10 Best AI Phone Answering Services in 2025

Your phone lines are ringing, but your team can’t answer fast enough — and customers aren’t waiting around. In fact, 90% of customers expect an immediate response, and 60% define “immediate” as under 10 minutes.

That’s where AI phone answering services come in. These tools use natural-sounding virtual receptionist voices to greet callers, answer questions, route calls, and even schedule appointments — all without needing a live agent.

With staffing shortages still affecting support teams in 2025, AI answering services have shifted from “nice-to-have” to “non-negotiable.”

This list breaks down the top AI virtual receptionist voice technologies on the market — covering what they do best, who they’re built for, and how they stack up on voice quality, features, and pricing. 

Key Takeaways:

• AI receptionist voices help businesses stay responsive 24/7 — without hiring extra staff or compromising on brand tone.
• Voice quality, routing logic, and CRM integration are make-or-break features when choosing a virtual assistant.
• CloudTalk stands out for customizable flows, multilingual support, and seamless integrations with the tools teams already use.
• Free trials and demos let you hear the voice, test the routing, and see how well the system fits your workflows

What Is an AI Answering Service and Why It’s Important

It’s your first line of defense — and your first impression.

An AI answering service is a voice assistant that handles inbound calls on your behalf. It greets the caller, understands what they need, and either answers their question, routes the call, or books time — without a human getting involved.

This isn’t just about saving time. It’s about engaging clients even when no one’s around to pick up.

Customers don’t want to leave voicemails. They want answers. AI lets you be available around the clock, with a voice that sounds helpful, not robotic.

12 Best AI Answering Services in 2025

Before we break down the features and pricing, here’s a closer look at the top AI answering services businesses are turning to this year — starting with CloudTalk.

1. CloudTalk

CloudTalk is a business phone system with a smart AI receptionist voice built in — one that sounds natural, routes calls accurately, and can adapt to your workflows in real time. It’s built for fast-moving sales and support teams that want to sound sharp without staffing up.

The virtual receptionist handles calls with custom greetings, intuitive routing, and multilingual support — and it integrates deeply with tools like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Zendesk. Whether you need to book appointments, qualify leads, or route by region, it gets the job done.

Best for:

SMBs that need a fully customizable AI receptionist voice with smart routing, CRM integration, and local presence — all in one platform.

Key features:

• AI voice assistant with natural language flow and call routing
• Whisper, Barge, Call Tagging, and Smart Flow features
• CRM-connected caller profiles and auto-logging
• Multilingual voice support
• Analytics for missed call follow-up and performance tracking

Integrations: Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, Pipedrive, Zendesk, Slack, Intercom

Pricing:

• Lite (Americas only): $19
• Starter: $25
• Essential: $29
• Expert: $49
• Custom: Pricing available on request
  

Free trial: Yes

2. Dialpad

Dialpad offers a virtual receptionist feature powered by its built-in AI engine. It handles basic routing, voicemail greetings, and voice-driven menu navigation. The assistant is useful for teams already using Dialpad’s broader communication suite.

Best for:

Teams that want simple AI call handling with real-time summaries and Google Workspace integration.

Key features:

• AI call summaries
• Real-time transcription
• Voicemail menu automation

Integrations: Google Workspace, Salesforce, Microsoft 365

Pricing:

• Standard: from $15/user/month
• Pro: from $25/user/month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

Free trial: Yes

3. RingCentral

RingCentral’s AI Receptionist is part of its UCaaS ecosystem. It provides a conversational interface for routing calls and answering basic questions. Best suited for teams already embedded in RingCentral’s platform.

Best for:

Companies already using RingCentral looking to test AI voice routing within their unified communications setup.

Key features:

• Natural language voice interaction
• Call routing and FAQ handling
• Centralized within RingCentral Admin

Integrations: Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, Slack

Pricing:

• Core: from $20/user/month
• Advanced: from $25/user/month
• Ultra: from $35/user/month

Free trial: Yes

4. Aircall

Aircall includes a lightweight AI voice agent that can handle basic call flows, answer FAQs, and route callers to the right agent or department. It’s built into their voice platform and integrates well with CRM systems.

Best for:

Sales and support teams looking for quick AI-driven responses and CRM sync.

Key features:

• AI voice agent with scripted responses
• FAQ handling and routing
• CRM-linked call flows

Integrations: Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, Intercom

Pricing:

• Essentials: from $30/user/month
• Professional: from $50/user/month
• Custom: Available on request (includes global calling, API access)

Free trial: Yes

5. Nextiva

Nextiva’s platform offers AI-powered call routing and conversational IVR. It’s designed to capture intent through voice input and quickly direct the caller to the appropriate action or team.

Best for:

Teams that want conversational call routing with strong uptime and a familiar interface.

Key features:

• Conversational IVR
• Call routing and menu customization
• Supports multiple departments and extensions

Integrations: Zapier, Salesforce (via API)

Pricing:

• Essential: from $18.95/user/month
• Professional: from $22.95/user/month
• Enterprise: from $32.95/user/month

Free trial: Yes

6. Vonage

Vonage offers an AI Virtual Assistant that handles calls using natural voice interaction. It’s customizable via API and fits teams with technical resources who want full control over voice workflows.

Best for:
Teams with dev support that need customizable AI voice flows and programmable call handling.

Key features:

• AI assistant for inbound calls
• Programmable voice flows via API
• Supports dynamic routing and IVR

Integrations: Salesforce, Zendesk, Microsoft Teams (via API)

Pricing:

• Vonage Business Cloud: Contact sales
• Pricing depends on volume, features, and API usage

Free trial: No

7. 8×8

8×8’s Intelligent Customer Assistant supports conversational call automation. It uses natural language understanding to direct calls and surface answers to common questions before reaching a live rep.

Best for:
Enterprises that need scalable, voice-enabled automation for inbound service calls.

Key features:

• Conversational IVR with voice AI
• Answering and routing via natural language
• Integrates with broader contact center tools

Integrations: Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, Zendesk

Pricing:

• Custom pricing—requires contacting 8×8 for a tailored quote.

Free trial: Yes

8. Calldesk

Calldesk builds voicebots for enterprise contact centers. Its AI-powered agents answer inbound calls, ask structured questions, and perform basic tasks like appointment booking or FAQ handling.

Best for:

Large organizations that want pre-trained voicebots with service automation out of the box.

Key features:

• AI voicebots for routine calls
• Call deflection and prequalification
• Integration with ticketing and CRM systems

Integrations: Salesforce, Zendesk, ServiceNow

Pricing:

Custom pricing — based on call volume and bot complexity

Free trial: No

9. VirtualReception.ai

This platform offers an AI receptionist designed for small businesses. It answers calls, books appointments, and routes requests 24/7 using a pre-trained voice engine.

Best for:

Local service businesses that need round-the-clock phone coverage without hiring staff.

Key features:

• Appointment scheduling
• FAQ responses
• Live transfer or voicemail fallback

Integrations: Calendly, Google Calendar, Zapier

Pricing:

• Starter: $14/month
• Pro: $49/month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

Free trial: Yes

10. Dialzara

Dialzara offers a virtual receptionist powered by AI that can answer calls, screen for intent, and schedule appointments. It’s designed for small business owners who want to automate inbound calls without managing scripts.

Best for:

Small teams that want a plug-and-play AI receptionist with minimal setup.

Key features:

• Call screening and routing
• Appointment booking
• Pre-set voice flows with business hours logic

Integrations: Google Calendar, Zapier

Pricing:

• Basic: $39/month
• Professional: $79/month
• Growth: $119/month

Free trial: Yes

11. My AI Front Desk

My AI Front Desk is a phone-based virtual assistant that handles scheduling, FAQs, and basic inbound support. It’s optimized for solo businesses and service professionals.

Best for:

Individual professionals (e.g., therapists, consultants) who want automated call coverage.

Key features:

• 24/7 answering
• Appointment setting
• Custom greeting and logic setup

Integrations: Acuity Scheduling, Google Calendar, SMS

Pricing:

• Starter: $69/month
• Pro: $99/month
• White Label: $194/month

Free trial: Yes

12. Callin

Callin offers an AI receptionist that answers calls, books appointments, and handles caller queries using a natural-sounding voice. It’s built for service businesses that want a consistent, on-brand voice without adding headcount.

Best for:

Local businesses that rely on appointment scheduling and want AI to reduce missed calls.

Key features:

• AI voice answering
• Calendar booking
• Basic inquiry handling

Integrations: Google Calendar, Outlook, Zapier

Pricing:

• Standard: $59/month
• Business: $99/month
• Pro: $149/month

Free trial: Yes

How to Pick the Right AI Phone Answering Solution

There’s no shortage of options — but the right AI voice should work like a member of your team, not just a fancy voicemail. Here’s how to spot the tools worth your time:

Prioritize Voice Quality Over Flashy Features

You can have all the AI in the world, but if the voice sounds robotic, your caller’s gone. Choose a platform with clean, natural-sounding speech and the ability to tweak tone, gender, and pace. A great first impression starts with a voice that feels human.

Design Call Flows That Actually Solve Problems

Smart routing isn’t about pressing 1 for sales — it’s about understanding what the caller needs and getting them there fast. Look for tools that let you build intuitive flows with branching logic, keywords, or real conversation triggers.

Connect Your Systems, Not Just Your Calls

Your AI receptionist should know who’s calling and why. That only happens if it connects to your CRM, calendar, or helpdesk. When everything syncs, you skip the back-and-forth — and callers feel like you were expecting them.

Think in Multiple Languages and Time Zones

If your customers speak Spanish at 9pm or French at 8am, your voice assistant should too. Multilingual support and localized logic aren’t extras — they’re essentials for any business that runs beyond one city or country.

Start Small — But Plan to Scale

The best AI system grows with you. Make sure features like analytics, advanced routing, or call summaries aren’t locked behind an enterprise paywall. You don’t want to rebuild your phone setup just because your team doubled.

Don’t Let Your First Impression Be a Missed Call

A great AI receptionist isn’t just a convenience — it’s your voice when you can’t be there.

The tools on this list offer different strengths: some are built for speed, others for deep integration, others for a polished voice that sounds just right. But the best one? It’s the one that fits your customers, your workflows, and your pace of growth.

If you’re serious about not missing calls, not burning leads, and not sounding like you’ve got a robot on the front line, it’s time to test a platform built for quality.

CloudTalk’s AI answering assistant checks all the right boxes — and the best way to see if it fits? Try it yourself.

Sources:

1. Desk365.io