# The 13 best AI receptionists in 2027 > Compare 13 AI receptionist options for businesses of any size, from call answering to booking and handover. See which one fits your 2027 plans. - URL: https://hail.so/blog/ai-receptionist - Type: Comparison - Tags: voice-agent, inbound, answering-service - Published: 2026-11-06 - Reading time: 8 min An AI receptionist answers incoming calls, handles routine questions, and routes requests to your team. It can also take messages and pass callers to a person when needed. This guide compares 13 AI receptionists for your 2027 plans. Compare the whole front desk. A natural voice matters, but so do accurate answers and reliable follow-up. ## What is the best AI receptionist for a business? The best fit depends on your phone setup, booking needs, and ability to maintain integrations. Test the same business requests with each shortlisted provider. Compare every option against the work your team needs done. | Provider | Best fit | How it works | Check before buying | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Hail](#hail) | Calls, texts, email, and context across them | Console, MCP, or API; numbers in 120+ countries | Handover contacts and any CRM or calendar workflow | | [IONOS AI Receptionist](#ionos-ai-receptionist) | Packaged receptionist with calendar options | Business knowledge, forwarding, and supported calendar connections | Features included in your plan | | [RingCentral AI Receptionist](#ringcentral-ai-receptionist) | Teams seeking phone-system and receptionist integration | Call routing, texts, appointments, and business-tool connections | Compatibility with your systems and chosen plan | | [Grasshopper with Smith.ai](#grasshopper-with-smith-ai) | Owners comparing AI and human answering | Receptionist partnership offering both approaches | Service choice and escalation arrangement | | [Goodcall](#goodcall) | Local service businesses seeking guided setup | Voice answering, lead capture, and booking | Which CRM and calendar connections fit your process | | [Retell AI](#retell-ai) | Teams configuring receptionist workflows | Knowledge, transfer, booking, and call analysis tools | Who will maintain the agent and business connections | | [Rosie](#rosie) | Solo and small businesses | AI answers, books, and texts call details | Test transfers and your calendar fit | | [Synthflow](#synthflow) | Larger teams and contact centers | Voice agents built around your call workflows | Confirm your phone system connects without extra setup | | [Upfirst](#upfirst) | Small service businesses | AI answers, books, and transfers calls | Test languages, calendar, and transfer rules | | [Frontdesk](#frontdesk) | Businesses that want calls, text, and chat together | One AI agent across several channels | Check plan channels and staff handoff | | [Dialzara](#dialzara) | Small businesses with an existing number | AI answers forwarded calls and books appointments | Test carrier forwarding and voice quality | | [Slang.ai](#slang-ai) | Restaurants and restaurant groups | Voice AI answers restaurant phone calls | Test reservation system link and answer accuracy | | [Dialpad](#dialpad) | Teams with no one at the desk | AI agent answers, books, and routes calls | Ask which calendar and CRM tools connect | Vendor details were checked in November 2026. Plans change, so confirm each one on the vendor page. ### 1. [Hail: an AI receptionist for calls, texts, and email](https://hail.so/create-ai-agent) Hail gives AI agents a phone number and an email inbox. One agent can answer calls, texts, and email, then hand callers to a person. - **Full context.** The agent keeps the context of earlier conversations across calls, texts, and email. Callers do not repeat themselves. - **Set up your way.** Build the agent in the console, or use MCP or the API. With MCP, your AI assistant can find a number, complete the verification paperwork, and set up the agent. - **Numbers in 120+ countries.** Pick a local number where your customers are. **Best for:** businesses of any size that want one AI receptionist across calls, texts, and email. See [voice](https://hail.so/voice) and [pricing](https://hail.so/pricing). **[See how to set up an AI receptionist with Hail](https://hail.so/create-ai-agent)** ### 2. [IONOS AI Receptionist](https://www.ionos.com/momentum/ai-receptionist) IONOS advertises setup from business information, call forwarding, and calendar connections. Its product page describes call logs and email summaries. **Best for:** a business that values packaged setup and supported booking connections. Check the plan limits before you buy. ### 3. [RingCentral AI Receptionist](https://www.ringcentral.com/ai-receptionist.html) RingCentral describes call answering, routing, appointment scheduling, and text responses. It supports training from business information, including websites and documents. **Best for:** a team choosing receptionist features alongside its phone and business tools. Check that it works with your systems and plan. ### 4. [Grasshopper with Smith.ai](https://grasshopper.com/features/virtual-receptionist) Grasshopper offers AI and human receptionist options through Smith.ai. Its page covers intake, scheduling, and call records. **Best for:** an owner who wants to compare human answering with AI within a phone-service purchase. Confirm which service answers your calls. ### 5. [Goodcall](https://www.goodcall.com/) Goodcall describes a business answering service with an assistant that helps build the voice agent. **Best for:** local service businesses that want to start from their front-desk job. Evaluate its booking and lead-capture workflow with a real request from your business. ### 6. [Retell AI](https://www.retellai.com/) Retell offers AI receptionist use cases alongside voice-agent building and call-analysis tools. **Best for:** teams that need control over call flows and operational review. Test knowledge gaps, booking failures, and the transfer to your staff. ### 7. [Rosie](https://heyrosie.com) Rosie is an AI call answering service. It answers questions, books appointments, takes messages, and texts you details about each call. **Best for:** solo owners and small shops that miss calls while working. Test a warm transfer to your own phone, and confirm which calendar it books into. ### 8. [Synthflow](https://synthflow.ai) Synthflow offers AI voice agents that answer and make phone calls. They book appointments, update your CRM, route calls, and hand off to a person with a summary. **Best for:** contact centers and larger teams that need setup help and many integrations. Ask which phone system and CRM you use are built in, and which need an Enterprise setup. ### 9. [Upfirst](https://upfirst.ai) Upfirst is an AI receptionist that answers business calls around the clock. It qualifies leads, books open times on your calendar, and sends you the details by email or text. **Best for:** small service businesses that want calendar booking and warm transfers. Call it in a second language and test a warm transfer with your own team. ### 10. [Frontdesk](https://www.myaifrontdesk.com) (My AI Front Desk) Frontdesk is an AI front-office platform. It handles voice, SMS, email, web chat, and WhatsApp, and it keeps one memory profile for each customer. **Best for:** businesses that want calls, texts, and chat in one system. Confirm which channels and integrations your plan includes, and test the handoff to staff. ### 11. [Dialzara](https://dialzara.com) Dialzara is an AI receptionist that answers business calls in your voice and tone. It books appointments, screens spam, qualifies leads, and emails call summaries. **Best for:** small businesses that want to keep their number and go live fast. Test call forwarding from your carrier, and listen to the voices before you pick one. ### 12. [Slang.ai](https://www.slang.ai/) Slang.ai is a voice AI that answers phone calls for restaurants. It handles reservations and answers from the restaurant's approved information. **Best for:** restaurants and restaurant groups. Confirm that it connects to your reservation system and that its answers match your menu and hours. ### 13. [Dialpad](https://www.dialpad.com/solutions/ai-receptionist/) Dialpad has an AI receptionist that answers inbound calls, finds out what the caller needs, and routes the call. It can book appointments on some calls and hands context to a person when needed. **Best for:** teams with no one at a desk to take every call. Ask which calendar and CRM tools it connects to, because its page does not name them. ## Define the job for your AI receptionist Choose which requests the receptionist may finish and which need a person. This works for a small business and for a large one. Put approved business facts in writing before selecting a voice. | Caller request | Agent action | Proof it worked | | --- | --- | --- | | Opening hours | Read approved hours | Caller gets the correct local hours | | New inquiry | Collect name, number, and reason | Team receives a verified callback task | | Appointment request | Collect preferences | Calendar service or staff confirms the booking | | Complaint | Offer configured human handover | Person answers, or a message is recorded | | Unknown price | Take a message | No invented quote | Use the [prompt builder](https://hail.so/tools/voice-agent-prompt-builder) to turn this scope into instructions. Keep the [AI phone agent guide](https://hail.so/blog/ai-phone-agent) for technical details. ## Appointment requests and confirmed bookings Booking works through a calendar connection or through your own code. Ask each provider which one it uses. For an initial setup, collect the service, preferred date, time zone, and callback details. Your calendar workflow checks availability and records the booking. Only send a confirmation after the calendar accepts the reservation. If it fails, create a staff task instead. Check availability in your own calendar system before the agent promises a booking. ## Set up an AI receptionist yourself Want to build one? These guides show each step: - [How to create an AI agent, with screenshots](https://hail.so/create-ai-agent) - [Front desk template guide](https://hail.so/agent-templates/front-desk) - [AI phone agent guide](https://hail.so/blog/ai-phone-agent) ## Test your receptionist before forwarding business calls - [ ] Correct opening hours, including holidays. - [ ] A caller who interrupts or changes their answer. - [ ] A request for an unknown price. - [ ] A request for a person. - [ ] An unanswered transfer and a voicemail answer. - [ ] A booking request for an unavailable slot. - [ ] The same update arrives twice. - [ ] A transcript with a missing or unclear detail. Review task accuracy, unanswered requests, and handover outcomes. Do not treat every completed call as a solved customer problem. ## AI receptionist FAQ ### Can I keep my existing business number? Sometimes. Ask your current phone provider whether it supports forwarding to the receptionist's number. Use a separate handover number so calls do not return to the AI agent. The [virtual phone assistant guide](https://hail.so/blog/virtual-phone-assistant) explains this setup. ### Can it answer after hours? Yes. An AI receptionist on your number can answer while your team is away. Test which one answers. Use the [after-hours guide](https://hail.so/blog/after-hours-answering-service) for coverage planning. ### Does an AI receptionist need a human fallback? Yes. Give callers a path to a person or a reviewed message for exceptions and disputed details. ### How much does it cost? Compare call usage, number rental, recording, messages, and plan charges. Use each vendor's current pricing, including [Hail pricing](https://hail.so/pricing).