Vendor comparison
Rosie vs Upfirst: which AI receptionist fits?
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Last updated: 15 October 2026. Rosie and Upfirst are two of the better-known AI answering services for small businesses and trades. This page compares published price, trial, demo line, booking, and industry tags from the AI Front Desk List directory (180 vendors as of today). Numbers come from vendor pricing pages rechecked 2026-10-15. No star ratings, no invented reviews, and directory order is not for sale.
Verdict
Pick Upfirst if you want per-call billing (from $24.95/mo), appointment scheduling with no plan gate in our record, and a public demo line you can call today, (833) 564-4778. Trial: Free trial, 14 days.
Pick Rosie if you prefer minute pools (from $49/mo), English and Spanish on every call, native iOS and Android apps, and a simple three-plan ladder. Know that calendar booking and live/warm transfers start on Rosie's Scale plan, not Professional.
Side-by-side
| Field | Rosie | Upfirst |
|---|---|---|
| Website | heyrosie.com | upfirst.ai |
| What it does | AI call answering service for small businesses, trained from your Google profile and website, that answers questions, books appointments and texts 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) | Not published | $1.50/extra |
| Setup fee | Not published | Not published |
| Published pricing | 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) | 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, 7 days | Free trial, 14 days |
| Demo line | Not published | (833) 564-4778 |
| Integrations | Zapier, Calendar booking (providers not named on pricing page) | Google Calendar, Outlook, Clio, Acuity, Calendly, Square, Zapier |
| Key features | Custom message taking; Calendar booking and live/warm transfers (Scale and up); English and Spanish on every call; Call summaries, transcripts and recordings; Native iOS and Android apps | 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) | Small Businesses, Home Services, HVAC Companies, Plumbers, Electricians, Law Firms, Real Estate, Property Management | Small Businesses, Home Services, HVAC Companies, Plumbers, Electricians, Law Firms, Real Estate, Property Management, Restaurants, Salons |
| Practice size | Solo owners to high-volume small businesses | Small businesses |
| Listing note | None | None |
| Source | Vendor site (heyrosie.com) | Vendor site (upfirst.ai) |
| Last checked | 2026-10-15 | 2026-10-15 |
- What it does
- Rosie: AI call answering service for small businesses, trained from your Google profile and website, that answers questions, books appointments and texts call details.
- Upfirst: Affordable AI answering service and virtual receptionist for small businesses, priced per call with 24/7 coverage.
- Starting price
- Rosie: $49/mo
- Upfirst: $24.95/mo
- Pricing model
- Rosie: Usage plus base
- Upfirst: Usage plus base
- Included on entry plan
- Rosie: 250 min
- Upfirst: 30 calls
- Overage (entry plan)
- Rosie: Not published
- Upfirst: $1.50/extra
- Setup fee
- Rosie: Not published
- Upfirst: Not published
- Published pricing
- Rosie: 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)
- 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
- Rosie: Free trial, 7 days
- Upfirst: Free trial, 14 days
- Integrations
- Rosie: Zapier, Calendar booking (providers not named on pricing page)
- Upfirst: Google Calendar, Outlook, Clio, Acuity, Calendly, Square, Zapier
- Key features
- Rosie: Custom message taking; Calendar booking and live/warm transfers (Scale and up); English and Spanish on every call; Call summaries, transcripts and recordings; Native iOS and Android apps
- 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)
- Rosie: Small Businesses, Home Services, HVAC Companies, Plumbers, Electricians, Law Firms, Real Estate, Property Management
- Upfirst: Small Businesses, Home Services, HVAC Companies, Plumbers, Electricians, Law Firms, Real Estate, Property Management, Restaurants, Salons
- Practice size
- Rosie: Solo owners to high-volume small businesses
- Upfirst: Small businesses
- Listing note
- Rosie: None
- Upfirst: None
- Source
- Rosie: Vendor site (heyrosie.com)
- Upfirst: Vendor site (upfirst.ai)
- Last checked
- Rosie: 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
Rosie (heyrosie.com/pricing, 2026-10-15): 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). Calendar booking and live/warm transfers start on Scale.
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.
On list price, Upfirst has the lower entry plan. Rosie bills talk time from a minute pool; Upfirst bills each call. Which bill is lower for you depends on your call count and call length, so price a typical month on both. See our cost guide.
Features
Both answer small-business calls and offer warm transfers (Rosie from Scale up). Differences in our records:
- Booking gate: Upfirst lists appointment scheduling with no plan gate in our record. Rosie books calendars from the Scale plan up.
- Languages: Rosie states English and Spanish on every call. Upfirst lists 35+ languages.
- Apps: Rosie lists native iOS and Android. Upfirst has no mobile apps in our record (confirm on their site if that matters).
- Memory: Upfirst markets returning-caller memory. Rosie markets training from your Google profile and website.
Setup and trial
Rosie: Free trial, 7 days. More in our free trial notes.
Upfirst: Free trial, 14 days. You can call its demo line (833) 564-4778 before signup. Rosie has no public demo line in our data.
Best fit by industry
| Need | Lean Rosie | Lean Upfirst |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC / plumbers / electricians | Fine if you want minutes + bilingual | Better if you want booking with no plan gate and a demo line to call first |
| Law firms | Tagged; confirm calendar/CRM | Clio in listed integrations |
| Small businesses | English/Spanish + native apps | Per-call billing + named calendars |
| Home services | Broad trades tags | Broad trades tags + demo line |
- HVAC / plumbers / electricians
- Lean Rosie: Fine if you want minutes + bilingual
- Lean Upfirst: Better if you want booking with no plan gate and a demo line to call first
- Small businesses
- Lean Rosie: English/Spanish + native apps
- Lean Upfirst: Per-call billing + named calendars
FAQ
Is Upfirst cheaper than Rosie?
On published entry plans, Upfirst starts lower: Upfirst from $24.95/mo (per call), Rosie from $49/mo (minute pool). Beyond the entry plans, price a typical month (call count and minutes) on both before choosing.
Which one books appointments on the cheapest plan?
Upfirst lists appointment scheduling with no plan gate in our record. Rosie books calendars from the Scale plan up.
Can I try them without a card?
Both offer free trials. Upfirst: Free trial, 14 days. Rosie: Free trial, 7 days. Neither has card terms on record, so check checkout before you start.
Does either offer a human receptionist pool?
Neither record describes a vendor-staffed human answering network. Both can transfer to your own team (Rosie from Scale up). For hybrid human+AI shops, compare Smith.ai or Abby Connect.
Where can I hear them first?
Upfirst: (833) 564-4778. Rosie: no public demo line in our data.
Related pages
- Rosie and Upfirst
- Best AI receptionist, AI receptionist cost, free trial guide
- Industry: home services, HVAC, small businesses
- Methodology and 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 Rosie, Upfirst, or any vendor named here. Rankings and picks are never sold. Paid placements are always labelled Sponsored. See Advertise.