What is the cheapest AI receptionist for a small business?

Among the tools here, Rosie starts at $49 a month for phone calls and Doug starts at $49 a month for website and AI-assistant chats. Smith.ai's AI receptionist has a free tier for 25 calls.

Does Doug answer phone calls?

No. Doug answers on your website and inside ChatGPT, Claude and Muse. For calls, use a phone tool like Smith.ai, Rosie, Goodcall or Ruby.

Which AI receptionist can take a deposit?

Doug takes a deposit through Stripe at booking. Some phone services charge add-on fees to take payments, so check each plan.

Can I use more than one?

Yes. Many businesses pair a phone tool with a website agent like Doug, since they cover different customers.

Best AI receptionist for small business in 2026

For phone calls, the best AI receptionists are Smith.ai's AI receptionist, Rosie and Goodcall, or Ruby for live people. For chat on a software or ecommerce site, pick Chatbase, Tidio or Intercom Fin. For a local business that books online, Doug (our product, no phone calls) books with a deposit and works to get you found, from $49.

Updated September 28, 2026

	Best for	Starting price	Channels
Doug	Local service businesses that book jobs and want to be found	$49 a month for 2,000 messages (free directory listing)	Website, ChatGPT, Claude, Muse
Smith.ai AI Receptionist	Businesses whose customers call	Free for 25 calls; Pro from $150 a month for 75 calls	Phone
Ruby	Offices that want a live person on every call	$250 a month for 50 minutes	Phone, plus live chat plans
Chatbase	Software, ecommerce and support teams	Free for 50 credits; Hobby $40 a month for 700 credits	Website widget and integrations; voice on higher plans
Tidio	Online stores, especially on Shopify	Free plan; Lyro AI add-on from $32.50 a month for 50 conversations	Website live chat and shared inbox
Intercom Fin	Support teams with a helpdesk	$0.99 per outcome, plus seats on Intercom	Chat and support channels in Intercom or another helpdesk
Rosie	Small businesses wanting low-cost call answering	$49 a month for 250 minutes	Phone, plus a website chat widget
Goodcall	Businesses with steady call volume and simple call flows	$79 a month per agent for 100 unique customers	Phone

How did we pick these?

We looked at tools a small business owner would actually consider, grouped by the door they answer: phone, website chat, or AI assistants. Prices are from each company's pricing page in September 2026 and change often, so check before you buy. Doug is our product, so weigh that. We've tried to say plainly where each of the others is the better fit.

Which is best if your customers call?

Then you need a phone product. Doug isn't one, so here are the ones we'd look at.

Smith.ai AI Receptionist: free for 25 calls a month, then Pro from $150 for 75 calls. Smith.ai also sells live human receptionists, which is handy if you want to move up later.
Rosie: the lowest entry price we found, $49 a month for 250 minutes. Calendar booking and live transfers start on the $149 plan.
Goodcall: $79 a month per agent with unlimited minutes, priced by unique customers (100 on the entry plan, then $0.50 each).
Ruby: live people, not AI, from $250 a month for 50 minutes. The pick when every caller should reach a human.

Which is best for a website chat?

Chatbase, Tidio and Intercom Fin are strong website tools, each built for a different business.

Chatbase: trains on your site and files, with helpdesk and CRM integrations on higher plans. Good for software and support teams. See our Chatbase pricing breakdown for what it costs in practice.
Tidio: live chat first, with the Lyro AI agent as an add-on. Great for online stores on Shopify.
Intercom Fin: an AI support agent billed per resolved outcome. Best for support teams already running a helpdesk.

Which is best for a local service business?

If you sell appointments or service calls and many of your customers find you by searching, Doug is built for that. He answers on your website from your own material, books real open times from your calendar, takes a deposit through Stripe that comes off the bill, and hands off to your team on Growth and up. He also lists you inside ChatGPT, Claude and Muse so an assistant can book you, and every week checks how you show up on Google, Maps and in AI answers and fixes what he can. None of the others on this list do that last part.

Where Doug falls short: he doesn't answer phone calls or texts. For a phone-heavy trade, pair him with one of the phone tools above. Our guide comparing answering services and AI receptionists helps you decide which door to staff first.

What should you test before you pick?

Run every tool on your shortlist through the same test:

Ask it the twenty questions your customers asked last month. Does it answer from your material or guess?
Ask something it shouldn't know. Does it say so and take details, or make something up?
Book a test appointment. Does it land on your real calendar?
Work out the cost at your real volume, including overages and add-ons.
Check how a person takes over when needed.

Questions

What is the cheapest AI receptionist for a small business?: Among the tools here, Rosie starts at $49 a month for phone calls and Doug starts at $49 a month for website and AI-assistant chats. Smith.ai's AI receptionist has a free tier for 25 calls.
Does Doug answer phone calls?: No. Doug answers on your website and inside ChatGPT, Claude and Muse. For calls, use a phone tool like Smith.ai, Rosie, Goodcall or Ruby.
Which AI receptionist can take a deposit?: Doug takes a deposit through Stripe at booking. Some phone services charge add-on fees to take payments, so check each plan.
Can I use more than one?: Yes. Many businesses pair a phone tool with a website agent like Doug, since they cover different customers.