Cheapest AI receptionist (2026 prices)
Short answer. The lowest paid plans we found are Upfirst at $24.95 a month for 30 calls and Dialzara at $29 a month for 60 minutes. Per included minute, Rosie and Marlie cost less: $49 a month buys 250 minutes, near $0.20 a minute. Smith.ai and Phonely have free tiers for testing. We read all ten pricing pages on October 26, 2026.
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Entry plans side by side
| Tool | Lowest plan | What it includes | Past the limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smith.ai AI Receptionist | Free, $0 | 25 calls a month | $3.00 a call |
| Phonely | Free, $0 | 100 minutes a month | Not priced on the page |
| Upfirst | Starter, $24.95 a month ($20 a month on yearly billing) | 30 calls | $1.50 a call |
| Dialzara | Business Lite, $29 a month | 60 minutes | $0.48 a minute |
| Rosie | Professional, $49 a month | 250 minutes | Not priced on the page |
| Marlie | $49 a month | 250 minutes | $0.35 a minute |
| Trillet | AI Receptionist, $49 a month | 150 minutes | $0.20 a minute |
| Phonely | Starter, $50 a month | 200 minutes | Not priced on the page |
| Goodcall | Starter, $79 a month | 100 unique customers | 79¢ a customer |
| My AI Front Desk | $99 a month, or $79 a month on annual billing | 200 minutes | $0.25 a minute |
Source: each vendor's pricing page, listed at the end, checked October 26, 2026.
Cost per included minute
Plans that bill by the minute are easy to compare. We divided the plan price by its included minutes.
| Plan | Price | Minutes | Per included minute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosie Professional | $49 | 250 | $0.20 |
| Marlie entry plan | $49 | 250 | $0.20 |
| Phonely Starter | $50 | 200 | $0.25 |
| Trillet AI Receptionist | $49 | 150 | $0.33 |
| My AI Front Desk, annual | $79 | 200 | $0.40 |
| Dialzara Business Lite | $29 | 60 | $0.48 |
| My AI Front Desk, monthly | $99 | 200 | $0.50 |
Upfirst and Smith.ai bill by the call. Goodcall bills by unique customers, so a repeat caller counts once. Goodcall says its Starter plan covers about 150 calls a month.
What a 500-minute month costs
A busy shop that takes 500 minutes of calls a month pays these amounts on the plan that fits.
| Tool | Plan that covers 500 minutes | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| Marlie | $99 plan with 500 minutes | $99 |
| Trillet | $49 plan plus 350 minutes at $0.20 ($70) | $119 |
| Rosie | Scale, 1,000 minutes | $149 |
| Phonely | Pro, 650 minutes | $150 |
| My AI Front Desk | $99 plan plus 300 minutes at $0.25 ($75) | $174 |
| Dialzara | Business Plus, 500 minutes | $199 |
The cheapest plan at 30 calls is not the cheapest at 500 minutes. Count your calls and your average call length before you pick.
Free trials and free tiers
- Smith.ai: free tier with 25 calls a month, then $3.00 a call.
- Phonely: free tier with 100 minutes a month.
- Upfirst: 14-day free trial with full access to the plan you pick.
- Marlie: 14-day trial.
- Rosie: 7-day free trial.
- Dialzara and My AI Front Desk: 7-day free trials.
- Trillet: the receptionist has a 28-day money-back guarantee, not a trial.
- Goodcall: free demo agent before you pay.
How to choose
- Count the calls you miss each week. A plumber with 30 calls a month fits Upfirst Starter. A shop with 300 calls fits a minute plan.
- Check the overage price. Rosie and Phonely Starter do not list one on the pricing page. Ask before you sign.
- Test with your own number for a week. Call it after hours and ask a booking question.
Compare AI receptionist prices: AI receptionist pricing table · AI receptionist cost
Related: Upfirst pricing, Dialzara pricing, Rosie AI pricing, Marlie AI pricing, Trillet pricing, Goodcall vs Rosie, Smith.ai alternatives, Goodcall alternatives, Rosie AI alternatives, AI answering service cost, RingCentral AI Receptionist pricing, Nextiva AI receptionist pricing, Aircall vs OpenPhone.
FAQ
What is the cheapest AI receptionist? Upfirst Starter is the lowest paid price we found at $24.95 a month for 30 calls. Dialzara Business Lite is $29 a month for 60 minutes. Rosie and Marlie give the lowest cost per included minute, near $0.20.
Is there a free AI receptionist? Smith.ai has a free tier with 25 calls a month. Phonely has a free tier with 100 minutes a month. Both suit testing more than a full month of calls.
How much does an AI receptionist cost per month? Entry plans run $24.95 to $99 a month on the pages we read. A 500-minute month ran $99 to $199 across six tools.
Which AI receptionist has a free trial? Upfirst and Marlie list 14-day trials. Rosie, Dialzara, and My AI Front Desk list 7-day trials. Trillet offers a 28-day money-back guarantee in place of a trial.
Do cheap AI receptionists charge per call or per minute? Both models exist. Upfirst and Smith.ai bill by the call. Dialzara, Rosie, Marlie, Trillet, Phonely, and My AI Front Desk bill by the minute. Goodcall bills by unique customer.
Checked 2026-10-26. Prices and policies change. Confirm on the source before you buy.
Sources
- https://www.upfirst.ai/pricing
- https://dialzara.com/pricing
- https://heyrosie.com/pricing
- https://marlie.ai/pricing
- https://www.trillet.ai/pricing
- https://www.phonely.ai/pricing
- https://www.goodcall.com/pricing
- https://www.myaifrontdesk.com/pricing
- https://smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist
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