The 11 cheapest ai receptionists

The cheapest provider in the Top 11 RingCentral vs Nextiva vs Upfirst: 11 Best AI Receptionists for Small Business 2026 is Smith.ai AI Receptionist, followed by Upfirst.

Why this answer

Sorted by published starting price, lowest first. We use each provider's lowest documented price band; where pricing is undisclosed, the entry falls to the bottom of the list.

Showing the top 11 of 11+ screened. Methodology at /methodology.

  1. #1Smith.ai AI Receptionist(rank #5 in RingCentral vs Nextiva vs Upfirst: 11 Best AI Receptionists for Small Business 2026)

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    AI first with human receptionists behind it, native Clio, HubSpot and Salesforce, and 25 free calls.

    Full Smith.ai AI Receptionist review · Compare: Smith.ai AI Receptionist vs Upfirst · Alternatives

  2. #2Upfirst(rank #3 in RingCentral vs Nextiva vs Upfirst: 11 Best AI Receptionists for Small Business 2026)

    $24.95/mo+

    Books into six named calendars, bills per call, and starts at $24.95. No named CRM.

    Full Upfirst review · Alternatives

  3. #3Allo(rank #4 in RingCentral vs Nextiva vs Upfirst: 11 Best AI Receptionists for Small Business 2026)

    $32/mo+

    Native booking and CRM write back for $32 an agent, on a phone system that is still young.

    Full Allo review · Alternatives

  4. #4Rosie(rank #8 in RingCentral vs Nextiva vs Upfirst: 11 Best AI Receptionists for Small Business 2026)

    $41/mo+

    Simple and cheap, but direct booking starts at $149 and every CRM goes through Zapier.

    Full Rosie review · Alternatives

  5. #5RingCentral AI Receptionist (AIR)(rank #1 in RingCentral vs Nextiva vs Upfirst: 11 Best AI Receptionists for Small Business 2026)

    $49/mo+

    Names its calendars and CRMs, works with any phone system, and prints the whole bill. From $49 a month.

    Full RingCentral AI Receptionist (AIR) review · Alternatives

  6. #6Marlie AI(rank #6 in RingCentral vs Nextiva vs Upfirst: 11 Best AI Receptionists for Small Business 2026)

    $49/mo+

    The only one here that texts a Square or Shopify checkout link mid call. From $49 for 250 minutes.

    Full Marlie AI review · Alternatives

  7. #7Goodcall(rank #10 in RingCentral vs Nextiva vs Upfirst: 11 Best AI Receptionists for Small Business 2026)

    $66/mo+

    Unlimited minutes, billed by unique caller. CRMs and calendars through Zapier.

    Full Goodcall review · Alternatives

  8. #8Frontdesk (My AI Front Desk)(rank #7 in RingCentral vs Nextiva vs Upfirst: 11 Best AI Receptionists for Small Business 2026)

    $79/mo+

    Phone, chat, texts and forms for $99 with HubSpot and GoHighLevel named. Actions are capped.

    Full Frontdesk (My AI Front Desk) review · Alternatives

  9. #9Nextiva XBert AI Receptionist(rank #2 in RingCentral vs Nextiva vs Upfirst: 11 Best AI Receptionists for Small Business 2026)

    $99/mo+

    The longest named connection list here, split into live and on request. $99 for 100 conversations.

    Full Nextiva XBert AI Receptionist review · Alternatives

  10. #10Abby Connect(rank #9 in RingCentral vs Nextiva vs Upfirst: 11 Best AI Receptionists for Small Business 2026)

    $165/mo+

    The deepest booking catalogue here, AI and humans together, at $1.65 an AI minute on Starter.

    Full Abby Connect review · Alternatives

  11. #11Beyond Elevation(rank #11 in RingCentral vs Nextiva vs Upfirst: 11 Best AI Receptionists for Small Business 2026)

    $3,000/mo+

    Seven of the ten name a CRM. None reaches the job, the quote or the invoice. That join is the work.

    Full Beyond Elevation review · Alternatives

Methodology: /methodology · No paid placement ever · Verified .