Comparison
Frontdesk alternatives: 6 options compared
The usual reasons to look past Frontdesk, formerly My AI Front Desk, are in its plan: one $99 bundle of calls, chat and texts, whether or not you use more than the calls, and a setup that runs on the web, with no native app found. Its Trustpilot reviewers add charges after asking to cancel and refused refunds. A few want the bundle with a different trade-off.
At 75 two-minute calls a month, Frontdesk costs $99 (October 2026). Below, six alternatives with what each would cost at that volume, who each suits, and the catch.
The alternatives at a glance
| Service | Best for | Entry price | At 75 calls | Books and puts calls through at that price? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juney | Calls only, set up and run from a phone | $49 a month for 150 minutes | $49 | Yes |
| Rosie | A website chat widget and an app, for $49 | $49 a month for 250 minutes | $49 | Booking links by text; no booking or transfers |
| Dialzara | Picking the add-ons you need | $29 a month for 60 minutes | $72.20 | Blind transfers; no calendar sync |
| Beside | Replies to texts, in an app | $29 a month for 30 calls | $99 | Yes |
| Upfirst | Many languages and calendars, billed per call | $24.95 a month for 30 calls | $59.95 | Yes |
| Smith.ai | CRM connections and a person when needed | Free for 25 calls | $150 | Yes |
US dollars a month, from each service's own pricing page (checked October 22, 2026). 75 calls of 2 minutes, on the cheapest plan for that month, before tax and carrier charges.
Why do people look for a Frontdesk alternative?
Frontdesk's reviews are mixed: 3.4 out of 5 from 19 reviews on Trustpilot (October 2026), with 58% five-star and 21% one-star. Reviewers praise round-the-clock answering and easy setup. The complaints that come up are charges after asking to cancel, refused refunds, errors creating an account, and support that fades after the sale. Its terms say refunds generally aren't given.
The price explains more of it. The only self-serve plan is $99 a month with 200 voice minutes, whether or not you use the chatbot, texting and CRM that come with it. Minutes past the allowance come out of a credit pool shared with texts and chats, then $10 top-ups.
When to stay with Frontdesk: you'd use its chatbot and two-way texting as well as the phone, your callers speak languages other than English and Spanish, or two people need to edit the setup. Few services here bundle all of that for one price.
The 6 alternatives
Juney: best for calls only, set up and run from a phone
It answers calls and nothing else, for about half Frontdesk's price: $49 a month for 150 minutes, with extra minutes bought as top-ups, $20 for 100, instead of drawn from credits. A 75-call month of two-minute calls is $49 against Frontdesk's $99. Bookings go straight into your Google Calendar, not a separate built-in one, and urgent callers go through to a number you choose. Everything is in a phone app, and Ring me first rings you in the Juney app for about 15 seconds before she answers.
The catch: no chatbot, no two-way texting, no CRM, English only, and one transfer number with no backups.
Rosie: best for a website chat widget and an app, for $49
Rosie keeps part of Frontdesk's bundle for less: $49 a month for 250 minutes, with a website chat widget included and website texting as a paid add-on. That's more minutes than Frontdesk's 200 at a lower price, and 75 calls cost $49. Where Frontdesk is a web app with no store listing, Rosie has native iPhone and Android apps next to its dashboard. It answers in English and Spanish.
The catch: the entry plan sends booking links rather than booking, which waits for $149 along with transfers, and a busy month moves you up a plan.
Dialzara: best for picking the add-ons you need
Dialzara unbundles what Frontdesk sells as one plan. Calls start at $29 a month for 60 minutes, a texting agent is $19 a month plus 5¢ a message, and a website chatbot comes free with any voice plan for 100 sessions a month, so you pay for texting only if you use it. A 75-call month is $72.20 on the entry plan, or $99 once you step up to the plan that adds Google or Outlook sync, warm transfers and Spanish.
The catch: web dashboard only, and the entry plan charges 48¢ a minute once its 60 run out.
Beside: best for replies to texts, in an app
Beside is the nearest app-first match for Frontdesk's two-way texting: its AI replies to inbound texts as well as answering calls, and it links to HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho CRM and Follow Up Boss in place of Frontdesk's built-in CRM. Pricing is flat rather than credit-based: $29 for 30 AI-answered calls, or $99 with no cap; 75 calls land on the uncapped plan, at $99. Its app can ring you before the AI answers.
The catch: its lines work in the US and Canada only, and the $29 plan comes without a trial.
Upfirst: best for many languages and calendars, billed per call
Upfirst matches Frontdesk on languages, with 35+ of them, but drops the chatbot and texting bundle. It books straight into Google, Outlook, Calendly, Acuity, Square or Clio, where Frontdesk keeps its own calendar synced with Google. Billing is per call, not per minute: $24.95 a month for 30 calls, and $59.95 for 75 calls, with spam, silent calls and calls under 15 seconds left off the bill. Its trial is 14 days, a week longer than Frontdesk's.
The catch: it's set up on the web with no app, and a quick question costs as much as a long booking call.
Smith.ai: best for cRM connections and a person when needed
Smith.ai suits a business that used Frontdesk's CRM side: it links to Clio, Salesforce and HubSpot, and its Hybrid plans pass some calls to live receptionists, which Frontdesk doesn't offer. Its free plan covers 25 calls a month (card required). After that it counts calls, not credits, and 75 calls cost $150 against Frontdesk's $99. Calls arrive on a dedicated Smith.ai number, answered in English or Spanish.
The catch: texting isn't on its AI plans' feature list, and those plans need 30 days' notice to cancel.
Which Frontdesk alternative should you pick?
- You only need calls answered: Juney, set up on your phone, or Upfirst if callers speak other languages.
- You want a website chat widget too: Rosie, which includes one at $49.
- You want texting, but only if you use it: Dialzara, with texting and chat as separate add-ons.
- You want an app that also replies to texts: Beside, in the US and Canada.
- Some callers need a person, or your intake runs through a CRM: Smith.ai.
What's the Best AI Answering Service for a Small Business in 2026? weighs these and others on seven checks.
How do you switch from Frontdesk?
- List what you use Frontdesk for: calls only, or also the chatbot, texting and CRM. Each part needs a home before you cancel.
- Start the new service's trial while Frontdesk is still answering.
- Set it up and test it with calls of your own: a booking, a price question, an urgent job.
- Move your call forwarding to the new service. If customers ring Frontdesk's own number, publish your business number first.
- Download the call logs you want to keep; Frontdesk's plan holds only the last 200.
- Cancel before your renewal date: access runs to the end of the billing period, and its terms say refunds generally aren't given.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a cheaper alternative to My AI Front Desk?
Yes, if you only need calls answered. At 75 two-minute calls (October 2026), Frontdesk, as My AI Front Desk is now called, costs $99. Juney and Rosie cost $49 and Upfirst $59.95, though Rosie's $49 plan doesn't book or transfer and none of the three includes Frontdesk's chatbot and texting bundle.
Which Frontdesk alternative also handles texts?
Beside replies to inbound texts as well as answering calls, and Dialzara sells a two-way texting agent as an add-on. Juney sends texts out, such as booking links, but doesn't read or reply to them.
Which Frontdesk alternatives have a phone app?
Juney and Beside are built around their phone apps, and Rosie has a native app alongside its web dashboard. Frontdesk, Dialzara, Upfirst and Smith.ai are set up on the web.
Can I keep my number when I leave Frontdesk?
Yes, if you forwarded your own number to Frontdesk: forward it to the new service instead. If customers have been ringing the number Frontdesk gave you, switch your website and listings back to your own number first, because Juney works by forwarding your number and doesn't port.
