August 11, 2025
10 Best AI Answering Services For SMBs in 2025
AI-powered answering services are the perfect solution for businesses that struggle to deal with incoming calls while providing a high standard of customer support. If you don’t have the in-house resources to do it yourself, let an AI agent handle it for you 🤖
But with dozens of AI answering services on the market already, and more launching all the time, it’s hard to know which is right for your business. That’s why we’ve rounded up the 10 best options and analyzed their:
✅ Top features
👍👎 Pros and cons
💵 Pricing
Features to look for in AI answering services ✅
Given the wide-ranging capabilities of artificial intelligence, you won’t be surprised to learn that different AI answering services can have very different feature sets. But some features are more valuable than others. For best results, prioritize tools that offer round-the-clock support in multiple languages, are capable of scheduling appointments, and integrate with the rest of your tech stack.
Always-on support
Whereas human agents need to take a break – you know, to eat and sleep and watch TV – AI answering services can support customers 24/7/365. That way, you know that every customer who calls your business will hear a friendly voice, even in the middle of the night and at weekends.
Automated lead capture
Rather than forcing potential customers to leave a voicemail, AI-powered answering systems can automatically capture essential details like their name, address, and the service they’re interested in. That way, you can prioritize following up with high-value opportunities.
Custom greetings
There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to customer service, so why choose an answering service that doesn’t adapt to your business and audience? Instead, prioritize tools that allow you to create your own custom greeting that sets the tone right from the first “hello”.
Multilingual capabilities
With human-powered call handling services, you might have to pay a premium for non-English support. But lots of AI tools offer bilingual customer service as standard, typically in English and Spanish.
Appointment scheduling
Booking appointments sounds simple, but the scheduling process can be a heavy lift for human teams. So it makes sense to choose an AI answering service capable of handling appointment scheduling itself. Bonus points if it can send relevant links, directions, and reminders to the customer.
Range of integrations
AI tools are designed to save you time. So the last thing you want is to free yourself from answering calls, only to spend hours manually confirming appointments or updating customer information in your CRM. Say “no” to busy work by choosing an answering service that connects with other software in your tech stack. Look out for a Zapier integration, which syncs your answering service with a huge range of third-party tools.
Spam filtering
You don’t want to waste time reading lengthy call notes from spammers (or paying for your AI agent to answer spam calls). So be sure to choose an AI answering service that automatically filters out spam callers.
Call transfers
Of course, no AI agent will be able to handle every type of customer query, so you want your chosen tool to smoothly transfer callers to the right person or department within your business – ideally with total transparency and zero awkward pauses.
10 best AI answering services ☎️
Some answering services are 100% AI-powered, while others treat AI as a way to greet callers before passing them on to a human agent. There’s no “right” or “wrong” approach – it all depends on your audience, budget, and goals. But, to help you out, we’ve collated and compared the 10 best options, from established players like Smith.ai and RingCentral to smart disrupters like Rosie AI.
Tool name | Best for… | Free trial | Pricing | Testimonial |
Rosie AI | SMBs seeking an affordable, fully AI-driven answering service | 25 minutes free call handling | $49 – $199/month | “More accuracy, faster responses, 24/7 availability” |
Goodcall | Businesses with lower numbers of unique callers | 14-day full-feature free trial | $59 – $199/month | “Allows you to function as a larger business” |
RingCentral AI Receptionist | Existing RingCentral business users | One-month 100 minutes | $39/month + $30 – $45/user/month | “So easy to set up” |
Dialzara | Small businesses looking for basic call handling features | 7-day free trial | $29 – $199/month | “Tremendous value” |
Synthflow | Sales teams | 14-day free trial (excludes entry-level plan) | $29 – $1,400/month | “Incredibly user-friendly and versatile” |
Answering AI | Businesses with up to 10 employees | 7-day full feature free trial | $99/month | n/a |
Emitrr | Business and marketing automation | n/a | $30+/month | “User-friendly for clients and internal staff” |
MrCall | Inbound and outbound calling | 7-day full feature free trial | €50 – €150/month | “Handles calls efficiently” |
Abby Connect | Low volume free AI call handling | Free for up to 20 minutes/month | $0 – $690/month | “Presents a good face for our company” |
Smith.ai | Backup from human agents | n/a | $97.50 – $825/month | “Transformed our ability to answer the phone” |
1. Rosie AI
🥇 Best for: Small and medium businesses (SMBs) that want an affordable, fully AI-driven answering service
🤔 What is it: Rosie AI is an AI-first answering service that’s perfect for companies looking for a scalable, always-on solution for call handling, appointment booking, and tailored customer support – all at a fraction of the cost of a hybrid or human-staffed solution.
✅ Top features:
24/7 support: Whichever plan you choose, your Rosie AI agent will be available to answer incoming calls at any time of day or night, 365 days a year. Plus you’ll be notified in real time via email and/or SMS whenever you receive a call, and get access to full call recordings and transcripts.
Custom training: Rosie AI learns about your business by analyzing your website and Google Business profile – and you can even submit custom training material, like spreadsheets containing complex pricing information. That way, your agent’s support feels personalized to the specific needs of your business and customers.
Book appointments: Your AI agent will schedule customer appointments for you, including sending the caller reminders and relevant information (like directions to your business).
Capture leads on autopilot: Rosie AI captures custom information from interested callers, such as their name, address, and the service they’re calling about.
Bilingual customer service: All Rosie AI users enjoy bilingual support in English and Spanish – perfect for businesses with diverse customer bases.
Automated call transfers: If your agent can’t handle the call herself, she can transfer the caller to a department or specific individual within your business, ensuring customers get the answers they need.
Easy setup: Our onboarding process is so slick that your Rosie AI agent could be ready to answer her first customer call in just a few minutes. Just confirm your business details, describe your services, share some answers to FAQs, and set your custom greeting. Simple!
Zapier integration: All Rosie AI plans include Zapier integration, so you can connect your answering service to hundreds of other apps.
Flexible support: Rather than sticking to a rigid script, Rosie AI changes tone based on the caller’s disposition. She also has various solutions to help your callers, from answering FAQs to taking messages for you to follow up.
👍 Pros | 👎 Cons |
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💵 Price: From $49 per month for up to 250 minutes of call handling time.
📣 Testimonial: “After using Rosie AI, I fired my live answering service yesterday because Rosie provides more accuracy, faster responses, and 24/7 availability – all at a fraction of the cost.”
👉 Get your first 25 minutes of call-handling time on us when you create your free Rosie account – no credit card required!
2. Goodcall
🥇 Best for: Businesses with lower numbers of unique callers
🤔 What is it: Goodcall is another pure AI-powered answering service. It aims to serve businesses of all sizes, from solopreneurs to publicly traded companies.
✅ Top features:
Range of integrations: Goodcall integrates with a wide range of third-party tools, including Boulevard, Service Titan, and Microsoft Dynamics. And for everything else, there’s Zapier.
Automated lead capture: Cut down on manual data entry by capturing details of every inbound caller and sharing their information via email, SMS, Google Sheets, or your CRM.
Detailed analytics: Optimize your customer support strategy with a call analytics dashboard featuring key data like automation rate, call duration, and new vs returning callers.
👍 Pros | 👎 Cons |
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💵 Price: From $59 per month for up to 100 unique callers.
📣 Testimonial: “Allows you to function as a larger business and drive support at scale.”
3. RingCentral AI Receptionist
🥇 Best for: Existing RingCentral business users
🤔 What is it: RingCentral is a multinational business telephony provider, making it one of the biggest names in our roundup. Originally specializing in business phone systems, RingCentral launched its AI Receptionist service in 2025.
✅ Top features:
Built into RingCentral: Already got a RingCentral business phone system? AI Receptionist syncs with it automatically so you can manage all your customer support efforts in one place.
Speedy setup: Get started in minutes by adding your website, FAQs, and uploaded documents. No need for IT support.
Smart call routing: Seamlessly direct callers to the right place based on names, locations, and call context, reducing friction and frustration.
👍 Pros | 👎 Cons |
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💵 Price: RingCentral’s AI Receptionist pricing starts at $39 per month for 100 minutes of call handling. It isn’t available as a standalone service, so you’ll also need a Business Phone plan, starting at $30 per user per month.
📣 Testimonial: “AI Receptionist saved us $3,000/month, freed up 10% of our time, and was so easy to set up I thought I missed something.”
4. Dialzara
🥇 Best for: Small businesses looking for basic call handling features
🤔 What is it: Whereas most AI answering services aim to be all things to all people, Dialzara specifically targets small business users with its simple interface, basic functionality, and low pricing.
✅ Top features:
Native Google Calendar integration: Dialzara checks your availability in real time and schedules appointments with zero human involvement.
Custom lead capture: Tell your Dialzara agent what caller details to collect and qualifying questions to ask, saving you time following up with unqualified leads.
Agent training: Provide custom support by sharing specific business information with your agent, including your opening hours, services, and pricing.
👍 Pros | 👎 Cons |
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💵 Price: From $29 per month for up to 60 minutes of talk time.
📣 Testimonial: “It has tremendous value and has taken on a very labor-intensive part of our businesses.”
5. Synthflow AI
🥇 Best for: Sales teams
🤔 What is it: Synthflow is basically the opposite of Dialzara, positioning itself as an “enterprise-ready” AI answering service – although it also offers plans for smaller businesses. Unlike most tools in this roundup, Synthflow also initiates outbound calls.
✅ Top features:
Outbound calling: As well as handling incoming calls, Synthflow can initiate calls to sales prospects, making it a good fit for outbound sales teams.
Extensive integrations: Connect Synthflow to 200+ apps across a dozen categories, including calendars, CRM systems, and customer support tools.
Multilingual support: Got an international customer base? No problem! Synthflow can serve customers in 15+ languages.
👍 Pros | 👎 Cons |
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💵 Price: From $29 per month for 50 minutes of call handling time, including up to five concurrent calls.
📣 Testimonial: “Incredibly user-friendly and versatile.”
6. Answering AI
🥇 Best for: Businesses with 10 or fewer employees
🤔 What is it: Answering AI is another small business-focused AI answering service. It works based on ChatGPT-style prompts that define how the AI reacts in different scenarios.
✅ Top features:
User-friendly setup: Define how you want your AI agent to handle basic inquiries and complex interactions using natural language-based instructions.
Multinational coverage: Create a more localized experience for international callers by purchasing phone numbers across 93 countries.
Choice of accents: Customize your AI agent by picking your preferred accent, emotions, and tone of voice.
👍 Pros | 👎 Cons |
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💵 Price: Answering AI offers a single plan, priced at $99 per month for 500 minutes of call handling.
7. Emitrr
🥇 Best for: Business and marketing automation
🤔 What is it: Emitrr is a multipurpose AI business assistant covering everything from SMS messaging and internal communications to online appointment scheduling and AI-powered call handling.
✅ Top features:
Smart call routing: Emitrr automatically directs callers to the right human agent or department based on their specific needs.
Agent customization: Tailor your AI agent to your business with personalized greetings, call flows, and automated responses.
Integrations: Emitrr integrates with 1,000+ other platforms, saving you time on manually moving data between multiple different tools.
👍 Pros | 👎 Cons |
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💵 Price: Emitrr doesn’t share pricing information, but they say their AI phone system starts at $30 per month (although it’s not clear what this includes).
📣 Testimonial: “We found the platform to be user-friendly for clients and internal staff.”
8. MrCall
🥇 Best for: Inbound and outbound calling
🤔 What is it: MrCall is one of the few tools in this article to support both inbound and outbound calling. So you can use it to answer customer queries and reach out to existing and potential customers.
✅ Top features:
Outbound calling: As well as handling incoming calls, use MrCall to make outbound calls – such as reminding customers about an upcoming audit, review, or other appointment.
Multilingual support: MrCall can handle queries in over 10 languages, making it a great fit for businesses with customers in multiple markets.
Call notifications: Get notified by app, email, SMS message, or WhatsApp the instant your business receives a call.
👍 Pros | 👎 Cons |
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💵 Price: From €50 per month for up to 200 minutes of incoming call handling.
📣 Testimonial: “Handles calls efficiently, reducing wait times and improving business organization.”
9. Abby Connect
🥇 Best for: Free AI call handling
🤔 What is it: Abby Connect is a virtual receptionist service offering both human and AI-powered solutions, as well as live web chat-based support. It’s also the only tool in this article to offer a free-for-life plan, which is a nice bonus.
✅ Top features:
Human backup: If the Abby AI can’t handle a query, it can forward the caller to a live human receptionist instead.
Dedicated mobile app: Use it to access AI-generated call summaries, recordings, transcripts, customer sentiment scores, and more.
Integrations: Sync Abby with third-party platforms like Calendly, Google Calendar, HubSpot, and Salesforce.
👍 Pros | 👎 Cons |
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💵 Price: Free for up to 20 minutes of call time per month. Paid plans start at $99 per month for up to 50 minutes of call handling.
📣 Testimonial: “Abby makes it easy for customers to reach us and it presents a good face for our company.”
10. Smith.ai
🥇 Best for: Backup from human agents
🤔 What is it: Smith.ai bills itself as a small business receptionist service. Like Abby Connect, it offers both human and AI-powered solutions, plus live web chat. Unlike Abby, Smith.ai also offers outreach campaign functionality.
✅ Top features:
Human backup: If your AI agent isn’t equipped to deal with a complex query, there’s always a North America-based human receptionist waiting to step in and clear things up.
Integrations: As well as offering native integrations with platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Clio Grow, Smith.ai syncs with thousands of other tools via Make and Zapier.
Instant call notes: Receive play-by-play summaries of every call via email, Slack, and Teams.
👍 Pros | 👎 Cons |
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💵 Price: From $97.50 per month for up to 30 calls.
📣 Testimonial: “Smith.ai is our inbound sales team. Having a trained and personable voice has transformed our ability to answer the phone and convert callers to clients.”
So, what’s the best AI answering service? 🏆
Sure, there’s a bunch of AI answering services out there.
But if you’re a small or medium businesses looking for an affordable but high-quality solution, Rosie AI is the clear winner.
With Rosie AI in your corner, you’ll never miss another call or lead again, and our advanced training capabilities let you customize your AI agent to the specific needs of your business and audience.
👉 Don’t choose an AI answering service without trying Rosie AI for yourself! Create your free Rosie AI account and get your first 25 minutes of call handling on the house.
FAQs
How much is an AI answering service?
AI answering service prices vary significantly based on the monthly volume of minutes and/or calls you want your AI agent to handle. Some services may charge more for additional functionality like integrations, bilingual support, and custom training. Expect to pay from around $49 to $1,000+ per month.
Do AI answering services sound professional to callers?
AI answering services can sound just as professional as human agents, with the ability to set a tone of voice and custom greeting that fits your brand and audience. Many tools also allow you to train the AI agent with specific information about your business, like your services and pricing. The more helpful an agent is, the more professional they’ll sound.
What kinds of businesses usually use AI answering services?
AI answering services are used by all types of businesses, from the smallest startups to the largest enterprises. Essentially, any organization that receives high volumes of incoming calls could benefit. At Rosie AI, we serve small and medium businesses in a wide range of industries, from home services – like HVAC and plumbing – to professional services like accounting and legal.
👉 Check out all the industries our answering services support to see how we can help your business succeed.
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