Vendor comparison

Marlie vs Upfirst: which AI receptionist fits?

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Last updated: 15 October 2026. Marlie bills in minutes. Upfirst bills in calls. Both publish demo lines, both list a 14-day free trial in our data, and both cover trades and SMB buyers. Prices rechecked on vendor pricing pages 2026-10-15.

Verdict

Pick Upfirst if you want per-call plans from $24.95/mo (Marlie starts at $49/mo), appointment scheduling with no plan restriction named in our data, and named calendar/CRM integrations (Google Calendar, Outlook, Clio, Calendly, and more).

Pick Marlie if you prefer minute pools with a per-minute overage rate printed on Basic through Premium (from $49/mo for 250 minutes), Shopify/Square checkout texts on Pro, and calendar booking from Standard once you leave Basic.

Side-by-side

Field	Marlie	Upfirst
Website	marlie.ai	upfirst.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.	Affordable AI answering service and virtual receptionist for small businesses, priced per call with 24/7 coverage.
Starting price	$49/mo	$24.95/mo
Pricing model	Usage plus base	Usage plus base
Included on entry plan	250 min	30 calls
Overage (entry plan)	$0.35/min on Basic, $0.25/min on Premium	$1.50/extra
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 $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
Trial or free plan	Free trial, 14 days	Free trial, 14 days
Demo line	(631) 970-4479 (Main demo) or (929) 577-3301 (Towing company demo)	(833) 564-4778
Integrations	Shopify, Square, Calendar sync (providers not named on pricing page)	Google Calendar, Outlook, Clio, Acuity, Calendly, Square, Zapier
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)	24/7, overflow-only or after-hours answering; Warm call transfers; Appointment scheduling; In-call texting; 35+ languages and returning-caller memory
Industries (our tags)	Dentists, Medical Offices, Small Businesses, Home Services, HVAC Companies, Plumbers, Electricians, Law Firms, Real Estate, Restaurants	Small Businesses, Home Services, HVAC Companies, Plumbers, Electricians, Law Firms, Real Estate, Property Management, Restaurants, Salons
Practice size	Solo to multi-location and franchise	Small businesses
Listing note	None	None
Source	Vendor site (marlie.ai)	Vendor site (upfirst.ai)
Last checked	2026-10-15	2026-10-15

Website: Marlie: marlie.ai; Upfirst: upfirst.ai
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.; Upfirst: Affordable AI answering service and virtual receptionist for small businesses, priced per call with 24/7 coverage.
Starting price: Marlie: $49/mo; Upfirst: $24.95/mo
Pricing model: Marlie: Usage plus base; Upfirst: Usage plus base
Included on entry plan: Marlie: 250 min; Upfirst: 30 calls
Overage (entry plan): Marlie: $0.35/min on Basic, $0.25/min on Premium; Upfirst: $1.50/extra
Setup fee: Marlie: Not published; Upfirst: 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; Upfirst: 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
Trial or free plan: Marlie: Free trial, 14 days; Upfirst: Free trial, 14 days
Demo line: Marlie: (631) 970-4479 (Main demo) or (929) 577-3301 (Towing company demo); Upfirst: (833) 564-4778
Integrations: Marlie: Shopify, Square, Calendar sync (providers not named on pricing page); Upfirst: Google Calendar, Outlook, Clio, Acuity, Calendly, Square, Zapier
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); Upfirst: 24/7, overflow-only or after-hours answering; Warm call transfers; Appointment scheduling; In-call texting; 35+ languages and returning-caller memory
Industries (our tags): Marlie: Dentists, Medical Offices, Small Businesses, Home Services, HVAC Companies, Plumbers, Electricians, Law Firms, Real Estate, Restaurants; Upfirst: Small Businesses, Home Services, HVAC Companies, Plumbers, Electricians, Law Firms, Real Estate, Property Management, Restaurants, Salons
Practice size: Marlie: Solo to multi-location and franchise; Upfirst: Small businesses
Listing note: Marlie: None; Upfirst: None
Source: Marlie: Vendor site (marlie.ai); Upfirst: Vendor site (upfirst.ai)
Last checked: Marlie: 2026-10-15; Upfirst: 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 on Standard.

Upfirst (upfirst.ai/pricing, 2026-10-15): 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.

Marlie bills talk time from a minute pool; Upfirst bills each call. Which is lower depends on your call count and call length. Work your own numbers with the cost guide.

Features

Booking: Upfirst lists appointment scheduling with no plan restriction named in our data. Marlie from Standard.
Languages: Upfirst 35+. Marlie's record names no language count (confirm on site).
Commerce: Marlie Pro can text Shopify/Square checkout links. Upfirst lists in-call texting.
Memory: Upfirst lists returning-caller memory. Marlie's record does not.
Multi-location: Marlie Premium covers multi-location and franchise setup. Upfirst's record names no multi-location tier.

Setup and trial

Both give two weeks to test. Upfirst: Free trial, 14 days, demo (833) 564-4778. Marlie: Free trial, 14 days, demo (631) 970-4479 (Main demo) or (929) 577-3301 (Towing company demo). Neither record states whether a card is needed to start, so check at signup. Details in the free trial guide.

Best fit by industry

Need	Lean Marlie	Lean Upfirst
HVAC / plumbers / electricians	Minute pool, booking from Standard	Per-call plans, scheduling with no plan restriction named
Law firms	Tagged	Tagged, Clio integration
Restaurants / salons	Marlie tagged restaurants	Upfirst tagged both
Small businesses	Printed per-minute overage rates	Plans from $24.95/mo

HVAC / plumbers / electricians: Lean Marlie: Minute pool, booking from Standard; Lean Upfirst: Per-call plans, scheduling with no plan restriction named
Law firms: Lean Marlie: Tagged; Lean Upfirst: Tagged, Clio integration
Restaurants / salons: Lean Marlie: Marlie tagged restaurants; Lean Upfirst: Upfirst tagged both
Small businesses: Lean Marlie: Printed per-minute overage rates; Lean Upfirst: Plans from $24.95/mo

How to choose in one minute

Call both demos: Marlie (631) 970-4479 (Main demo) or (929) 577-3301 (Towing company demo) and Upfirst (833) 564-4778. Ask the same booking and after-hours questions.
Pull last month's call count and average talk time from your phone carrier.
Price both quotes: Marlie minutes (including the Standard step if you need calendar booking) versus Upfirst calls (including overage if you exceed the bundle).
Prefer Upfirst when per-call billing and named calendar connectors on day one matter most. Prefer Marlie when minute overage clarity and commerce texts matter more than starting price (Upfirst has the lower floor in our data).

FAQ

Is Upfirst always cheaper than Marlie?

No. Upfirst has the lower entry price in our data (Upfirst $24.95/mo, Marlie $49/mo). Past the entry allowance both charge overage (Upfirst per call, Marlie per minute), so model both with your own call count and minutes.

How do the trials compare?

Marlie: Free trial, 14 days. Upfirst: Free trial, 14 days. Neither record states card terms, so check at signup.

Can I hear both before buying?

Yes. Marlie (631) 970-4479 (Main demo) or (929) 577-3301 (Towing company demo); Upfirst (833) 564-4778.

Which books on the cheapest plan?

Upfirst lists appointment scheduling with no plan restriction named in our data. Marlie needs Standard, its second tier.

Do they staff human receptionists?

Neither record lists a vendor-run human receptionist pool. Both list call transfers to your people. For hybrid AI+human networks see Smith.ai or Abby Connect.

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 Upfirst. Rankings and picks are never sold. Paid placements are always labelled Sponsored. See Advertise.