RingCentral AI Receptionist (AIR) Alternatives (2026): Pricing and Options Compared

What RingCentral's AI receptionist really costs once you pass 100 minutes, and the alternatives that include more. Prices checked against each company's pricing page in October 2026.

Written by Timothy Bramlett ·

At a glance

What it costs

$49/mo for 100 minutes standalone, or $39 on top of a RingEX seat. 14-day trial.

The catch

Every minute past 100 costs $0.50, so 300 minutes runs about $149 a month.

Best alternative

Zinng: $49 for 300 minutes, call transfers included, extra minutes in buckets from $25.

The short answer

RingCentral AIR is a capable AI receptionist from a big, established phone company, and it no longer requires RingCentral's phone system. The catch is the minutes: 100 included, then $0.50 for every extra minute, which adds up quickly for a busy line.

Zinng includes 300 minutes for $49, and extra minutes cost about a third as much. If you already live inside RingCentral, AIR is the convenient choice. If not, compare the options below.

RingCentral AIR pricing (checked October 2026)

AIR comes two ways, both with 100 minutes and a 14-day free trial:

  • Standalone: $49/month. Works with any phone through call forwarding or SIP. Keep your number or get a new local one.
  • Add-on: $39/month on top of RingEX. RingEX Core is $30 a month per user ($20 billed annually), so the bundle RingCentral shows is $69.

Extra minutes are $0.50 each, rounded up in 30-second increments, and you can buy minute bundles. AIR trains on your website, FAQs or Google Business Profile, transfers to users, queues or outside numbers, texts callers, and books through Google or Outlook calendars. It speaks English, French, Spanish, Italian, German and Portuguese and switches languages automatically.

RingCentral AI Receptionist (AIR)

Best if you already use RingCentral
Trustpilot ★ 1.7 (2001) G2 No rating found Capterra No rating found BBB A+
RingCentral AI Receptionist (AIR) homepage, captured October 2026
Homepage · click to enlarge

RingCentral's AI receptionist, sold standalone from $49/month for 100 minutes or as a $39 add-on to a RingEX phone seat. Extra minutes cost $0.50.

Billing
Per minute
Setup
Self-serve
Free trial
14 days
Contract
Not published
AIR standalone
$49/mo
Includes: 100 minutes
Extra usage: $0.50 per minute
Works with any phone via forwarding; billed in 30-second increments
AIR + RingEX Core seat
$69/mo
Includes: 100 minutes
Extra usage: $0.50 per minute
$39 AIR add-on + $30 RingEX Core seat ($59 with Core billed annually)
Gives you a number Works with your number Call transfer Books into your calendar Texts callers Native CRM sync Spanish HIPAA
What customers like
"Mikey yesterday provided us with Customer Service of the utmost Excellence when we had an urgent need with one of our self-storage locations"
Trustpilot, October 2026
Common complaint
"A word of advice: DO NOT USE THIS SERVICE. You may get a working number, but when you actually need customer service or help resolving an issue, good luck. I have been trying to cancel my service for over a year"
Trustpilot, October 2026

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

The Trustpilot (1.7 from 2,001 reviews) and BBB (A+) ratings above are for RingCentral as a whole, not AIR specifically. Calendly, Shopify and WhatsApp integrations are listed as coming soon.

What RingCentral AIR costs past 100 minutes

100 minutes is roughly 30 to 50 calls. Here's what AIR costs as volume grows, using RingCentral's published rates:

  • 200 minutes: $99 standalone ($49 + 100 x $0.50). Zinng: $49.
  • 300 minutes: $149 standalone, or $169 on the RingEX bundle. Zinng: $49.
  • 700 minutes: $349 standalone. Zinng Pro: $99, with live calendar booking.

RingCentral AIR 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
RingCentral AI Receptionist (AIR) $49/mo 100 minutes Per minute Self-serve 14 days
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
Goodcall $79/mo 100 unique callers Per unique caller Self-serve Not published
Upfirst $24.95/mo 30 calls Per call Self-serve + help 14 days, no card
Dialzara $29/mo 60 minutes Per minute Self-serve 7 days
Smith.ai AI Receptionist Free 25 calls Per call Self-serve + help Free plan (25 calls)
Sona by Quo (formerly OpenPhone) $28/mo 10 calls Per call Self-serve 7 days (paid Quo plan)
NextPhone $199/mo Unlimited calls Flat rate, unlimited calls Self-serve + help 7 days (Pro)

The best RingCentral AIR alternatives

1. Zinng: three times the minutes for the same price

Zinng works with whatever phone you have now:

  • $49 for 300 minutes or $99 for 700, with call transfers on every plan.
  • Extra minutes in buckets: 150 for $25, 300 for $50, 600 for $100 or 1,200 for $200.
  • Keep your number by forwarding or porting it, or get a new one.
  • Two-way texting, a website chat widget and 63 languages, with every call recorded and transcribed.
  • Live calendar booking on the $99 Pro plan, 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.

2

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.

3

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.

4

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.

5

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.

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

Sona by Quo (formerly OpenPhone)

Best if you already use Quo (OpenPhone)
Trustpilot ★ 4.1 (1066) G2 ★ 4.7 (3415) Capterra ★ 4.2 (64) BBB A+
Sona by Quo (formerly OpenPhone) homepage, captured October 2026
Homepage · click to enlarge

Quo's built-in AI agent, about 10 calls a month free on any Quo plan, then paid tiers from $25 for 40 calls. It only works inside Quo, with a Quo seat from $28/month ($19 billed yearly).

Billing
Per call
Setup
Self-serve
Free trial
7 days (paid Quo plan)
Contract
No contract
Quo Starter + Sona free tier
$28/mo
Includes: 10 calls
Extra usage: $1 per call
$19/mo with Starter billed yearly; call transfers listed under Business
Quo Starter + Sona Tier 3
$77/mo
Includes: 100 calls
Extra usage: $0.65 per call
$28 Starter seat + $49 Sona tier ($68 billed yearly)
Quo Business + Sona Tier 3
$88/mo
Includes: 100 calls
Extra usage: $0.65 per call
$39 Business seat + $49 ($76 billed yearly); adds transfers, HubSpot/Salesforce, HIPAA BAA
Quo Starter + Sona Tier 5
$227/mo
Includes: 600 calls
Extra usage: $0.45 per call
$28 Starter seat + $199 Sona tier ($218 billed yearly)
Gives you a number Works with your number Call transfer Books into your calendar Texts callers Native CRM sync Spanish HIPAA
What customers like
"Our recent support request was prompt, knowledgeable, and addressed all of our issues. Pleased with the support Quo has provided us."
Trustpilot, September 2026
Common complaint
"I ported my primary business number over and now I cannot sent text messages to most of my clients. Customer service includes AI chatbots who are useless, and if you want to actually talk to a human being you'd need to upgrade to the "Scale" plan."
Trustpilot, September 2026

Checked October 9, 2026 on quo.com. Prices change; confirm before you buy.

Compared with AIR: Sona is the same idea from a different phone company. It only works inside Quo, so it suits teams switching phone systems anyway. See our Sona alternatives review.

8

NextPhone

Best for unlimited calls with no overage
Trustpilot No reviews yet G2 ★ 5.0 (23) Capterra ★ 4.8 (6) BBB No rating found
NextPhone homepage, captured October 2026
Homepage · click to enlarge

AI receptionist with unlimited calls and no per-minute or overage fees from $199/month; done-for-you setup from $299.

Billing
Flat rate, unlimited calls
Setup
Self-serve + help
Free trial
7 days (Pro)
Contract
Month-to-month
Pro
$199/mo
Includes: Unlimited calls
Extra usage: No overage (unlimited)
Unlimited calls, no overage; self-serve setup plus a free onboarding call
Growth
$299/mo
Includes: Unlimited calls
Extra usage: No overage (unlimited)
Unlimited calls; done-for-you setup, CRM sync, Zapier/Make/API
Scale
$599/mo
Includes: Unlimited calls
Extra usage: No overage (unlimited)
Unlimited calls; custom routing, two-way texting from your number
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 getnextphone.com. Prices change; confirm before you buy.

Frequently asked questions

How much does RingCentral AIR cost?

RingCentral AI Receptionist (AIR) costs $49 a month standalone with 100 minutes included, or $39 a month as an add-on to a RingEX phone plan (RingEX Core is $30 a month, or $20 billed annually), also with 100 minutes. Extra minutes are $0.50 each, billed in 30-second increments. Both versions have a 14-day free trial.

Do I need RingCentral to use AIR?

No. The standalone plan works with any phone through call forwarding or SIP, and you can keep your number or get a new local one. AIR Everywhere, for third-party phone systems, is in controlled availability in the US and Canada from $59 a month.

What does RingCentral AIR cost at 300 minutes a month?

About $149 a month on the standalone plan ($49 plus 200 extra minutes at $0.50), or $169 on the $69 AIR + RingEX Core bundle. Zinng includes 300 minutes for $49.

What is the best RingCentral AIR alternative?

For small businesses, Zinng includes 300 minutes for $49 a month (three times AIR's 100), with call transfers, two-way texting and free setup help. Extra minutes come in buckets from $25 for 150, about $0.17 a minute instead of $0.50.

Sources: RingCentral AI Receptionist pricing, the RingEX plans page, the AIR product page, Trustpilot and the BBB, checked October 2, 2026. No affiliate links. Compare more on our AI receptionist alternatives page.

Need more than 100 minutes?

Zinng includes 300 minutes for $49, call transfers included, and works with your current phone. 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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