Julius Answer compared
Fair, sourced comparisons with widely compared AI receptionists and answering services. Prices are as listed on each vendor's pricing page on the date shown; check them before you buy.
Julius Answer by DealsFlow is an AI receptionist billed by call minutes, from $79 a month with every feature on every plan. Ruby and Smith.ai put live receptionists on the phone at per-minute or per-call rates (Smith.ai also sells a per-call AI receptionist), Goodcall bills per unique caller, Rosie, Dialzara and Frontdesk are AI receptionists billed by the minute, and Upfirst and AIRA are AI receptionists billed per call. Each comparison below uses only what the vendor publishes, as listed on October 19, 2026.
Billing, entry price and who answers, at a glance
The table shows each vendor's billing model, its cheapest listed plan and whether live people answer. Open a comparison for features, worked costs and where each one fits better.
| Service | Billing model | Entry price (as listed October 19, 2026) | Human agents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Julius Answer (ours) | Included call minutes; each call counts in whole minutes, rounded up | $79 for 300 minutes | No: AI only, transfers to your own team |
| Smith.ai | Per call | AI Receptionist: $0 for 25 calls, $150 for 75 calls. Live Virtual Receptionist: $300 for 30 calls | Yes on live plans; AI plans can transfer to a live receptionist (price not stated) |
| Ruby | Per minute, in 60-second increments rounded up | $250 for 50 minutes | Yes: live receptionists answer |
| Goodcall | Per unique caller each month | $79 for 100 unique callers | No: AI |
| Rosie | Per minute | $49 for 250 minutes | No: AI |
| Frontdesk | Included minutes, then credits | $99 for 200 minutes ($79 billed annually) | No: AI |
| Dialzara | Per minute | $29 for 60 minutes | No: AI |
| Upfirst | Per call (spam, robocalls and calls under 15 seconds not billed) | $24.95 for 30 calls | No: AI |
| AIRA | Per call | $24.95 for 30 calls | No: AI |
Vendor prices change often. Julius Answer's current plans are on the pricing page, and the AI receptionist cost guide works through one example month on each billing model.
vs Smith.ai
Julius Answer vs Smith.ai: per-minute AI plans against Smith.ai's per-call AI and live receptionist plans, with prices as listed October 19, 2026.
Read morevs Ruby
Ruby's live receptionists bill per minute, rounded up; Julius Answer is an AI receptionist on monthly minute plans. Prices as listed October 19, 2026.
Read morevs Goodcall
Goodcall pricing compared with Julius Answer: per unique customer vs per call minute, what each tier includes, and worked costs as listed October 19, 2026.
Read morevs Rosie
Rosie vs Julius Answer: what each plan includes, which Rosie tiers add booking and transfers, and worked monthly costs, as listed October 19, 2026.
Read morevs Frontdesk
Frontdesk (formerly My AI Front Desk) vs Julius Answer: credits against minute plans, what each includes, and worked costs, as listed October 19, 2026.
Read morevs Dialzara
Dialzara vs Julius Answer: four per-minute tiers against three minute plans, overage rates and worked monthly costs, as listed October 19, 2026.
Read morevs Upfirst
Upfirst vs Julius Answer: per-call plans from $24.95 against per-minute plans with a built-in CRM, plus worked monthly costs as listed October 19, 2026.
Read morevs AIRA
AIRA vs Julius Answer: per-call AI receptionist plans from $24.95 against per-minute plans, what each includes, and worked costs as listed October 19, 2026.
Read moreSources
- Smith.ai AI Receptionist pricing, Smith.ai, checked October 19, 2026
- Smith.ai Virtual Receptionist pricing, Smith.ai, checked October 19, 2026
- Ruby pricing, Ruby, checked October 19, 2026
- Ruby billing basics, Ruby Help Center, checked October 19, 2026
- Goodcall pricing, Goodcall, checked October 19, 2026
- Rosie pricing, Rosie, checked October 19, 2026
- Frontdesk pricing, Frontdesk (AI Front Desk, Inc.), checked October 19, 2026
- Dialzara pricing, Dialzara, checked October 19, 2026
- Upfirst pricing, Upfirst, checked October 19, 2026
- AIRA pricing, Aira Inc., checked October 19, 2026
Checked 2026-10-19. Third-party prices and features change; check the vendor before you buy.