Upfirst is an AI receptionist that answers calls around the clock, books appointments into common calendars and warm transfers urgent callers, starting at $24.95 a month for 30 calls. It is the best starting point for most small businesses and for salons on Square or Acuity. It is worth trying, since the 14 day trial needs no card and works on real calls, but per call billing adds up on busy lines.
What Upfirst is
Upfirst is an AI answering service for small businesses. It picks up your calls, answers questions from what you teach it, books appointments and passes urgent callers to you or your team Upfirst pricing ↗.
You set it up by entering your website as a starting point, then adding answers to common questions and connecting your calendar or CRM Upfirst pricing ↗. Every plan includes a phone number, and you can forward calls from a cell, landline or VoIP number without porting Upfirst pricing ↗.
Hands on testing is in progress, and we will update this review with results.
What it does well
The core features are on every plan. Even Starter includes 24/7 answering, call summaries, recordings and transcripts, live warm transfers, appointment booking, texting during calls, AI spam blocking, Zapier and caller memory Upfirst pricing ↗. You can have it answer all calls, only overflow or only after hours Upfirst pricing ↗.
It books into calendars people already use. Upfirst connects to Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, Acuity Scheduling, Square and Clio Manage, and Custom Actions can connect to any CRM with an API Upfirst pricing ↗. That covers many salons, law offices and service businesses without switching software.
It speaks many languages. It supports more than 35 languages, switches automatically and translates the transcript into your language Upfirst pricing ↗.
Billing is fair at low volume. Spam, telemarketing, robocalls, calls under 15 seconds and silent calls are not billed, and they are labeled in your call log Upfirst pricing ↗.
Early users are happy. On Capterra, all 13 reviews give it five stars, praising fast setup and responsive support; one reviewer had it working in under 20 minutes Capterra reviews ↗.
Where it falls short
Per call pricing adds up. Starter includes only 30 calls, and extra calls cost $1.50 each on that plan Upfirst pricing ↗. A busy front line will need Pro or Scale.
The voice is not perfect. Capterra reviewers say the AI cadence can sound artificial and it pauses more than they would like, and one said it interrupted callers in early weeks before a fix Capterra reviews ↗.
Some features are missing. Upfirst does not list website chat, a shared text inbox or deposit collection Upfirst pricing ↗. It also does not name salon platforms like Vagaro, Mangomint or Fresha Upfirst pricing ↗.
Health businesses need the top plan. Business associate agreements for HIPAA are listed only on the Custom plan Upfirst pricing ↗.
Reviews are few so far. Thirteen Capterra reviews is a small sample, and one was invited by the vendor Capterra reviews ↗.
Pricing and plans
Starter costs $24.95 a month for 30 calls, or $20 a month billed yearly, with extra calls at $1.50 Upfirst pricing ↗. Premium costs $59.95 for 90 calls, or $48 yearly, with extra calls at $1.00 Upfirst pricing ↗. Pro, the most popular plan, costs $159.95 for 300 calls, or $128 yearly, with extra calls at $0.75 and white glove onboarding Upfirst pricing ↗. Scale costs $299 for 600 calls, or $240 yearly, with extra calls at $0.70 Upfirst pricing ↗. Custom covers more than 600 calls with volume pricing, priority support and BAAs Upfirst pricing ↗.
Annual billing saves 20 percent Upfirst pricing ↗. Extra agents for more businesses or locations cost $9.95 a month each Upfirst pricing ↗.
There is no free plan, but the 14 day trial gives full access to your chosen plan with no credit card, lets you forward real calls and includes a free 30 minute onboarding call Upfirst pricing ↗. There is no contract, and you can cancel, upgrade or downgrade any time Upfirst pricing ↗. Live support runs Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Upfirst pricing ↗.
Who should (and shouldn't) use it
- Good fit: small businesses that miss calls and want them answered and booked for a low monthly price Upfirst pricing ↗.
- Good fit: salons and offices booking in Square, Acuity, Calendly or Clio Upfirst pricing ↗.
- Good fit: owners who want warm transfers for urgent callers Upfirst pricing ↗.
- Skip it if: you get hundreds of short calls a month; minute based tools like Rosie may cost less Rosie pricing ↗.
- Skip it if: you want calls, texts and website chat in one inbox; look at My AI Front Desk My AI Front Desk pricing ↗.
- Skip it if: you need a HIPAA BAA on a small budget Upfirst pricing ↗.
Alternatives worth a look
- Rosie: from $49 a month for 250 minutes, good for busy lines that mainly need answers and messages Rosie pricing ↗.
- Smith.ai: a free plan for 25 calls a month, with real people behind the AI on paid plans from $150 a month Smith.ai pricing ↗.
- My AI Front Desk: calls, two way texts and web chat in one place from $99 a month, or $79 billed yearly My AI Front Desk pricing ↗.
- Fresha AI Concierge: built into Fresha for salons, $99.95 a month per location with 200 minutes Fresha pricing ↗.
- GlossGenius Reception: a $50 a month add on for salons on GlossGenius, with booking and deposits GlossGenius pricing ↗.
Where it appears
ComparedThe Best AI Answering Service for Home Service BusinessesBudget pickThe Best AI Booking Assistant for SalonsComparedThe Best AI Receptionist for Dental OfficesComparedThe Best AI Receptionist for Med SpasOur pickThe Best AI Receptionist for Small BusinessesWhat’s good
- Booking on every plan
- 14 day trial with no credit card
- No contract
What to know
- Per call billing adds up on busy lines
- Few independent reviews so far
Key features
- 24/7 call answering with summaries, recordings and transcripts
- Appointment booking on every plan
- Warm call transfers to you or your team
- Texting during calls, such as booking links or directions
- Spam blocking; short and spam calls not billed
- 35+ languages
Works with
Questions people ask
How much does Upfirst cost?
Plans start at $24.95 a month for 30 calls, or $20 a month billed yearly. Premium is $59.95 for 90 calls and Pro is $159.95 for 300 calls Upfirst pricing ↗.
Does Upfirst have a free trial?
Yes. The 14 day trial needs no credit card and lets you forward real calls Upfirst pricing ↗.
Can Upfirst book appointments?
Yes, on every plan. It books into Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, Acuity, Square and Clio Upfirst pricing ↗.
Is Upfirst HIPAA compliant?
Upfirst lists business associate agreements only on its Custom plan Upfirst pricing ↗.
Where this comes from
Checked Oct 9, 2026. Vendor pages describe their own products; independent sources add outside views. Hands on testing is in progress.
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