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You don’t have time to answer every unknown number, chase down voicemails, or worry about missing leads while you’re on-site, on Zoom, or just living your life. That’s where AI answering services come in.
In this guide, we’ll break down the Best AI answering services in 2025: who they’re for, what they’re great at, and how to pick the one that’ll actually make your life easier.
60-second summary
If you want a quick breakdown:
- Allô – Best for SMBs & solopreneurs. It is mobile-first, and it handles calls, voicemails, and texts with AI. Starts at $18/month.
- Dialzara – Best for small budgets, and has basic automation. Starts at $29/month.
- Smith.ai – Best if you want human agents too. It has a mix of AI + real people answering your calls. $4+ per call, better suited for premium clients.
- Goodcall – Best for sales & customer service. Its AI handles FAQs and appointment booking. Starts at $59/month.
- Rosie – Best for solo professionals. It is simple, and has a clean tool with auto-reminders. Starts at $49/month.
- CuriousThing – Best for larger companies. Starts at $99/month, ideal for 50+ person teams.
How To Pick an AI Answering Service
There’s a ton of noise out there. Here’s what actually matters:
- Smart Call Routing: Automatically send calls to the right person, department, or AI assistant based on caller type or time of day.
- AI Summaries: You want more than a voicemail. Look for AI that gives you transcriptions + key highlights.
- Mobile & Desktop Access: You need to manage calls on the go—and from your laptop.
- Second Business Number: Avoid giving out your personal number. Get a dedicated line just for work.
- After-Hours Coverage: Look for services that handle calls even when you’re offline or off duty.
- Text & Voicemail Handling: Missed calls should trigger automatic replies, SMS summaries, or even email follow-ups.
- Setup Time: If it takes more than 5 minutes to get started, it’s not worth it.
- Price Transparency: Flat pricing > per-minute surprises.
To evaluate the AI answering services for this article, we focused on these key elements.
The best AI answering service for 2025
Here’s the full breakdown of the best AI answering service that we recommend for 2025.
Allô (Best for SMBs)
What sets Allô apart
Allô gives small businesses everything they need in one mobile app: a second phone line, a smart AI receptionist, call summaries, voicemail transcriptions, and more.
It works like a real assistant. When someone calls, Allô tells you who it is and why they’re calling, before you even pick up.
Can’t answer? It takes over. Every call gets transcribed and summarized, so you never miss a detail. Plus, it connects to over 6,000 tools via Zapier, so you can plug it straight into your existing workflows.
We built an AI Receptionist for small businesses (Live Demo)
Who it’s best for
Allô is built for small teams and solo entrepreneurs who handle work from their phone. Think contractors, consultants, hair salons, delivery services, real estate agents, and anyone who doesn’t want to sound like a one-person show.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Starts at $18/month. Way cheaper than legacy systems | May lack advanced workflows for large enterprises |
| Mobile app is intuitive and fast | No desktop onboarding (mobile-first experience) |
| Includes AI call summaries, transcriptions, spam blocker | Requires internet/WiFi to operate fully |
| Fully customizable greetings & whisper mode | |
| Handles voicemails, texts, and calls in one unified inbox |
Key Features
- Second Business Number: Add a work line without a second SIM or device.
- Whisper Mode: Know who’s calling and why before picking up.
- AI Summaries & Transcriptions: Get a digest of what every call was about, instantly.
- Custom Greetings: Personalize voicemail and auto-attendant messages.
- Spam Blocking & Prioritization: Filter out cold calls and junk.
- AI Receptionist: Let AI handle incoming calls, collect caller info, and send summaries.
Pricing
Starts at $18/month with unlimited inbound calls. No setup fees, no contract. 7-day free trial.
Goodcall (Best for businesses with high call volumes)
What sets Goodcall apart
Goodcall is an AI phone receptionist built to handle repetitive calls so your team doesn’t have to.
It’s built for businesses that get asked the same things all day long: “What are your hours?” “Do you take walk-ins?” “Can I make an appointment for tomorrow?” Goodcall handles it.
No live agents, no complicated dashboards, just a smart voice answering every call with perfect consistency.
Who it’s best for
Goodcall is ideal for small to mid-size businesses that deal with a high volume of inbound calls and repeat questions. If your team is constantly picking up the phone to give the same info over and over again, this will free up hours.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Answers calls 24/7 | No human agent fallback—AI only |
| Great for FAQ-driven calls | Limited support for complex or emotional conversations |
| Easy setup and simple interface | Not ideal if you need call transfers or deep integrations |
Key Features
- Smart Voice AI Receptionist: Answers every call immediately, 24/7.
- FAQ Handling: Teach it your top 20–30 common questions, and it takes care of the rest.
- Appointment Booking: Integrates with calendars like Calendly or Google Calendar.
- Voicemail-to-Text: If the AI can’t handle it, it captures a voicemail and sends it as a transcript.
Pricing
Plans start at $59/month per agent and up to 100 unique customers/month (then $0.50 per extra). Other plans like Growth at $99/month or Scale at $199/month are a good option if you have more than 100 clients.
Smith AI (Best for businesses that want AI and real people)
What sets Smith AI apart
Smith.ai combines AI with real, trained agents to answer your calls, qualify leads, book appointments, and even follow up with text or email.
You choose the mix: let AI handle basic calls, or escalate to a live receptionist when needed. It’s designed for busy companies that want professionalism, accuracy, and that human touch without building a call center.
Who it’s best for
Smith.ai is made for businesses that deal with a lot of phone leads and can’t afford to let a single call go to voicemail. If your sales funnel starts with a phone call or your reputation depends on responsiveness this is a great option.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Real human agents + AI = highly accurate, always-on support | Can get expensive quickly if you have lots of calls |
| Can qualify leads, book appointments, and transfer calls | Setup requires more upfront planning than plug-and-play tools |
| Multichannel (calls, SMS, web chat, Facebook, etc.) | Overkill for solo users or small teams |
| Integrates with CRMs, calendars, and helpdesks | Limited flexibility unless you’re on a higher-tier plan |
Key Features
- AI + Human Call Answering: AI handles the basics; trained receptionists handle the rest.
- Lead Qualification: Ask questions, screen leads, and send the right ones to your team.
- CRM + Tool Integration: Works with Salesforce, HubSpot, Calendly, Clio, and more.
- Call Transfer + Escalation: Smart routing to get urgent calls to the right person fast.
Pricing
Starts at $292.50/month for 30 live receptionist calls. AI-only answering options start lower at $97.50/month for 30 calls, with custom pricing based on usage.
Add-ons like outbound calling, chat support, or lead screening cost extra.
Dialzara (Best for 24/7 lead qualification)
What sets Dialzara apart
Dialzara is built for businesses that want a low-cost option to stop missing calls without hiring staff or overcomplicating things.
It uses a friendly, AI-powered receptionist to pick up 24/7, respond naturally, and summarize each conversation. It’s not fancy, but it’s reliable.
Who it’s best for
If you’re running a small team, don’t have the time (or budget) for a full-time receptionist, and just want your calls handled properly.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| AI answers calls 24/7 without breaks, nor holidays | Limited personalization or advanced call handling |
| Call summaries and transcripts included | Some reliance on Zapier for integrations |
| Works with 6,000+ tools through Zapier | Not ideal for nuanced or emotionally sensitive calls |
| May lack deeper native integrations (e.g., HubSpot, Salesforce) |
Key features
- Always-On AI Receptionist: Calls are answered 24/7.
- Instant Call Summaries: After every call, get a written recap with highlights and next steps.
- Easy CRM Integration: Syncs with your favorite tools via Zapier.
- Low Setup Time: No tech team needed. You can be up and running in minutes.
Pricing
Starts at $29/month with 60 minutes of call time included. Additional minutes are billed separately.
Rosie (Best for solo professionals)
What sets Goodcall apart
Rosie is built for solo business owners who want every call answered with warmth, even when they’re on the road or just offline.
Rosie isn’t trying to replace your CRM or run complex workflows. It simply picks up the phone, handles the basics (name, reason for the call), and sends you a clean summary so you can follow up later.
Rosie AI Answering Service Demo
Who it’s best for
If you’re a solo operator or small business owner who wears every hat in the company, Rosie helps make sure you’re not also stuck being your own receptionist.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Super simple setup, the answering assistant is live in minutes | Not built for teams or shared workflows |
| Natural, human-sounding voice | No mobile app (text + email summaries only) |
| SMS and email summaries after every call | Limited customization (no call routing or CRM sync) |
| Designed to reduce missed calls and no-shows | Not ideal if you need integrations or call menus |
Key Features
- Call Answering: Rosie greets callers, collects their name, number, and reason for calling.
- AI Summaries via Text or Email: Get a quick rundown of what the call was about so you can reply when you’re ready.
- No App Required: Everything’s handled through SMS or email. No dashboard or login to manage.
- Custom Greeting: Add a touch of branding with a custom voicemail-style intro.
Pricing
Rosie’s plans start at $49/month for basic call answering. You also have 25 minutes free to try the product. Higher plans offer more minutes and customization.
Curious Thing (Best for customer engagement)
What sets Curious Thing apart
Curious Thing isn’t just answering calls, it’s making them too. This AI voice assistant is built for companies that want to actively reach out to leads, book appointments, collect feedback, or re-engage customers without burning out their team.
It’s a smart, scalable tool that can handle a serious volume of conversations, all while staying compliant in regulated industries.
Lucy, the best free AI phone agent 2024
Who it’s best for
Curious Thing is built for mid-size to large businesses with high call volume, especially those with customer service or outbound sales teams. If your business has 50+ employees and needs a scalable voice AI that does more than just react, it’s worth a look.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Handles both inbound and outbound AI calls | Full AI receptionist plan starts at $99/month |
| Good for complex workflows (reminders, lead follow-up, etc.) | Requires more technical setup vs plug-and-play tools |
| Supports multilingual + branded voices | May be overkill for small teams or basic call needs |
| Offers a free plan to test things out | Works best for regulated or high-volume environments |
Key features
- Outbound AI Calling: Launch campaigns that call leads or customers automatically.
- AI FAQ + Smart Scripts: Handle basic support questions or onboarding with no human needed.
- Scheduling Assistant: Books meetings, sends reminders, and integrates with your calendar stack.
- Custom Voice + Multilingual: Choose a voice that fits your brand—human-like and professional.
- Built to Scale: Handles spikes in volume without missing a beat, even during launches or busy seasons.
Pricing
Free to start. Then you can access the Lucy professional plan at $24/month or the full AI receptionist features at $99/month with the “Lucy Business” plan.
