- My AI Front Desk is pricey: $99/mo for 200 mins + $0.12/min overages, plus limits on parallel calls & “actions.”
- 8 alternatives fit different needs: Upfirst (simple/cheap), Phonely (free+100 languages), GoodCall/Rosie (unlimited).
- Pick by use case: budget (SkipCalls/Dialzara), agency (EchoWin), enterprise builds (Voiceflow), or multilingual (Phonely/Voiceflow).
My AI Front Desk has carved out a solid niche with its voice cloning, multi-language support, and built-in CRM with kanban boards for tracking follow-ups. But at $99/month for just 200 minutes—with 12¢ per minute overages—costs can spiral quickly if you're fielding more than a handful of calls per day. The starter plan's limits don't help either: only 2 parallel calls and 2 actions (like texting or transferring).
I've spent the past few months testing AI answering services, and there are genuinely better options depending on what you need. Some offer unlimited minutes at a fraction of the price. Others give you enterprise-grade customization without the enterprise-grade complexity. Full disclosure: I work on Upfirst, which made this list—but I've included it because it genuinely competes well, not just because it's ours.
Here are 8 alternatives worth considering if My AI Front Desk isn't quite fitting your workflow or budget.
The best My AI Front Desk alterntives
Why look for My AI Front Desk alternatives?
- Per-minute billing adds up fast. If your average call runs 3-4 minutes, you'll burn through 200 minutes in 50-65 calls. That's maybe two weeks for a busy service business, then you're paying overages.
- Starter plan restrictions feel arbitrary. Two parallel calls means if three people call at once, someone gets nothing. Two "actions" means you might have to choose between texting a link and transferring to your cell.
- The CRM is lightweight—sometimes too lightweight. The kanban board is nice for tracking follow-ups, but if you already use HubSpot or Salesforce, you're now managing two systems.
- Setup complexity varies. Some users find the workflow builder intuitive; others report spending hours configuring basic call flows.
- Pricing jumps significantly. Going from $99 to $149 to unlock features like over-the-phone booking and more actions is a 50% increase for capabilities that competitors include at lower tiers.
Best overall alternative to My AI Front Desk
Upfirst
Upfirst pros:
- Flat-rate pricing with calls included, no minute-counting anxiety
- Setup takes about 10 minutes—answer a few questions and you're live
- Bilingual English/Spanish answering without configuration headaches
- Instant SMS and email notifications after every call
Upfirst cons:
- Fewer enterprise integrations than My AI Front Desk's Salesforce/HubSpot connections
- No voice cloning feature
- Less granular workflow customization
Upfirst pricing
- Starter: $24.95/mo (includes calls, SMS notifications, call transfers)
- Pro: $64.95/mo (more minutes, priority support)
- Business: Custom pricing for high volume
Free trial
14-day free trial, no credit card required. You can test with real calls before committing.
Standout feature
The simplicity is the feature. Where My AI Front Desk asks you to configure actions, parallel call limits, and workflow builders, Upfirst just asks what your business does and handles the rest. For small business owners who don't want to become AI prompt engineers, that matters.
Upfirst was built specifically for small businesses that need professional call handling without the complexity tax. The AI answers calls, takes messages, answers FAQs from your knowledge base, and sends you summaries via text or email. If someone needs to reach you urgently, it transfers the call.
The difference from My AI Front Desk becomes clear in day-to-day use. There's no dashboard full of settings to tweak, no worrying about whether you've used 180 or 200 minutes this month. You set it up, forward your calls, and it works.
The tradeoff is customization depth. If you need voice cloning, complex multi-step workflows, or deep CRM integration, My AI Front Desk offers more. But if you just need calls answered professionally while you're with a client or after hours, Upfirst does that without the overhead.
Best free tier alternative to My AI Front Desk
Phonely
Phonely pros:
- Genuinely free plan with 100 minutes—no credit card, no catch
- 100+ languages supported, far exceeding My AI Front Desk's 10
- Upload MP3s of actual calls to train your agent on your real conversations
- Detailed analytics including call duration, sentiment, and outcomes
Phonely cons:
- No custom text entries in knowledge base—you can only upload documents, URLs, or call recordings
- The phone tree builder gets complicated fast if you want anything beyond basic flows
- Overage rates hit $0.35/minute on lower tiers
Phonely pricing
- Free: 100 minutes/month, basic call handling
- Starter: $50/mo (200 minutes, $0.35/min overage)
- Professional: $150/mo (600 minutes)
- Business: $500/mo (2,000 minutes, HIPAA compliance, $0.25/min overage)
Free trial
The free plan is the trial—100 minutes monthly with no credit card required to set up and test. Credit card needed only to go live with a real number.
Standout feature
Training your AI by uploading recordings of actual phone calls is something I haven't seen elsewhere. Instead of writing out scripts and hoping the AI interprets them correctly, you feed it examples of how calls at your business actually go.
Phonely approaches AI answering differently than most competitors. Rather than focusing on simplicity, it gives you granular control over how your agent behaves—voice personality settings, maximum call durations, post-transfer recording options, even outbound call and text sequences.
The language support is genuinely impressive. My AI Front Desk handles about 10 languages with high fluency; Phonely claims 100+. For businesses serving diverse communities, that's a meaningful difference.
Where Phonely stumbles is accessibility. The workflow builder assumes you're comfortable with phone tree logic and conditional branching. If you're technical or willing to invest setup time, you'll appreciate the control. If you want something working in 15 minutes, you might find it frustrating.
The free tier makes this an easy recommendation for testing. You get 100 real minutes to see if the AI handles your call types well before spending anything.
Best mobile-first alternative to My AI Front Desk
SkipCalls
SkipCalls pros:
- Native iOS and Android apps—manage everything from your phone
- Starts at $19/month, roughly 80% cheaper than My AI Front Desk
- Integrates with Jobber, Housecall Pro, and other field service tools
- Weekly billing option ($3.99/week) if you want to test without monthly commitment
SkipCalls cons:
- No call transfers on any plan
- Web portal locked behind Starter plan—weekly subscribers are mobile-only
- Limited to English and Spanish
- No automatic call tagging or team notification routing
SkipCalls pricing
- Weekly: $3.99/week (3-day free trial)
- Starter: $19/mo (60 minutes, 1 agent)
- Growth: $49/mo (180 minutes, 3 agents)
- Business: $99/mo (450 minutes, 10 agents)
- Enterprise: $249/mo (1,200 minutes, unlimited agents)
Free trial
3-day free trial on the weekly plan. Credit card required, but you can cancel before the first charge.
Standout feature
The mobile-first design isn't just a responsive website—it's a genuine app built for people who spend their days in trucks, on job sites, or moving between appointments. You can review call summaries, adjust your AI's responses, and manage settings without opening a laptop.
SkipCalls targets home service professionals specifically—plumbers, electricians, HVAC techs, contractors. The integrations reflect this: Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan connections that My AI Front Desk doesn't offer.plumbers, electricians, HVAC techs, contractors.
The pricing is aggressive. At $19/month for 60 minutes, you're paying a fraction of My AI Front Desk's cost. Even the Business plan at $99/month gives you 450 minutes—more than double what My AI Front Desk includes at the same price.
The catch is feature depth. No call transfers means the AI can take messages and book appointmentsThe catch is feature depth. No call transfers means the AI can take messages and book appointments, but can't route urgent calls to you directly. For some businesses that's fine; for others it's a dealbreaker. And writing complex prompts from a phone screen isn't ideal if you want sophisticated call handling.
If you're a solo operator or small crew who mainly needs after-hours coverageIf you're a solo operator or small crew who mainly needs after-hours coverage and appointment booking, SkipCalls delivers real value. If you need the AI to occasionally patch calls through to you live, look elsewhere.
Best unlimited minutes alternative to My AI Front Desk
GoodCall
GoodCall pros:
- Unlimited minutes and calls on all plans—no overage anxiety
- Multiple team members can access the same account
- Sends you a text during test calls when the AI doesn't know an answer, helping you identify training gaps
- Clean interface without overwhelming configuration options
GoodCall cons:
- Starts at $79/month, which is cheaper than My AI Front Desk only if you use significant minutes
- Plans limit unique callers (100/month on Starter, 250 on Growth)
- English only—no bilingual support
- Boulevard integration limited to Scale plan ($249/mo)
GoodCall pricing
- Starter: $79/mo (100 unique customers, 1 form, 1 logic flow, 3 directory contacts)
- Growth: $129/mo (250 unique customers, 3 forms, 3 logic flows, 60 contacts)
- Scale: $249/mo (500 unique customers, 25 forms, unlimited documents, Boulevard integration)
Free trial
Free trial available, credit card required. The trial texts you when the AI struggles with questions, which actually helps you improve the setup.
Standout feature
The "unique customers" model is different from minute-based billing. Instead of worrying about call duration, you're capped on how many different phone numbers can call you monthly. For businesses with repeat callers, this works out favorably.
GoodCall solves the main complaint about My AI Front Desk: unpredictable costs. Unlimited minutes means a 10-minute call costs the same as a 30-second one. If your calls tend to run long—detailed service inquiries, troubleshooting questions, appointment scheduling with lots of back-and-forth—the math works in your favor.
The unique caller limit is the tradeoff. If 100+ different people call your business monthly, Starter won't cut it. But many small businesses—especially those with repeat customers like salons, dental offices, or service contractors—might have 50-80 unique callers with those same people calling multiple times.dental offices, or service contractors—might have 50-80 unique callers with those same people calling multiple times.
Team access is another advantage over My AI Front Desk's single-user orientation on lower plans. If you have a small office where multiple people need to review calls or update the knowledge base, GoodCall handles that without upgrading.
The English-only limitation hurts if you serve Spanish-speaking customers. And the pricing tiers gate features in ways that feel arbitrary—why should Boulevard integration require the $249 plan?
Best agency alternative to My AI Front Desk
EchoWin
EchoWin pros:
- Create multiple agents on one account—perfect for agencies or multi-location businesses
- Whitelabel option to resell under your own brand
- Voice cloning available
- Both voice agents and embeddable chatbot widgets
- Free tier with $5 in credits to test without commitment
EchoWin cons:
- Credit-based pricing is confusing (1,600 credits ≈ 100 minutes of calls)
- SMS and email workflows require navigating a complicated builder
- Phone numbers cost extra—you buy them separately
- Native integrations limited; most connections require API setup
EchoWin pricing
- Build It Yourself: $0/mo ($5 free credits to start, no credit card)
- Self-Serve: $49.99/mo (1,600 credits ≈ 100 minutes, $0.16/min after)
- Managed Solution: Custom pricing (white glove setup, HIPAA/SOC2 compliance)
Free trial
$5 in free credits on the Build It Yourself plan, no credit card required. Enough for roughly 30 minutes of testing.
Standout feature
The multi-agent architecture sets EchoWin apart. You can create completely different AI personalities, knowledge bases, and call flows for different clients or locations—all managed from one dashboard. My AI Front Desk is built for single businesses; EchoWin is built for people managing many.
EchoWin targets a different user than My AI Front Desk: agencies, IT consultants, and multi-location businesses who need to deploy AI answering across multiple brands or clients.
If you're a marketing agency adding AI phone services to your offerings, EchoWin's whitelabel lets you present it as your own product. If you run five restaurant locations with different menus and hours, you can configure five distinct agents without five separate accounts.restaurant locations with different menus and hours, you can configure five distinct agents without five separate accounts.
The complexity is real, though. Where My AI Front Desk walks you through setup with forms and dropdowns, EchoWin expects you to understand concepts like API webhooks and workflow logic. The documentation is solid, but this isn't a 10-minute setup for non-technical users.
Credit-based pricing also requires mental math. "1,600 credits" doesn't intuitively mean anything until you learn it translates to roughly 100 minutes of voice calls or 500+ chat interactions. For agencies billing clients, this abstraction might actually help—you can mark up credits without revealing your per-minute costs.
Best budget alternative to My AI Front Desk
Dialzara
Dialzara pros:
- Starts at $29/month—70% less than My AI Front Desk
- Guided setup walks you through configuration step by step
- Chat widget for testing your AI before going live
- Pre-built Zapier workflows for common tasks like follow-up texts
Dialzara cons:
- No native SMS—texting requires Zapier integration
- Knowledge base uploads capped by plan (5 on Lite, more on higher tiers)
- Call transfers only on Pro plan ($99/mo) and up
- Credit card required for trial, auto-upgrades if you don't cancel
Dialzara pricing
- Lite: $29/mo (60 minutes, 5 knowledge base uploads)
- Pro: $99/mo (220 minutes, call transfers, Zapier/Make integrations)
- Plus: $199/mo (500 minutes, 1:1 onboarding call)
Free trial
Free trial available, but credit card required and it auto-converts to paid if you don't cancel. Set a calendar reminder.
Standout feature
The pre-configured Zapier workflow templates save real time. Instead of figuring out how to trigger a follow-up text after a call, Dialzara shows you exactly how to set it up with screenshots and step-by-step instructions.
Dialzara hits a sweet spot for small businesses who want AI answering without My AI Front Desk's price tag or complexity. At $29/month for 60 minutes, it's genuinely affordable for businesses testing whether AI answering works for them.
The setup experience is thoughtful. A chat widget lets you simulate conversations with your AI before connecting real phone calls. You can poke at edge cases and weird questions to see how it responds, then adjust your knowledge base accordingly.
The Zapier dependency for texting is the main limitation. My AI Front Desk sends texts natively; Dialzara requires you to connect Zapier and set up automations. That's not hard, but it's an extra step and an extra subscription if you don't already use Zapier.
Plan restrictions also feel stingy. Five knowledge base uploads on Lite means you're choosing carefully what information to include. And locking call transfers behind the $99 Pro plan—the same price as My AI Front Desk—undermines the budget positioning.
Still, if you need basic AI answering with message-taking and FAQ handling, Dialzara's Lite plan delivers that at a price point that's hard to argue with.
Best unlimited calls alternative to My AI Front Desk
Rosie
Rosie pros:
- Unlimited minutes on all plans—even the $49 starter
- Background noise options (office sounds, café ambiance) add realism
- Integrates with Calendly, Acuity, and Google Calendar
- Warm transfers available on Scale plan
Rosie cons:
- Appointment booking, call transfers, and mid-call texting all require the $149 Scale plan
- Only English and Spanish supported
- No international numbers
- Website chat widget waitlisted and requires custom plan
Rosie pricing
- Professional: $49/mo (unlimited minutes, basic answering)
- Scale: $149/mo (appointment booking, call transfers, texts during calls, warm transfers)
- Growth: $299/mo (training file uploads)
Free trial
Free trial available, credit card required.
Standout feature
Background noise customization is unexpectedly useful. You can make your AI sound like it's answering from a busy office (keyboard typing, muffled voices) or a café. It's a small touch, but it makes the AI feel less like a robot in a void.
Rosie takes the opposite approach from My AI Front Desk's minute-based model: unlimited minutes on every plan, period. If your calls average 5+ minutes or you handle high volume, the math works out quickly.
The Professional plan at $49/month is genuinely unlimited—but it's also genuinely basic. You get AI answering and message-taking. That's it. Want the AI to book appointments, transfer calls, or send texts during conversations? That's the $149 Scale plan, which is 50% more than My AI Front Desk.
So the value proposition depends on your usage patterns. If you need 500+ minutes monthly but only basic call handling, Rosie's Professional plan saves money. If you need the full feature set, you're paying more than My AI Front Desk for comparable capabilities.
The English/Spanish limitation also matters. My AI Front Desk supports 10+ languages with high fluency; Rosie doesn't try to compete there.
The background noise feature sounds gimmicky but actually helps. Callers sometimes feel weird talking to complete silence between responses. A subtle office ambiance makes the interaction feel more natural.
Best enterprise alternative to My AI Front Desk
Voiceflow
Voiceflow pros:
- Used by CVS, Amazon, Turo, Cisco—proven at scale
- Build both voice agents and chat agents from one platform
- 30+ languages supported
- Native integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, and more
- Free tier for learning and prototyping
Voiceflow cons:
- Steep learning curve—this is not a small business tool
- Credit-based pricing requires spreadsheet math (1 minute of voice ≈ 10 credits)
- Minimum 3 licenses required for Expert plan
- Overkill for basic answering needs
Voiceflow pricing
- Starter: Free (100 credits, 2 agents, 1 concurrent voice call)
- Pro: $60/mo (10k-20k credits, 20 agents, 5 concurrent calls)
- Business: $150/mo (30k-200k credits, unlimited agents, priority support)
- Enterprise: Custom pricing (unlimited usage, SSO, dedicated training)
Free trial
Free Starter plan with 100 credits, no credit card required. 7-day free trial available for Pro and Business plans.
Standout feature
The visual workflow builder lets you design conversation flows by dragging and connecting blocks—like building a flowchart. For complex scenarios with multiple branches, conditions, and integrations, this visual approach beats writing prompts and hoping for the best.
Voiceflow isn't really a My AI Front Desk alternative—it's a different category entirely. Where My AI Front Desk is a product you configure, Voiceflow is a platform you build on.
The learning curve is real. Voiceflow assumes you understand concepts like intents, entities, and API calls. The documentation is thorough, they offer templates and tutorials, and there's an active community—but you're still investing hours or days into setup, not minutes.
That investment pays off if you need capabilities My AI Front Desk can't touch: complex conditional logic, deep CRM integrations that update records in real-time, agents that handle both phone calls and website chat from unified logic, or enterprise security requirements like SSO.
The free tier is generous enough for prototyping. You can build and test a basic agent without spending anything, which helps you evaluate whether the complexity is worth it for your use case.
For small businesses wanting calls answered professionally, Voiceflow is overkill. For enterprises or technical teams building sophisticated customer interactions, it's one of the most capable platforms available.
Which My AI Front Desk alternative is right for you?
Watching your budget closely? Dialzara at $29/month or SkipCalls at $19/month deliver core AI answering at a fraction of My AI Front Desk's price. You'll sacrifice some features, but the basics work.
Tired of counting minutes? GoodCall or Rosie offer unlimited plans that eliminate overage anxiety. GoodCall's unique-caller model works well if you have repeat customers; Rosie's pure unlimited suits high-volume businesses.
Need something even simpler? Upfirst strips away the complexity and just answers your calls. Setup takes minutes, not hours, and you're not managing workflow builders or action limits.
Running an agency or multiple locations? EchoWin's multi-agent architecture and whitelabel options are built for exactly this. The learning curve is steeper, but the capability is there.
Want maximum language support? Phonely's 100+ languages or Voiceflow's 30+ far exceed My AI Front Desk's 10. If you serve diverse communities, this matters.
Building something sophisticated? Voiceflow gives you enterprise-grade tools to create exactly the agent you need—but expect to invest real time learning the platform.
Most of these offer free trials or free tiers. The best way to find your fit is to test two or three with actual calls from your business. What works for a dental office differs from what works for a plumbing company, and no comparison article can account for your specific call patterns and customer expectations.
Alfredo Salkeld is one of the founding members of the Upfirst team. Prior to Upfirst, Alfredo ran a small home services businesses. He also led marketing at SimpleTexting, a texting platform for small businesses.


