AI Phone Answering Service for US Businesses

Ruby charges $250 a month for 50 minutes, Smith.ai's live receptionists $300 for 30 calls, and PATLive and MAP $49 a month plus every minute; AnswerConnect quotes on request. AI services start lower: Rosie is $49 for 250 minutes, and Jodie is a flat $49 a month with unlimited minutes (fair use up to 1,000 calls a month), or $99 with transfers and booking. Jodie's prices are before sales tax, and every price here was checked in October 2026.

You forward your business number to the service for every call, only the calls you miss, or after hours. Jodie picks up in your business name, finds out what the caller needs and takes their details, then emails you a summary and sends it to the Jodie app. You keep your number and can turn forwarding on or off at any time.

No. Jodie is an AI receptionist: software with a natural voice that holds a conversation instead of playing a phone menu. When a caller needs a person, she can transfer them to you on the Professional plan, or take a full message on any plan.

That depends on the greeting you choose. You write Jodie's opening line and can add a notice that the call may be answered by an AI assistant and may be recorded; a sample line for it may be available in the settings. Some callers and some laws expect that notice, so check what applies where you do business.

Yes, on the Professional plan at $99 a month and on Premium. Jodie puts the caller through to you or someone on your team, and on Basic she takes a full message instead.

Yes. You forward your business line or cell phone to Jodie with your carrier's call forwarding code or your phone's settings, so customers keep calling the number they already know, with no porting. Some carriers bill forwarded calls against your plan, and our call forwarding pages give each carrier's codes or settings.

Yes. Many businesses use Jodie as an after-hours answering service: forward every call when you close for the night, the weekend or a holiday. Or set no-answer forwarding so Jodie only picks up the calls you miss, at the same price.

No. Every plan is month to month with no setup fee, and you can cancel anytime. There is no free plan, but the first 7 days are free with no credit card, and if you do not choose a plan the service pauses.

Yes. Live services such as Ruby, PATLive and Smith.ai still answer calls for US businesses, usually billing by the minute or by the call. AI answering services now do the same job, and Jodie does it for one flat monthly fee; which suits you depends on your call volume and whether callers need a person.

It is if missed calls cost you work: one extra job a month usually covers $49. If you get only a handful of calls during business hours and rarely miss one, voicemail may be enough.

An automated phone answering service answers calls without a person. Older ones play a phone menu, such as press 1 for sales; an AI answering service like Jodie holds a conversation, answers questions about your business and takes a message in the caller's own words.

Some states require every caller's consent to record, so use an opening line that says calls may be recorded. Jodie handles the calls on your behalf as a data processor, and you choose whether calls are recorded and how long recordings are kept.