Vendor alternatives
Marlie alternatives
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Last updated: 15 October 2026. Marlie is a small-business AI answering service starting at $49/mo, with a public demo line and a 14-day free trial. This page compares it with seven peers from the AI Front Desk List directory (180 vendors as of today) that overlap on industries and price. Figures come from our vendor records, checked 2026-10-15. No star ratings or invented quotes, and listing order is not for sale.
Who Marlie is for
Marlie is a 24/7 AI answering service for service businesses. It answers calls, books appointments and texts the owner the details. Our listing tags it for home services, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, law firms, real estate, medical offices, dental, restaurants and general small business.
Published plans: Basic $49/mo (250 min, then $0.35/min); Standard $99/mo (500 min, then $0.35/min); Pro $199/mo (1,000 min, then $0.30/min); Premium $399/mo (2,000 min, then $0.25/min); Enterprise custom. Features include spam screening, booking and rescheduling from Standard up, transfers and department routing, texted checkout links through Shopify and Square on Pro and up, and multi-location setup on Premium.
Trial: 14-day free trial. Demo line: Marlie invites visitors to call it at (631) 970-4479 (Main demo) or (929) 577-3301 (Towing company demo).
Why people look for Marlie alternatives
From our data:
- Similar entry plan, different extras. Rosie's entry plan also includes 250 minutes, with English and Spanish on every call.
- Per-call billing. Upfirst and OnCrew price by calls, not minutes, so long calls do not cost more.
- Overage rate. Marlie bills per minute over each plan's allowance, at a rate that varies by plan. Trillet also bills overage per minute; compare its rate in the Trillet section below.
- Human backup. AgentZap adds live agents; Marlie is AI answering.
- Entry price. For light pilots, Upfirst starts at $24.95/mo and Dialzara at $29/mo.
Marlie at a glance
| Field | Our data (2026-10-15) |
|---|---|
| Starting price | $49/mo |
| Overage | Per minute, rate varies by plan (see plans above) |
| Booking | Standard and up |
| Trial | Free trial, 14 days |
| Demo line | (631) 970-4479 (Main demo) or (929) 577-3301 (Towing company demo) |
Marlie alternatives compared
| Vendor | Starts at | Included on entry plan | Trial or free option | Notable difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rosie | $49/mo | 250 min | Free trial, 7 days | Spanish on every call |
| Upfirst | $24.95/mo | 30 calls | Free trial, 14 days | Per-call pricing |
| OnCrew | $49/mo | 100 calls | Free trial, 14 days, no card required | Trades emergency triage |
| Dialzara | $29/mo | 60 min | Free trial, 7 days | Zapier and Make |
| Trillet | $49/mo | 150 min | Free trial, 7 days | Web chat and SMS |
| CallBird AI | Starter $99/mo (up to 50 calls) | 50 calls | Free trial, 7 days, no card required | POS integrations |
| AgentZap | $109/mo, plus $499 setup | 150 min | Not offered | Live agent backup |
Starting prices and trial terms come from our vendor data, refreshed whenever the directory is rebuilt.
The alternatives, one by one
Rosie
Marlie's closest twin on the entry plan: 250 included minutes on both. English and Spanish on every call, native mobile apps, and booking plus live transfers from the Scale plan. Published plans: Professional $49/mo (250 min); Scale $149/mo (1,000 min); Growth $299/mo (2,000 min); annual billing gives 2 months free. Website chat is free with all plans; website texting is an add-on at $50/mo (25 conversations, then $1 each). Integrations are thin in our data (Zapier). Rosie listing.
Upfirst
Per-call plans starting at $24.95/mo for 30 calls, a 14-day free trial, and a demo line at (833) 564-4778. Switch if 30 calls a month is enough to evaluate. Upfirst listing.
OnCrew
A trades specialist with emergency triage using your rules and on-call tech text alerts. Published plans: Starter $49/mo (100 calls); Pro $149/mo (400 calls); Multi-Truck $349/mo (1,000 calls); $0.99 per extra call. Demo line (818) 578-4783. OnCrew listing.
Dialzara
A small pilot option with a demo line at 866-545-ZARA. Published plans: Business Lite $29/mo (60 min, $0.48/min over); Business Pro $99/mo (220 min, $0.45); Business Plus $199/mo (500 min, $0.40); Business Elite $349/mo (1,000 min, $0.35). Warm transfers start on Business Pro. Dialzara listing.
Trillet
Published plans: AI Receptionist $49/mo (150 min, then $0.20/min); Agency/white-label from $99/mo; Enterprise custom. It adds web chat and SMS and lists an audit trail for regulated industries; tags include law firms and medical offices. 7-day free trial. Our pricing confidence for Trillet is medium. Trillet listing.
CallBird AI
New in our catalog this month, with tags that overlap Marlie on dental, restaurants and home services. Published plans: Starter $99/mo (up to 50 calls); Professional $249/mo (up to 500 calls, Google Calendar, 2 users); Enterprise $499/mo (unlimited calls, multi-language, API). It names POS integrations (Square, Shopify POS, Lightspeed, Clover). 7-day trial with no credit card, and the vendor invites you to try it at +1 (505) 594-5806. CallBird AI listing.
AgentZap
For live human backup and a wide integration list (ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, Jane App, Vagaro and more). Published plans: Starter $109/mo (150 min, $0.85/min overage); Professional $295/mo (450 min, $0.75/min); Business $899/mo (1,500 min, $0.70/min); Enterprise custom. $499 one-time training and setup fee (waived on a 6-month Professional term). Fully managed plan also offered. No free trial; 30-day money-back guarantee. AgentZap listing.
When to stay with Marlie
Stay if you want a callable demo, 250 minutes on the entry plan, booking from the Standard plan, and industry coverage that spans trades, medical and dental. Calendar providers are not named on Marlie's pricing page, so confirm yours first.
FAQ
Marlie or Rosie: which is cheaper?
Marlie starts at $49/mo and Rosie at $49/mo, each with 250 minutes on the entry plan. For booking, Marlie needs its Standard plan and Rosie its Scale plan; both plan lists are above.
Does Marlie have a free trial?
Yes, a 14-day free trial.
Which Marlie alternative has the cheapest overage?
Compare the recorded rates: Trillet lists AI Receptionist $49/mo (150 min, then $0.20/min); Agency/white-label from $99/mo; Enterprise custom. Marlie's per-minute rate falls on its higher plans, and Dialzara and AgentZap publish per-minute overage too (plans above). Upfirst and OnCrew charge per extra call instead.
Which alternative adds live agents?
AgentZap lists 24/7 answering with live agent backup. For law firms, Smith.ai also offers a human receptionist option.
Is this page sponsored?
No. Picks are editorial. Rankings and picks are never sold. Paid placements are always labelled Sponsored. See our methodology and Advertise.
Related pages
- Marlie vendor page
- AI receptionist for home services, HVAC, dentists, medical offices, small businesses
- AI receptionist free trials
- Methodology and submit a correction
Disclosure
Snapshot dated 2026-10-15. Confirm all prices on vendor sites before you buy. AI Front Desk List is independent and is not affiliated with Marlie or any vendor named here.