Ownership disclosure: Receptionist ROI is published by KaiCalls, one of the ten services below. We ranked this table by the lowest published monthly price and nothing else, so KaiCalls appears first because $10 is the lowest number on the list. Where a competitor offers something KaiCalls doesn't, like a no-card free trial or live human receptionists, we say so.
Lowest published price, ranked
Ranked by the lowest monthly price each vendor publishes on its own pricing page, billed monthly. Prices change. Check the vendor's page before you buy.
| # | Service | Lowest price | Included usage | Booking on that tier? | Over the allowance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | KaiCalls (Kai Backup) | $10/mo | ~20 Kai-answered calls/mo, 1 line | Yes: every plan has the same software, including booking through a connected Google Calendar or GoHighLevel calendar | No per-minute overage. If volume stays higher, KaiCalls recommends the next plan and you can decline | kaicalls.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-10 |
| 2 | Upfirst (Starter) | $24.95/mo | 30 calls/mo ($20/mo billed annually) | Yes: appointment scheduling and call transfers listed on every plan | $1.50 per additional call | upfirst.ai/pricing, checked 2026-10-10 |
| 3 | Dialzara (Business Lite) | $29/mo | Up to 60 minutes of talk time | No: calendar sync starts on the $99 Business Pro plan | $0.48/min | dialzara.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-10 |
| 4 | Rosie (Professional) | $49/mo | 250 minutes/mo | No: sends appointment links by text; on-calendar booking starts on the $149 Scale plan | Not published on the pricing page | heyrosie.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-10 |
| 5 | Goodcall (Starter) | $79/mo | 100 unique customers/mo (Goodcall estimates about 150 calls) | Not itemized per tier; the page describes a "booker" worker, and Starter includes 5 workers | 79¢ per extra unique customer | goodcall.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-10 |
| 6 | My AI Front Desk (Business-in-a-Box) | $99/mo | 200 voice minutes/mo ($79/mo billed annually), plus chat, SMS and CRM | Yes: the page says the plan books the appointment, with calendars connected through Zapier | $0.25/min from a 1,000-credit monthly pool, then $10 per 1,000 credits | myaifrontdesk.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-10 |
| 7 | Abby Connect (Starter) | $165/mo | 50 Abby Minutes (1 human minute = 1 Abby Minute; AI minutes count half) | Not itemized on the pricing page | Billed at your plan's Abby Minute rate | abby.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-10 |
| 8 | Ruby | $250/mo | 50 receptionist minutes/mo, human receptionists | Listed as an optional feature available on all plans | Not published on the pricing page | ruby.com/plans-and-pricing, checked 2026-10-10 |
| 9 | Smith.ai (Starter) | $300/mo | 30 calls/mo, 1 free transfer destination | Paid add-on: $1.50 per booked appointment | $11.50 per call over 30 | smith.ai/pricing/receptionists, checked 2026-10-10 |
| – | AnswerConnect | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | answerconnect.com/view-pricing, checked 2026-10-10 (shows a contact form, not prices; /pricing returned a 404) |
Each price is the lowest monthly figure on the vendor's own public pricing page, checked 10 Oct 2026, billed month to month unless noted. "Not published" means the page didn't show it. Taxes, phone-number add-ons and optional services are excluded. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.
What the KaiCalls plans actually include
From kaicalls.com/pricing and kaicalls.com/backup, checked 10 Oct 2026. KaiCalls says every plan has the same software; the plans differ only in call allowance and phone lines.
| Plan | Price | Calls included | Lines | Extra lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kai Backup | $10/mo | ~20 Kai-answered calls/mo | 1 number | $15/mo each |
| Kai Line | $79/mo | ~170 Kai-answered calls/mo | 1 number | $15/mo each |
| Kai Office | $349/mo | ~800 Kai-answered calls/mo | 1 number + 3 office (desk phone) lines | $29/mo each office line |
- The allowance is calls, not minutes. KaiCalls calls it a fair-use allowance and lists no per-minute overage on any plan. If you stay over it, KaiCalls recommends the next plan, tells you before anything changes, and lets you keep your current plan.
- Included on every plan, per the pricing page: 24/7 AI answering and intake, live call transfer and team routing, calendar booking through a connected Google Calendar or GoHighLevel calendar, call recordings and transcripts, and unlimited team members with no seat fees.
- Texting turns on once your number is approved. Desk-phone hardware is sold separately, and taxes and optional services such as call tracking are billed separately.
- Card required. Billing starts at checkout, with a 30-day money-back guarantee and no setup fee or annual contract. There is a free browser demo, but live calls need a paid plan.
Where the cheaper-looking options win
The cheapest monthly price isn't the best deal for everyone. Here's where other services come out ahead:
- Upfirst if you want to try it on real calls before you pay. Its 14-day trial needs no credit card and lets you forward real calls. KaiCalls requires a card at checkout.
- Upfirst Starter at about 30 calls a month. Kai Backup covers about 20. If you get 25 to 30 calls a month, Upfirst's $24.95 plan fits without an upgrade; Kai Line at $79 is the next KaiCalls step.
- Rosie or Goodcall if your calls run long. Rosie's $49 plan includes 250 minutes, and Goodcall bills per unique customer rather than per minute.
- Abby Connect, Ruby or Smith.ai if you want people answering. These are human or human-plus-AI services. They cost more, but a trained person picks up. See answering service vs. AI receptionist.
How to compare "cheap" fairly
Check whether the entry tier books the job. Rosie's $49 and Dialzara's $29 plans don't book on your calendar. If booking is why you want an AI receptionist, compare the tier that includes it: Rosie $149, Dialzara $99. More in KaiCalls vs. Rosie and KaiCalls vs. Dialzara.
Price your real volume, not the sticker. Calls, minutes and "unique customers" are different units. Count last month's calls and check what each plan charges once you pass its allowance.
Per-call human pricing adds up. Smith.ai's $300 Starter covers 30 calls and charges $11.50 for each one after that, plus $1.50 per booking. See KaiCalls vs. Smith.ai.
For the full feature-by-feature scoring, see the best AI receptionist in 2026. For tier-by-tier pricing, see the AI receptionist cost guide.