At a glance
$24.95/mo for 30 calls up to $299 for 600, every feature included. 14-day trial, no card.
Per-call billing: short calls cost as much as long ones, so busy phones add up fast.
Zinng: $49 for 300 minutes or $99 for 700, billed per minute, call transfers included.
The short answer
Upfirst is one of the better-reviewed AI receptionists: every feature on every plan, a 14-day free trial with no card, and plans from $24.95 a month for 30 calls. The main thing to weigh is that it bills per call, so every quick question or short call costs as much as a long one.
If you get more than about 90 calls a month, Zinng's per-minute plans often cost less: $49 for 300 minutes or $99 for 700. Below are Upfirst's verified prices and the alternatives worth comparing.
Upfirst pricing and reviews (checked October 2026)
Upfirst (Upfirst, Inc., Miami) was founded by Gene Sigalov and Felix Dubinsky, who previously built SimpleTexting. You can set it up in under 10 minutes and get a free 30-minute onboarding call. Every plan comes with a phone number; you can forward your existing line or port your number for free.
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.
Reviews: 4.9 on G2 from 26 reviews, 5.0 on Capterra from 12, and an A rating with the BBB. We couldn't find a single negative review; the mildest criticism is that "it's not as personal as having a live receptionist." HIPAA Business Associate Agreements are offered on enterprise and custom plans.
Per call vs per minute: which costs less?
The real difference between Upfirst and most alternatives is how calls are counted. Upfirst charges per call. Zinng and many others charge per minute.
- Under 30 calls a month: Upfirst's $24.95 Starter plan is cheaper than any paid per-minute plan here.
- Around 90 calls: Upfirst Premium costs $59.95. If those calls average 3 minutes (270 minutes), they fit in Zinng's $49 plan.
- Around 300 calls: Upfirst Pro costs $159.95. At 2 minutes a call (600 minutes), Zinng's $99 Pro plan covers it.
- Mostly long calls: per-call billing works in your favor, because a 10-minute call costs the same as a 1-minute one.
Upfirst 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upfirst | $24.95/mo | 30 calls | Per call | Self-serve + help | 14 days, no card |
| Zinng | $49/mo | 300 minutes | Per minute + extra-minute buckets ($25 for 150) | Self-serve + free help | 7 days |
| Aira | $24.95/mo | 30 calls | Per call | Self-serve + help | Not published |
| 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) |
| 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 |
The best Upfirst alternatives
1. Zinng: per-minute billing for busier phones
Zinng is the alternative if your calls are mostly short or your volume is high:
- $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.
- 63 languages and dialects, two-way texting, a website chat widget, and 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.
Aira
Best for a built-in CRM with per-call pricing
Per-call AI receptionist (getaira.io) with a free number, transfers, texting and a built-in CRM. Its plans match Upfirst's exactly.
Checked October 2, 2026 on getaira.io. Prices change; confirm before you buy.
Compared with Upfirst: Aira's four plans, prices and per-call overage match Upfirst's exactly. Upfirst has published reviews and a clear 14-day trial; Aira has neither yet. See our Aira alternatives review.
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.
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.
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.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Upfirst cost?
Upfirst costs $24.95 a month for 30 calls (Starter), $59.95 for 90 (Premium), $159.95 for 300 (Pro) and $299 for 600 (Scale), with extra calls at $1.50, $1.00, $0.75 and $0.70. Annual billing saves 20%. Every plan includes transfers, booking, texting, recordings and 35+ languages, and there's a 14-day free trial with no credit card.
Is Upfirst any good?
Upfirst has strong reviews: 4.9 on G2 from 26 reviews, 5.0 on Capterra from 12 and an A rating with the BBB. It's run by the founders of SimpleTexting and is based in Miami.
Is Upfirst billed per call or per minute?
Per call. Each call counts the same regardless of length, which is good value for long calls but expensive if you get lots of short ones, like quick questions or spam that slips through.
What is the best Upfirst alternative?
If you get more than about 90 calls a month, Zinng's per-minute plans often cost less: $49 for 300 minutes or $99 for 700, with call transfers included and extra minutes in buckets. For very low call volume, Upfirst's $24.95 Starter plan is hard to beat.
Sources: upfirst.ai/pricing, Upfirst's about page, G2, Capterra and the BBB, checked October 2, 2026. No affiliate links. Compare more on our AI receptionist alternatives page.
