How URL-to-receptionist tools work#
- Crawl. The tool reads your homepage and linked pages (some also your Google Business Profile) and turns hours, services, prices and FAQs into the agent's knowledge.
- Number. Either the tool gives you a new local number, or you forward your existing business line to a number it provides. Forwarding keeps your published number; a new number is faster to test.
- Review. You check what it learned, add anything missing (pricing, booking rules, when to transfer to a human), and connect a calendar if it books appointments.
The crawl only gets you a first draft. Your website rarely says how to handle a refund request, an emergency, or a caller who wants a person. Budget an hour of review whatever the setup-time claim says.
Receptionist apps that build from your website#
| Tool | Builds from your site (vendor's words) | Phone number | Entry plan | Per included minute (our math) | Overage | Setup claim | Trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vicem | "Learns your business from your website in a minute" | Included; 45 countries (3 instantly, 42 after a document check) | $24/month, 300 min | $0.08 | $0.08/min, capped at one month's plan price | "about 2 minutes" | 3 days, card required |
| ElevenLabs Reception | "Paste your URL, get a phone number" | 1 dedicated number included (US; extra setup elsewhere) | $29/month, 75 min | $0.39 | $0.45/min on the pricing page ($0.40 in its help docs) | "Go live in under 5 minutes" | 14 days, no card |
| Balaay | "Paste your website and Balaay reads it" | You forward your existing number | $29/month, 250 min | $0.12 | $0.15/min | Not stated | 30 days, no card |
| SimpleAnswering | "We read your website" (done for you on a setup call) | Free local number, or keep yours | $29/month, 150 min | $0.19 | $0.55/min | Not stated | 7 days |
| Dialzara | Add your website and it builds a custom prompt | US local or toll-free included; UK, AU, NZ on request | $29/month, 60 min | $0.48 | $0.48/min | "in 15 Minutes" | 7 days |
| Rosie | "We scan your website to train Rosie immediately" (and your Google profile) | Rosie number in your area code; forward your line | $49/month, 250 min | $0.20 | Not shown on the pricing page | "It's quick!" | 7 days, no card |
| Phonely | "Direct website import", 30 pages a month | 3 numbers included | $50/month, 200 or 250 min (page says both) | $0.20 to $0.25 | $0.25/min monthly, $0.35 annual (as listed) | 70% of businesses start "in less than 5 minutes" | First 100 minutes free |
| My AI Front Desk | "Enter your website URL or describe your business" | You forward your number | $99/month ($79 billed annually), 200 min | $0.50 | $0.25/min | "Less than 5 minutes" | 7 days, no card |
Priced per caller or per call instead#
| Tool | Builds from your site | Phone number | Entry plan | Overage | Setup claim | Trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goodcall | "add your website or price list" | Local number, or forward yours | $79/month for 100 unique callers (about 150 calls) | $0.79 per extra caller; minutes not metered | "can be answering today" | Free demo agent; pay when you connect a number |
| Upfirst | "enter your website and we'll use it as a starting point" | Included, or keep yours | $24.95/month, 30 calls | $1.50 per call | Not stated | 14 days or 100 calls, no card |
| Quo Sona | "Provide your website URL, upload PDFs" | 1 US/Canada number per user, new or ported | $19 per user a month ($15 billed annually), 10 Sona calls included | $1.00 per call; packs from $25/month for 40 calls | "in minutes" | 7 days |
Per-caller and per-call pricing favours businesses with long calls (a Goodcall caller can talk as long as they like); per-minute pricing favours short, frequent calls. Quo is a full business phone system with the AI agent added, so the $19 also buys calling and texting for the user; see our business phone systems guide.
- Weak spots to know. Vicem's trial needs a card and bills on day four. Balaay and My AI Front Desk work by forwarding, so you cannot test them without changing your call routing (or using a preview number). Phonely's own pricing page gives two different minute allowances and two overage rates; confirm in the checkout before you pay. Upfirst's $1.50 overage per call is steep if call volume spikes. Rosie does not show an overage rate on its pricing page.
- Smith.ai has a free AI receptionist plan (25 calls a month; Pro $150 for 75 calls) and says setup takes about 15 minutes, but its pages do not say it builds from your website, so it is not in the table.
Builder platforms with website knowledge bases#
If you want more control, or you build receptionists for clients, these platforms also crawl a URL and attach a number, but you design the agent yourself.
| Platform | Website crawl | Phone number | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retell AI | Auto-crawls all pages under each path, refreshes every 24 hours, up to 500 URLs | $2/month, US and Canada | $0.07 to $0.31/min all-in by Retell's range; knowledge base +$0.005/min; $10 free credit. Says "first phone agent in 15 minutes" |
| Telnyx AI assistants | Knowledge base from uploaded files or a website URL | Own carrier; US local number $1/month | About $0.064/min by Telnyx's own example ($190.60 for 3,000 minutes); $5 test credit |
| Voiceflow | Sitemap and URL import | 1 US/Canada inbound number per workspace, or Twilio, Vonage, Telnyx, SIP | Business pricing on request; agency free trial |
Building on Retell or Telnyx costs less per minute than most receptionist apps but takes developer time. Our build vs buy guide does that maths, and our voice agent platform comparison compares the developer platforms.
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Chatbots and assistants: the phone caveats#
If you already run a chatbot trained on your website, you may be able to put it on the phone. Check what you need first:
| Chatbot | Phone calls? | What you need | Price for voice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chatbase | Yes | Your own Twilio account with a number bought there, or a SIP trunk | From the Basic plan, $150/month ($120 billed annually), 4,000 credits; voice uses 6 credits a minute plus model credits. Not on the $40 Hobby plan |
| DocsBot | Yes, realtime voice in beta | Setup docs require a Twilio number or an inbound SIP route | Standard plan, $149/month; not on the free plan |
| FastBots | No | FastBots says it "does not give your bot a business phone number"; voice works only in the website widget | Website voice on the Business plan, $89/month |
| Lindy | Yes, but as an assistant line | Native US/Canada number on a paid plan (monthly fee not stated); not built from your website | $29.99/month for 3,000 credits; calls from 25 credits a minute |
Bring-your-own Twilio is not hard for a developer (buy a number, paste credentials), but it means a second bill and Twilio's verification steps. For a non-technical owner, a receptionist app with the number included is simpler. More on these chatbots: Chatbase alternatives and FastBots alternatives.
Which to choose#
- Lowest monthly cost with a number included: Vicem ($24 for 300 minutes), if a 3-day card-required trial is acceptable.
- Best-known voice technology at the entry price: ElevenLabs Reception ($29 for 75 minutes, 14-day trial with no card). Few minutes for the money, so watch the overage.
- Keep your existing number and test for a month free: Balaay (30 days, no card, forwarding).
- A mid-priced plan with more minutes: Rosie ($49 for 250 minutes) or Phonely ($50, first 100 minutes free).
- Long calls: Goodcall, which bills per unique caller, not per minute.
- You already use a business phone system: Quo Sona adds the AI agent to Quo's phone lines.
- You build agents for clients: Retell or Voiceflow.
For receptionists compared on more than setup (bookings, transfers, industries), read our best AI receptionist software, AI receptionist pricing and free AI receptionist guides. If you need a number for an autonomous agent rather than a business line, see phone numbers for AI agents.
Frequently asked questions#
Can I create an AI phone receptionist from my website?#
Yes. Tools such as Vicem, ElevenLabs Reception, Balaay, Dialzara, Rosie, Phonely, My AI Front Desk, Goodcall and Upfirst read your website, build the receptionist's knowledge from it, and give you a number or have you forward your existing line. Most claim setup in 2 to 15 minutes; plan time to review what the AI learned.
What is the cheapest AI receptionist with a phone number included?#
On entry plans checked November 11, 2026, Vicem at $24 a month for 300 minutes, about $0.08 per included minute. ElevenLabs Reception costs $29 for 75 minutes with one number included.
Does FastBots have a phone number feature?#
No. FastBots says it does not give your bot a business phone number; its voice feature works in the website widget only, on the $89 Business plan. Chatbase and DocsBot can take phone calls, but you bring your own Twilio number or SIP trunk.
Do I have to change my business phone number?#
No. Most of these tools let you forward your existing number to the AI receptionist; Balaay and My AI Front Desk work only that way. Others, such as Vicem, ElevenLabs Reception and Dialzara, include a new number you can publish or forward to.
How much does ElevenLabs Reception cost?#
The Basic plan is $29 a month with 75 minutes and one phone number; Plus is $79 for 275 minutes and 3 numbers; Premium is $199 for 1,000 minutes and 5 numbers. Overage on Basic is $0.45 a minute on the pricing page ($0.40 in ElevenLabs' help docs). There is a 14-day free trial with no card.