Moneypenny alternatives (US plans)

Last updated: 1 November 2026. This page covers Moneypenny's US plans only. Moneypenny sells two separate US plans: AI Answering, billed by the call, and People Answering, live receptionists billed by the minute. Each has its own price and allowance. The AI plan cards list "Human escalation", but the pricing page does not say whether human time is included in the AI plan, what it costs or when it is available. This page compares Moneypenny with six vendors from the AI Front Desk List directory, which lists 282 AI receptionist and voice agent vendors as of today. Moneypenny's US pricing page was rechecked on 1 November 2026; other prices and trial terms come from our vendor records. We publish no star ratings or reviews.

Who Moneypenny is for

Moneypenny is a long-established receptionist and answering service. Its US pricing page (checked 1 November 2026) lists, for AI Answering: no contract, 24/7 service, a reporting dashboard and human escalation. For People Answering it lists no contract, 24/7 service, bilingual answering, CRM integrations and a mobile app and dashboard. Its pricing FAQ says cancelling takes 30 days' notice, effective from your next billing date, and mentions an option to add human escalation without giving a price or terms.

US plans as published: AI Answering (US): 50 calls $99/mo (extra calls $2.39); 100 calls $199/mo ($2.19); 250 calls $435/mo ($1.89); 500 calls $775/mo ($1.69). No contract. Live People Answering is a separate plan from $165/mo for 50 minutes (extra minutes $2.85).

Our listing covers the AI Answering plans and tags Moneypenny for law firms, medical offices, home services and small businesses, among others. Tags show who a vendor markets to, not what the AI plan can do for your trade.

When to look at an alternative

Consider another service if you need:

• Human and AI answering on one plan. Moneypenny prices them as two plans. Abby Connect puts both on one allowance, and Smith.ai sells AI plans and Human-first plans from one vendor.
• A trial before you commit. No free trial is stated for Moneypenny's AI plans. Several services below list one; the terms are in the table.
• A different billing unit. Moneypenny's AI plans count calls. Minute plans and flat plans charge differently for long and short calls.
• Named integrations. Our record says CRM integrations without naming them.

Moneypenny at a glance

Moneypenny alternatives compared

Smith.ai, Upfirst and DialIQ count calls, as Moneypenny's AI plans do, so their call allowances and per-call overage compare directly. Abby Minutes, AgentZap minutes and NextPhone's flat fee are different units: compare them with a month of your own call data, not by starting price. Our cost guide explains each billing unit.

The alternatives, one by one

Smith.ai

• Why it fits: the closest match in shape. Smith.ai bills AI answering by the call and also sells human receptionists on Human-first plans, with AI backed by live North America-based agents. It names Clio, Zapier, Calendly and HubSpot (paid plans), and Quality Studio lets you test before go-live.
• Entry plan and unit: Free $0/mo (25 calls, then $3.00/call), billed by the call. Overage: per extra call, at the rate in each plan.
• Tier to check: human receptionists are on the Human-first plans; HubSpot needs a paid plan.
• Material limitation: our record does not price the Human-first plans, so human answering cannot be compared here.
• Confirm: what a Human-first plan costs for your volume, and how a call moves from the AI to a person.

AI receptionist plans: Free $0/mo (25 calls, then $3.00/call); Pro $150/mo (75 calls at $2.00/call, larger call bundles discounted); Enterprise from $500/mo (300 calls at $1.67/call); custom plans available. Terms: Free plan, card required; 25 calls/month, free forever (not a trial). Smith.ai listing. See also Smith.ai alternatives.

Abby Connect

• Why it fits: human and AI answering on one plan and one allowance, which Moneypenny sells as two plans. You set how each call type is handled and can change the mix at any time.
• Entry plan and unit: Starter $164/mo (50 Abby Minutes). A minute of human answering uses one Abby Minute and a minute of AI answering uses half, so 50 Abby Minutes cover 50 human minutes, 100 AI minutes or a mix. Overage: at your plan's Abby Minute rate.
• Tier to check: every plan covers both human and AI answering; the plans differ by allowance.
• Material limitation: Abby counts minutes, not calls, so a Moneypenny call allowance does not map onto it. Our record does not name its integration providers.
• Confirm: your expected split of human and AI minutes, and the Abby Minute rate on the plan you choose.

Plans: Starter $164/mo (50 Abby Minutes); Essential $329/mo (100); Professional $599/mo (200); Growth $1,380/mo (500). AI answering uses half an Abby Minute per minute. Overage at the plan's Abby Minute rate; no setup fee. Trial: Free trial. Abby Connect listing. See also Abby Connect alternatives.

Upfirst

• Why it fits: per-call AI answering like Moneypenny's, with a smaller entry tier, a free trial and a public demo line. It offers 24/7, overflow-only or after-hours answering, warm transfers and integrations including Clio, Google Calendar and Outlook.
• Entry plan and unit: Starter $24.95/mo (30 calls, $1.50/extra), billed by the call. Overage: per extra call, at the rate in each plan.
• Tier to check: our record does not tie features to tiers; each extra business or location is an added agent.
• Material limitation: no human receptionists in our record.
• Confirm: where warm transfers go, and that bookings land in the calendar you use.

Plans: Starter $24.95/mo (30 calls, $1.50/extra); Premium $59.95/mo (90 calls, $1/extra); Pro $159.95/mo (300 calls, $0.75/extra); Scale $299/mo (600 calls, $0.70/extra); save 20% annually. Each additional agent (another business or location) $9.95/mo. Trial: Free trial, 14 days. Upfirst invites you to hear its AI at (833) 564-4778. Upfirst listing.

DialIQ

• Why it fits: per-call plans whose entry tier has the same 50-call allowance as Moneypenny's smallest AI plan, with 24/7 voice answering, calendar booking and a free trial.
• Entry plan and unit: Essential $49/mo (50 calls, then $1.50/call), billed by the call. Overage: per extra call on the entry plan; our record states no rate for the higher plans.
• Tier to check: voice plus chat starts on Growth.
• Material limitation: no human receptionists or call transfers in our record. Our record also notes that DialIQ's homepage shows a per-minute figure that conflicts with its per-call pricing page; we use the pricing page.
• Confirm: which billing applies to your account, and how urgent calls reach a person.

Plans: Essential $49/mo (50 calls, then $1.50/call); Growth $99/mo (100 calls, voice + chat); Professional $499/mo (600 calls); Enterprise custom including $599/mo for 750 calls and $1,000/mo for 1,500 calls. Trial: Free trial, 7 days. DialIQ listing.

AgentZap

• Why it fits: AI answering with live agent backup, real-time calendar booking and urgency detection, if you want a human safety net with the AI.
• Entry plan and unit: Starter $109/mo (150 min, $0.85/min overage), billed by the minute.
• Tier to check: a one-time setup fee applies, waived on a 6-month Professional term.
• Material limitation: our record does not say how much live agent time is included or what it costs. There is no free trial; the vendor offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
• Confirm: when calls go to a live agent, and whether that time draws on the same minutes.

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. AgentZap listing.

NextPhone

• Why it fits: if you want no usage meter at all. NextPhone charges a flat monthly price with unlimited inbound calls and books into Google and Outlook calendars on every plan. Our record also names Clio, Lawmatics and MyCase.
• Entry plan and unit: Pro $199/mo, flat monthly with unlimited inbound calls. Overage: none, per the plans as published.
• Tier to check: CRM updates, including Clio and HubSpot, start on Growth, as do Zapier and webhooks (NextPhone's pricing page, checked 1 November 2026). Outbound calls and texts sit on higher tiers.
• Material limitation: no human receptionists in our record.
• Confirm: what unlimited covers in NextPhone's own terms, and how urgent calls transfer to your team.

Plans: Pro $199/mo; Growth $299/mo; Scale $599/mo; unlimited inbound calls, no per-minute or overage fees. Trial: Free trial, 7 days, card required. NextPhone listing. See also NextPhone alternatives.

When to stay with Moneypenny

Stay if a per-call AI plan suits your call pattern and you value a long-established answering-service brand with no contract, or if you want live receptionists from the same company on a separate People Answering plan. If you are weighing people against software, read AI answering service vs AI receptionist.

Switching checklist

1. Call forwarding. Confirm how the new service takes your calls: forwarding your existing number (all calls, after hours or on overflow) or a new number. Allow for Moneypenny's 30 days' notice and keep it running until test calls pass.
2. Human escalation. List which calls must reach a person, then check how the new service handles each one: a live agent, a warm transfer to your team, or a message.
3. Booking and handoff. Check where bookings and messages land: your calendar, your CRM or case system, or a text or email summary.
4. Units. Take a month of call data: the number of calls, total minutes and how many needed a person. Compare it with each plan's allowance in that plan's own unit.

FAQ

How much do Moneypenny's US plans cost?

Moneypenny's US pricing page, checked 1 November 2026: AI Answering (US): 50 calls $99/mo (extra calls $2.39); 100 calls $199/mo ($2.19); 250 calls $435/mo ($1.89); 500 calls $775/mo ($1.69). No contract. Live People Answering is a separate plan from $165/mo for 50 minutes (extra minutes $2.85).

Does Moneypenny's AI plan include human receptionists?

Not as published. AI Answering and People Answering are separate plans. The AI plan cards list "Human escalation", but the pricing page does not say whether human time is included, what it costs or when it is available. Ask Moneypenny before you rely on it.

Which Moneypenny alternatives also bill per call?

Smith.ai, Upfirst and DialIQ bill per call, as Moneypenny's AI Answering does. Abby Connect counts Abby Minutes, AgentZap counts minutes and NextPhone charges a flat fee.

Can I test an alternative before switching?

No free trial is stated for Moneypenny's AI plans. Smith.ai: Free plan, card required; 25 calls/month, free forever (not a trial). Abby Connect: Free trial. Upfirst: Free trial, 14 days. DialIQ: Free trial, 7 days. NextPhone: Free trial, 7 days, card required. AgentZap has no free trial and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Are these alternatives ranked by payment?

No. Picks are editorial. Picks and order are never sold. Paid placements are always labelled Sponsored. See our methodology and Advertise. We earn a commission if you sign up to NextPhone through our link; it does not change which alternatives we list or their order (see affiliate disclosure).

Related pages

• Abby Connect alternatives, Smith.ai alternatives, Upfirst alternatives and NextPhone alternatives
• AI answering service vs AI receptionist, AI receptionist cost guide and free trial guide
• Moneypenny listing
• Methodology and submit a correction

Disclosure

Moneypenny's US pricing page was rechecked on 1 November 2026; other prices and trial terms come from our vendor records, each with its own check date. Confirm current terms on each vendor's site before you buy. AI Front Desk List is independent and is not affiliated with Moneypenny or any vendor named here other than NextPhone, where we earn a commission if you sign up through our link (see affiliate disclosure). It does not change which alternatives we list or their order.