Updated October 2026
The Best AI Receptionist for Small BusinessDepends on One Question.
The best AI receptionist is the one that fixes the problem you actually have. If you just need the phone answered, a $29–$99 app can do it. If calls get answered but customers still slip away afterward, you need something that does the follow-through too. Below: the honest picks, real prices checked October 3, 2026, and where each one wins.
Jump to: How to choose The picks Prices side by side Where Lexi fits
How to Choose
Six Things That Matter More Than the Starting Price.
Compare AI receptionists on how they’re priced, whether they book on your calendar, whether they transfer to a person, whether texting is included, where leads are stored, and what happens after the call. Two tools at the same price can do very different jobs.
How It’s Priced
Per minute, per call, or per caller. Match the model to how your customers call.
Books on Your Calendar
Some send a booking link. Some book live. Check which plan includes it.
Transfers to a Person
For the calls an AI shouldn’t handle. Often a higher-tier feature.
Texting Included?
Callers expect a text back. Ask if texts cost extra and who pays carrier registration.
Where the Leads Go
A message in your inbox isn’t a system. Ask where leads are stored and worked.
What Happens After the Call
Most stop at the message. Ask who follows up, and how fast.
The Picks
The Right Pick for Each Kind of Business.
For a tight budget, Dialzara or Rosie. For lots of short calls, Goodcall. For a human backup, Smith.ai. For texting and a simple CRM built in, My AI Front Desk. For a real person on every call, Ruby. For the follow-through after the call, Lexi. We don’t rank them 1 to 10, because the best one depends on your problem.
If you’re on a tight budget
Dialzara or Rosie
From $29 / $49 a month
Dialzara starts at $29 for 60 minutes. Rosie starts at $49 for 250 minutes (about $0.20 a minute), in English and Spanish. Good for answering and taking messages.
If you get lots of short calls
Goodcall
From $79 a month
Unlimited minutes, priced by unique caller (100 included). Robocalls and blocked numbers don’t count. Good when calls are many and brief.
If you want a human backup
Smith.ai
Free plan, Pro from $150
A free plan for 25 calls a month to test it. Larger plans can hand calls to a live receptionist. Good when some calls need a person.
If you want an all-in-one setup
My AI Front Desk
From $99 a month
200 minutes, 400 texts, and a built-in CRM, in 20+ languages. Good for an all-in-one answering setup.
If you want a real person every time
Ruby
From $250 a month
Live human receptionists, 50 minutes on the starting plan. The most personal, and the most expensive per minute.
If leads slip after the call
Lexi
$299 a month + usage
Answers 24/7, books, follows up with every lead, runs email and text campaigns, and keeps your CRM current. For when the follow-through is the problem.
Building your own? Vapi and Retell are platforms for developers to build a custom voice agent, priced per minute with the AI model, voice, and phone line as separate parts. Powerful, but not plug-and-play.
Prices Side by Side
What Each One Costs to Start.
As checked October 3, 2026, AI receptionists start from free (Smith.ai, 25 calls) to $99 a month, human answering starts at $250 a month, and Lexi is $299 a month plus usage. Every plan costs more as your call volume grows. For the full cost breakdown, see how much an AI receptionist costs.
| Service | Starting price | What’s included | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dialzara | $29/mo | 60 minutes | $0.48/min after |
| Rosie | $49/mo | 250 minutes | English and Spanish |
| Goodcall | $79/mo | Unlimited minutes, 100 unique callers | $0.50 per extra caller |
| My AI Front Desk | $99/mo | 200 minutes, 400 texts | $0.25/min after |
| Smith.ai | Free | 25 calls (free plan) | $3 per extra call; Pro from $150 for 75 calls |
| Ruby | $250/mo | 50 minutes with live people | Human receptionists, not AI |
| Lexi | $299/mo | Calls at $0.15/min, texts 3¢, CRM included | + $100 one-time setup; books, follows up, runs campaigns |
Prices from each company’s own pricing page on October 3, 2026, monthly billing. Features vary by plan and prices change, so check each site before you buy.
The Honest Part
Where Lexi Fits, and Where She Doesn’t.
Lexi isn’t the cheapest option, and she isn’t a human. She’s built for owners whose calls get answered but whose leads still slip, because nobody books them, follows up, or reaches past customers. If that’s not your problem, a cheaper app may be all you need.
Lexi Isn’t the Cheapest
If you only need the phone answered, a $29–$99 app can do that job.
Lexi Isn’t a Human
She says she’s an AI. If every caller must reach a person, a human service fits better.
Where Lexi Wins
The work after the call: booking, follow-up on every lead, campaigns, CRM, and a morning briefing.
What Lexi does: answers every call 24/7, says she’s an AI, books, moves and cancels appointments, follows up with every lead, writes and sends email and text campaigns, keeps your GoHighLevel CRM current, and sends you a morning briefing. She can transfer a caller to you live once transfer is set up, and for urgent calls she texts, emails, or calls you right away.
$299/month at founder pricing, plus a one-time $100 setup fee and usage (calls $0.15/min, texts 3¢ a segment, email $0.002). Texting registration and a CRM are included. The public price is $997/month. No contract, cancel any time.
Free 6-minute demo. No card. No sales call.
Common Questions
Choosing an AI Receptionist: Your Questions
The best AI receptionist is the one that fixes the problem you actually have. If you only need calls answered on a tight budget, low-cost apps like Dialzara or Rosie fit. If you get lots of short calls, Goodcall’s unlimited minutes fit. If you want a human backup, Smith.ai fits. If calls get answered but leads slip after the call, Lexi fits, because she also books, follows up, and runs your email and text campaigns.
As checked on October 3, 2026, Smith.ai has a free plan for 25 calls a month, and the cheapest paid plan we found was Dialzara at $29 a month for 60 minutes. Rosie starts at $49 a month for 250 minutes. Every one of them charges more once you pass the included minutes or calls, so compare what your real call volume will cost, not just the starting price.
Look at how it is priced, whether it books on your calendar, whether it can transfer to a person, and what happens to the lead after the call. Also check whether texting is included, where your leads are stored, which features are only on higher plans, and whether you can test it free before you pay.
No. A chatbot answers typed messages on a website. An AI receptionist answers your phone and talks to callers out loud. Many AI receptionists now include a website chat too, but the phone is the main job. If most of your customers call, you need a receptionist, not only a chatbot.
For most small businesses it is cheaper and always available, but a human is still better for sensitive or complicated calls. As checked on October 3, 2026, Ruby’s live receptionists start at $250 a month for 50 minutes, while most AI receptionists cost about $49 to $300 a month. An AI also answers many calls at once, at any hour. Many owners use AI for routine calls and send the hard ones to a person.
Many can, but check which plan includes it. For example, Rosie’s $49 plan texts callers a booking link, and direct calendar booking starts on its $149 plan. Lexi checks your calendar and books, moves, or cancels appointments while the caller is on the phone.
Most good ones can, though some only on higher plans. Lexi can transfer a caller to you or your team live, once call transfer is set up on your account. For urgent calls she can also text, email, or call you immediately and flag it in your Lexi portal.
Vapi and Retell are platforms for building your own voice agent, made mainly for developers and technical teams. They charge by the minute, with the AI model, the voice, and the phone line priced as separate parts. They are powerful if you have someone to build and maintain the agent. Most owners who just want their phone answered are better off with a ready-made receptionist.
Lexi costs $299 per month at founder pricing plus a one-time $100 setup fee, locked for life. Usage is billed separately: calls $0.15 per minute, texts 3 cents per segment (about 160 characters), and email $0.002 per email. A GoHighLevel CRM sub-account and texting registration are included. The public price is $997 per month.
No. Lexi is built for and sold to businesses in the United States. Pricing is in U.S. dollars, and her phone numbers and text messaging run on U.S. carrier registration.
The Best Test Is a Real Call. Make One.
Talk to Lexi for six minutes. Play your own customer, ask something off-script, try to book, and decide for yourself.
Talk to Lexi Now →No card. No sales call. U.S. businesses only.