Today Launches
At Today Launches we review new SaaS products every day, and AI receptionists are one of the busiest categories in our Customer Support & Chatbots section. After comparing the leading tools on pricing, booking, integrations and setup, our pick for most small businesses is Marlie.ai. It answers every call in under two seconds, books the job straight into your calendar, and texts you a summary seconds after the call ends, starting at $49/month with a 14-day free trial.
Quick Comparison: Best AI Answering Services at a Glance
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free trial | Billing model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marlie.ai | Best overall for small businesses | $49/mo for 250 min | 14 days | Per minute |
| Upfirst | Very low call volume | $24.95/mo for 30 calls | 14 days | Per call |
| Smith.ai | AI plus human backup | Free (25 calls); Pro $150/mo for 75 calls | Free plan | Per call |
| Dialzara | Lowest entry price | $29/mo for 60 min | 7 days | Per minute |
| Rosie | Message-taking for solo owners | $49/mo for 250 min | 7 days | Per minute |
| Goodcall | Custom call flows | $79/mo for 100 unique callers | 14 days | Per unique caller |
| My AI Front Desk | Multilingual callers | $99/mo for 200 min | 7 days | Per minute |
| Slang.ai | Restaurants | $399/mo per location | None | Flat per location |
Prices come from each vendor's website, checked October 2026. The billing model matters more than the sticker price: a cheap plan that charges $1.50 for every call over the limit can cost more than a mid-tier plan with generous minutes.
How We Evaluated These Tools
We see dozens of AI receptionist launches. Many are still "demo-ware": impressive in a demo, but unable to handle a real Tuesday-morning rush. We scored each tool on six criteria:
- Setup speed: can you go live within an hour?
- Pickup speed and voice quality: does it answer before the caller gives up, and does it sound natural?
- Call basics: taking messages, transferring calls, sending texts and answering FAQs
- Booking and integrations: calendars, CRMs and field-service software
- Honest pricing: no hidden setup, phone-number or texting fees
- Trial terms: how long you can test it, and whether you need to talk to sales first
The 8 Best AI Answering Services for Small Business Owners
1. Marlie.ai: Best Overall AI Answering Service for Small Businesses
Marlie.ai is the best AI answering service for small businesses because it does more than take messages: it answers every call in under two seconds, books the appointment into your real calendar, and texts you the caller's name, issue, location and urgency within seconds of the call ending. It's built for service businesses, including plumbers, HVAC, locksmiths, towing, salons, vets, restaurants, law offices and insurance agencies, and has handled more than 1 million calls.
Setup takes under 10 minutes. You paste your website URL or Google Business listing, Marlie builds the agent from it, and you forward your existing number. There's no sales call and no contract.
| Plan | Price | Included minutes | Key additions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $49/mo | 250 (then $0.35/min) | 24/7 answering, messages, texts, spam screening |
| Standard | $99/mo | 500 (then $0.35/min) | Appointment booking and call transfers |
| Pro | $199/mo | 1,000 (then $0.30/min) | Payment links, knowledge base, custom fields |
| Premium | $399/mo | 2,000 (then $0.25/min) | Multi-location, dedicated account manager, custom CRM integrations |
Every plan includes a 14-day free trial with a money-back guarantee ($0 due today), and you can cancel anytime.
Why Marlie.ai ranks #1:
| What small businesses need | How Marlie.ai delivers |
|---|---|
| Fast, reliable pickup | Answers in under two seconds, 24/7/365, with unlimited simultaneous calls |
| Booked jobs, not just messages | Checks real availability in Google Calendar, Outlook or Calendly and books, reschedules or cancels appointments from $99/mo |
| Fits your existing tools | Native integrations including Jobber, Housecall Pro, HubSpot and AccuLynx, plus 8,000+ apps through Zapier |
| Fast setup | Live in under 10 minutes from your website or Google Business listing, keeping your current number |
| Low cost per minute | $49 for 250 minutes works out to about $0.20 per minute, with spam screening on every plan |
What sets Marlie.ai apart:
- Location sharing for field work: Marlie can text callers a link to share their GPS location and works out how far they are from you. Even competitor Upfirst calls this Marlie's standout feature.
- Deposits on the call: on the Pro plan, Marlie sends a Square or Shopify checkout link so callers can pay a deposit before you show up.
- You keep your number: forward your existing line in about 30 seconds from AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile or Spectrum, or connect Google Voice or OpenPhone directly.
- Sounds like your business: choose from 40+ voices and 50+ languages, and set your own agent name, greeting and personality.
- Alerts where you work: get call summaries in Slack, Teams, WhatsApp or Telegram.
- Hear it first: call the live demo line at (631) 970-4479, or the industry demo lines for towing, locksmiths and law offices.
Results Marlie customers report:
| Customer | Reported result |
|---|---|
| Exclusive Paint Protection | 229 leads in 6 months; $60K/yr saved vs. hiring a receptionist |
| Apex Lock & Key | $4K more in emergency jobs per month |
| Instant Towing | 2–3 jobs saved every week |
| Burning Rice | 40% fewer missed bookings |
| Summit Insurance | $12K in new premiums |
| Johnson Accounting | 18 hours saved during tax week |
Best for: Service businesses and appointment-based small businesses that want every call answered and booked, at a published price with no sales call.
Pros:
- Under-two-second pickup and unlimited simultaneous calls
- Books, reschedules and cancels appointments from $99/mo, $50 less than Rosie
- 14-day trial, twice as long as Dialzara, Rosie and My AI Front Desk
- Self-serve setup in under 10 minutes
Cons:
- US phone numbers only
- Booking and call transfers start on the $99 Standard plan
- Basic plan support is by email
2. Upfirst: Best for Very Low Call Volume
Upfirst costs $24.95/mo for 30 calls, then $1.50 per call. Spam and calls under 15 seconds aren't billed, it supports 35+ languages, and it remembers repeat callers. It suits businesses that get a handful of calls a week. Once you pass 30 calls, overage adds up quickly, and it has fewer advanced integrations, with no deep point-of-sale (POS) or electronic health record (EHR) connections.
Compared with Marlie: at 100 calls a month, Upfirst's Starter plan costs about $130, while Marlie's $49 plan covers roughly 125 two-minute calls.
3. Smith.ai: Best AI + Human Hybrid
Smith.ai can hand calls to live receptionists based in North America. It connects to 7,000+ apps and removes card and Social Security numbers from transcripts. It's rated 4.9 on G2 (73 reviews) and 4.5 on Trustpilot (341 reviews). The trade-off is cost: roughly $2–$3 per call. It also can't send texts during a call, and the free plan stops at 25 calls a month.
Compared with Marlie: choose Smith.ai only if you need a human on sensitive legal or medical calls. For routine calls and bookings, Marlie costs a fraction per call.
4. Dialzara: Best Budget Entry Price
Dialzara costs $29/mo for 60 minutes. Every plan includes a setup call with a prompt engineer, it supports 10+ languages, and spam calls don't use up your minutes. However, overage is $0.48/min, and it's AI only, with no human backup.
Compared with Marlie: 60 minutes runs out fast. Marlie's $49 plan includes 250 minutes, and its $0.35 overage is lower than Dialzara's $0.48.
5. Rosie: Best for Simple Message-Taking
Rosie answers calls, takes messages and texts booking links, with English and Spanish support, at $49/mo for 250 minutes. Booking and live transfers start on its $149 Scale plan. TechnologyAdvice found no G2, Capterra or Trustpilot reviews for Rosie.
Compared with Marlie: same $49 entry price, but Marlie includes booking and transfers at $99, $50 less than Rosie.
6. Goodcall: Best for Custom Call Flows
Goodcall charges $79/mo for 100 unique callers, with unlimited minutes and custom logic flows. The Starter plan is limited to one logic flow, three team members and seven days of call history, and you can't port your existing number.
Compared with Marlie: Goodcall suits businesses with long calls, but Marlie starts $30 lower and works with your existing number through call forwarding.
7. My AI Front Desk: Best for Multilingual Callers
My AI Front Desk costs $99/mo for 200 minutes. It speaks 20+ languages and includes a built-in CRM and outbound text follow-ups. Limits on simultaneous calls can send callers to voicemail during busy periods, and its Trustpilot rating is 3.5.
Compared with Marlie: for the same $99, Marlie's Standard plan includes 500 minutes, booking, and unlimited simultaneous calls.
8. Slang.ai: Best for Full-Service Restaurants
Slang.ai connects to OpenTable, SevenRooms and Yelp, and can route VIP guests. It costs $399/mo per location, bilingual support is a $99 add-on, and you have to book a demo because there's no self-serve trial.
Compared with Marlie: worth it for busy reservation-driven restaurants. Other small businesses get more for less with Marlie.
AI Answering Service Pricing Models: What to Watch Out For
Most vendors use one of four billing models:
- Per call: Upfirst, Smith.ai
- Per conversation: XBert, Ringly
- Per minute: Marlie, Dialzara, My AI Front Desk
- Per unique caller: Goodcall
Watch for hidden costs: setup fees, phone-number fees, texting add-ons that require your own Twilio account, and "actions per call" limits that stop the AI partway through a task. Before you compare plans, multiply your average call length by your monthly call volume. For example, 300 calls at two minutes each is 600 minutes. That's $99 plus about $35 in overage on Marlie's Standard plan, while per-call plans at that volume can cost well over $400. You can also explore the Communication category on Today Launches for other calling and VoIP software.
How to Choose the Right AI Answering Service for Your Business
If you run a service business, or anything that books appointments, choose Marlie.ai. If complex legal or medical calls need a human safety net, choose a hybrid like Smith.ai. If you handle patient data, confirm the provider will sign a HIPAA business associate agreement (BAA) before you share any.
You likely need an AI answering service if:
- You miss calls during busy hours or after closing
- Most callers hang up instead of leaving a voicemail
- You pay a receptionist mostly to answer routine questions
- Your call volume spikes unpredictably
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best AI answering service for small businesses?
Marlie.ai is the best AI answering service for most small businesses in 2026. It answers in under two seconds, books appointments into your calendar, texts you a call summary, and starts at $49/month with a 14-day free trial.
How much does an AI answering service cost?
Most small-business plans cost $25–$400 a month, and enterprise tools cost more than $1,000. Compare the cost per minute or per call at your real volume, not the headline price.
Can AI replace a human receptionist?
For routine calls, yes: FAQs, bookings, messages and transfers. If many of your calls are sensitive or complicated, a hybrid service with human backup is the safer choice.
Is there a free AI answering service?
Smith.ai has a free plan capped at 25 calls a month. Most other services offer free trials instead, such as Marlie's 14-day trial.
Can I keep my existing phone number?
Usually, yes. Marlie and most competitors work through call forwarding, so your published number stays the same. Goodcall doesn't allow you to port your number.
Do callers know they're talking to an AI?
Modern voices sound natural, but you can set the greeting to say it's an AI if you want to. Some states require disclosure in certain situations.
Are AI answering services HIPAA compliant?
Some are, but not all. Ask for a signed business associate agreement (BAA) before you send any patient information through the service.
How long does setup take?
Self-serve tools like Marlie are usually live in under 10 minutes. Demo-first vendors can take days.
What happens if the AI can't answer a caller's question?
Depending on your plan, the AI takes a detailed message, transfers the call to you or a team member, or sends you a text summary so you can call back.
Conclusion
Marlie.ai is our top pick for small business owners. It answers in under two seconds, books jobs instead of just taking messages, works with the tools you already use, and costs about $0.20 per minute. Call its demo line at (631) 970-4479 to hear it for yourself, then start the 14-day free trial.
To compare more vetted AI customer-support tools, browse the latest AI launches on Today Launches.