Home / AI receptionist / Best for small business

Best AI receptionist for small business

TL;DR

Ranked by published cost at 300 minutes a month (as of 2026-10-17): Phonely ($75.00/mo); Trillet ($79.00/mo); Dialzara ($135/mo). We haven't run test calls yet, so this ranking is based on price and plan terms only.

How we ranked

We estimated monthly cost at 300 minutes (about 150 two-minute calls) using each vendor's cheapest published plan. Ties go to vendors with a free plan or trial. Vendors that charge per call, or don't publish what happens above their included minutes, come after the ones we can price. Sponsorship never changes rank. See the methodology.

  1. Phonely

    Est. at 300 min: $75.00 (Starter) · Entry: $0 to start

    Best for: SMBs wanting a free start. Free: Free plan

    Verified 2026-10-17 · source

  2. Trillet

    Est. at 300 min: $79.00 (AI Receptionist) · Entry: $49/mo

    Best for: Solo operators and agencies reselling voice AI. Free: 7-day free trial (card required)

    Verified 2026-10-17 · source

  3. Dialzara

    Est. at 300 min: $135 (Business Pro) · Entry: $29/mo

    Best for: Very small businesses wanting a low entry price. Free: 7-day free trial

    Verified 2026-10-17 · source

  4. Smith.ai (AI Receptionist)

    Est. at 300 min: not computable from public pricing · Entry: $0 to start

    Best for: Small firms wanting per-call pricing and human fallback. Free: Free plan: 25 calls/month

    Verified 2026-10-17 · source

  5. Goodcall

    Est. at 300 min: not computable from public pricing · Entry: $79/mo

    Best for: Trades and local service businesses. Free: Free demo agent; pay when you connect a number

    Verified 2026-10-17 · source

  6. My AI Front Desk (Frontdesk)

    Est. at 300 min: not computable from public pricing · Entry: $99/mo

    Best for: Small businesses wanting phone + chat + SMS in one plan. Free: 7-day free trial

    Verified 2026-10-17 · source

  7. Rosie

    Est. at 300 min: not computable from public pricing · Entry: $49/mo

    Best for: Solo owners and small home-service businesses. Free: 7-day free trial

    Verified 2026-10-17 · source

  8. Upfirst

    Est. at 300 min: not computable from public pricing · Entry: $24.95/mo

    Best for: Small businesses with predictable call counts. Free: Free trial

    Verified 2026-10-17 · source

  9. Newo.ai

    Est. at 300 min: not computable from public pricing · Entry: $0 to start

    Best for: Growing SMBs wanting after-hours coverage. Free: 50 free units, no payment method needed

    Verified 2026-10-17 · source

FAQ

What is the best AI receptionist for a small business?

There's no single best one. Ranked by published cost at 300 minutes a month and free-trial availability (as of 2026-10-17), the top three are Phonely, Trillet, Dialzara. Test two or three with your own calls.

How did you rank them?

By estimated cost at 300 minutes/month using published plans, then by free plan or trial. Vendors that charge per call or don't publish overage rates come after the ones we can price. Sponsorship never affects rank.