Aira AI Receptionist Alternatives (2026): Pricing and Better Options

What the Aira AI receptionist (getaira.io) really costs, what each plan includes, and the alternatives worth comparing, with prices checked against each company's pricing page in October 2026.

Written by Timothy Bramlett ·

At a glance

What it costs

$24.95/mo for 30 calls up to $299 for 600, with $0.70 to $1.50 per extra call.

The catch

Plans identical to Upfirst's, no published trial, no independent reviews, mixed language claims.

Best alternative

Zinng: $49 for 300 minutes billed per minute, call transfers included, 7-day free trial.

The short answer

Aira (getaira.io, not the video-interpreting company at aira.io) is an AI receptionist billed per call: $24.95 a month for 30 calls up to $299 for 600. Every plan includes a free number, transfers, texting and a built-in CRM. Its plans match Upfirst's exactly, it doesn't publish trial terms, and there are no independent reviews of it yet.

If you'd rather pay by the minute, Zinng starts at $49 a month for 300 minutes. Below are Aira's verified prices and the Aira alternatives worth comparing.

Aira AI receptionist pricing (checked October 2026)

Aira says you can go from sign-up to your first answered call in about ten minutes: paste your website, pick a voice and forward your number. Every plan includes guided setup, a free phone number (or forwarding from your existing one), spam filtering, recordings, transcriptions, call transfers and a built-in CRM, with HubSpot, Pipedrive and Zapier connections. Aira's own brand page says it was founded in 2024.

Aira

Best for a built-in CRM with per-call pricing
Trustpilot No rating found G2 No rating found Capterra No rating found BBB No rating found
Aira homepage, captured October 2026
Homepage · click to enlarge

Per-call AI receptionist (getaira.io) with a free number, transfers, texting and a built-in CRM. Its plans match Upfirst's exactly.

Billing
Per call
Setup
Self-serve + help
Free trial
Not published
Contract
No contract
Starter
$24.95/mo
Includes: 30 calls
Extra usage: $1.50 per call
Every feature included
Premium
$59.95/mo
Includes: 90 calls
Extra usage: $1 per call
Pro
$159.95/mo
Includes: 300 calls
Extra usage: $0.75 per call
Adds priority support
Scale
$299/mo
Includes: 600 calls
Extra usage: $0.70 per call
Adds priority support
Gives you a number Works with your number Call transfer Books into your calendar Texts callers Native CRM sync Spanish HIPAA: not published

Checked October 2, 2026 on getaira.io. Prices change; confirm before you buy.

Why people compare Aira with alternatives

  • Its plans are identical to Upfirst's. Same four tiers, same prices, same per-call overage. If you're considering Aira, compare Upfirst, which publishes reviews and a 14-day free trial with no card.
  • No published trial. Aira's pricing page doesn't say whether there's a free trial or what it requires.
  • No independent reviews. As of October 2026, Aira had no profile on Trustpilot, G2, Capterra or the BBB.
  • Mixed language claims. Its pricing page says 31 languages, its homepage says 70+, and its brand page lists English and Spanish.
  • Per-call billing. Short calls cost the same as long ones, and overage runs $0.70 to $1.50 a call.

Aira vs the alternatives: comparison table

Entry plans side by side. Scroll sideways on a phone to see every column.

Service Starts at Includes Billing Setup Free trial
Aira $24.95/mo 30 calls Per call Self-serve + help Not published
Zinng $49/mo 300 minutes Per minute + extra-minute buckets ($25 for 150) Self-serve + free help 7 days
Upfirst $24.95/mo 30 calls Per call Self-serve + help 14 days, no card
Rosie $49/mo 250 minutes Minute plans (auto-upgrade) Self-serve 7 days
Dialzara $29/mo 60 minutes Per minute Self-serve 7 days
Goodcall $79/mo 100 unique callers Per unique caller Self-serve Not published
Smith.ai AI Receptionist Free 25 calls Per call Self-serve + help Free plan (25 calls)
Phonely Free 100 minutes Per minute Self-serve Free plan
SkipCalls $19.99/mo Unlimited minutes Flat rate Self-serve 7 days

The best Aira alternatives

1. Zinng: per-minute billing and a clear free trial

Zinng bills by the minute, so short calls cost less than a flat per-call fee:

  • $49 for 300 minutes, with call transfers on every plan.
  • A 7-day free trial and no contract.
  • Extra minutes in buckets: 150 for $25, 300 for $50, 600 for $100 or 1,200 for $200.
  • Live calendar booking on the $99 Pro plan, every call recorded and transcribed, and free setup help for every customer.

Zinng plans: $49 (300 minutes), $99 (700), $149 (1,000) and $249 (2,000).

2

Upfirst

Best for every feature on every plan
Trustpilot No reviews yet G2 ★ 4.9 (26) Capterra ★ 5.0 (12) BBB A
Upfirst homepage, captured October 2026
Homepage · click to enlarge

Per-call AI receptionist with transfers, live booking, texting and 35+ languages on every plan, plus a free onboarding call.

Billing
Per call
Setup
Self-serve + help
Free trial
14 days, no card
Contract
No contract
Starter
$24.95/mo
Includes: 30 calls
Extra usage: $1.50 per call
$20/mo billed annually; every feature included
Premium
$59.95/mo
Includes: 90 calls
Extra usage: $1 per call
$48/mo billed annually
Pro
$159.95/mo
Includes: 300 calls
Extra usage: $0.75 per call
$128/mo billed annually; adds white-glove onboarding
Scale
$299/mo
Includes: 600 calls
Extra usage: $0.70 per call
$240/mo billed annually; adds custom integrations
Gives you a number Works with your number Call transfer Books into your calendar Texts callers Native CRM sync Spanish HIPAA BAA (enterprise plans)
What customers like
"What I like best about Upfirst is their customer support and their willingness to keep improving the platform."
G2, July 2026
Common complaint
"It's not as personal as having a live receptionist, but it does what we need for now"
G2, July 2026

Checked October 2, 2026 on upfirst.ai. Prices change; confirm before you buy.

3

Rosie

Best for quick self-serve setup
Trustpilot No reviews yet G2 No rating found Capterra No reviews yet BBB No rating found
Rosie homepage, captured October 2026
Homepage · click to enlarge

Self-serve AI receptionist trained from your Google Business Profile and website. Live booking and transfers start on the $149 Scale plan.

Billing
Minute plans (auto-upgrade)
Setup
Self-serve
Free trial
7 days
Contract
No contract
Professional
$49/mo
Includes: 250 minutes
Extra usage: See note
No overage; auto-upgrades to the next plan
Scale
$149/mo
Includes: 1,000 minutes
Extra usage: Not published
Adds calendar booking, warm and live transfers, texts during calls
Growth
$299/mo
Includes: 2,000 minutes
Extra usage: Not published
Adds waterfall transfers, custom training, white-glove onboarding
Gives you a number Works with your number Call transfer Books into your calendar Texts callers Native CRM sync Spanish HIPAA: not published
What customers like
"Rosie is the best AI answering service I've tried... I called the trial number and was surprised how well it answered queries about my business (Transistor), even questions it wasn't trained on."
Reddit, August 2026

Checked October 2, 2026 on heyrosie.com. Prices change; confirm before you buy.

4

Dialzara

Best for the lowest entry price
Trustpilot ★ 4.2 (20) G2 No rating found Capterra No rating found BBB A+
Dialzara homepage, captured October 2026
Homepage · click to enlarge

Per-minute AI receptionist from $29/month for 60 minutes; warm transfers, calendar sync and Spanish start on the $99 plan.

Billing
Per minute
Setup
Self-serve
Free trial
7 days
Contract
No contract
Business Lite
$29/mo
Includes: 60 minutes
Extra usage: $0.48 per minute
Blind transfers only; Zapier/Make
Business Pro
$99/mo
Includes: 220 minutes
Extra usage: $0.45 per minute
Adds warm transfers, calendar sync, English and Spanish
Business Plus
$199/mo
Includes: 500 minutes
Extra usage: $0.40 per minute
Adds ongoing custom prompt work, multi-location
Business Elite
$349/mo
Includes: 1,000 minutes
Extra usage: $0.35 per minute
Adds priority support, SLA, API access
Gives you a number Works with your number Call transfer Books into your calendar Texts callers Native CRM sync Spanish HIPAA: not published
What customers like
"Working with Adam and his AI phone system has honestly been one of the most impressive experiences we've had integrating technology into our real estate business."
Trustpilot, May 2026
Common complaint
"Customer service is terrible. Trying to even get a response is really hard."
Trustpilot, October 2026

Checked October 2, 2026 on dialzara.com. Prices change; confirm before you buy.

5

Goodcall

Best for customizable call flows
Trustpilot ★ 2.5 (5) G2 ★ 3.5 (1) Capterra No reviews yet BBB No rating found
Goodcall homepage, captured October 2026
Homepage · click to enlarge

Self-serve AI phone agent with a call-flow builder, billed per unique caller with unlimited minutes. US only.

Billing
Per unique caller
Setup
Self-serve
Free trial
Not published
Contract
Not published
Starter
$79/mo
Includes: 100 unique callers
Extra usage: $0.50 per extra caller
Per agent; unlimited minutes; $66/mo billed annually
Growth
$129/mo
Includes: 250 unique callers
Extra usage: $0.50 per extra caller
Per agent; unlimited minutes; $108/mo billed annually
Scale
$249/mo
Includes: 500 unique callers
Extra usage: $0.50 per extra caller
Per agent; unlimited minutes; $208/mo billed annually
Gives you a number Works with your number Call transfer Books into your calendar: not published Texts callers Native CRM sync Spanish: not published HIPAA
What customers like
"Their on time Customer Services Their numerios Features best part it is easy to use"
G2, October 2023
Common complaint
"Service started out at $59 then no notice moved in $99 a month and then this last month they now they are charging me $130 a month with no notice."
Trustpilot, June 2026

Checked October 2, 2026 on goodcall.com. Prices change; confirm before you buy.

6

Smith.ai AI Receptionist

Best for AI with live human backup
Trustpilot ★ 4.4 (374) G2 ★ 4.8 (32) Capterra ★ 4.8 (48) BBB F
Smith.ai AI Receptionist homepage, captured October 2026
Homepage · click to enlarge

Per-call AI receptionist with a free tier; calls can be escalated to Smith.ai's live agents for $3 extra. Native Clio integration.

Billing
Per call
Setup
Self-serve + help
Free trial
Free plan (25 calls)
Contract
Month-to-month
Free
Free
Includes: 25 calls
Extra usage: $3 per call
Free forever
Pro
$150/mo
Includes: 75 calls
Extra usage: $2.50 per call
$2.00/call; 150 calls $1.80, 300 calls $1.67
Enterprise
$500/mo
Includes: 300 calls
Extra usage: $2.17 per call
$1.67/call; full-service setup
Gives you a number: not published Works with your number Call transfer Books into your calendar Texts callers Native CRM sync Spanish HIPAA: not published
What customers like
"I do appreciate that our calls get answered 24/7. Occasional missed calls generally go to a voicemail."
G2, September 2026
Common complaint
"They required a upfront payment at $2500 for a six month contract... we requested to cancel our contract... because the account is on a long-term plan, our policy does not allow..."
Trustpilot, September 2026

Checked October 2, 2026 on smith.ai. Prices change; confirm before you buy.

7

Phonely

Best free plan to try
Trustpilot No reviews yet G2 ★ 4.8 (11) Capterra No rating found BBB No rating found
Phonely homepage, captured October 2026
Homepage · click to enlarge

Per-minute AI phone agent with a free plan (100 minutes), unlimited simultaneous calls and 50+ languages; Y Combinator-backed.

Billing
Per minute
Setup
Self-serve
Free trial
Free plan
Contract
Not published
Free
Free
Includes: 100 minutes
Extra usage: Not published
About 50 calls; 1 number
Starter
$50/mo
Includes: 200 minutes
Extra usage: $0.25 per minute
$33/mo billed annually; its comparison table says 250 minutes
Professional
$150/mo
Includes: 650 minutes
Extra usage: $0.30 per minute
$100/mo billed annually; adds AI texting and CRM integrations; table says 750 minutes
Gives you a number Works with your number: not published Call transfer Books into your calendar Texts callers Native CRM sync Spanish HIPAA: not published

Checked October 2, 2026 on phonely.ai. Prices change; confirm before you buy.

8

SkipCalls

Best for the lowest price
Trustpilot No reviews yet G2 No rating found Capterra No reviews yet BBB A-
SkipCalls homepage, captured October 2026
Homepage · click to enlarge

Low-cost AI receptionist with unlimited minutes (fair usage) for $19.99/month or $199/year, from a two-person team.

Billing
Flat rate
Setup
Self-serve
Free trial
7 days
Contract
No contract
Monthly
$19.99/mo
Includes: Unlimited minutes
Extra usage: No overage (unlimited)
Unlimited minutes (fair usage)
Annual
$16.58/mo
Includes: Unlimited minutes
Extra usage: No overage (unlimited)
$199/year; unlimited minutes (fair usage)
Growth
$41.67/mo
Includes: 250 minutes
Extra usage: Not published
$499.99/year; 3 agents and numbers
Business
$83.33/mo
Includes: 450 minutes
Extra usage: Not published
$999.99/year; 10 agents and numbers
Gives you a number Works with your number Call transfer Books into your calendar Texts callers Native CRM sync Spanish HIPAA

Checked October 2, 2026 on skipcalls.com. Prices change; confirm before you buy.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the Aira AI receptionist cost?

Aira's AI receptionist (getaira.io) costs $24.95 a month for 30 calls, $59.95 for 90, $159.95 for 300 and $299 for 600, with overage from $1.50 down to $0.70 per call. Annual billing saves 20%. Every plan includes a free phone number, call transfers, texting, recordings and a built-in CRM.

Is Aira the same as Upfirst?

We don't know of a formal link, but Aira's four plans, prices and per-call overage rates match Upfirst's exactly, down to the cent. Compare both before you decide.

Does Aira have a free trial?

Aira doesn't publish trial terms on its pricing page. It says every plan includes guided setup and that you can go from sign-up to your first answered call in about ten minutes.

What is the best Aira alternative?

Zinng is a strong alternative if you'd rather pay by the minute than per call: $49 a month for 300 minutes with call transfers included and extra minutes in buckets from $25. Upfirst offers the same plan structure as Aira with published reviews and a 14-day free trial.

Sources: getaira.io pricing, homepage and brand-facts page, checked October 2, 2026. No affiliate links. Compare more on our AI receptionist alternatives page.

Rather pay by the minute?

Zinng: 300 minutes for $49, call transfers included, 7-day free trial, no contract.

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Timothy Bramlett

Written by

Timothy Bramlett

Co-Founder & CEO, Zinng

Software engineer and entrepreneur building AI-powered communication tools that help businesses never miss a customer call.

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