At a glance
$49/mo for 250 minutes up to $399 for 2,000; extra minutes $0.25 to $0.35. 14-day trial, card required.
No call transfers or booking on the $49 plan, and no independent reviews yet.
Zinng: $49 for 300 minutes, call transfers included, extra minutes in buckets from $25.
The short answer
Marlie AI is a self-serve AI receptionist that costs $49 a month for 250 minutes, up to $399 for 2,000. It sets up in about 15 minutes and connects to tools like Jobber, Housecall Pro and HubSpot, but the $49 plan can't transfer calls or book appointments, and there are no independent reviews of it yet.
The closest alternative is Zinng: the same $49, with 300 minutes and call transfers included. Below are Marlie's verified prices and the Marlie AI alternatives worth comparing.
Marlie AI pricing and reviews (checked October 2026)
Marlie comes with its own phone number; you forward your existing business line to it, so you don't need to port your number or change carriers. Every plan answers 24/7, handles calls at the same time, and lets you choose your area code. Marlie is part of the 99PCT Jesus family of companies.
Marlie
Best for home services integrations
Per-minute AI receptionist from $49/month for 250 minutes; booking and call transfers start on the $99 plan.
Checked October 2, 2026 on marlie.ai. Prices change; confirm before you buy.
Reviews: as of October 2, 2026, Marlie had no reviews on Trustpilot, G2 or Capterra and no BBB profile. Its website says it has handled more than a million calls, but there's no independent feedback to check that against.
Why people look for Marlie AI alternatives
- No transfers or booking on the $49 plan. Basic texts callers a link. Calendar booking and transfers to your team start on the $99 Standard plan.
- Overage is per minute. Going over costs $0.35 a minute on the two lower plans, so a busy month can add up.
- No independent reviews yet. There's nothing on Trustpilot, G2 or Capterra to judge reliability or support.
- A card is needed for the trial. Marlie's 14-day trial asks for a card at checkout, with $0 due that day.
Marlie AI 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marlie | $49/mo | 250 minutes | Per minute | Self-serve | 14 days (card required) |
| Zinng | $49/mo | 300 minutes | Per minute + extra-minute buckets ($25 for 150) | Self-serve + free help | 7 days |
| Rosie | $49/mo | 250 minutes | Minute plans (auto-upgrade) | Self-serve | 7 days |
| Dialzara | $29/mo | 60 minutes | Per minute | Self-serve | 7 days |
| Upfirst | $24.95/mo | 30 calls | Per call | Self-serve + help | 14 days, no card |
| Goodcall | $79/mo | 100 unique callers | Per unique caller | Self-serve | Not published |
| NextPhone | $199/mo | Unlimited calls | Flat rate, unlimited calls | Self-serve + help | 7 days (Pro) |
| Phonely | Free | 100 minutes | Per minute | Self-serve | Free plan |
| SkipCalls | $19.99/mo | Unlimited minutes | Flat rate | Self-serve | 7 days |
The best Marlie AI alternatives
1. Zinng: transfers on the $49 plan
Zinng matches Marlie's $49 entry price and includes more on it:
- 300 minutes instead of 250, and call transfers to your team on every plan (Marlie's start at $99).
- Extra minutes in buckets instead of per-minute overage: 150 for $25, 300 for $50, 600 for $100 or 1,200 for $200.
- Live calendar booking (Google Calendar, Outlook, Cal.com, Calendly) on the $99 Pro plan with 700 minutes.
- Keep, forward or port your number, with 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), all with a 7-day free trial and no contract.
Rosie
Best for quick self-serve setup
Self-serve AI receptionist trained from your Google Business Profile and website. Live booking and transfers start on the $149 Scale plan.
"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."
Checked October 2, 2026 on heyrosie.com. Prices change; confirm before you buy.
Dialzara
Best for the lowest entry price
Per-minute AI receptionist from $29/month for 60 minutes; warm transfers, calendar sync and Spanish start on the $99 plan.
"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."
"Customer service is terrible. Trying to even get a response is really hard."
Checked October 2, 2026 on dialzara.com. Prices change; confirm before you buy.
Upfirst
Best for every feature on every plan
Per-call AI receptionist with transfers, live booking, texting and 35+ languages on every plan, plus a free onboarding call.
"What I like best about Upfirst is their customer support and their willingness to keep improving the platform."
"It's not as personal as having a live receptionist, but it does what we need for now"
Checked October 2, 2026 on upfirst.ai. Prices change; confirm before you buy.
Goodcall
Best for customizable call flows
Self-serve AI phone agent with a call-flow builder, billed per unique caller with unlimited minutes. US only.
"Their on time Customer Services Their numerios Features best part it is easy to use"
"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."
Checked October 2, 2026 on goodcall.com. Prices change; confirm before you buy.
NextPhone
Best for unlimited calls with no overage
AI receptionist with unlimited calls and no per-minute or overage fees from $199/month; done-for-you setup from $299.
Checked October 2, 2026 on getnextphone.com. Prices change; confirm before you buy.
Phonely
Best free plan to try
Per-minute AI phone agent with a free plan (100 minutes), unlimited simultaneous calls and 50+ languages; Y Combinator-backed.
Checked October 2, 2026 on phonely.ai. Prices change; confirm before you buy.
SkipCalls
Best for the lowest price
Low-cost AI receptionist with unlimited minutes (fair usage) for $19.99/month or $199/year, from a two-person team.
Checked October 2, 2026 on skipcalls.com. Prices change; confirm before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Marlie AI cost?
Marlie costs $49 a month for 250 minutes (Basic), $99 for 500 (Standard), $199 for 1,000 (Pro) and $399 for 2,000 (Premium). Extra minutes cost $0.35 on Basic and Standard, $0.30 on Pro and $0.25 on Premium. Eligible new customers get 14 days free, with a card required at checkout.
Can Marlie transfer calls and book appointments?
On the $99 Standard plan and up. The $49 Basic plan texts callers a link and has no call transfer. Standard adds calendar booking and transfers to one number, and Pro adds routing to departments.
Are there Marlie AI reviews?
Not yet on the major review sites. As of October 2026, Marlie had no reviews on Trustpilot, G2 or Capterra and no BBB profile. Its website says it has handled more than a million calls.
What is the best Marlie AI alternative?
Zinng is the closest alternative for most small businesses: $49 a month for 300 minutes with call transfers included on every plan and extra minutes in buckets from $25. Rosie and Dialzara are other per-minute options, and Upfirst puts every feature on every plan with per-call pricing.
Sources: marlie.ai/pricing, Marlie's FAQ, integrations and about pages, checked October 2, 2026. Each alternative's card links to its pricing page. No affiliate links. Compare more on our AI receptionist alternatives page.
