Best AI Receptionist Apps of 2026
AI receptionists with a real mobile app, ranked on what they cost, how many calls they cover, how they book and what their App Store ratings say.
By , research by the BestBots team ยท Updated Oct 19, 2026
Fact checked against each company's published pricing, documentation and verified user ratings. How we score
Clara is the best AI receptionist app for most small business owners: you run it from your iPhone or Android phone, it answers unlimited calls for $39.99 a month, and it works with your existing number or a new one. If your team also needs a business phone system, Quo includes 10 AI calls a month with every $19 seat.
Our top picks
We compared eight AI receptionists that come with a real mobile app, using pricing pages, product pages and App Store listings as of October 2026. Ratings are App Store figures with the count shown on the listing, and scores follow our rubric.
Two kinds of AI receptionist app
Standalone AI receptionist apps. Clara and Beside are built around the app. You download it, describe your business, get a number or set up forwarding, and the AI answers. There is no phone system to configure. These suit solo owners and small crews.
Phone system apps with AI built in. Quo, RingCentral, Nextiva and Dialpad are full business phone systems: numbers for each person, texting, call routing, shared inboxes. The AI receptionist is a feature on top. These suit teams of 3 or more, or anyone replacing a desk phone system at the same time.
A third group is business software with an AI receptionist inside, such as Jobber for trades, Boulevard and Fresha for salons, and Housecall Pro. If you already run your business in one of those, its built in option is usually the simplest.
How to choose
- Call volume. Clara is flat for unlimited calls. Beside caps its $29 plan at 30 AI calls. Quo, Nextiva and Jobber bill per call or conversation. RingCentral bills per minute.
- Booking. If the AI must put appointments on a calendar, check the plan. RingCentral and Jobber book directly; Quo sends a link by text.
- Human backup. Only Posh has live receptionists behind the AI in this list. Everyone else transfers to you.
- Number. Keep your number with forwarding, or port it into a phone system app. A new number means updating your website, Google profile and truck wraps.
- App quality. Check the rating count, not just the stars. A 4.6 from 1,280 ratings says more than a 5.0 from 12.
Our picks, in detail
- Starting price
- $39.99 per month
- Minutes or calls included
- Unlimited calls answered on both plans
- Appointment booking
- AI scheduling listed; texts booking links; plan not specified
- Free trial
- 7 days on eligible monthly plans
Clara is built around its iPhone and Android app: set it up in under 5 minutes, take a new local number or forward yours, and it answers unlimited calls for a flat $39.99 a month. Notes, summaries and spam filtering come on every plan, and it rates 4.6 on the App Store from 1,280 ratings.
Pros
- Unlimited answered calls for a flat $39.99 a month, so busy months cost the same
- Native iPhone and Android app with a 4.6 App Store rating from 1,280 ratings
- Use a new local Clara number or forward your existing number
- Spam filtering and call summaries on every plan
Cons
- Live call transfers and text follow ups need the $69.99 Pro plan
- No named calendar, CRM or field service integrations
- Supported languages are not published
- Young product: the app launched in February 2026
Skip it if you need live transfers on the base plan or named calendar and CRM integrations; transfers start on Pro at $69.99.
- Starting price
- $19 per user per month
- Minutes or calls included
- 10 calls with any plan; 40 to 600 on paid Sona tiers
- Appointment booking
- Sends scheduling links by text during the call
- Free trial
- 7 days
Quo gives every user a business number, texting and shared inboxes in an app rated 4.4 from 10,814 App Store ratings, and every plan from $19 per user includes 10 Sona AI calls a month. Paid Sona tiers run $25 for 40 calls down to $0.45 per call at 600.
Pros
- Business phone line and AI receptionist on one bill from $19 per user
- 10 AI calls included every month
- Paid tiers fall to $0.45 per call at 600 calls, with a usage cap
- SOC 2 Type II and HIPAA with a BAA
- Trustpilot 4.2 from 1,091 reviews and App Store 4.4 from 10,814 ratings
Cons
- Only works on Quo numbers; you cannot add it to another phone system
- Sends booking links instead of booking directly into a calendar
- Three languages, no switching mid call
- Seat price and Sona tier are two separate charges
Skip it if you want the AI to write bookings into a calendar; Sona sends scheduling links by text.
- Starting price
- $29 per month
- Minutes or calls included
- 30 AI answered calls on Baseline; unlimited on Unlimited
- Appointment booking
- Helps with bookings, per Beside; calendar names not listed
- Free trial
- 7 days on Unlimited (card required)
Beside rates 4.8 on the App Store from 9,176 ratings, the best record of the dedicated apps here. It gives you a local work number, transcribes and summarizes every call and voicemail, and its AI receptionist answers when you cannot, from $29 a month for one line shared by up to 20 seats.
Pros
- Local business number in the app, so work and personal calls stay apart
- Every call and voicemail transcribed and summarized with suggested next steps
- 4.8 App Store rating from 9,176 ratings, the strongest record of the phone first apps
- Up to 20 seats share one line on the web plans
Cons
- Baseline caps AI answered calls at 30 a month
- Booking, transfer and language details are not spelled out
- Unlimited costs $99 a month, more than Clara's unlimited plan
- Trial on Unlimited needs a payment method and auto bills
Skip it if you take more than 30 calls a month on a budget; Baseline caps AI answered calls at 30 and Unlimited is $99.
- Starting price
- $49 per month
- Minutes or calls included
- 100 minutes
- Appointment booking
- Yes, book and reschedule in Google and Outlook calendars
- Free trial
- 14 days
RingCentral's AI Receptionist speaks six languages with mid call switching and books into Google and Outlook calendars, from $49 a month for 100 minutes. The RingCentral app is the most rated business phone app here at 4.8 from 78,019 App Store ratings.
Pros
- Six languages with switching mid conversation
- Books and reschedules in Google and Outlook calendars
- Native Salesforce, HubSpot and Zoho integrations
- States customer data is not used to train its AI models; HITRUST certified
- 14 day free trial, and $10 cheaper per month for RingEX customers
Cons
- Only 100 minutes included, then $0.50 per minute, so 500 minutes costs $249
- Extra minute bundle prices are not published
- RingCentral scores 1.7 on Trustpilot from 2,013 reviews, with complaints about cancellation and billing
- No staffed human backup
Skip it if you take long calls; overage is $0.50 a minute, billed in 30 second increments.
- Starting price
- $99 per month
- Minutes or calls included
- 100 interactions (calls, texts, chats)
- Appointment booking
- Yes, Google Calendar, Calendly, Cal.com and Zoho
- Free trial
- 30 day money back guarantee, no credit card required
Nextiva's XBert covers calls, texts and website chat with 100 interactions for $99, and calls under 30 seconds are not billed. A 30 day money back guarantee lowers the risk, and the NextivaONE app rates 4.2 from 7,115 App Store ratings.
Pros
- $99 for 100 interactions covers calls, texts and web chat in one bucket
- Calls under 30 seconds do not count as interactions
- 30 day money back guarantee and no long term contract
- Says it is SOC 2 certified and HIPAA compliant
- Nextiva carries 4.5 on Trustpilot from 8,704 reviews
Cons
- Supported languages are not published
- ServiceTitan, Salesforce and HubSpot are request based integrations (2 to 4 days)
- No staffed human backup
- Trustpilot reviewers describe confusing onboarding and long hold times
Skip it if you take 300+ calls a month; at $0.99 per extra interaction it gets expensive.
- Starting price
- $65 per month
- Minutes or calls included
- Pay as you go, or 50 to 500 mixed AI and live minutes
- Appointment booking
- Yes, Calendly, Acuity, Google Calendar, Setmore, HubSpot
- Free trial
- 7 days or 250 receptionist minutes, no credit card
Posh mixes AI and US based live receptionists on one plan, so a call the AI should not handle reaches a person, and its app rates 4.9 from 181 App Store ratings. The On Demand plan is $65 a month pay as you go at $1.15 per AI minute, with a 7 day or 250 minute trial.
Pros
- Published per minute rates for both AI and live answering
- AI and live minutes share one plan pool
- Clio Grow, Clio Manage and Rocket Matter integrations
- Free trial of 7 days or 250 minutes with no card
- 4.7 on Trustpilot from 199 reviews
Cons
- AI minutes cost $0.95 to $1.15, several times pure AI tools
- Billed for follow up tasks like scheduling and reminders, not just talk time
- Some long term reviewers report quality slips
Skip it if you want pure AI pricing; per minute it costs several times what Clara or Quo charge.
- Starting price
- $29 per month
- Minutes or calls included
- 30 conversations per billing cycle (unlimited on Plus)
- Appointment booking
- Yes, books, reschedules and cancels visits in Jobber using Online Booking settings
- Free trial
- 14 day Jobber trial with Grow features, no credit card
For a shop on Jobber, the AI Receptionist is a $29 add on with 30 conversations, then $0.79 each, and it books visits straight into your Jobber schedule. Everything lives in the Jobber app, which rates 4.8 from 21,287 App Store ratings.
Pros
- Lowest add on price for native field service booking: $29 per month for 30 conversations
- Writes visits, requests, tasks and client notes straight into Jobber
- Custom emergency keywords trigger a transfer or text alert
- Spam and no conversation calls are not billed
- Unlimited usage included on the Plus plan
Cons
- Only works if you run Jobber and use a Jobber phone number (US, Canada, UK)
- Caller languages not published
- At 30 conversations you pay $0.79 each or it pauses to message taking
- Jobber headline prices are first year promos; list prices are higher
Skip it if you do not use Jobber; the add on only works inside a Jobber plan.
- Starting price
- Quote only
- Minutes or calls included
- Not published; AI agent credits
- Appointment booking
- Yes, books into connected calendars
- Free trial
- 14 days on Dialpad Connect
Dialpad's AI agents run inside the same phone system and app your team already uses, with AI transcripts and call summaries, no code setup and escalation to your staff with full context. The Dialpad app rates 4.6 from 4,563 App Store ratings.
Pros
- AI receptionist runs inside a full business phone and contact center platform
- Industry setups for legal intake, healthcare, insurance, retail and real estate
- SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, HIPAA with a BAA option
- Escalates to staff with full call context
- Large public review base: 4.1 on Trustpilot from 3,211 reviews
Cons
- AI agent pricing is not published
- Requires Dialpad as your phone system
- Some reviewers describe slow support and unexplained account suspensions
Skip it if you want a published AI price; AI agent credits are quote only.
App Store ratings compared
| App | App Store rating | Ratings | What the rating covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| RingCentral | 4.8 | 78,019 | Whole phone system |
| Jobber | 4.8 | 21,287 | Whole field service app |
| Quo | 4.4 | 10,814 | Whole phone system |
| Beside | 4.8 | 9,176 | Work number and AI app |
| NextivaONE | 4.2 | 7,115 | Whole phone system |
| Dialpad | 4.6 | 4,563 | Whole phone system |
| Clara | 4.6 | 1,280 | AI receptionist app |
| Posh | 4.9 | 181 | Receptionist app |
Read these with care. A phone system app's rating mostly reflects calling, texting and reliability, not the AI receptionist. Clara and Beside's ratings are closer to a direct verdict on the AI product. All figures from the App Store listings in October 2026.
What it costs
Monthly billing, cheapest plan that covers the volume, at 50 calls a month.
| App | 50 calls a month | How it bills |
|---|---|---|
| Clara | $39.99 | Flat, unlimited calls |
| Quo Sona | about $44 to $68 | $19 seat plus a Sona tier ($25 for 40 or $49 for 100) |
| Jobber AI Receptionist | $44.80 plus your Jobber plan | $29 for 30, then $0.79 each |
| RingCentral | $49 to $99 | 100 minutes, then $0.50 a minute |
| Nextiva XBert | $99 | 100 interactions |
| Beside | $99 | Unlimited plan (Baseline covers 30) |
| Posh | about $130 to $215 | Mixed AI and live minute plans |
| Dialpad | Quote only | AI agent credits |
Jobber's math: $29 plus 20 extra conversations at $0.79 is $44.80, on top of a Jobber plan from $49 a month. RingCentral at 50 calls lands at $49 if calls average 2 minutes, more if they run longer.
Red flags
- Trial terms. Beside's Unlimited trial needs a payment method and auto bills; Baseline has no trial. Read the terms in the app before you start.
- Unlimited that is not unlimited. Check the plan page, not the App Store blurb, for call caps.
- Ratings that measure something else. A 4.8 phone system app can have a weak AI receptionist.
- Lock in to the vendor's number. Ask whether you can port the number out if you leave.
How we picked
We kept AI receptionists that ship an iPhone app and publish enough pricing to compare, plus Dialpad because many teams already use its app. For each, we opened the pricing page and the App Store listing and recorded only what those pages show. We did not place test calls. Factors and weights are on how we score. For forwarding based services without an app, see best AI receptionists and best AI answering service for iPhone.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best AI receptionist app?
Clara is the best standalone app for most owners: unlimited answered calls for $39.99 a month, run entirely from your phone. If you also need a business phone system for a team, Quo includes 10 AI calls a month with any $19 seat and has 4.4 stars from 10,814 App Store ratings.
Is there an AI receptionist app for iPhone?
Yes. Clara, Beside, Quo, RingCentral, NextivaONE, Posh, Jobber and Dialpad all have iPhone apps. Clara and Beside are built around the app; the others are phone systems or business software with an AI receptionist added.
Is there a free AI receptionist app?
Not a permanent free app among these. Clara offers a 7 day trial, Posh a 7 day or 250 minute trial, and Beside a 7 day trial on its Unlimited plan. Smith.ai has a free plan with 25 calls a month, though it works by call forwarding rather than a dedicated app.
Can an AI receptionist app use my existing phone number?
Yes, through call forwarding. Clara lets you forward your number or use a new Clara number. Phone system apps such as Quo, RingCentral and Dialpad can port your number in so the AI answers it directly.
Do AI receptionist apps work on Android?
Yes. Clara lists ratings on both the App Store and Google Play, and Beside links iOS and Android apps. Check Google Play for the phone system apps before you buy. Beside's in app plan on Android is $29.99 a month or $199.99 a year per seat.
What is the difference between an AI receptionist app and a virtual receptionist app?
An AI receptionist app answers with a synthetic voice and bills by the call, minute or month. A virtual receptionist app such as Ruby's connects you to live human receptionists, who cost far more: Ruby starts at $250 for 50 minutes. Posh offers both in one app.
Can an AI receptionist app book appointments?
Some can. RingCentral books into Google and Outlook calendars, Jobber books into your Jobber schedule, and Clara lists AI scheduling. Quo Sona and Boulevard style tools send a booking link by text instead. Check which plan includes booking before you buy.