You run a plumbing, HVAC, electrical, cleaning or other trade business, and the phone rings while your hands are busy. An AI receptionist answers for you and moves the caller to the next step. There is no single best one for every business. The right pick depends on the software you use, how many calls you get and what you want the AI to do. This page compares six, with the prices we could read. New to the term? Start with what an AI receptionist is.
What to look for in an AI receptionist
- It answers when you cannot. Nights, weekends and the moments you are under a sink.
- It collects the facts you dispatch on. The problem, the address and how urgent it is.
- It has a next step. A booked visit, a callback or a hand-off to you, not a message that sits until morning.
- It has a safe route for emergencies. Ask in writing what it says on a gas smell or a burst pipe.
- The price is clear. Know what a busy month costs and what happens when the included calls or minutes run out.
The options at a glance
Prices checked October 2026 on each company's own pages. Plans and terms change, so confirm yours before you add up a total. The full price picture is on our AI receptionist pricing page. Live human answering services, such as Ruby, also exist for callers who want a person on every call. See our Ruby page, or our best HVAC answering service comparison, which covers live services too.
| Option | What it is | Who it fits | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith.ai AI | AI-first receptionist plans with a call allowance. | Owners who want an AI voice answering at a published price. | Free for 25 calls, Pro $150 a month for 75 calls, Enterprise $500 for 300. Extra calls cost more. | Smith.ai AI plans |
| RingCentral AI Receptionist | AI that answers and routes calls and handles texts, standalone or on a RingEX plan. | Owners who want to keep or choose their own phone system. | $49 a month standalone, or $39 a month on top of a separately billed RingEX plan. 100 minutes included, then $0.50 a minute. | RingCentral AIR pricing |
| Jobber AI Receptionist | Add-on for calls and texts inside Jobber's job software. | Owners already on Jobber. | $29 a month on selected plans, on top of software plans from $49 to $499 a month. | Jobber Receptionist help |
| ServiceTitan Virtual Agent | AI agent for calls and texts that books jobs inside ServiceTitan. | Larger businesses that run dispatch and billing in ServiceTitan. | $2.75 per voice call and $0.10 for SMS, billed monthly. Core software price is not published. | ServiceTitan Agent pricing |
| Housecall Pro CSR AI | AI that answers calls and chat inside Housecall Pro, as a paid add-on. | Owners already on Housecall Pro. | CSR AI price not published. Platform plans are Basic $59, Essentials $149, Max $299 a month, billed annually. | Housecall Pro pricing |
| SvarKlar | A founder-run AI receptionist that answers calls and the written channels in your order. | Owners who want one person to set it up and run it. | $295 a month. Setup free. Cancel any time. | Book a call |
Smith.ai AI
Smith.ai fits an owner who wants to try an AI voice at a published price. The AI plans are Free for 25 calls, Pro at $150 a month for 75 calls and Enterprise at $500 for 300. Extra calls have stated overage charges, so compare the allowance with your usual call volume. Its Enterprise plan includes help with setup, custom workflows and a dedicated account contact. Smith.ai also sells live receptionist plans. More on our Smith.ai page.
RingCentral AI Receptionist
RingCentral fits an owner who already has a phone system or wants to pick their own. Its AI Receptionist is $49 a month standalone or $39 a month as an add-on to a separately billed RingEX plan, with 100 minutes included and then $0.50 a minute. It answers and routes calls around the clock, handles texts and captures caller details. It also offers a free trial. Check its calendar and CRM connections against the tools you use. See our RingCentral page.
Jobber AI Receptionist
Jobber fits an owner who already runs scheduling and invoicing in Jobber. The AI Receptionist is a $29-a-month add-on on selected plans. It answers calls and texts, can book or change visits and can hand a call to a person. Software plans run from $49 to $499 a month. Jobber's own help pages disagree on the included conversations, so ask what applies to your plan before you do the math. More on our Jobber page. Thinking of leaving Jobber? See Jobber alternatives.
ServiceTitan Virtual Agent
ServiceTitan fits larger businesses that dispatch and bill in ServiceTitan. The Virtual Agent is listed at $2.75 per voice call and $0.10 for SMS. It works with an existing phone system, checks capacity, books or changes visits and can hand off to a person. Its core plans ask for a quote, so ask which core plan the agent needs. See our ServiceTitan page. Thinking of leaving ServiceTitan? See ServiceTitan alternatives.
Housecall Pro CSR AI
Housecall Pro fits an owner already on its platform. CSR AI handles calls, chat and booking, and can transfer a caller to a number you choose or to a live agent. Phone answering is a paid add-on with no published price, so get the figure in writing. Text answering is in alpha, so do not assume your shop can turn it on. Platform plans are Basic $59, Essentials $149 and Max $299 a month, billed annually. See our Housecall Pro page. Thinking of leaving Housecall Pro? See Housecall Pro alternatives.
SvarKlar, and what we can and cannot do
We make SvarKlar, so weigh this section knowing that. Frederik, the founder, sets it up for your business and runs it. SvarKlar replies to calls, texts, web forms and messages in seconds, qualifies the job, books the visit or the callback, and follows up. You pick whether replies send on their own or wait for your approval, and whether they sign as you, your team or SvarKlar. If a caller asks whether they are talking to an AI, it does not lie.
For an emergency such as a gas smell or a burst pipe, the safety reply works once you set your emergency rules in the Portal. Emergencies and odd cases go straight to you, with no guessing. SvarKlar is not job software. It works next to ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro or Jobber and does not replace them, and it is not a live human answering service. SvarKlar is $295 a month, setup is free, and you can cancel any time. Our AI receptionist guide shows what it does for a service business.
Questions
How much does an AI receptionist cost?
On the published prices above, Smith.ai's AI plans run from free for 25 calls to $500 a month for 300. RingCentral is $49 a month standalone, and Jobber's add-on is $29 a month on top of a software plan. ServiceTitan charges per call, and Housecall Pro does not publish its CSR AI price. SvarKlar is $295 a month with free setup. Call volume decides most of the bill.
Is an AI receptionist better than a live answering service?
It depends on your callers. A live service gives a human voice every time. An AI is built for the call you miss while you are on a job or asleep. Some owners start with the AI and add a live service only for calls that need a person.
I already use Jobber, ServiceTitan or Housecall Pro. Do I need something else?
Maybe not. Each sells its own receptionist, listed above, and it may cover what you need. Compare its channels and limits with the calls and texts you handle. A service like SvarKlar can sit on top of the tool you keep.
What should I ask before I sign?
Ask what it says on a gas smell or a burst pipe, what a busy month costs and what happens when the included calls run out. Ask whether you can cancel any time. Get the answers in writing, then test a real after-hours call.
SvarKlar is $295 a month, setup is free, and you can cancel any time. Book a call to get started or see all comparisons.
Sources
- Smith.ai AI receptionist plans, checked October 2026
- RingCentral AI Receptionist pricing, checked October 2026
- Jobber Receptionist help, checked October 2026
- Jobber pricing, checked October 2026
- ServiceTitan Agent prices and terms, checked October 2026
- ServiceTitan pricing, checked October 2026
- Housecall Pro pricing, checked October 2026
- Housecall Pro CSR AI, checked October 2026