Vendor comparison
AgentZap vs Marlie: which AI receptionist fits?
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Last updated: 15 October 2026. AgentZap and Marlie both sell minute-based AI answering for service businesses. AgentZap adds live agent backup and a one-time training and setup fee. Marlie is cheaper to open in our data. Marlie also publishes demo lines. Prices rechecked 2026-10-15.
Verdict
Pick Marlie if you want a Basic start from $49/mo (250 min), a 14-day free trial, public demo lines, and printed per-minute overage rates with no one-time training fee in our data. Calendar booking starts on Standard.
Pick AgentZap if you need live human backup, urgency/emergency detection, a wide named integration list (ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, Clio, and more), and you can absorb plans from $109/mo, plus $499 setup (the setup fee is waived on a 6-month Professional term).
Side-by-side
| Field | AgentZap | Marlie |
|---|---|---|
| Website | agentzap.ai | marlie.ai |
| What it does | AI receptionist for service businesses that answers 24/7, books appointments, detects urgency and offers live human agent backup. | 24/7 AI answering service and AI receptionist for service businesses that answers calls, books appointments, and texts the owner call details. |
| Starting price | $109/mo, plus $499 setup | $49/mo |
| Pricing model | Usage plus base | Usage plus base |
| Included on entry plan | 150 min | 250 min |
| Overage (entry plan) | $0.85/min on Starter, $0.70/min on Business | $0.35/min on Basic, $0.25/min on Premium |
| Setup fee | $499 | Not published |
| Published pricing | 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 | 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 |
| Trial or free plan | Not offered | Free trial, 14 days, card required |
| Demo line | Not published | (631) 970-4479 (Main demo) or (929) 577-3301 (Towing company demo) |
| Integrations | Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, Acuity, ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, Jane App, Vagaro, Boulevard, Clio, Zapier | Shopify, Square, Calendar sync (providers not named on pricing page) |
| Key features | 24/7 call answering with live agent backup; Real-time calendar booking; Urgency/emergency detection and escalation; Lead capture and qualification; Multi-location greetings and reporting | 24/7 call answering with spam screening; Calendar booking, rescheduling and cancelling (Standard and up); Call transfers and department routing; Texted checkout links via Shopify and Square (Pro and up); Multi-location and franchise setup (Premium) |
| Industries (our tags) | Dentists, Small Businesses, Home Services, HVAC Companies, Roofers, Law Firms, Real Estate, Salons, Auto Repair Shops | Dentists, Medical Offices, Small Businesses, Home Services, HVAC Companies, Plumbers, Electricians, Law Firms, Real Estate, Restaurants |
| Practice size | Small businesses to multi-location | Solo to multi-location and franchise |
| Listing note | None | None |
| Source | Vendor site (agentzap.ai) | Vendor site (marlie.ai) |
| Last checked | 2026-10-15 | 2026-10-15 |
- What it does
- AgentZap: AI receptionist for service businesses that answers 24/7, books appointments, detects urgency and offers live human agent backup.
- Marlie: 24/7 AI answering service and AI receptionist for service businesses that answers calls, books appointments, and texts the owner call details.
- Starting price
- AgentZap: $109/mo, plus $499 setup
- Marlie: $49/mo
- Pricing model
- AgentZap: Usage plus base
- Marlie: Usage plus base
- Included on entry plan
- AgentZap: 150 min
- Marlie: 250 min
- Overage (entry plan)
- AgentZap: $0.85/min on Starter, $0.70/min on Business
- Marlie: $0.35/min on Basic, $0.25/min on Premium
- Setup fee
- AgentZap: $499
- Marlie: Not published
- Published pricing
- AgentZap: 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
- Marlie: 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
- Trial or free plan
- AgentZap: Not offered
- Marlie: Free trial, 14 days, card required
- Demo line
- AgentZap: Not published
- Marlie: (631) 970-4479 (Main demo) or (929) 577-3301 (Towing company demo)
- Integrations
- AgentZap: Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, Acuity, ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, Jane App, Vagaro, Boulevard, Clio, Zapier
- Marlie: Shopify, Square, Calendar sync (providers not named on pricing page)
- Key features
- AgentZap: 24/7 call answering with live agent backup; Real-time calendar booking; Urgency/emergency detection and escalation; Lead capture and qualification; Multi-location greetings and reporting
- Marlie: 24/7 call answering with spam screening; Calendar booking, rescheduling and cancelling (Standard and up); Call transfers and department routing; Texted checkout links via Shopify and Square (Pro and up); Multi-location and franchise setup (Premium)
- Industries (our tags)
- AgentZap: Dentists, Small Businesses, Home Services, HVAC Companies, Roofers, Law Firms, Real Estate, Salons, Auto Repair Shops
- Marlie: Dentists, Medical Offices, Small Businesses, Home Services, HVAC Companies, Plumbers, Electricians, Law Firms, Real Estate, Restaurants
- Practice size
- AgentZap: Small businesses to multi-location
- Marlie: Solo to multi-location and franchise
- Listing note
- AgentZap: None
- Marlie: None
- Source
- AgentZap: Vendor site (agentzap.ai)
- Marlie: Vendor site (marlie.ai)
- Last checked
- AgentZap: 2026-10-15
- Marlie: 2026-10-15
Every row comes from our vendor data, refreshed whenever the directory is rebuilt. "Not published" means the vendor does not publish it or we have not recorded it.
Pricing
AgentZap (agentzap.ai, 2026-10-15): 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.
Marlie (marlie.ai/pricing, 2026-10-15): 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. Calendar booking starts on Standard.
Features
- Hybrid safety net: AgentZap markets live backup and urgency escalation. Marlie is AI-first and lists call transfers and department routing to your people.
- Booking: Both list calendar booking (AgentZap real-time booking; Marlie from Standard).
- Commerce: Marlie Pro can text Shopify/Square checkout links. AgentZap emphasizes lead capture and multi-location greetings/reporting.
- Integrations depth: AgentZap names FSM and vertical tools (ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, Jane, Vagaro, Boulevard). Marlie names Shopify/Square on the pricing page; vendor claims thousands of integrations elsewhere (confirm before you buy).
Setup and trial
Marlie: 14-day free trial, demo lines (631) 970-4479 (Main demo) or (929) 577-3301 (Towing company demo). Marlie asks for a card at checkout. AgentZap: no free trial; 30-day money-back guarantee per its record; budget time for the paid setup/training step. See the free trial guide.
Best fit by industry
| Need | Lean AgentZap | Lean Marlie |
|---|---|---|
| Auto repair / salons | Tagged; Vagaro and Boulevard listed | Not tagged for either in our data |
| HVAC / home services | Live backup + ServiceTitan/HCP | Plans from $49/mo + demo lines |
| Dentists | Tagged | Tagged |
| Law firms | Clio listed | Tagged; calendar providers unnamed on pricing page |
| Budget SMB start | Plans from $109/mo, plus $499 setup | Basic from $49/mo |
- Auto repair / salons
- Lean AgentZap: Tagged; Vagaro and Boulevard listed
- Lean Marlie: Not tagged for either in our data
- HVAC / home services
- Lean AgentZap: Live backup + ServiceTitan/HCP
- Lean Marlie: Plans from $49/mo + demo lines
- Budget SMB start
- Lean AgentZap: Plans from $109/mo, plus $499 setup
- Lean Marlie: Basic from $49/mo
How to choose in one minute
- Call Marlie: (631) 970-4479 (Main demo) or (929) 577-3301 (Towing company demo). AgentZap: no public demo line in our data, so ask for a supervised demo.
- Decide whether vendor-run live backup is mandatory. If yes, AgentZap. If no, Marlie's price board is simpler.
- Add AgentZap's one-time training and setup fee (or confirm the 6-month Professional waiver) into year-one cost.
- Prefer Marlie for trial + demo + low entry. Prefer AgentZap for live backup + named FSM/vertical integrations.
FAQ
Why is AgentZap more expensive to start?
Marlie has the lower entry price in our data (AgentZap $109/mo, plus $499 setup; Marlie $49/mo). AgentZap's setup fee is waived on a 6-month Professional term; Marlie's record lists no setup fee.
Does Marlie include live agents?
Not in our data. Marlie lists call transfers and department routing to your team. AgentZap markets live agent backup.
Which has a free trial?
Marlie: 14-day free trial. AgentZap: no free trial; 30-day money-back guarantee instead.
Can I hear Marlie first?
Yes: (631) 970-4479 (Main demo) or (929) 577-3301 (Towing company demo). AgentZap: no public demo line in our data.
Which books appointments on the cheapest plan?
Marlie needs Standard, its second tier. AgentZap lists real-time calendar booking as a key feature without naming a tier; confirm entitlement at checkout.
Related pages
- AgentZap and Marlie
- Best AI receptionist, cost, free trials
- Home services, auto repair, small businesses
- Methodology · submit a correction
Disclosure
Snapshot dated 2026-10-15. Re-verify prices on each vendor's site before you buy. AI Front Desk List is independent and is not affiliated with AgentZap or Marlie. Rankings and picks are never sold. Paid placements are always labelled Sponsored. See Advertise.