Answering services use artificial intelligence (AI) to give your business round-the-clock support without the cost of hiring a full-time agent. With a monthly starting fee of $9 to $50, the best AI answering service offers multilingual support and customizable voice profiles for branding flexibility. It can also book appointments, capture lead info, secure orders, and deliver professional service at scale.
- Smith.ai: Best all-in-one virtual receptionist
- PlayAI: Best voice customization
- Nextiva: Best AI-driven business communications
- Abby Connect: Best blended AI and human support
- Goodcall: Best for revenue-generating outcomes
- Rosie: Best for basic answering
Office Technology Staff Writer at Fit Small Business
Best AI answering services compared
Smith.ai: Best all-in-one virtual receptionist
Pros
- Escalates complex calls to agents without charge
- Offers appointment booking and lead capture services for free
- Instantly forwards call summaries
Cons
- Can be expensive if calls are short due to its pay-per-call model
- Has a steeper starting fee than competing services
- Lacks bundled call and live chat packages
My expert opinion
If you need an AI call answering service that goes beyond basic call handling, Smith.ai offers the most complete and feature-rich solution. At no additional fee, Smith.ai screens leads, books appointments, and transfers calls like an actual front desk assistant. This makes it a great fit for service-based businesses that rely on high-quality client interactions.
One standout feature is Smith.ai’s pricing model, which charges by the number of calls instead of minutes. That means you don’t pay extra for longer conversations, making it ideal if you offer consultations or intake calls. You also get AI-backed automation with the option to loop in live agents, giving you flexibility as your call volume grows.
However, Smith.ai has the highest monthly starting fee among the options listed, which may be a stretch for budget-conscious small businesses. If you’re looking for a more affordable option that still covers basic answering needs, Rosie offers a simpler, low-cost alternative with message-taking and AI-trained call handling.
Smith.ai offers 24/7 call answering, lead screening based on your custom criteria, and appointment booking through integrated calendars. It also includes call transfers, call recording with transcription, and support for answering up to 50 frequently asked questions. Real-time summaries of each call are sent via email, Slack, or Teams.
- Instant call summaries: Compiles all the key points and action items discussed in the call and sends them via email or integrated apps like Slack and Teams. This allows you to stay informed about phone interactions without listening to entire call recordings.
- Dedicated phone number: You receive a unique local or toll-free number exclusively for your business. This helps maintain a professional image and simplifies call management.
- Searchable transcripts: All calls are transcribed and stored in a searchable format for quick retrieval of specific information. This is useful for reference and training purposes.
Get a quick overview of your call history with visualized call metrics. (Source: Smith.ai)
PlayAI: Best voice customization
Pros
- Uses realistic, human-like AI voices
- Supports over 30 languages
- Offers voice cloning for brand personalization
Cons
- Can be inconsistent in terms of accents and speech styles
- Requires familiarity with developer tools
- Lacks call handling features
My expert opinion
PlayAI is perfect for professionals who want to create a personalized voice experience that sounds like a real person or even themselves. You can clone your voice or choose from multiple AI-generated voices that closely mimic human tone, pacing, and personality. This makes it a strong pick for creators prioritizing voice identity and engagement.
The platform’s robust text-to-speech application programming interface (API) converts written text into highly natural speech, with customization options across languages, styles, and tones. You can use it to build your own voice assistant, narrate content, or develop interactive phone experiences from scratch. It’s especially well-suited for tech-savvy teams that want full control over how their voice AI behaves.
The downside is that PlayAI is more of a developer tool for building AI voice agents than a full answering service with phone features. If you need a plug-and-play receptionist solution that can answer calls, qualify leads, and route conversations in real time, Smith.ai is a better fit.
PlayAI’s plans include speech generation credits, voice cloning capabilities, and access to private AI agents. As you move up tiers, you gain more credits for generating responses, additional voice clones, and enhanced features like phone number integration and API access. Advanced plans also offer priority support, agent collaboration tools, and model customization for tailored business use.
- Private agent: Create a private AI voice agent tailored to your brand’s voice and style. This ensures consistent and personalized customer interactions across all touchpoints.
- PlayNote: Transform files and videos into engaging, multi-speaker audio presentations. This feature is ideal for creating podcasts or audio content from existing materials.
- On-premise deployment: Deploy voice models on your own infrastructure for enhanced security and control over your data. This is particularly beneficial for businesses with strict compliance requirements.
PlayAI’s agents use natural sounding speech for seamless conversations. (Source: PlayAI)
Nextiva: Best AI-driven business communications
Pros
- Works as an all-in-one communication app
- Offers customizable call routing strategies
- Includes intelligent call distribution
Cons
- Can be overkill for businesses with an existing phone system
- Doesn’t operate independently as an AI answering service
- Charges extra fees to enable conversational AI
My expert opinion
Nextiva is the best choice if you’re seeking a cloud communication system that natively integrates with AI across all channels. As a unified communications platform, Nextiva equips its advanced IVR with conversational AI to handle complex caller requests and intelligently automate its call routing process.
Moreover, this provider makes it easy to build and launch a chatbot on your website, helping automate common inquiries and improve response times. It’s ideal for small teams that want to offload basic questions without investing in multiple tools. Plus, the AI is tightly integrated into the platform, so everything stays connected and easy to manage.
That said, Nextiva isn’t a standalone AI answering service and doesn’t offer backup live agents to handle complex or urgent calls. For businesses that prioritize live receptionist support alongside AI, Abby Connect provides a stronger hybrid solution.
Contact sales to get custom pricing for its conversational AI platform with advanced IVR capabilities. If you’re looking for a pre-integrated AI chatbot for your website, the Nextiva CX plan is available starting at $15 per month.
- No-code IVA setup: Nextiva’s intelligent virtual agent (IVA) can be configured using intuitive templates and workflows — no coding expertise is required. This empowers businesses to customize their call handling processes easily.
- Intelligent call distribution: Routes calls based on predefined rules and real-time data, ensuring customers reach the right department or individual. This enhances customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
- Context-aware conversations: Takes note of context throughout interactions, including previous conversations, to provide personalized and consistent responses. This leads to more meaningful and effective customer engagements.
Create a dynamic chatbot that integrates seamlessly with your website. (Source: Nextiva)
Abby Connect: Best blended AI & human support
Pros
- Includes 500 receptionist minutes in the free plan
- Offers a free-forever AI answering plan
- Has a dedicated mobile app
Cons
- Is still under development since it’s a relatively new addition to the service.
- Doesn’t allow the use of overage minutes in the free plan
- Charges separately for its human receptionist service
My expert opinion
If your business values both efficiency and a personal touch, Abby Connect offers a blend of AI and live receptionist support. It seamlessly escalates complex or sensitive inquiries from automation to real people, providing a smooth customer experience.
This provider stands out with its dedicated receptionist service, offering real-time human support for calls and live chats. You can rely on it to manage detailed conversations and customer relationships without overwhelming your in-house staff. It’s particularly helpful for professional service providers who need both empathy and efficiency in their customer interactions.
However, Abby Connect’s AI-human integration is still relatively new, so it may experience occasional hiccups. If you prefer an established service with robust AI capabilities already refined, Smith.ai offers a reliable alternative with proven performance and advanced automation features.
Abby Connect offers five AI receptionist plans that scale by including call minutes and features. All plans include 24/7 call handling, English and Spanish language support, custom call flows and transfers, FAQ answering, and workflow integrations. The higher-tier Professional and Growth plans add a human backup on demand for more complex or escalated interactions.
- FAQ answering support: Abby Connect’s AI receptionists are trained to handle common inquiries, ensuring consistent and accurate responses. This helps streamline customer interactions and reduces the need for repetitive explanations.
- Workflow integrations: Integrates seamlessly with various business tools such as HubSpot, Zapier, and Clio. This facilitates automated workflows and efficient information sharing, ensuring customer interactions are synchronized across platforms.
- Human backup on-demand: In situations where AI may fall short, Abby Connect provides access to human receptionists. This ensures complex or sensitive calls are handled with the personal touch they require.
The AbbyGo mobile app provides a quick glimpse of AI call activities. (Source: Abby Connect)
Goodcall: Best for revenue generation
Pros
- Tracks usage by number of customers instead of calls or minutes
- Offers a generous 30% discount on annual subscriptions
- Integrates with Google Voice
Cons
- Restricts free access to a trial period only
- Has limited vocal variation for voice agents, resulting in a monotone
- Provides limited self-help resources
My expert opinion
Goodcall is an excellent match if your business prioritizes the quality of interactions, including booked appointments, qualified leads, and sales opportunities, over simply handling call volume. Instead of billing you by calls or minutes, Goodcall charges based on actual customers served. It’s perfect for any business looking for a clear return on investment (ROI) from their answering service.
Another major plus of Goodcall is its easy-to-use interface, which lets you directly control how your AI handles calls, including scripts, logic flows, and customer actions. You can quickly adapt its behavior as your business evolves or as customer preferences shift. This flexibility makes it appealing for small businesses that want full customization without complexity.
On the downside, Goodcall’s AI voice can sound a bit monotone and less engaging than others. If your brand relies heavily on voice quality or emotional appeal, consider PlayAI, which specializes in creating natural-sounding voices tailored to your brand personality.
Goodcall’s plans include unlimited call minutes, AI interactions, form and logic flows, team member management, and contact directory features. They also provide varying levels of call history visibility and voicemail transcription. Higher-tier plans offer increased capacity for users and integrations to support business scalability.
- Directory contacts: Goodcall allows you to set up a directory of contacts, enabling the AI agent to route calls to the appropriate person or department efficiently.
- Logic flows: Let AI handle complex call routing scenarios based on caller responses. This ensures that customers are guided through the most efficient path to resolve their inquiries.
- Performance dashboard: Goodcall provides a comprehensive dashboard that tracks call metrics, agent performance, and customer interactions. This allows for continuous improvement and informed decision-making.
Track the number of served customers on the Goodcall dashboard. (Source: Goodcall)
Rosie: Best for basic answering
Pros
- Offers free 25 AI receptionist minutes — no credit card required
- Only charges $0.25 per extra minute
- Features a clean and seamless user interface
Cons
- Has limited personalization options
- Relies on Zapier for app integrations
- Requires upgrading to an Enterprise plan for multiple locations
My expert opinion
Rosie is your best bet if you’re looking for a simple, reliable AI voice answering service at a budget-friendly price. It covers essentials like message taking and FAQ answering without unnecessary complexity or expense. This makes Rosie especially suitable for small businesses, startups, or solo entrepreneurs needing straightforward AI answering coverage.
One standout feature of Rosie is how easy it is to train. You simply upload knowledge resources or FAQs, and Rosie quickly learns to handle your calls. You can get up and running without spending hours configuring complex workflows. This straightforward approach makes Rosie ideal if you’re busy and want a low-maintenance solution.
However, Rosie isn’t designed to handle sophisticated interactions or multi-step workflows. If your business requires advanced conversational AI or the ability to escalate sensitive issues to a live receptionist, Abby Connect offers a more comprehensive solution for complex answering needs.
Rosie’s Professional plan offers essential call handling services, including message taking with custom questions, smart spam detection, and bilingual support in English and Spanish. The Scale plan builds on this by adding appointment links and call transfers, enhancing customer engagement capabilities. The Growth plan further expands features with training files and custom agent training.
- Training files: Upload training materials to help AI learn and adapt to your specific business needs. This customization ensures that it provides accurate and relevant responses to customer inquiries.
- SMART spam detection: Filters out unwanted calls so your team focuses only on genuine customer interactions. This feature enhances productivity and reduces disruptions.
- Appointment links: Share appointment scheduling links directly with callers, facilitating seamless booking processes and scheduling operations.
Share knowledge resources to help Rosie answer inquiries effectively. (Source: Rosie)
How I evaluated the best AI answering services
To find the leading virtual assistant phone answering service, I analyzed each provider based on features that matter most to small businesses like 24/7 availability, ease of use, and value for money. My goal was to highlight tools that boost productivity, streamline communication, and enhance customer service without breaking the bank.
20% of Overall Score
I looked at whether providers offer a free trial, how affordable their plans are, and the number of minutes included. I also factored in the cost of additional minutes to see which services deliver the best bang for your buck.
25% of Overall Score
Core features like call handling, lead capture, appointment scheduling, and transcripts were a must. I gave higher scores to services that include these in their base plans without extra fees.
20% of Overall Score
To serve diverse business needs, I evaluated tools for multilingual support, CRM integrations, customization options, and features like web chat or performance dashboards.
10% of Overall Score
Reliable customer service is critical in choosing the best AI phone answering system. I prioritized providers with 24/7 support, strong security, and multiple ways to get help, such as phone, email, and live chat.
10% of Overall Score
I assessed whether the platform is intuitive, requires technical skill to set up or operate, and offers a helpful knowledge base. The more accessible the tool, the higher it scored.
15% of Overall Score
To come up with my expert score, I considered third-party reviews, the overall value of features compared to cost, and how easy it was to learn more about each service. This gave me a well-rounded perspective on each provider’s reputation and reliability.
*Percentages of overall score
What is an AI answering service?
An AI answering service is an automated system that uses AI to handle incoming calls, answer common questions, and route calls to the right person or department. It works round-the-clock, helping small businesses stay responsive even after hours or holidays without hiring extra staff.
These systems use natural language processing (NLP) to understand and respond to callers conversationally. That means your customers get a more human-like experience than traditional phone menus or voicemail systems.
Key features to look for in an AI answering service
The best AI phone answering system combines intelligent automation with customer-friendly features to boost efficiency and professionalism. Here are the top features to consider when comparing options:
- Natural language understanding (NLU): Look for a service that can understand and respond to everyday speech, not just basic commands. Ideally, callers want a more intuitive experience when contacting your business.
- Call routing and transfers: A quality AI system should transfer calls to the right team members based on the caller’s request. This helps reduce missed opportunities and caller frustration.
- Custom greetings and scripts: You’ll want the ability to personalize greetings and call flows to match your brand. It creates a consistent experience that reflects your business tone and values.
- CRM and calendar integration: Choose a system that connects with tools like your customer database or appointment scheduler. Your AI assistant will automatically update records or book meetings in real time.
How to choose the right AI answering service
Choosing the right AI answering service depends on your business needs, resources, and growth plans. By focusing on a few key factors, you can find a solution that saves time, improves customer service, and supports your operations seamlessly.
- Call volume: Consider how many calls your business receives daily or weekly. High-volume businesses need a solution that can scale without delays or errors.
- Budget and scalability: Look for a service that fits your current budget but can grow with your business. Many AI answering solutions offer tiered pricing or pay-as-you-go options.
- Ease of setup: A user-friendly dashboard and quick onboarding make a big difference. The less time you spend setting it up, the faster you’ll attend to your clients.
- Support and reliability: Even AI systems need human support from time to time. Choose a provider with solid customer service and proven system uptime.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
The best AI answering service in 2025 is Smith.ai, as it combines AI with live agents for a seamless customer experience. It also charges based on the number of calls, so you don’t need to constantly keep track of the minutes used.
The answer depends on the level of service and personalization your callers expect. AI receptionists are better than human agents in terms of providing 24/7 support and automating routine tasks. However, human agents perform better when it comes to answering complex inquiries or building personal relationships.
Definitely, many AI answering services are designed to both answer calls and book appointments automatically. These systems integrate with your scheduling software to check availability, send confirmations, and update your calendar in real time.
Absolutely! AbbyConnect and PlayAI offer a free-forever version of their AI answering services, though they come with limited minutes and basic features. However, if you’re keen about improving your phone support, investing in a paid service offers a long-term benefit.
Bottom line
AI answering services can save you time, reduce costs, and help your business stay available 24/7. However, with so many providers emerging in the market, it’s important to consider which services you prioritize, whether it’s CRM integration, live agent backup, or call handling capabilities.
Smith.ai stands out as the overall best AI answering service, thanks to its all-in-one platform that combines AI with live agent support. It charges you based on the number of calls you receive, giving you a cost-effective, scalable solution that grows with your business and ensures a professional caller experience.