$199 a month, flat, with unlimited inbound calls, next to 27 services on price, overages, hours and transfers.
Compared with 27 services, including
The main difference is the price model. Most live answering services bill by the minute and charge $1.28 to $5.40 for each minute past the plan, and most AI receptionists meter minutes, calls or callers. NextPhone has no meter. Prices below were read from each provider's own pricing page on October 26, 2026 (25 of 27 providers; the other 2 earlier).
NextPhone is an AI receptionist with flat monthly plans from $199 a month and unlimited inbound calls. It answers 24/7, books appointments, asks your intake questions and transfers callers to your team. You set it up in about 5 minutes, or our team builds it for you on Growth ($299 a month), which adds CRM integrations such as Clio.
Call centers where a receptionist answers from your script. Most bill by the minute, Smith.ai by the call.
| Provider | Price model | Overages | Hours | Transfer to a person |
|---|---|---|---|---|
NextPhone | Flat monthly, from $199/month Unlimited inbound calls on every plan | None No per-minute or per-call fees | 24/7, same price nights, weekends and holidays | Warm and announced transfers to up to 10 people, no extra charge |
Ruby | Per minute Entry plan $250/month (50 minutes) | $3.65 to $5.40 a minute | 24/7, no after-hours surcharge | Transfers to any number. Fees may apply outside North America |
Smith.ai Receptionists | Per call Entry plan $300/month (30 calls) | $8.50 to $11.50 a call | 24/7/365, open on holidays | 1 to 10 free transfer destinations by plan, more at $15/month |
PATLive | Per minute Entry plan $49/month (pay per use at $2.99/min) | $1.69 to $2.29 a minute | 24/7, no overnight, weekend or holiday charge | Included. Hold time during a transfer attempt is billed |
AnswerConnect | Per minute Quote only, no published price | Not published | 24/7/365, including holidays | Cold, warm and hot transfers. Patch time is billed |
Abby Connect | Abby Minute (one AI minute counts as half) Entry plan $164/month (50 minutes) | $2.76 to $3.30 a minute | Receptionists weekdays 5am to 9pm PT, weekends 6am to 6pm PT. AI answers the other hours | Announced transfers. Ring and transfer time are billed |
Moneypenny (formerly VoiceNation) | Per minute Entry plan $165/month (50 minutes) | $2.09 to $2.85 a minute | 24/7 on every plan, no extra cost | Transfers to any US number. Dial-out time is billed |
Posh | Per minute Entry plan $65/month (pay per use at $2.30/min) | $1.90 to $2.20 a minute | 24/7/365, no surcharge. Spanish guaranteed on weekdays only | Transfers when you set your status to Accepting Transfers |
AnswerForce | Per minute Entry plan $349/month (200 minutes) | $1.85 to $2.00 a minute | 24/7, after-hours, weekends and holidays at no extra charge | Warm and cold transfers. Patch time is billed |
MAP Communications | Per minute Entry plan $49/month (pay per use at $1.37/min) | $1.28 to $1.30 a minute | 24/7, no after-hours charge. A holiday fee applies | Billed until the transfer completes |
Specialty Answering Service | Per minute or per call Entry plan $44/month (pay per use at $1.54/min) | $1.29 to $1.44 a minute | 24/7/365, no holiday, weekend or after-hours fees | Warm and cold patches at $0.10 a minute |
AnswerFirst | Per minute Entry plan $30/month (pay per use at $1.60 to $1.95/min) | Not published | 24/7/365, including holidays, weekends and nights | Patch time billed at a lower rate that is not published. Hold time is not billed |
Go Answer | Per minute Entry plan $175/month (100 minutes) | $1.50 to $1.75 a minute | 24/7 on every plan | Live transfers included, to US numbers only |
ReceptionHQ | Per call (MessageExpress, ReceptionistPlus) or per minute (other plans) Entry plan $25/month (pay per use at $1.99/call) | $1.85 to $1.99 a call | 24/7, with a per-call or per-minute surcharge outside 5am to 7pm Phoenix time on weekdays, all weekend and on holidays | $0.30 a transfer on ReceptionistPlus. Not offered on MessageExpress |
Answering Service Care | Per minute Entry plan $40/month (pay per use at $1.75/min) | $1.35 to $1.70 a minute | 24/7, including holidays, weekends and overnight | Call transfers on every plan |
Nexa | Per minute (per-event billing allowed) Quote only, no published price | Not published | 24/7, with a fee on 8 holidays in its terms | Hold time while transferring is billed. Transfer fees possible by plan |
| Provider | Integrations | Setup time |
|---|---|---|
NextPhone | Books into Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, Acuity, Cal.com and OnceHub on every plan. Clio, MyCase, HubSpot, GoHighLevel and Zapier on Growth ($299) | 5 minutes on your own (Pro), or built for you in a few days (Growth) |
Ruby | Clio and Grasshopper native. Others through Zapier | Not published. An onboarding specialist walks you through forwarding |
Smith.ai Receptionists | First CRM free (HubSpot, Salesforce, Clio and others), $0.50 a call for each extra CRM | About 15 minutes to give your call instructions |
PATLive | Google Calendar and Calendly native. Others, such as AppFolio, through Zapier | First call answered within minutes. Ready within 10 days of the onboarding call |
AnswerConnect | Salesforce, HubSpot and Clio (one way, into Clio), plus Zapier | Live at signup, then a 60-minute onboarding call |
Abby Connect | 157 native integrations, including HubSpot, Salesforce and Lawmatics | One short onboarding call |
Moneypenny (formerly VoiceNation) | Clio through Zapier templates, on your own Zapier account | Takes calls right after the onboarding call. Customization takes 24 hours |
Posh | Clio, Rocket Matter, Zoho, Salesforce and Google Calendar. 3,000+ apps through Zapier | Usually 24 to 48 hours |
AnswerForce | ServiceTitan (through Zapier), Jobber, Housecall Pro, Workiz and Service Fusion | Not published |
MAP Communications | Calendly, Google Calendar, Acuity, Setmore, Clio, Rocket Matter, HubSpot and Salesforce | Usually within 24 hours |
Specialty Answering Service | Clio, Google Calendar, Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, Pipedrive and Zapier | Not published. No setup fee |
AnswerFirst | Clio Grow, Law Ruler, ServiceTitan, Jobber, Workiz and JobNimbus | Not published. A one-time setup fee applies |
Go Answer | CRM integration where supported | Not published. $75 setup fee in its FAQ |
ReceptionHQ | Acuity, Calendly, Clio, Keap and Zendesk, plus ServiceTitan, Jobber and Housecall Pro | Not published. No setup fee on ReceptionistPlus |
Answering Service Care | One integration on Enterprise ($50). Clio, MyCase, ServiceTitan and Jobber listed | $50 setup fee. Time not published |
Nexa | CRM integration on Nexa 500 only. Logos include ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, HubSpot and Clio | Not published. A non-refundable setup fee applies |
Software that answers the call itself. Most sell a block of minutes, calls or callers, then charge past it.
| Provider | Price model | Overages | Hours | Transfer to a person |
|---|---|---|---|---|
NextPhone | Flat monthly, from $199/month Unlimited inbound calls on every plan | None No per-minute or per-call fees | 24/7, same price nights, weekends and holidays | Warm and announced transfers to up to 10 people, no extra charge |
Smith.ai AI Receptionist | Per call Entry plan $150/month (75 calls) | $2.17 to $3.00 a call | 24/7 on every plan | Transfers to your team at no charge. A live Smith.ai agent adds $3 a call |
Goodcall | Per customer Entry plan $79/month (100 unique callers) | $0.15 to $0.79 a caller | Every hour of every day | Transfers to a person, trying up to 3 contacts when one does not answer |
My AI Front Desk | Per minute Entry plan $99/month (200 minutes) | $0.25 a minute | Nights, weekends and holidays included | Call transfer is an agent action, 2 on the entry plan |
RingCentral AI Receptionist | Per minute Entry plan $49/month (100 minutes) | $0.50 a minute | Around the clock, including holidays | To users, queues or outside numbers, with context |
Phonely | Per minute Entry plan $50/month (200 minutes) | $0.25 to $0.35 a minute | Not published | Call transfer and routing listed on its plans |
Simple Phones | Per call Entry plan $97/month (100 calls) | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Go Answer AI Receptionist | Per minute Entry plan $95/month (100 minutes) | $0.80 to $0.95 a minute | 24/7 | Warm transfers where applicable |
Moneypenny AI Answering (US) | Per call Entry plan $69/month (25 calls) | $1.89 to $2.49 a call | 24/7 | Option to transfer to real people built in |
Sameday AI (home services only) | Flat rate set from the vendor's estimate of your AI minutes Entry plan $449/month (500 minutes) | Not published | 24/7, including nights, weekends and holidays | To your on-call dispatcher with a summary |
| Provider | Integrations | Setup time |
|---|---|---|
NextPhone | Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, Acuity, Cal.com and OnceHub on every plan. CRM sync with Clio, MyCase, HubSpot, GoHighLevel and more, plus Zapier, Make and webhooks, on Growth ($299) | 5 minutes on your own (Pro), or built for you in a few days (Growth) |
Smith.ai AI Receptionist | Clio and Calendly native, plus Zapier | About 15 minutes |
Goodcall | Google Calendar, Google Sheets and HighLevel. Others through an API or MCP tool | Not published. Get a number, test it, then forward your line |
My AI Front Desk | Calendars and CRMs through Zapier on every plan | Under 5 minutes |
RingCentral AI Receptionist | Google and Outlook calendars, HubSpot, Zoho and Salesforce | Minutes, built from your website |
Phonely | CRM and API integrations listed on its plans | Not published |
Simple Phones | CRM connections built by its team on request | A starter agent generated from a few questions at signup |
Go Answer AI Receptionist | CRM integration where supported | A few minutes, by its own page |
Moneypenny AI Answering (US) | CRM integrations listed on its plans | Not published |
Sameday AI (home services only) | ServiceTitan, Jobber, Housecall Pro, Service Fusion and FieldRoutes | 15 to 30 minutes, by its own pages |
Intake services built for law firms. Answering Legal and LEX Reception show prices only after a quote form.
| Provider | Price model | Overages | Hours | Transfer to a person |
|---|---|---|---|---|
NextPhone | Flat monthly, from $199/month Unlimited inbound calls on every plan | None No per-minute or per-call fees | 24/7, same price nights, weekends and holidays | Warm and announced transfers to up to 10 people, no extra charge |
Answering Legal | Per minute Quote only, no published price | Not published | 24/7/365 | Screens the caller, then patches you in if you accept |
LEX Reception | Per minute Quote only, no published price | Not published | 24/7/365 | To the people in your call flow. Patch time is billed |
Alert Communications | Per minute (per-event billing allowed) Entry plan $240/month (100 minutes) | Not published | 24/7, with a holiday fee on 8 holidays | Warm transfers to available attorneys. Transfer fees possible by plan |
| Provider | Integrations | Setup time |
|---|---|---|
NextPhone | Clio (official partner), MyCase and Lawmatics on Growth ($299). Books consultations into Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly and others on every plan | 5 minutes on your own (Pro), or built for you in a few days (Growth) |
Answering Legal | Clio Grow, PracticePanther, Lawmatics, Smokeball, MyCase and Lead Docket, at no charge | Same day for most firms, 1 to 2 days for complex intake |
LEX Reception | Clio and MyCase native. Filevine through Zapier | Customized service set up in under 24 hours |
Alert Communications | Clio, Filevine, PracticePanther, Lead Docket and CASEpeer, plus Zapier | Usually 7 to 10 business days |
Every published plan, priced: answering service costs compared and virtual receptionist services compared. Leaving a service? How to switch without missing a call.
A phone system rings your phones and routes calls. It does not answer them. Keep yours and forward calls to NextPhone: the steps for 46 phone systems and apps are on our call forwarding page. Call forwarding codes.
You set it up yourself
$199 / month
Live in 5 minutes. Unlimited calls, no overages.
Cancel anytime
We set it up for you
$299 / month
We build it, test it and tune it. Live in days.
We set it up for you · Live in days
For complex call flows
$599 / month
Everything in Growth, set up for your team.
For multiple offices, lines and routing rules
Before you forward
your line.
Price models, overages, hours, Clio and switching, before you pick a service.
Still have questions? Contact our support team
NextPhone answers every call itself, 24/7, for a flat monthly price from $199 a month with unlimited inbound calls. It books appointments, asks your intake questions and transfers urgent calls to your team. Live answering services put a receptionist on the call and bill by the minute or by the call, so the bill follows your busiest month.
NextPhone is flat: from $199 a month, unlimited inbound calls, no overage. Most live answering services bill by the minute and charge for every minute past the plan, and Smith.ai's receptionists bill by the call. Every provider's published plans are priced in our full answering service cost comparison.
No. NextPhone has none: every plan includes unlimited inbound calls with no per-minute or per-call charge. Every live answering service in our index that publishes its rates charges an overage or a per-use rate past its plan.
Yes. NextPhone answers every call 24/7 at the same price. Most live services say 24/7 too, but read the terms: Abby Connect staffs receptionists during set hours and lets AI answer the rest, and Alert Communications charges a holiday fee on 8 holidays.
Yes. NextPhone is an official Clio partner and updates Clio after every call on Growth ($299 a month), along with MyCase and Lawmatics. Ruby, Answering Legal, LEX Reception and AnswerConnect also list Clio integrations, and AnswerConnect's is one way, into Clio.
NextPhone takes about 5 minutes to set up on your own, or a few days if our team builds it for you on Growth. Live services range from same day to 7 to 10 business days. You keep your number by forwarding it, so you can run NextPhone before you cancel your current service.
Yes. NextPhone transfers calls to your team or anyone you choose, with warm and announced transfers, at no extra charge. You decide which callers go through.
Prices and overage rates come from each provider's own pricing page, re-checked weekly in our Price Index. Hours, transfers, integrations and setup times come from each provider's own site, FAQ, help center and terms, with the dates shown under each table. We list NextPhone first because this is our page, we use the same sources for every row, and we do not link to other providers.
Unlimited calls. Cancel anytime.
