One monthly price.
$299 for 200 minutes or $499 for 1,000. No per-call fees for booking or alerts, and going over never moves you to a pricier plan.
Compare AI receptionists
The low price is the start. Count what comes after.
How Smith.ai, Ruby (live people), Goodcall, Rosie and Reception charge, compared with Colin, our AI receptionist. Every fact comes from each company's own website, as of October 2026.
Side by side
How they compare.
As of October 2026, from each company's own website. Prices change, so check with them before you decide.
| What we compared | Done for youColin | Smith.ai | Ruby (live people) | Goodcall | Rosie | Reception |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Flat monthly$299 for 200 minutes, or $499 for 1,000 minutes with Colin Front Desk. | Per call, free tierBilled per call. Free plan covers 25 calls; paid starts at $150 for 75 calls. | Per minute, from $250$250 a month for 50 minutes. Calls round up to whole minutes, including hold time. | Per caller, from $79$79 a month per agent covers 100 unique callers. Spam and wrong numbers don't count. | Flat monthly, minutes included$49 a month for 250 minutes. Calls round up to the next full minute. | Credits, from $29 plus tax$29 a month buys 75 credits: one per phone minute. Unused credits don't roll over. |
| When you go over | A set rate, never a new plan$1.50 a minute on Colin, capped at the Front Desk price. $1 a minute on Front Desk. | $2.10 to $3.00 per callExtra calls cost $2.10 to $3.00 each, depending on the plan. | Ask them | Charged per extra caller79 cents per extra caller on Starter, 26 cents on Growth, 15 cents on Scale. | Moves you to a pricier planGo over and you're moved up a plan for at least three billing periods. | 45 cents per extra minuteExtra minutes cost 45, 38 or 30 cents, depending on the plan. |
| Booking, texts and alerts | Included on Front DeskBooking, transfers, hot-lead alerts, your CRM and team chat. No per-call fees. | Included; human help extraBooking, confirmation texts and transfer alerts included. Live human help costs extra per call. | Included, but uses minutesBooking and alerts included, but work after the call uses your minutes. | Books and texts, one wayBooks on your calendar and sends you leads. Callers can't text back. | Booking needs the $149 planCall alerts on every plan. Booking and texting callers start at $149 a month. | Booking included, texts need setupBooking and email alerts included. Texting callers needs your own tech setup. |
| Who sets it up | Done for youOur team builds, tests and tunes Colin around your business. | DIY unless EnterpriseYou set it up on Free and Pro. Done-for-you setup starts at $500 a month. | Done for you, freeTheir team sets up how calls are handled, with no setup fees. | You set it upYou build it yourself with a setup assistant. Hands-on onboarding only on Enterprise. | Do it yourself, help at $299You set it up yourself. A setup specialist comes only with the $299 plan. | You set it upSelf-serve on every plan, in about five minutes. |
| Books from your space's live availability | Your real rooms and toursWith Fortavo Spaces, Colin checks live availability and books for you. | Time slots on a calendarBooks a time slot on someone's calendar through a separate booking tool. | Appointments on your calendarA receptionist books appointments in your existing online calendar. | Time slots on a calendarBooks times on your calendar, or a booking system you connect yourself. | Time slots on a calendarOffers a few open times and books them on your calendar, from $149 a month. | Rooms, in its own schedulerCan book rooms or equipment, but only ones you set up in its own scheduler. |
| Wins for you | 5 of 5 | 0 of 5 | Ask them | 0 of 5 | 0 of 5 | 0 of 5 |
Hear the difference. Call Colin now, or sign up online in a few minutes.
Why Colin
A front desk, not a phone bot.
Built and tuned by our team.
We learn how your business handles calls, build and test Colin, then keep tuning him. You don't get a login and a to-do list.
Top-tier AI.
Colin runs on top-tier AI, not a budget model, so he reasons through real questions. He takes more than one call at a time and can speak a second language.
Knows your space.
With Fortavo Spaces, Colin checks your real availability and books tours and rooms, not just a time slot on someone's calendar.
Questions
Comparing, fairly.
Why does Colin cost more than some AI receptionists?
Because it's done for you and the price covers what others charge extra for. Our team builds and tunes Colin, Front Desk includes booking, transfers and alerts, and going over is a set rate, not a forced upgrade.
What happens if I go over my minutes?
Colin is $299 for 200 minutes, then $1.50 a minute, and never more than Front Desk in a month. Front Desk is $499 for 1,000 minutes, then $1 a minute. We tell you before you get there.
Is there a free trial?
No. Our team does the setup work, training Colin on your business, so it's paid from day one. You can call the live demo any time to hear him first.
What should I ask an AI receptionist before I sign?
Ask how calls are counted, what happens when you go over, whether booking and texts cost extra, and who sets it up. Get it in writing.
Where do the facts come from?
Each company's own public website, checked in the month shown on the page. Prices and plans change, so confirm with them before you decide. Where we couldn't confirm something, the table says "Ask them".
Hear him first
Call Colin and ask him anything.
Then book a call and we'll set him up on your line, usually within a couple of business days.