Comparison
Juney vs Upfirst: price, calendars and who each one suits
Upfirst is an AI receptionist set up on the web and billed per call, from $24.95 a month for 30 calls. It doesn't bill calls under 15 seconds, calls where nobody speaks, or spam; it books into six calendars, including Outlook and Clio; and it lists 35+ languages. Juney is an AI answering service (an AI receptionist) you set up and run in a phone app, billed per minute: $49 a month for 150 minutes.
The short answer: pick Upfirst if you book in something other than Google Calendar, your callers speak other languages, or you take fewer than about 45 calls a month. Pick Juney if you'd rather run it from your phone and you take 50 to 75 short calls a month, or 100 or more, where it costs less.
Juney and Upfirst at a glance
| Compared on | Juney | Upfirst |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | AI answering service in a phone app | AI answering service |
| Entry price | $49 a month for 150 minutes | $24.95 a month for 30 calls |
| Billing | By the minute: a monthly allowance, then top-ups | Per call; calls under 15 seconds and spam don't count |
| Past the allowance | Top-ups: $20 per 100 minutes, no expiry | $1.50 a call |
| Free trial | 7 days with 50 minutes | 14 days |
| Contract and fees | No contract, no setup fee | Cancel anytime |
| Set up and run on | A phone app for iPhone and Android; no web dashboard | Web interface; no native app found |
| Booking | Books, moves and cancels in Google Calendar, on every plan | Google, Outlook, Calendly, Acuity, Square and Clio |
| Putting callers through | Puts urgent callers through to a number you choose, on every plan | Yes |
| Live people | No live receptionists; Ring me first rings you in the Juney app | No |
| Rings you before the AI answers | Yes. Ring me first rings you in the Juney app for about 15 seconds | No ring setting; recommends your carrier's no-answer forwarding |
| Your number | Keep your number and your provider; calls are forwarded | A number on every plan, or forward yours; free porting |
| Languages | English, with American, British or Australian voices | 35+ languages |
| Countries | United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada | Not stated on its pricing page |
| Texts | Calls only: it sends booking links and follow-ups by text | In-call texting |
| CRM | None | Zapier and custom actions |
From each service's own pages, checked October 22, 2026. “Not stated” means we didn't find it, not that the answer is no. Sources on Upfirst's site: Pricing, Call forwarding.
What would you pay each month?
| Service | 30 calls (60 min) | 75 calls (150 min) | 150 calls (300 min) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Juney | $49 | $49 | $89 |
| Upfirst | $24.95 | $59.95 | $119.95 |
US dollars a month, as of October 22, 2026. Calls average 2 minutes and each bill uses the cheapest plan for that month, before tax and carrier charges. A note under a price means that plan doesn't both book and put callers through.
Which should you pick?
Pick Upfirst if…
- You book in something other than Google Calendar. Upfirst books straight into Google, Outlook, Calendly, Acuity, Square and Clio Manage; Juney books into Google Calendar only.
- Callers speak other languages. Upfirst lists 35+, switches automatically and translates the transcript into yours; Juney speaks English only.
- You get a lot of junk calls and hang-ups. Upfirst doesn't bill spam, calls under 15 seconds or calls where the caller never speaks. Juney has no spam filter: you block numbers by hand, and blocked numbers don't use minutes.
- Your volume is low or your calls run long. Upfirst's Starter is $24.95 for 30 calls, and 75 four-minute calls cost $59.95 against Juney's $89.
- You want two weeks to try it. Upfirst's trial runs 14 days with no card; Juney's runs 7 days with 50 minutes.
Pick Juney if…
- You'll set it up and run it from your phone. Upfirst is set up and managed on the web; Juney's setup, call notes and settings are in the app, and there's no dashboard to log in to.
- You take 50 to 75 short calls a month, or 100 or more. At 75 two-minute calls Juney is $49 and Upfirst $59.95; at 150 calls, $89 against $119.95.
- You work in the trades, in the US, UK, Australia or Canada. Juney is built for tradespeople answering from the van or the job, and works with business numbers in all four countries. Upfirst's pricing page doesn't say which countries it covers.
How do Juney and Upfirst differ?
Three things decide it for most owners: how each one counts what you use, which calendar it books into, and whether you set it up on a computer or a phone. On the rest they're close: both answer around the clock, put callers through, text callers during the call, though their answer-first setups work differently.
What counts as a call, and what counts as a minute
Upfirst counts calls, but not all of them. Spam and robocalls are blocked and not billed, and neither are calls under 15 seconds or calls where the caller never speaks; your call log labels which calls were billed. Starter is $24.95 for 30 calls, then $1.50 each, and Premium $59.95 for 90, then $1. Paying yearly takes 20% off.
Juney counts minutes: 150 a month, then top-ups of 100 minutes for $20, on one plan ($49 a month or $490 a year). Calls you answer yourself and calls from blocked numbers don't use any.
Six calendars against one
Upfirst books into Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, Acuity Scheduling, Square and Clio Manage on every plan, and connects to CRMs through Zapier or its own Custom Actions. Juney books, moves and cancels in Google Calendar only, and has no CRM connections. If your jobs live in Outlook or Square, that settles it for Upfirst.
Answering first: your carrier's timer or Juney's
Upfirst recommends no-answer forwarding: your carrier rings your phone, then sends the call to Upfirst if you don't pick up. Its carrier guide lists Verizon's wait at about 30 seconds and says it cannot be changed; Upfirst also warns that Live Voicemail can intercept calls (as of October 2026). Upfirst has no ring setting of its own.
Juney asks for all calls. Choose Ring me first and the Juney app rings you for about 15 seconds, or choose Straight to Juney and she answers without that ring. The trade-off is that personal calls to the same number are forwarded too, and you take calls through the app. A separate "Answering schedule" setting can leave calls in or outside your business hours to voicemail.
On the web, or in the app
Upfirst is set up on the web, with a free 30-minute onboarding call during the trial and white-glove onboarding on its Pro and Scale plans. Juney is set up in the app: she reads your website, you check what she learned, you call her yourself, then you follow on-screen steps for your carrier. Every call comes back to the app as a summary and transcript.
Languages and numbers
Upfirst lists 35+ languages, switches between them on the call, and translates the transcript into yours. Every plan comes with an Upfirst number; you forward your existing line to it, or Upfirst will port your number for you at no extra charge. Juney speaks English with an American, British or Australian voice, and works only by forwarding: you keep your number and your carrier, and nothing is ported.
How do the bills add up?
At 30 calls Upfirst costs $24.95 against Juney's $49. At 75 calls you're on Upfirst's 90-call plan at $59.95, against Juney's $49. At 150 calls Upfirst is $119.95 (the 90-call plan plus 60 calls at $1), and Juney $89.
Upfirst's free calls matter most near a plan's edge: 40 calls a month with 10 hang-ups under 15 seconds bill as 30, at $24.95. Call length matters too: at 75 calls of four minutes each, Upfirst stays at $59.95 and Juney rises to $89. AI Answering Service Pricing Compared runs the same volumes across 11 services.
How do you switch from Upfirst to Juney?
- Check your calendar first. Juney books into Google Calendar only. If Upfirst books into Outlook, Calendly, Acuity, Square or Clio for you, move to Google Calendar first, or stay with Upfirst.
- Check where your number lives. If you forward your line to Upfirst, you'll point it at Juney instead. If Upfirst ported your number, it now sits with Upfirst; Juney needs it on a phone carrier that can forward calls.
- Start a trial while Upfirst still answers. Juney's 7-day trial includes 50 minutes.
- Set Juney up in the app and call her yourself: a booking, a price question, an urgent job you'd want put through.
- Move your forwarding with the app's steps for your carrier, then read the first week of call notes.
- Cancel Upfirst. It has no contract, and you can cancel anytime.
Frequently asked questions
Does Upfirst charge for spam and short calls?
No. As of October 2026, Upfirst blocks spam and robocalls and doesn't bill calls under 15 seconds or calls where the caller never speaks. Juney has no spam filter; calls from numbers you block don't use minutes, and nor do calls you answer yourself.
Is Upfirst cheaper than Juney?
At low volumes, and from 76 to 99 calls, yes. With two-minute calls in October 2026, Upfirst costs $24.95 at 30 calls against Juney's $49, then $59.95 at 75 calls against $49, and $119.95 at 150 calls against $89. Longer calls favor Upfirst.
Can Juney book into Outlook or Clio like Upfirst?
No. Juney books, moves and cancels appointments in Google Calendar only. Upfirst books into Google, Outlook, Calendly, Acuity, Square and Clio Manage on every plan.
Can I still answer my own calls with Upfirst or Juney?
Yes, through different setups. Upfirst can receive all forwarded calls; to answer first, use carrier no-answer forwarding, and the carrier decides the wait. Juney receives all forwarded calls and Ring me first rings you in the Juney app for about 15 seconds before she answers.
