The 9 best virtual phone assistants in 2027
Compare 9 virtual phone assistants and answering services for business calls, from live receptionists to AI. See which one fits in 2027.
A virtual phone assistant answers business calls, collects details, and routes requests to the right person. It can be a remote receptionist or an AI agent.
This guide compares 9 options for your 2027 plans, from live receptionists to AI. To learn how voice agents work, read the AI phone agent guide.
Can a virtual assistant handle phone calls?
Yes. A human assistant can answer through a business phone service. An AI assistant needs a phone connection, instructions, and tools.
Start with one job: answer approved questions and collect a callback request. Add booking or account changes only when the assistant can verify the result.
A useful message contains a name, callback number, reason, and preferred callback time. Ask the caller to confirm each detail. Caller ID alone does not prove who is calling.
Nine virtual assistant phone answering service options
The options offer different ways to manage your front desk.
| Option | Best fit | Setup approach | Check before choosing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Calls, texts, email, and context across them | Console, MCP, or API; numbers in 120+ countries | Number capabilities and your handover contacts |
| Grasshopper with Smith.ai | Businesses choosing between AI and human answering | Phone service with a receptionist partner | Which receptionist service and features your plan includes |
| IONOS AI Receptionist | Businesses seeking a packaged receptionist | Business information and call forwarding | Calendar features and forwarding limits on your plan |
| RingCentral | Phone answering alongside business phone tools | Call routing, texts, and booking features | Check your phone setup and calendar compatibility |
| AnswerConnect | Live staff for calls and chat | Forward your number, staff follow your script | Test your CRM and calendar connections |
| Ruby | Human receptionist on every call | Choose to cover all, some, or backup calls | Confirm tasks the receptionist will handle |
| PATLive | US-based human receptionists, 24/7 | Set call rules, screening, and transfers | Test call rules before you commit |
| Abby Connect | Mix of human and AI answering | Set rules by call type or hours | Test which calls go to humans |
| Moneypenny | Human, AI, or mixed call answering | Dedicated receptionist briefed by you, or AI call flows | Test how AI calls reach a person |
Vendor details were checked in November 2026. Plans change, so confirm each one on the vendor page.
1. Hail: a phone assistant for calls, texts, and email
Hail gives AI agents a phone number and an email inbox. One agent can answer calls, texts, and email, and hand callers to a person.
- Full context. The same agent looks back at earlier calls, texts, and email, so people never start over.
- Set up your way. Use the console, MCP, or the API. Through MCP, an AI assistant can find numbers, handle the legal verification paperwork, and set up the agent.
- Numbers in 120+ countries. Get a local number in the countries Hail supports.
Best for: teams that want calls, texts, email, and human handover in one AI agent.
See voice features and current pricing.
See how to set up a virtual phone assistant with Hail
2. Grasshopper: AI or human receptionists
Grasshopper offers virtual receptionist services through Smith.ai, with AI and human options. Its page lists intake, appointment scheduling, and call records.
Best for: owners who want a choice of answering service within a phone-service purchase.
Ask which service handles your calls and how escalation works.
3. IONOS: a packaged answering service
IONOS offers an AI receptionist with call forwarding and business knowledge. It also advertises calendar connections on selected plans.
Best for: businesses prioritizing a packaged setup and supported calendar connections.
Confirm the plan's features before buying.
4. RingCentral
RingCentral describes an AI receptionist that answers calls, sends texts, and books appointments.
Best for: owners who want answering features alongside business phone tools.
Ask how it handles an unanswered transfer and sends the resulting message to your team.
5. AnswerConnect
AnswerConnect offers live call answering, live chat for website visitors, appointment scheduling, and after-hours answering. Its page says live staff answer, not bots or voicemail.
Best for: businesses that want live staff for calls and website chat.
Ask how the service handles your busiest hour and how it connects to your CRM or calendar.
6. Ruby
Ruby offers trained live receptionists who answer calls, with AI help behind the scenes. Its page lists English and Spanish service, lead intake, appointment scheduling, payment processing, and outbound calling.
Best for: firms that want a trained human on every call.
Confirm which tasks the receptionist does for you, such as intake, payments, and scheduling, before you sign up.
7. PATLive
PATLive offers US-based human virtual receptionists. Its page lists call answering, outbound calling, website live chat, message taking, call screening, appointment scheduling, and new client intake.
Best for: teams that want US-based humans for calls and chat.
Use its free trial, if offered, to test your call rules, transfers, and CRM entries.
8. Abby Connect
Abby Connect answers calls with human receptionists, AI, or both, based on call type or your rules. Its page lists custom answering hours, message taking, call transfers, appointment scheduling, and call transcripts.
Best for: businesses that want to mix human and AI call answering.
Ask which calls go to a human and which go to AI, and test that rule with sample calls.
9. Moneypenny
Moneypenny offers phone answering by receptionists, an AI receptionist, or a mix of both. Its page lists call transfers, message forwarding, inquiry qualifying, appointment scheduling, and live chat.
Best for: businesses that want human, AI, or mixed answering from one provider.
Ask how AI calls move to a real person and what the caller hears during the handoff.
Set up an AI phone assistant yourself
Want to build one? These guides show each step:
Keep your existing number without a forwarding loop
Ask your current provider whether it supports forwarding to your assistant's number. Test both answered and unanswered calls before changing your public contact details.
Keep the number used for human handover separate from the number that forwards into the assistant. Otherwise, a transfer can return to the assistant.
For night-only coverage, use your provider's forwarding schedule where available. The after-hours guide covers that setup.
Test virtual assistant phone calls before launch
Use these cases with the same script across your shortlisted services.
Record whether the requested task succeeded. A completed call only means the call ended normally.
What does a virtual phone assistant cost?
Compare number rental, call usage, recording, messages, and any receptionist subscription. Ask how each vendor charges for transfers and overages.
Use Hail pricing for current rates. Budget for the person who reviews messages and maintains business instructions.
Virtual phone assistant FAQ
Do I need to write code?
Sometimes. Many services need no code. Custom follow-up workflows can still need code. Hail's setup guide shows one no-code path.
Can it transfer a call to a person?
Yes. Most services transfer calls to a person. Test an unanswered transfer and a voicemail answer.
Read the handover guide before enabling transfers.
Can it book appointments?
Sometimes. Some services book through a calendar connection. Others pass a request to your team.
Keep a requested time separate from a confirmed booking until your calendar system accepts it.
Does it replace every receptionist task?
No. Keep people responsible for exceptions, sensitive requests, and promises that need judgment.