At a glance
No longer sold. Toma left the automotive industry on September 1, 2026.
Dealers that used Toma need a replacement now; its pricing and auto pages are gone.
Numa for full dealership platforms; Zinng from $49 for shops that need every call answered.
What happened to Toma
Toma, the Y Combinator and a16z-backed company that sold AI voice agents to car dealerships, has left the auto industry. Its legacy site now says: "As of September 1, 2026, Toma no longer services the automotive industry." The main site presents Toma as an applied research company, and its pricing and automotive pages are gone.
Toma's dealership agents answered calls, booked service appointments and handled inventory questions. If you relied on it, you need a replacement. Numa is the closest dealership-specific option; for shops that mainly need every call answered, Zinng starts at $49 a month.
If you used Toma
- Check where your calls go. If your main or service line was forwarded to Toma, make sure calls now ring a person or a new provider.
- Pick by call type. Dealerships needing DMS and CRM integrations should look at dealership platforms. Independent repair shops, detailers and small lots usually just need calls answered, questions handled, transfers and messages.
- Keep your number. Most AI receptionists, including Zinng, work by forwarding your existing number, so customers keep calling the same line.
Toma replacements compared
Entry plans side by side. Scroll sideways on a phone to see every column.
| Service | Starts at | Includes | Billing | Setup | Free trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zinng | $49/mo | 300 minutes | Per minute + extra-minute buckets ($25 for 150) | Self-serve + free help | 7 days |
| Numa | Not published | See card | Not published | Demo only | Demo only |
| Smith.ai AI Receptionist | Free | 25 calls | Per call | Self-serve + help | Free plan (25 calls) |
| Goodcall | $79/mo | 100 unique callers | Per unique caller | Self-serve | Not published |
| Rosie | $49/mo | 250 minutes | Minute plans (auto-upgrade) | Self-serve | 7 days |
| Upfirst | $24.95/mo | 30 calls | Per call | Self-serve + help | 14 days, no card |
| Phonely | Free | 100 minutes | Per minute | Self-serve | Free plan |
| RingCentral AI Receptionist (AIR) | $49/mo | 100 minutes | Per minute | Self-serve | 14 days |
The best Toma alternatives
1. Zinng: every call answered, from $49
Zinng suits repair shops, detailers and smaller dealers:
- $49 for 300 minutes or $99 for 700, with call transfers to sales or service on every plan.
- Live calendar booking on the $99 Pro plan (Google Calendar, Outlook, Cal.com, Calendly).
- Two-way texting, a website chat widget and 63 languages, with every call recorded and transcribed.
- Extra minutes in buckets: 150 for $25, 300 for $50, 600 for $100 or 1,200 for $200.
- Free setup help. Keep your number by forwarding or porting it.
Zinng doesn't connect to dealership DMS systems. Plans: $49 (300 minutes), $99 (700), $149 (1,000) and $249 (2,000), all with a 7-day free trial and no contract.
Numa
Car dealerships only
AI operating system for car dealerships. Numa pivoted away from general small businesses and no longer markets its SMB phone assistant.
Checked October 2, 2026 on numa.com (no public pricing). Prices change; confirm before you buy.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Frequently asked questions
Is Toma still in business?
Toma the company still exists, but it no longer serves car dealerships. A banner on its legacy site says: As of September 1, 2026, Toma no longer services the automotive industry. Its main site now presents Toma as an applied research company, and its pricing page has been removed.
What did Toma do?
Toma, a Y Combinator company backed by a16z, sold AI voice agents to car dealerships that answered calls, booked service appointments and handled inventory questions. It had raised $17 million as of June 2025.
What can dealerships use instead of Toma?
Numa is the closest dealership-specific replacement. For independent repair shops, detailers and smaller dealers that mainly need every call answered, transferred or turned into a message, general AI receptionists like Zinng ($49 a month for 300 minutes) cost far less.
Sources: legacy.toma.com (shutdown banner), toma.com, Toma's Y Combinator page and TechCrunch, checked October 2, 2026. No affiliate links. Compare more on our AI receptionist alternatives page.
