Free AI receptionists: plans, trials and test agents
Of the 51 AI receptionists we track, 2 offer a free plan you can keep using, 21 offer a free trial and 1 lets you build and test an agent before you pay. Here are the terms of each and what the first paid plan costs.
Terms checked against vendor pages as of October 15, 2026
- Free plan
- 2
- Free trial
- 21
- No card needed
- 7
AI receptionists you can try free
Free plans first, then test agents and trials. Terms are as each vendor states them.
| Vendor | What's free | Terms | First paid plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phonely | Free plan | Free plan with 100 minutes a month and a free phone number; the pricing FAQ says no payment is required | $50/moStarter |
| Smith.ai | Free plan | No time-limited trial; a free tier with 25 calls/month is offered (credit card required at signup) | $150/moPro |
| echowin | Free creditsNo card needed | No time-limited trial. Building and testing are free with starting credits (the pricing page shows $5 on the plan card and $10 in its sign-up offer), no credit card. Phone numbers cost $10/month each, and the quick start guide says a paid plan is needed for phone numbers. | $45/moBundle 1 |
| Newo.ai | Free creditsNo card needed | No time-limited trial; new accounts get 50 free units once on Pay As You Go, and no card is needed to start | $299/moAI Receptionist |
| Goodcall | Free test agent | No free trial; a free demo agent can be built and tested, and billing starts when a phone number is connected | $79/moStarter |
| Abby Connect | Free trial | 14 days or 500 Abby Minutes, whichever comes first; payment method required | $165/moStarter |
| AI Recepts | Free trialNo card needed | 7 days, no credit card required | $69/moStarter |
| Allo | Free trial | 7 days | $32/user/moAI Receptionist add-on |
| Aloware | Free trialNo card needed | 7 days, no credit card required | $40/user/moiPro + AI |
| Beside | Free trial | 7 days on the Unlimited plan (payment method required); none on Baseline | $29/moBaseline |
| CloudTalk AI Voice Agents | Free trial | 14 days, including 50 AI Voice Agent minutes | $124/moAI Receptionist 200-minute bundle ($99) plus one CloudTalk seat (from $25/user/month) |
| Dentina | Free trial | 30 days | $299/mo billed annuallyStandard (Inbound) |
| Dialzara | Free trial | 7 days (inbound voice plans) | $29/moBusiness Lite |
| Hostie | Free trial | Free trial offered from the site navigation and features page; length and terms not stated | Quote |
| JustCall AI Voice Agent | Free trialNo card needed | Free trial with 30 minutes of AI agent time, no credit card required | $99/mo100-minute bundle |
| My AI Front Desk (Frontdesk) | Free trialNo card needed | 7 days on the pricing page; the homepage FAQ also describes a free plan with limited monthly usage and no credit card | $79/mo billed annuallyBusiness-in-a-Box (annual) |
| Nextiva XBert AI Receptionist | Free trial | 14 days (per Nextiva XBert and promo pages); 30-day money-back guarantee | $99/moXBert AI |
| NextPhone | Free trial | 7 days (Pro plan) | $199/moPro |
| PupPilot | Free trial | One week, starting after a configuration call; nothing to sign | Quote |
| Quo Sona (formerly OpenPhone) | Free trial | 7-day Quo free trial (Quo’s Sona help article says the trial includes unlimited Sona calls); paid Sona tiers cannot be bought during the trial | $25/moTier 2 |
| RingCentral AI Receptionist (AIR) | Free trial | 14 days | $39/moAIR add-on (RingEX customers) |
| Rosie | Free trial | 7 days | $49/moProfessional |
| Simple Phones | Free trial | 14 days | $97/moStarting plan |
| Trillet | Free trial | 7 days on Studio and Agency (card required; $12 usage credit on Studio, $24 on Agency) | $49/moAI Receptionist |
| Upfirst | Free trialNo card needed | 14 days, no credit card required | $24.95/moStarter |
| Zoom Virtual Agent Receptionist | Free trial | Free trial offered for both the standalone plan and the Zoom Phone bundle (length not stated) | $25/mo billed annuallyReceptionist with Any Phone (annual) |
25 more don't offer a free option or don't say whether they do; some offer a money-back guarantee instead, which we don't count as free. Compare all 51 or price them at your call volume.
Build your own on a free tier
Voice agent platforms where you set up the agent, the phone number and the call flow yourself.
| Vendor | What's free | Terms | Then |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bland AI | Free planNo card needed | Start plan includes 2 credits and an inbound number, no card required | $0.14/min |
| ElevenLabs Agents (ElevenAgents) | Free plan | Free plan with 15 call minutes per month | $0.08/min |
| LiveKit | Free planNo card needed | Build plan is free with no credit card required | $0.01/min |
| Retell AI | Free credits | $10 in free credits on sign-up | $0.07/min |
| Vapi | Free credits | $5 in free credits | $0.05/min |
| Lindy | Free trialNo card needed | $50 in free credits that last 7 days, no credit card required; the current pages don’t say whether phone calls are included | $49.99/user/moTeam |
| Voiceflow | Free trialNo card needed | Free trial, no credit card required (agencies and partners track) | Quote |
A platform's per-minute rate may not include the language model, voice or phone line. Compare AI voice agent platforms
Before you start a trial
- Card and renewal
- Whether the trial needs a card, and when billing starts if you don't cancel.
- Trial limits
- Days, calls or minutes. Make sure the trial covers your busiest days.
- Your phone number
- Forwarding your existing number is easier to undo than porting it during a trial.
- Features on the trial
- Whether the booking and integrations you need work before you pay.
What free plans leave out
Free plans cap calls or minutes each month, and the overage rate on a free plan can be higher than on a paid one. Check the per-call or per-minute price past the limit, not only the monthly fee.
For a business that gets regular calls, the useful number is the monthly cost at your call volume. See costs at 100 to 500 calls a month.
Questions
Is there a free AI receptionist?
Phonely and Smith.ai have a free plan with a monthly limit. 21 offer a free trial, and Goodcall lets you build and test an agent for free before you connect a phone number. The rest either don't offer one or don't say.
Which AI receptionist trials don't need a credit card?
echowin, Newo.ai, AI Recepts, Aloware, JustCall AI Voice Agent, My AI Front Desk (Frontdesk) and Upfirst say no card is needed to start. Smith.ai, Abby Connect, Beside and Trillet ask for a payment method at signup.
How long are AI receptionist free trials?
Where the length is published, from 7 to 30 days; 7 days is the most common. Some also cap minutes or calls.
Can I build my own AI receptionist for free?
You can start on a developer platform's free tier. Bland AI, ElevenLabs Agents (ElevenAgents) and LiveKit have a free plan. Retell AI and Vapi give free credits to start. Lindy and Voiceflow offer a free trial. You set up the agent, the phone number and the call flow yourself, and pay for usage past the free allowance.