Article · AI Answering Service · Trades · Comparison
AI Receptionist Australia: Which Ones Work for Tradies in 2026
AI receptionist Australia guide: which AI answering services take Australian numbers, what they cost, and forwarding Telstra, Optus or Vodafone calls to one.
TL;DR
- Yes, you can get an AI receptionist in Australia, but check the fine print: several big US services (Beside, Rosie, Goodcall) work only with US or Canadian numbers, as of October 2026.
- Services that do take Australian numbers include Juney, Deskie and Sophiie, and Dialzara offers them on request.
- Prices aren't like for like: Juney quotes US dollars, Deskie shows no currency, and Sophiie doesn't publish a price.
- You keep your number by forwarding it from Telstra, Optus or Vodafone. Check your plan first: some prepaid plans can't forward, and some charge for it.
On this page 9 sections
Many "best AI receptionist" lists are written for American businesses, and some of the services near the top won't give you an Australian number at all. For a tradie, the questions are simpler: will it answer my mobile's calls, does it sound like it belongs here, and what will it cost?
Is there an AI answering service (AI receptionist) available in Australia?
Yes. As of October 2026, several AI answering services take calls on Australian numbers, from Australian-built services such as Deskie and Sophiie to Juney, which works with business numbers in Australia, the US, the UK and Canada. Dialzara, a US service, offers Australian numbers on request.
The catch is that many of the best-known names don't. Beside's help center says "your Beside phone line is US and Canada only". Rosie's terms say its services "are permitted for use in the United States and Canada only". Goodcall's FAQ says "Goodcall numbers are local US numbers today". So check a service's own country page or terms before you sign up, not a list that ranks it first. The wider comparison, for every kind of business, is in What's the Best AI Answering Service for a Small Business in 2026?
Which is the best AI receptionist in Australia for tradies in 2026?
The best one for you takes calls on your Australian number, sounds local, and fits how you work: Juney if you want to run it all from your phone, Deskie if you want text summaries on a per-call allowance, Sophiie if you want quotes and invoices handled too. The last column says who each suits. We checked each service's own pages on 22 October 2026 and quote prices exactly as each page shows them.
| Service | Australian numbers? | Price on its own page | What it does on a call | Best for a tradie who... |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juney | Yes (also US, UK and Canada); Australian accent voices | $49 USD a month for 150 minutes; top-ups of 100 minutes for $20 USD after | Answers in your business name, books Google Calendar, puts urgent calls through, sends a summary | wants to set it up and run it from the phone, and take calls first when they can |
| Deskie | Yes; an Australian business with "a natural Australian voice" | From $149 a month for 60 answered calls (no currency or GST shown) | Takes the caller's details, texts you a summary, books "into your calendar", transfers urgent calls | wants text summaries and a per-call allowance |
| Sophiie | Yes; "the AI virtual receptionist for Australian service businesses" | Not published; book a demo | Answers and books jobs, and also sends quotes, invoices and follow-ups | wants quoting and invoicing handled too |
| Dialzara | On request (every plan includes a US number) | From $29 USD a month for 60 minutes; calendar sync and warm transfers from $99 | Answers, transfers, takes messages | is happy with a US-priced service set up in a web dashboard |
| Beside | No: lines are US and Canada only | n/a | n/a | not available for an Australian line |
| Rosie | No: its terms allow US and Canada only | n/a | n/a | not available for an Australian line |
| Goodcall | No: local US numbers only | n/a | n/a | not available for an Australian line |
We couldn't confirm Australian numbers on Upfirst's own pages when we checked, so ask Upfirst before you rely on it.
Sources (checked 22 October 2026): Deskie pricing and home page, Sophiie, Dialzara pricing, Beside countries, Rosie terms, Goodcall FAQ, Upfirst pricing.
How much does an AI receptionist cost in Australia?
As of October 2026, entry plans for AI receptionists that take Australian calls run from Dialzara's $29 USD to Deskie's $149 a month, but the currencies differ, so compare carefully. Juney's prices are quoted in US dollars. Deskie's page shows dollar figures with no currency or GST note. Dialzara prices in US dollars and doesn't show a price for an Australian local number (it lists Australian toll-free numbers at $20 to $50 a month). Sophiie asks you to book a demo.
What you get for the money differs too:
- Juney: $49 USD a month or $490 USD a year paid upfront, with 150 minutes a month (about 75 calls, depending on call length), then top-ups of 100 minutes for $20 USD, bought in the app, that don't expire. Calls you answer yourself don't use minutes. 7-day free trial with 50 answering minutes; no setup fee or contract.
- Deskie: $149 a month for 60 answered calls, $249 for 150, $499 for 350 and $999 for 700, with top-ups of 30 calls for $75 that stay valid for 12 months. A 14 answered-call free trial, no setup fee and no lock-in contract.
- Dialzara: $29 USD a month for 60 minutes, $99 for 220, then 48¢ and 45¢ USD a minute over; calendar sync and warm transfers start on the $99 plan. 7-day free trial.
- Sophiie: no price on its site.
Two costs sit outside the subscription. Your carrier may charge to forward calls (see the next section), and per-minute and per-call plans both rise in a busy month, so count last month's calls before you choose. Juney's plans and the free trial are on Juney's pricing.
How do you forward Telstra, Optus or Vodafone calls to an AI receptionist?
You switch on call forwarding with your carrier, so customers keep ringing the number on your ute and your quotes. On a mobile, forwarding all calls uses a code like **21* plus the number you're forwarding to, then #; on an iPhone you can also use Settings → Apps → Phone → Call Forwarding. Each carrier publishes its own steps:
- Telstra mobile:
**21*+ number +*11#to switch on,##21#to switch off. Juney's app shows the same*11#code, with the shorter**21*+ number +#as a backup. You can also text "CFU ON" and the number to 144. Telstra says forwarding is "included in all plans with unlimited call allowance". - Optus mobile:
**21*+ number +#to switch on,##21#to switch off, or use the My Optus app. - Vodafone Australia:
**21*+ number +#to switch on,#21#to switch off. Vodafone says there are no extra costs to forward calls in Australia, but prepaid services can only forward to voicemail or Call Catcher. - Telstra home phone (landline): pick up the handset and dial
*21, the number, then#. Dial#21#to switch it off.
Some plans on these networks charge for forwarded calls: amaysim, on the Optus network, lists a per-minute charge for diverted calls. Ask your provider before you rely on it.
With Juney, the app shows your carrier's code with your Juney number already in it: on Android it fills the code into the keypad for you, and on an iPhone you copy it and paste it into the keypad. Your Juney number is a local Australian number. Juney's help center lists every code it uses for Telstra, Optus and Vodafone and the brands on their networks, in countries, carriers and languages.
Carrier sources (checked 22 October 2026): Telstra mobile forwarding, Telstra home phone forwarding, Optus call diversions, Vodafone call forwarding, amaysim call forwarding.
Will it sound Australian to your customers?
It can. Juney's voices are in your business's own accent, so an Australian business gets Australian voices, and you play each one before you save, and Deskie describes "a natural Australian voice with a light Aussie accent". Juney speaks English only.
Words matter as much as the accent. Write your greeting and services the way your customers talk: "sparky" or "electrician", "hot water system" rather than "water heater", "quote" rather than "estimate". Then ring Juney yourself on the test call and listen as a customer would. If callers find a voice hard to follow, try another one or slow her speaking speed in the app.
What about time zones, daylight saving and public holidays?
Set your time zone, because Australia's clocks don't all move together. New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT use daylight saving; Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory don't (NSW Government, checked 22 October 2026). So a Gold Coast plumber with customers over the border in Tweed Heads is an hour apart from them for half the year.
Juney uses your time zone for your business hours, for who answers outside them, and for booking jobs at the right local time. Search your city ("Brisbane", "Perth") under Settings → Time zone. Your business hours also take public holidays: a usual rule, such as open as usual or take messages, and a different answer for any single holiday, plus your own days off.
Can you still answer your own calls?
Yes. Many tradies want their regulars to keep getting them. Deskie describes conditional forwarding: your phone rings and the calls you don't take divert to it (as of October 2026). The carrier controls the wait, and voicemail or call screening can answer before the divert. As of October 2026, Telstra's MessageBank default is 15 seconds, which can be changed; Deskie's forwarding guide says ring time varies by network.
Juney asks you to forward all calls, so MessageBank and your phone's voicemail don't get to them first. In Ringing mode, choose Ring me first. The app rings you for about 15 seconds: take the call between jobs, or let it ring when you're up a ladder and Juney answers. Calls you take yourself use none of your minutes. Stay signed in; if the app can't be reached, she answers. On a long job, choose Straight to Juney.
Keep the Juney app signed in, allow notifications and use a data connection; if it can't be reached, Juney answers. Personal calls to that number are forwarded too, so add family or regular suppliers to Excluded contacts.
Where does Juney fit for an Australian tradie, and where doesn't it?
Juney fits a tradie who wants an AI receptionist set up and run entirely from the phone: urgent callers put through, jobs booked into Google Calendar, your prices quoted as you set them, an Australian voice, and your own phone ringing first when you want it. It's built for the trades, and the answering service for trades page plays through the calls it handles.
It's the wrong pick if your jobs live in ServiceM8, Tradify or simPRO (Juney books into Google Calendar only), customers text you as much as they call, you want quotes and invoices sent for you, or you want a live person as backup. Team accounts are coming soon. And if you need a price in Australian dollars, note that Juney's prices are in US dollars.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Juney's price in Australian dollars?
No. Juney's prices are quoted in US dollars: $49 USD a month, or $490 USD a year paid upfront, as of October 2026. We don't quote an Australian-dollar price, because the exchange rate moves.
Can Juney book jobs straight into ServiceM8 or Tradify?
No. Juney books, moves and cancels jobs in Google Calendar only. If you run your jobs in ServiceM8 or Tradify, you'd enter her bookings there yourself from each call summary, or set her to take a message instead.
Is Juney an Australian company?
Juney is Australian owned. It's built by Trillet, the voice AI platform trusted by over 4,000 businesses, and works with business numbers in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada.
Updated for October 2026: clarified how Deskie's carrier divert differs from Juney's in-app ring.
Related Resources
Facts in this article are current as of October 2026.
