INBOUND VOICE
After-hours answering
Last verified
9 Live answering service and 6 AI receptionist checked
What this job needs
Required
Answers 24/7 including holidays12/14
Takes and delivers messages12/14
Transfers calls to staff12/14
Depends on your situation
On-call escalation and dispatchUrgent calls need on-call escalation
Bilingual (English and Spanish) answeringSpanish-speaking callers
Right column on Required: share of tracked products that pass the feature check (included or available as an add-on).
Which tool type, and when
Live answering serviceBest at your volume
6 qualifying products. Most also offer: Bilingual (English and Spanish) answering.
Median cost$164/mo
AI receptionistBest at your volume
4 qualifying products. Most also offer: On-call escalation and dispatch; Bilingual (English and Spanish) answering.
Median cost$119/mo
Products that pass every required check
Ranked by fit, then cost at 200 calls/month. 10 of 14 tracked products pass; products failing a required feature are not listed.
| Product | Type | Fit | Monthly cost | Incidents (90d) | Customers with this setup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specialty Answering Service | Live answering service | 3/3 | $44Economy | — | 0 |
| PATLive | Live answering service | 3/3 | $49Pay as you go | — | 1 |
| Goodcall | AI receptionist | 3/3 | $79Starter | — | 0 |
| My AI Front Desk | AI receptionist | 3/3 | $79Business-in-a-Box | — | 0 |
| Upfirst | AI receptionist | 3/3 | $160Pro | — | 1 |
| Abby Connect | Live answering service | 3/3 | $164Starter | — | 0 |
| Dialzara | AI receptionist | 3/3 | $239Business Plus | — | 0 |
| Ruby | Live answering service | 3/3 | $25050 minutes | — | 0 |
| Smith.ai | AI receptionist, Live answering service | 3/3 | $1,965Basic | — | 0 |
| AnswerConnect | Live answering service | 3/3 | Custom quotePublic estimates: $350 to $575 per month (4 sources) | — | 0 |
Cost includes add-ons this job requires. Incidents from public status pages. Customers counted from recorded customer setups.
Who already runs this
- HOME SERVICES · NULL STAFFPATLiveLive answering serviceSource: customer case study
- LEGAL · NULL STAFFUpfirstAI receptionistSource: customer case study
Publication status: not indexed yet
- Requirement profile is a draft