Vendor comparison
Marlie vs OnCrew: which AI receptionist fits?
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Last updated: 15 October 2026. Marlie is a multi-industry AI receptionist with minute plans. OnCrew is built for trades only (HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing) with per-call plans and emergency triage. Marlie starts at $49/mo and OnCrew at $49/mo, and both publish demo lines. Prices rechecked 2026-10-15.
Verdict
Pick OnCrew if you are a contractor who needs emergency triage, on-call tech texts, and a trial with no card (Free trial, 14 days, no card required). 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: (818) 578-4783.
Pick Marlie if you want a broader industry footprint (law, medical, dental, restaurants, SMB plus trades), minute billing with published overage, Shopify/Square checkout links by text on Pro and up, and calendar booking from the Standard plan. Demo: (631) 970-4479 (Main demo) or (929) 577-3301 (Towing company demo).
Side-by-side
| Field | Marlie | OnCrew |
|---|---|---|
| Website | marlie.ai | oncrew.ai |
| What it does | 24/7 AI answering service and AI receptionist for service businesses that answers calls, books appointments, and texts the owner call details. | AI receptionist for HVAC, plumbing, electrical and roofing contractors that answers 24/7, triages emergencies and texts the on-call tech. |
| Starting price | $49/mo | $49/mo |
| Pricing model | Usage plus base | Usage plus base |
| Included on entry plan | 250 min | 100 calls |
| Overage (entry plan) | $0.35/min on Basic, $0.25/min on Premium | $0.99 per extra call |
| Setup fee | Not published | Not published |
| Published pricing | 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 | Starter $49/mo (100 calls); Pro $149/mo (400 calls); Multi-Truck $349/mo (1,000 calls); $0.99 per extra call |
| Trial or free plan | Free trial, 14 days | Free trial, 14 days, no card required |
| Demo line | (631) 970-4479 (Main demo) or (929) 577-3301 (Towing company demo) | (818) 578-4783 |
| Integrations | Shopify, Square, Calendar sync (providers not named on pricing page) | Google Calendar |
| Key features | 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) | Answers in two rings, 24/7; Emergency triage with your rules; On-call tech text alerts and live transfers; Appointment request capture; Email summaries with recording and transcript |
| Industries (our tags) | Dentists, Medical Offices, Small Businesses, Home Services, HVAC Companies, Plumbers, Electricians, Law Firms, Real Estate, Restaurants | Home Services, HVAC Companies, Plumbers, Electricians, Roofers |
| Practice size | Solo to multi-location and franchise | Owner-operators to multi-crew shops (1 to 15 trucks) |
| Listing note | None | None |
| Source | Vendor site (marlie.ai) | Vendor site (oncrew.ai) |
| Last checked | 2026-10-15 | 2026-10-15 |
- What it does
- Marlie: 24/7 AI answering service and AI receptionist for service businesses that answers calls, books appointments, and texts the owner call details.
- OnCrew: AI receptionist for HVAC, plumbing, electrical and roofing contractors that answers 24/7, triages emergencies and texts the on-call tech.
- Starting price
- Marlie: $49/mo
- OnCrew: $49/mo
- Pricing model
- Marlie: Usage plus base
- OnCrew: Usage plus base
- Included on entry plan
- Marlie: 250 min
- OnCrew: 100 calls
- Overage (entry plan)
- Marlie: $0.35/min on Basic, $0.25/min on Premium
- OnCrew: $0.99 per extra call
- Setup fee
- Marlie: Not published
- OnCrew: Not published
- Published pricing
- 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
- OnCrew: Starter $49/mo (100 calls); Pro $149/mo (400 calls); Multi-Truck $349/mo (1,000 calls); $0.99 per extra call
- Trial or free plan
- Marlie: Free trial, 14 days
- OnCrew: Free trial, 14 days, no card required
- Demo line
- Marlie: (631) 970-4479 (Main demo) or (929) 577-3301 (Towing company demo)
- OnCrew: (818) 578-4783
- Integrations
- Marlie: Shopify, Square, Calendar sync (providers not named on pricing page)
- OnCrew: Google Calendar
- Key features
- 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)
- OnCrew: Answers in two rings, 24/7; Emergency triage with your rules; On-call tech text alerts and live transfers; Appointment request capture; Email summaries with recording and transcript
- Industries (our tags)
- Marlie: Dentists, Medical Offices, Small Businesses, Home Services, HVAC Companies, Plumbers, Electricians, Law Firms, Real Estate, Restaurants
- OnCrew: Home Services, HVAC Companies, Plumbers, Electricians, Roofers
- Practice size
- Marlie: Solo to multi-location and franchise
- OnCrew: Owner-operators to multi-crew shops (1 to 15 trucks)
- Listing note
- Marlie: None
- OnCrew: None
- Source
- Marlie: Vendor site (marlie.ai)
- OnCrew: Vendor site (oncrew.ai)
- Last checked
- Marlie: 2026-10-15
- OnCrew: 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
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 at Standard.
OnCrew (oncrew.ai/pricing, 2026-10-15): Starter $49/mo (100 calls); Pro $149/mo (400 calls); Multi-Truck $349/mo (1,000 calls); $0.99 per extra call.
Different units: Marlie bills minutes, OnCrew bills calls. Which bill is lower depends on how many calls you take and how long they run, so price a typical month on both plans. See the cost guide.
Features
- Emergency workflows: OnCrew leads with emergency triage using your rules and on-call tech text alerts. Marlie can transfer calls and text the owner call details, but its record lists no emergency triage feature.
- Vertical focus: OnCrew is built for trades contractors only. Marlie spans many verticals in our tags.
- Booking: Marlie calendar booking from Standard. OnCrew captures appointment requests, sends email summaries with recording and transcript, and lists Google Calendar as its integration (confirm how deep calendar write-back goes for your workflow).
Setup and trial
OnCrew: Free trial, 14 days, no card required. Marlie: Free trial, 14 days; our data has no card terms for Marlie, so check at signup. OnCrew also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. Call both demos before you forward a production line. More trial patterns: free trial guide.
Best fit by industry
| Need | Lean Marlie | Lean OnCrew |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC / plumbers / electricians | Multi-industry shop or medical/dental mix | Pure trades + emergencies |
| Roofers | Marlie is not tagged for roofing | OnCrew tagged roofing |
| Small businesses outside trades | Marlie | Skip OnCrew |
| Already on Jobber | Compare Jobber Receptionist too | Standalone AI that sits beside your FSM |
- HVAC / plumbers / electricians
- Lean Marlie: Multi-industry shop or medical/dental mix
- Lean OnCrew: Pure trades + emergencies
- Already on Jobber
- Lean Marlie: Compare Jobber Receptionist too
- Lean OnCrew: Standalone AI that sits beside your FSM
How to choose in one minute
- Pure HVAC, plumbing, electrical, or roofing with after-hours emergencies: start with OnCrew's demo and triage settings.
- Mixed book of business (trades plus medical, dental, restaurants, or general SMB): Marlie's industry tags fit better.
- Trial terms: OnCrew needs no card; Marlie offers a 14-day free trial, but check its card terms at signup.
- Run the same emergency script on both demo lines, then price 100 short calls on OnCrew versus the equivalent minutes on Marlie Basic/Standard.
FAQ
Do they cost the same to start?
Marlie starts at $49/mo and OnCrew at $49/mo, but the included pool differs (250 minutes on Marlie Basic vs 100 calls on OnCrew Starter) and overage units differ.
Which is better for after-hours emergencies?
OnCrew is purpose-built for that story. Marlie can transfer and notify, but OnCrew lists emergency triage and on-call tech alerts as core features.
Do both have demo lines?
Yes. Marlie (631) 970-4479 (Main demo) or (929) 577-3301 (Towing company demo); OnCrew (818) 578-4783.
Which trial is easier without a card?
OnCrew, which states no card is required. Our data has no card terms for Marlie, so check at signup.
Should Jobber users ignore both?
Not necessarily. Jobber Receptionist is native to Jobber but does not publish a separate AI price in our snapshot. Many owners still compare a standalone AI. See Jobber vs OnCrew once that page is live.
Related pages
- Marlie and OnCrew
- HVAC, plumbers, home services, roofers
- Best AI receptionist, cost, free trials
- 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 Marlie or OnCrew. Rankings and picks are never sold. Paid placements are always labelled Sponsored. See Advertise.