi by Keres AI for calls booked into ServiceTitan, HubSpot or Google Calendar with the website run by the same team. The guide below is a comparison of ten services and Remi on four published facts: who answers, how each one bills, the lowest published plan and who the vendor says each service is for. For example, Upfirst starts at $24.95 a month for 30 calls, and Ruby starts at $250 a month for 50 receptionist minutes.
Which AI receptionist should a small business choose?
An AI receptionist is software that answers your business phone, asks your questions and books or routes the call. The right one depends on what you need most. For the lowest price, Upfirst ($24.95 a month for 30 calls) and Dialzara ($29 for 60 minutes) publish the cheapest paid plans, and Smith.ai’s AI tier is free for 25 calls a month. For a person on every call, Ruby ($250 for 50 minutes) and PATLive ($99 for 50 minutes) use live receptionists, while Smith.ai and Abby Connect mix people with AI. AnsweringLegal answers only for law firms. Keres AI suits local service businesses that want calls booked into ServiceTitan, HubSpot or Google Calendar during the call, with the website run by the same team. For example, a plumber on ServiceTitan gets the job booked before the caller hangs up. Every price is the vendor’s lowest published plan, according to its own pricing page on October 11, 2026.
How did we compare these AI receptionists?
We compared ten services and Remi on four published facts. First, who answers: AI, people or both. Second, how each one bills: per minute, per call or per caller. Third, the lowest published plan. Finally, who the vendor says the service is for. For example, Goodcall bills per unique caller ($79 a month for 100 callers), while Upfirst bills per call ($24.95 a month for 30 calls). Every figure comes from the vendor’s own pricing or product page on October 11, 2026; the table links each source. The guide compares published information, not call quality, and there is no overall score: the picks below are by need. Keres AI wrote the guide and sells Remi, which is listed in the same columns and under the same rules. Prices change often, so check the vendor’s page before you buy.
AI receptionists and answering services compared
| Option | Who answers | How it bills | Lowest published plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keres AI (Remi) (that’s us) | AI | One monthly rate with included minutes, then per minute; no per-call fees. | Quoted to your call volume; month-to-month. | Local service businesses that want calls booked into Google Calendar, HubSpot or ServiceTitan, and their website and Google profile run by the same team. |
| Smith.ai | Hybrid | Per call: plans include a set number of calls, then a per-call rate. | Human receptionists from $300/mo for 30 calls ($11.50 per extra call). AI receptionist has a free tier of 25 calls/mo, then $3 per call. | Firms that want AI with live human receptionists available on the same line. |
| Ruby | Human | Monthly plans with included receptionist minutes. | $250/mo for 50 receptionist minutes. | Small businesses that want every call answered by a live, US-based receptionist. |
| Goodcall | AI | Per unique caller each month; no per-minute charges. | $79/mo for 100 unique callers (79¢ per extra caller). | Small businesses that want a self-serve AI agent billed by caller rather than by minute. |
| Rosie | AI | Monthly plans with included minutes. | $49/mo for 250 minutes. | Solo owners and small service businesses that want low-cost AI answering in English and Spanish. |
| Dialzara | AI | Monthly plans with included minutes, then per minute. | $29/mo for 60 minutes ($0.48 per extra minute). | Small businesses with light call volume that want the lowest entry price. |
| PATLive | Human | Per minute, with monthly plans that include minutes. | $99/mo for 50 minutes ($2.29 per extra minute); pay-as-you-go at $2.99/min. | Businesses that want US-based live receptionists with bilingual answering included. |
| Abby Connect | Hybrid | Monthly plans with included minutes; AI-answered minutes count as half. | $165/mo for 50 minutes of human answering (or 100 of AI). | Businesses that want a dedicated receptionist team, with AI for routine calls. |
| Upfirst | AI | Monthly plans with included calls, then per call. | $24.95/mo for 30 calls ($1.50 per extra call). | Small businesses that want an inexpensive AI receptionist in many languages. |
| My AI Front Desk | AI | Monthly plan with included voice minutes, texts and chats; overage from a credit pool. | $99/mo for 200 voice minutes plus text and chat. | Owners who want phone, text and website chat answered by one AI. |
| AnsweringLegal | Human | Not published; packages are shown after a form is submitted. | Not published. | Law firms that want US-based receptionists who answer only for law firms. |
Sources, checked October 11, 2026: Smith.ai · Ruby · Goodcall · Rosie · Dialzara · PATLive · Abby Connect · Upfirst · My AI Front Desk · AnsweringLegal · Keres AI.
Which AI receptionist is best for your need?
- Lowest price: Smith.ai’s AI receptionist is free for 25 calls a month, then $3 a call. The lowest paid plans are Upfirst ($24.95/mo for 30 calls) and Dialzara ($29/mo for 60 minutes). See what 100 calls a month cost on each.
- Live humans on every call: Ruby ($250/mo for 50 minutes) and PATLive ($99/mo for 50 minutes, bilingual answering included) answer with US-based receptionists. Abby Connect ($165/mo) pairs a receptionist team with AI for routine calls, and Smith.ai offers AI with live receptionists on the same line.
- Legal intake: AnsweringLegal answers only for law firms but does not publish prices. Smith.ai and Abby Connect both name Clio among their integrations. Keres AI runs intake by practice area, collects the caller’s and opposing party’s names for your conflict check, and books the consultation into Google Calendar or HubSpot; it has no Clio or Lawmatics integration today.
- Home services on ServiceTitan: Keres AI books jobs into ServiceTitan during the call, and also into Google Calendar or HubSpot. If you are weighing another vendor, ask whether it books into ServiceTitan or sends you a message to enter. PATLive names Jobber among its integrations; Keres AI’s Jobber and Housecall Pro integrations are rolling out.
- Real estate agents: Keres AI answers listing calls, asks about pre-approval and timeline, and books the showing into Google Calendar or HubSpot (it does not write to Follow Up Boss today). My AI Front Desk suits agents who want phone, text and website chat answered by one AI.
- Website and receptionist from one team: Keres AI: Found builds and runs the website, Google Business Profile and reviews from $249/mo ($499 for law firms), and Remi answers the phone, quoted to your call volume.
- Billing by caller: Goodcall ($79/mo for 100 unique callers; a repeat caller counts once a month).
- Spanish-speaking callers: Rosie ($49/mo for 250 minutes) answers in English and Spanish; PATLive includes bilingual answering; Upfirst lists many languages. Keres AI’s Remi answers in English today.
Which AI receptionist is best for each industry?
The right AI receptionist is the one built for the trade. HVAC companies need emergency triage and booking into ServiceTitan. Law firms need intake by practice area and capture of the names for a conflict check. Real estate agents need an immediate answer, a text-back for missed calls, and leads tagged by listing source in the CRM. Keres AI publishes a separate vendor comparison for each: HVAC companies, law firms and real estate agents, each with vendors who market to the industry. For example, the HVAC comparison adds Sameday AI (from $449 a month) and Avoca, both built for home service trades on ServiceTitan. The law firm comparison adds LegalClerk.ai ($400 per seat a month) and LEX Reception, both listing Clio integrations. Finally, the real estate comparison adds Allo, a phone system with an AI receptionist for agents.
Comparing more than receptionists? See the best AI tools for local service businesses to get more leads, from Google profile tools to follow-up.
Home services: HVAC, plumbing, roofing
Trade calls are urgent and often come after hours, so booking the job on the call matters more than a low entry price. Keres AI books into ServiceTitan, Google Calendar or HubSpot and texts the on-call tech under your emergency rules. See Keres AI for home services.
Law firms
Look for intake questions by practice area, capture of the opposing party’s name for your conflict check, and on-call attorney escalation. AnsweringLegal answers only for law firms. Smith.ai, Abby Connect and Upfirst each name Clio among the integrations on their own sites. See Keres AI for law firms and AnsweringLegal alternatives.
Real estate
Listing calls and portal enquiries arrive in the evening and at weekends, when agents are showing. Keres AI qualifies the buyer or seller and books the showing; My AI Front Desk covers phone, text and website chat. See Keres AI for real estate.
Dental and med spa
Practices that handle patient information may need a BAA. Keres AI does not sign BAAs today; Abby Connect’s pricing page mentions HIPAA compliance options, so confirm with any vendor before you sign. See Keres AI for dental and med spa.
When is Keres AI not the right pick?
Keres AI is a good fit for local service businesses that want calls booked during the call, but Remi is not the right choice for every buyer.
- You want a live receptionist on every call. Choose Ruby, PATLive or another live service; Remi is AI.
- You want the lowest published price and will do the setup yourself. Self-serve AI tools start at $24.95 a month; Keres AI sets Remi up for you and quotes Remi to your volume.
- You need a BAA. Keres AI is not HIPAA or SOC 2 certified and does not sign BAAs or DPAs.
- Many of your callers speak Spanish. Remi answers in English today; for example, Rosie and PATLive answer in English and Spanish.
- You need Clio or Follow Up Boss. Remi has no Clio, Lawmatics or Follow Up Boss integration today; Zapier can pass leads to other tools.
- You want human backup on the same line. Smith.ai, Abby Connect and Avoca pair AI with people; Keres AI does not put people on the line.
Questions
Best AI receptionist FAQ
What is the best AI receptionist for a small business?
It depends on the need. For the lowest price, Upfirst and Dialzara publish paid plans under $30 a month. For a person on every call, Ruby and PATLive. For people and AI together, Smith.ai and Abby Connect. For calls booked into ServiceTitan, HubSpot or Google Calendar, plus the website and Google profile from the same team, Keres AI.
What is the cheapest AI receptionist?
On prices published on October 11, 2026, Smith.ai’s AI receptionist is free for 25 calls a month, then $3 per call. The cheapest paid plans are Upfirst at $24.95 for 30 calls and Dialzara at $29 for 60 minutes. The AI receptionist cost guide works out what 100 calls a month cost on each.
Which AI receptionists have live humans as backup?
Smith.ai and Abby Connect offer AI and live receptionists in one service. Ruby and PATLive answer with people only. Keres AI does not answer with people: Remi texts or transfers urgent calls to your own team.
Is Keres AI HIPAA compliant?
No. Keres AI is not HIPAA or SOC 2 certified and does not sign BAAs or DPAs. Practices that need a BAA should choose a vendor that signs one; Abby Connect’s pricing page mentions HIPAA compliance options, so ask it directly.
Does Keres AI answer calls in Spanish?
Not yet. Remi answers in English today. Rosie and PATLive answer in English and Spanish, and Upfirst lists many languages.
How were these AI receptionists chosen?
They are the services our five alternatives pages compare: Smith.ai, Ruby, Goodcall, Rosie and AnsweringLegal, plus the alternatives listed on those pages. Every price and feature comes from the vendor’s own site, checked October 11, 2026.
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