AI answering services for small business
An AI answering service answers your calls with AI, people or both, takes messages and passes on urgent calls.
- Tools compared
- 9
- Publish a price
- 7
- Free plan or trial
- 4
Most of the AI answering services listed publish a price, with flat plans from $19 a month (Ambs Call Center AI Receptionist).
Where should you start?
If price decides it: Ambs Call Center AI Receptionist, from $19 per month, is the cheapest flat plan of the 9 compared. If you run an HVAC or landscaping business and want a low entry price, Starter is $19 a month, and the hybrid option lets a live agent step in on calls the AI shouldn't handle alone. The catch: AI minutes cost $0.79 each on top of that base fee, and there is no free trial. Go Answer AI Receptionist has a 14-day free trial, with AI Receptionist 100 at $95 a month, billed monthly, for 100 minutes.
For a small business: Go Answer AI Receptionist from GoAnswer, from $95 per month, is the cheapest flat plan among the 4 whose vendors name small business. Suits a small business that likes the idea of AI on the phones but wants people behind it: every plan includes 24/7 live agents on standby. Plans run month to month, with a 14-day free trial. The catch: AI Receptionist 100 is $95 a month for only 100 minutes, so check your monthly call volume first. Smith.ai's AI Receptionist has a free plan covering 25 calls a month.
How much does an AI answering service cost?
Flat monthly starting prices for AI answering services run from $19 (Ambs Call Center AI Receptionist) to $250 (Ruby). One sells only through sales or a demo. Prices are as each vendor states them, never converted; the table below gives each tool's.
Compare them on price, trials, security and integrations
Filter the list, or tick up to 5 tools to compare them side by side.
Tools mainly for this job first, then those with a stated starting price (lowest monthly price first), then the most recently checked. No vendor pays for a place. How we order tools.
Filter by price, free plan or trial, who it's built for, compliance or integrations
9 tools
No tool matches all of these filters.
| Tool | Price as stated | Free plan or trial | Compliance it states | Checked | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ambs Call Center AI ReceptionistAmbs Call Center · Vendor site | From $19 per month | Not stated | Not stated | Oct 17, 2026 | |
| MoneypennyMoneypenny · Vendor site | From $69 per month | Not stated | Not stated | Oct 17, 2026 | |
| Go Answer AI ReceptionistGoAnswer · Vendor site | From $95 per month | Free trial (14 days) | Not stated | Oct 17, 2026 | |
| Posh AI ReceptionistPosh · Vendor site | From $130 per month | Free trial (7 days) | Not stated | Oct 17, 2026 | |
| Abby’s AI ReceptionistAbby Connect · Vendor site | From $165 per month | Free trial (14 days) | Not stated | Oct 17, 2026 | |
| RubyRuby · Vendor site | From $250 per month | Not stated | Signs a HIPAA BAA | Oct 17, 2026 | |
| NexaNexa · Vendor site | Price not published | Not stated | Mentions HIPAA | Oct 17, 2026 | |
| Call ExpertsCall Experts · Vendor site | Contact sales | Not stated | Mentions HIPAA | Oct 17, 2026 | |
| AI ReceptionistSmith.ai · Vendor site | From $150 per month | Free plan | Not stated | Oct 17, 2026 |
Your picks side by side
Tick up to 5 tools in the comparison list to see them side by side.
| Ambs Call Center AI Receptionist | Moneypenny | Go Answer AI Receptionist | Posh AI Receptionist | Abby’s AI Receptionist | Ruby | Nexa | Call Experts | AI Receptionist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | From $19 per month (Starter plan). | From $69 per month (25 calls plan). | From $95 per month, billed monthly (AI Receptionist 100 plan). | From $130 per month, billed monthly (Vogue AI plan). | From $165 per month, billed monthly (Starter plan). | From $250 per month (50 minutes per month plan). | Price not published | Contact sales | From $150 per month, billed monthly (Pro plan). |
| Pricing model | Not stated by Ambs Call Center | Not stated by Moneypenny | Not stated by GoAnswer | Not stated by Posh | Not stated by Abby Connect | Not stated by Ruby | Not stated by Nexa | Not stated by Call Experts | Per call |
| Free plan | Not stated by Ambs Call Center | Not stated by Moneypenny | Not stated by GoAnswer | Not stated by Posh | Not stated by Abby Connect | Not stated by Ruby | Not stated by Nexa | Not stated by Call Experts | Yes |
| Free trial | No | Not stated by Moneypenny | Yes, 14 days | Yes, 7 days | Yes, 14 days | Not stated by Ruby | Not stated by Nexa | Not stated by Call Experts | Not stated by Smith.ai |
| Who answers | AI and people | AI and people | AI and people | AI and people | AI and people | Human only | AI and people | AI and people | AI and people |
| Built for | Construction and home services | Not stated by Moneypenny | Small business, Construction and home services | Small business, Construction and home services | Small business, Construction and home services | Small business, Construction and home services | Construction and home services | Not stated by Call Experts | Not stated by Smith.ai |
| Compliance the vendor states | Not stated by Ambs Call Center | Not stated by Moneypenny | Not stated by GoAnswer | Not stated by Posh | Not stated by Abby Connect | Signs a HIPAA BAA | Mentions HIPAA | Mentions HIPAA | Not stated by Smith.ai |
| Integrations it names | Not stated by Ambs Call Center | Not stated by Moneypenny | Not stated by GoAnswer | Google Calendar | Google Calendar, QuickBooks, ServiceTitan | Not stated by Ruby | Not stated by Nexa | Not stated by Call Experts | Not stated by Smith.ai |
Questions people ask
What is the difference between an AI answering service and an AI receptionist?
An AI answering service is a company that answers your calls for you, using AI on the call or behind its staff. An AI receptionist is software you set up yourself. Each tool page says who answers: AI only, people only, or both.
Is there a free AI answering service?
Yes: AI Receptionist from Smith.ai has a free plan. Three offer a free trial, so you can test one on your own calls first.
What is the best AI answering service for a small business?
No single AI answering service is best for every business: it comes down to the job and the budget. If price decides it, Ambs Call Center AI Receptionist has the lowest flat monthly price listed, $19 a month. To try one free, AI Receptionist from Smith.ai has a free plan. No vendor pays to be listed.
Which AI answering services use people as well as AI?
Ambs Call Center AI Receptionist, Moneypenny, Go Answer AI Receptionist from GoAnswer, Posh AI Receptionist and 4 others say calls can go to a live person as well as the AI.