Cheapest AI receptionist for HVAC shops
At the example numbers below, the lowest estimated monthly bill is from Quo Sona (formerly OpenPhone) (Starter + Sona Tier 4 plan), $118 a month. The table ranks every vendor with a public price for this usage; vendors with the same bill share a rank.
The numbers we used
| Calls a month | 250 Unverified |
|---|---|
| Average call length | 3.5 minutes Unverified |
| Calls outside business hours | 35% Unverified |
| Calls the AI answers | All calls |
| Prices as published | Read on each vendor's own pricing page on 2026-10-30 |
Unverified means these are example numbers we chose, not survey data. Use a month from your phone log for your own estimate.
Estimated monthly bill, lowest first
| Rank | Vendor | Estimated monthly bill | Lowest starting price (full cost) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Quo Sona (formerly OpenPhone) | $118Starter + Sona Tier 4: within the plan; $19/mo required Starter seat + $99/mo Sona Tier 4 credits | $19 |
| 2 | Goodcall | $129Growth: within the plan | $79 |
| 3 | Rosie | $149Scale: auto-upgraded from the $49 plan | $49 |
| 3 | Simple Phones | $149Advanced: plan sized to cover your calls (hard cap) | $49 |
| 5 | Upfirst | $159.95Pro: within the plan | $24.95 |
| 6 | NextPhone | $199Pro: flat price, unlimited calls | $199 |
| 7 | Jobber Receptionist | $251.80Core + Receptionist add-on: 220 conversations over the plan; $49/mo required Jobber Core plan + $29/mo Receptionist add-on | $78 |
| 8 | My AI Front Desk (Frontdesk) | $257.75Business-in-a-Box: 635 min over at $0.25 | $99 |
| 9 | Dialzara | $352Business Plus: 375 minutes over the plan; includes $3/mo required phone number | $32 |
| 10 | RingCentral AI Receptionist (AIR) | $436.50Standalone: 775 minutes over the plan | $49 |
| 11 | Smith.ai AI Receptionist | $500Pro (150 calls): 100 calls over the plan | $150 |
| 12 | OnCrew | $720.25Multi-Truck: 375 minutes over the plan | $49 |
| 13 | Sameday AI | from $789Scale: "starts at" price; overage not published | $449 |
| 14 | Abby Connect (human + AI) | $1,310.31Professional: 238 minutes over the plan; all-AI answering (counts half) | $164 |
Price known, usage limits not published
- Allo AI Receptionist: $60 (Solo seat + AI Receptionist add-on: usage limits not published; $15/mo required Solo seat + $45/mo AI Receptionist add-on)
- CallRail Voice Assist: $75 (Voice Assist: usage limits not published; standalone, no CallRail plan required)
No public price for this usage
- Avoca AI: n/a (price not published)
- Housecall Pro CSR AI: n/a (CSR AI price not published; needs a Housecall Pro plan from $79/mo)
- Ruby (live receptionists + AI): n/a (over 500 min: custom quote)
We list these separately instead of guessing what they would charge.
These bills come from the same calculation as the calculator, using each vendor's published plans as of 2026-10-30. Each bill includes any plan, seat or phone number the vendor requires before you can add call answering. Taxes, one-time fees and optional extras aren't included. For Goodcall we assume 1.5 calls per unique customer, Goodcall's own ratio. Vendors are sorted by estimated bill alone.
If your volume is different
The cheapest plan can change with volume. Same call length and after-hours share, half and double the calls:
| Calls a month | Lowest estimated bill | Calculator |
|---|---|---|
| 125 | Goodcall (Starter plan), $79 a month | Check in the calculator |
| 250 | Quo Sona (formerly OpenPhone) (Starter + Sona Tier 4 plan), $118 a month | Check in the calculator |
| 500 | Goodcall (Growth plan), $129 a month | Check in the calculator |
Change the numbers in the HVAC calculator