At a glance
A Quo seat at $28 a month ($19 billed yearly), plus Sona: about 10 calls free, then $25 for 40 up to $199 for 600.
Only works inside Quo; transfers, CRM sync and HIPAA need the $39 Business plan ($27 billed yearly).
Zinng: works with any phone, $49 for 300 minutes, call transfers on every plan.
The short answer
Sona is a good deal if you already use Quo (formerly OpenPhone): about 10 calls a month are free, and paid tiers are cheap per call. But it only works inside Quo, and transfers, CRM sync and HIPAA need Quo's Business plan.
If you'd rather keep your current phone setup, Zinng works with any phone and includes 300 minutes for $49, call transfers included.
Quo and Sona pricing per user (checked October 2026)
Sona's cost has two parts: a Quo seat for each user, and a Sona usage tier for the AI calls.
- Quo seat, per user per month: Starter $28 ($19 billed yearly), Business $39 ($27 yearly), Scale $48 ($36 yearly).
- Sona tiers: free for about 10 calls, then $25 for 40 calls, $49 for 100, $99 for 250 and $199 for 600.
- Overage: $1.00 per call on the free tier, dropping to $0.45 on the top tier. Overage is off by default, and calls under 15 seconds aren't billed.
- Extra fees: a $19.50 one-time carrier review if you text, a $1.50 to $3 monthly messaging fee, and $5 a month per extra number.
One thing to watch: the "Compare plans" table lower on Quo's pricing page still lists older, lower prices. The plan cards at the top are what you're charged, so that's what we quote.
What 100 AI-answered calls a month really costs: $77 on Starter ($28 seat plus the $49 tier), or $88 on Business if you need call transfers. Billed yearly, that's $68 or $76.
Quo has a 7-day free trial, but Sona needs a paid Quo plan; eligible accounts then get a 7-day Sona trial that converts to paid unless you cancel. You can port your number to Quo for free.
Sona by Quo (formerly OpenPhone)
Best if you already use Quo (OpenPhone)
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).
"Our recent support request was prompt, knowledgeable, and addressed all of our issues. Pleased with the support Quo has provided us."
"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."
Checked October 9, 2026 on quo.com. Prices change; confirm before you buy.
The ratings and review quotes above are for Quo as a whole, not Sona specifically: 4.1 on Trustpilot (1,066 reviews), 4.7 on G2 (3,415), 4.2 on Capterra (64) and an A+ with the BBB.
What Sona can't do
- It only works in Quo. Quo's own FAQ: Sona doesn't work with other phone systems.
- Inbound only. Sona answers incoming calls; it doesn't make calls.
- No live booking. It sends scheduling links rather than booking into your calendar during the call.
- Three languages, no switching. English, Spanish and French, and it can't change language mid-call.
- Plan gating. Call transfers, HubSpot and Salesforce, and the HIPAA BAA are listed on Business ($39 a seat, or $27 billed yearly) and up.
What Quo users say about Sona
Sona doesn't have its own reviews on G2 or Trustpilot, so we went to the Quo and OpenPhone communities on Reddit. Feedback is mixed, and the common thread is setup effort.
The harshest post says Sona's call summaries leave out the caller's name and number, so you end up digging through the transcript. "A VM is better if this is what it is," the poster wrote, and went back to voicemail.
Another user likes the direction but not the billing model. Sona charges per call, so a 20-second question costs the same as a 5-minute conversation.
It isn't all negative. One OpenPhone user says callers kept hanging up on Sona's original greeting, a "90% disconnect rate," until they shortened it to "Company X, how can I help?" After that, callers stayed on and praised it.
The takeaway: Sona can work well, but expect to spend time tuning its greeting and instructions yourself.
Sona vs standalone AI receptionists
Entry plans side by side. Scroll sideways on a phone to see every column.
| Service | Starts at | Includes | Billing | Setup | Free trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sona by Quo (formerly OpenPhone) | $28/mo | 10 calls | Per call | Self-serve | 7 days (paid Quo plan) |
| 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 |
| RingCentral AI Receptionist (AIR) | $49/mo | 100 minutes | Per minute | Self-serve | 14 days |
| 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 |
The best Sona alternatives
1. Zinng: works with the phone you already have
Zinng doesn't make you switch phone systems:
- $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.
- Live calendar booking on the $99 Pro plan (Google Calendar, Outlook, Cal.com, Calendly).
- 63 languages and dialects, two-way texting, a website chat widget, and every call recorded and transcribed.
- Keep your number by forwarding or porting it, with 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.
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.
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.
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.
RingCentral AI Receptionist (AIR)
Best if you already use RingCentral
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.
"Mikey yesterday provided us with Customer Service of the utmost Excellence when we had an urgent need with one of our self-storage locations"
"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"
Checked October 2, 2026 on ringcentral.com. Prices change; confirm before you buy.
Compared with Sona: RingCentral's AI receptionist also comes from a phone company, but its standalone plan works with any phone. See our RingCentral AIR alternatives review.
Smith.ai AI Receptionist
Best for AI with live human backup
Per-call AI receptionist with a free tier; calls can be escalated to Smith.ai's live agents for $3 extra. Native Clio integration.
"I do appreciate that our calls get answered 24/7. Occasional missed calls generally go to a voicemail."
"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..."
Checked October 2, 2026 on smith.ai. 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.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Sona cost?
Sona is included free on every Quo plan for about 10 calls a month. Paid tiers are $25 a month for 40 calls, $49 for 100, $99 for 250 and $199 for 600, with overage from $1.00 down to $0.45 per call. You also need a Quo seat: Starter is $28 a month ($19 billed yearly) and Business is $39 ($27 yearly). So 100 Sona calls a month costs about $77 on Starter or $88 on Business, or $68 and $76 billed yearly.
How much is Quo per user per month?
As of October 2026, Quo (formerly OpenPhone) costs $28 per user per month on Starter, $39 on Business and $48 on Scale with monthly billing, or $19, $27 and $36 per user per month billed yearly. Every plan includes the Sona AI agent with about 10 free AI-answered calls a month.
Is Sona the same as OpenPhone?
No. OpenPhone is now called Quo (it rebranded in September 2025), and Sona is the AI agent built into Quo. Sona only works inside Quo, so using Sona means using Quo as your phone system.
What can't Sona do?
Sona answers inbound calls only, sends scheduling links instead of booking appointments live, and speaks English, Spanish and French but can't switch languages mid-call. Call transfers, HubSpot and Salesforce integrations and the HIPAA BAA are listed on Quo's Business plan and up.
What is the best Sona alternative?
If you don't want to switch phone systems, Zinng works with any phone through forwarding or porting: $49 a month for 300 minutes, call transfers on every plan, two-way texting, and live calendar booking on the $99 plan. Extra minutes come in buckets from $25 for 150.
Sources: quo.com/pricing, quo.com/sona, Quo's integrations, HIPAA and Sona help pages, Trustpilot, G2, Capterra and the BBB, checked October 2, 2026; Quo's plan prices and Sona tiers rechecked and screenshotted October 9, 2026. User feedback is from public posts in r/quo and r/openphone, linked under each screenshot. No affiliate links. Compare more on our AI receptionist alternatives page.
