# Julius Answer vs Upfirst: pricing and features compared

Upfirst charges per answered call and skips spam, very short and silent calls, from $24.95 a month. Julius Answer by DealsFlow charges for call minutes and keeps every caller in a built-in CRM, with the same features on every plan.

The two services count different things. Upfirst charges per call, from $24.95 a month for 30 calls as listed on its pricing page on October 19, 2026; it doesn't bill spam, calls under 15 seconds or calls where nobody speaks, it texts callers during the call, and its 14-day trial needs no card. Julius Answer by DealsFlow charges for call minutes, from $79 for 300 minutes. Upfirst usually costs less at low volume and with long calls; Julius Answer suits businesses with short, frequent calls that want every caller kept in a built-in CRM and setup done by talking to an assistant.

## How do Julius Answer and Upfirst compare?

Upfirst sells four per-call tiers and puts most features on all of them; Julius Answer sells three minute-based plans with nothing held back by plan. The table uses only what each company publishes.

Prices and features as listed on October 19, 2026
|  | Julius Answer | Upfirst |
|---|---|---|
| Billing unit | Call minutes; each call counts in whole minutes, rounded up | Per call. Spam and robocalls, calls under 15 seconds and calls where the caller never speaks are not billed |
| Plans | Starter: $79/month for 300 minutes. Pro: $199 for 1,000. Business: $399 for 3,000 | Starter: $24.95/month for 30 calls. Premium: $59.95 for 90. Pro: $159.95 for 300. Scale: $299 for 600. Custom above 600 |
| Annual billing | Two months free (about 17% off): $65.83, $165.83 and $332.50 a month | 20% off: $20, $48, $128 and $240 a month |
| Going over | Extra minute packs from $25 for 100 minutes; packs never expire | $1.50 a call (Starter), $1.00 (Premium), $0.75 (Pro), $0.70 (Scale) |
| Free trial | 7 days with up to 150 call minutes; a card is added at the start, nothing is charged until the trial ends | 14 days with full plan features, no credit card, real forwarded calls allowed |
| Booking | Offers up to three open times and books the caller's pick as a request you confirm with one tap. Google Calendar, or a calendar link for Apple Calendar and Outlook | Scheduling on every plan with Google, Outlook, Clio, Acuity, Calendly and Square |
| Transfers | Puts callers through to the right person on your team; takes a message if nobody can take it | Call transfers on every plan |
| Texting callers | During the call when the caller asks, plus reminders and follow-ups, after US carrier registration | In-call SMS on every plan |
| Caller memory | Recognizes returning callers by caller ID, greets them by first name and remembers lasting details | Caller memory on every plan |
| CRM and integrations | Built-in CRM you can question in plain English; Slack, Zapier, Make, signed webhooks, CSV export | Zapier on every plan; custom integration help on Pro and above. A built-in CRM is not stated on the pricing page |
| Languages | American English; replies in Spanish or another language when the caller speaks it | "35+ languages" |
| Setup | Type or talk to the setup assistant in the console | White-glove onboarding on Pro and above |
| Compliance | No HIPAA compliance or BAAs; no SOC 2 | HIPAA BAAs on the Custom plan only |
| Contract and extras | Monthly; cancel anytime in the console. Team logins included | No contract; cancel, upgrade or downgrade anytime. Extra agents $9.95 a month |
| Calls answered at once | 1 (Starter), 3 (Pro), 10 (Business) | Not stated on pricing page |
| Human agents | No; AI only | None listed; AI |

Upfirst's figures are as listed on its pricing page on October 19, 2026, and may have changed since. Julius Answer's current plans are on the [pricing page](/pricing/).

## What would each cost at 40 and 250 calls a month?

With 3-minute calls, Upfirst comes out lower at both volumes: $39.95 against Julius Answer's $79 at 40 calls, and $159.95 against $199 at 250 calls. The arithmetic is below so you can swap in your own numbers.

Assumptions: every call runs 3 minutes after rounding up (only Julius Answer's cost depends on length), none of the calls is spam or under 15 seconds, monthly billing, and the cheapest mix of plan and overage on each side.

Monthly cost at two call volumes (3-minute calls, monthly billing)
| Service | 40 calls a month | 250 calls a month |
|---|---|---|
| Julius Answer | 40 × 3 = 120 minutes, within Starter's 300: $79 | 250 × 3 = 750 minutes, within Pro's 1,000: $199 |
| Upfirst | Starter: $24.95 + 10 × $1.50 = $39.95 (Premium would be $59.95) | Pro, 300 calls included: $159.95 (Premium: $59.95 + 160 × $1.00 = $219.95) |

Short calls change the picture. Take 140 calls a month that each last 2 minutes, the kind a shop gets for hours, directions and quick bookings. On Julius Answer that's 140 × 2 = 280 minutes, within Starter's 300, so $79. On Upfirst the cheapest option is Premium: $59.95 + 50 × $1.00 = $109.95. If 20 of those calls were spam or hang-ups under 15 seconds, Upfirst would drop them from the bill while Julius Answer would count them, and Upfirst's annual prices would lower its side further.

## Where Upfirst is the better choice

Upfirst is the better choice for a business with only a handful of calls, long calls, or a need to book into Clio or sign a BAA.
- **Very low volume.** Starter covers 30 calls for $24.95 a month, or $20 billed annually, as listed on October 19, 2026. Julius Answer's smallest plan is $79.
- **Calls you don't pay for.** Spam, robocalls, calls under 15 seconds and silent calls aren't billed. Julius Answer counts every call it answers.
- **Long calls.** A 12-minute intake call costs the same as a 1-minute one on a per-call plan.
- **More calendars.** Scheduling with Clio, Acuity, Calendly and Square as well as Google and Outlook.
- **A trial without a card.** Fourteen days with real forwarded calls and no card on file.
- **Compliance and languages.** HIPAA BAAs on the Custom plan, and "35+ languages."

## Where Julius Answer fits better

Julius Answer fits a business with a steady stream of short calls that wants a record of every caller and a setup it can change by asking.
- **Short, frequent calls.** You pay for minutes used, so quick questions and bookings stretch a plan further than they would a per-call allowance.
- **A built-in CRM.** Each caller becomes a client record with calls, bookings, tasks and notes. You can ask plain-English questions such as "Who called about a water heater?" and download everything as CSV.
- **Setup by talking.** The setup assistant in the console can change any setting, pick your number and explain call forwarding, on every plan. Upfirst lists white-glove onboarding from its $159.95 Pro plan.
- **Nothing tiered.** Booking, transfers, caller memory, alerts, Slack, webhooks and team logins are the same on Starter and Business; only minutes and calls at once change.
- **Calls at the same time, stated per plan.** 3 on Pro and 10 on Business. Upfirst's pricing page doesn't state a limit.
- **A local number included.** Every plan comes with a number in your area code, or you can keep yours and forward calls.
- **Rules for your trade.** Built-in handling for trades, salons, clinics, professional services, restaurants, auto shops and studios: what to ask before booking and what counts as urgent.

What Julius Answer does not offer: HIPAA compliance or BAAs, SOC 2, a native Clio integration, live human agents, a free plan or a trial without a card. If one of those is a must, Upfirst may suit you better.

## Switching from Upfirst to Julius Answer

Upfirst says you can cancel anytime, so you can run Julius Answer alongside it for a few days before moving your calls.
1.

### Start the trial

Sign up on the website, then add a card in the console to start the 7-day free trial, with up to 150 call minutes and nothing charged until it ends. Your local number is set up automatically.
1.

### Tell it about the business

Type or talk to the setup assistant: services, prices you're happy to share, hours, service area and who takes which calls.
1.

### Move the forwarding

Point your number's forwarding at Julius Answer instead, for all calls or only unanswered ones. The [forwarding guide](/guides/how-to-forward-business-calls/) has the codes for each carrier.

## Pay for the minutes you use

Start a 7-day free trial and compare your real call minutes with your Upfirst bill.

[Start free trial](/signup/) [See pricing](/pricing/)

## Frequently asked questions

### How much does Upfirst cost?

As listed on Upfirst's pricing page on October 19, 2026: Starter is $24.95 a month for 30 calls, Premium $59.95 for 90, Pro $159.95 for 300 and Scale $299 for 600, with custom pricing above that. Paying annually takes 20% off, which makes them $20, $48, $128 and $240 a month. Check Upfirst's site for current prices.

### Which calls does Upfirst not charge for?

According to its pricing page, Upfirst doesn't bill spam or robocalls, calls shorter than 15 seconds, or calls where the caller never speaks. Julius Answer counts every call it answers in whole minutes, rounded up, so blocking numbers that keep calling saves minutes.

### Does Upfirst have a free trial?

Yes. Upfirst lists a 14-day trial with full plan features, no credit card required, and says you can forward real calls during it. Julius Answer's trial lasts 7 days with up to 150 call minutes; a card is added at the start and nothing is charged until the trial ends.

### Does Julius Answer text callers during the call like Upfirst?

Yes, once your business is registered with US carriers in the console, which can take days or a few weeks. Julius can then text a caller who asks, such as a link from your business information, and send confirmations, reminders and follow-ups. Upfirst lists in-call SMS on every plan.

### Will Upfirst sign a HIPAA BAA?

Upfirst lists HIPAA business associate agreements on its Custom plan only, as checked on October 19, 2026. Julius Answer does not offer HIPAA compliance or sign BAAs on any plan.

### Is Upfirst cheaper than Julius Answer?

Often, yes. With 3-minute calls, our example comes to $39.95 on Upfirst against $79 on Julius Answer at 40 calls a month, and $159.95 against $199 at 250 calls. Julius Answer can cost less when calls are short and frequent, such as 140 two-minute calls a month.

### Can Upfirst book into Clio?

Upfirst lists appointment scheduling with Google, Outlook, Clio, Acuity, Calendly and Square on every plan. Julius Answer books into Google Calendar directly or through a calendar link for Apple Calendar and Outlook, and has no native Clio integration; Zapier, Make or webhooks can pass bookings along.

## Sources
1. [Upfirst pricing](https://upfirst.ai/pricing), Upfirst, accessed October 19, 2026

Checked October 19, 2026. Third-party prices and features change; check the vendor before you buy.

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Source: https://julius.dealsflow.ai/compare/julius-answer-vs-upfirst/
Updated: 2026-10-20