AI Receptionist vs Talkify
The short answer
- AI Receptionist costs least at 100 calls a month: $57.75.
- Talkify costs least at 500: NZ$209 (about $117).
- Talkify has the lowest advertised price, NZ$10 (about $5.60), but costs NZ$109 (about $61) at 100 calls.
- Pick AI Receptionist if you want the lower bill at 100 calls.
- Pick Talkify if you want the lower bill at 500 calls.
 AI Receptionistsolo professionals and small businesses that miss calls while workingVisit site |  TalkifyNZ and Australian trades, clinics and salons that miss calls while on the jobVisit site | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | ||
| At 100 calls a month | AI Receptionist$57.75Lowest | TalkifyNZ$109about $61 |
| At 500 calls a month | AI Receptionist$261.50 | TalkifyNZ$209about $117Lowest |
| Advertised from | AI Receptionist$14 a month | TalkifyNZ$10 (about $5.60) a monthabout $5.60 |
| The advertised plan covers | AI ReceptionistThe $14 plan covers 30 of 100 calls.70 cost extra. | TalkifyThe NZ$10 (about $5.60) plan it advertises covers 0 of 100 calls. Shortwave (Personal Assistant) costs less for all 100. |
| Bills | AI Receptionistper minute | Talkifyper minute |
| Keeps answering past your allowance | AI ReceptionistPartlyCalls are not auto-upgraded or billed down | TalkifyYesCalls keep being answered past the allowance and are charged per extra minute |
| Free trial or plan | AI ReceptionistPartlyA 7-day trial lets it answer your real line: you get 30 minutes of live calls | TalkifyPartlyYou can hear and sign up on a live demo line |
| Month to month, cancel online | AI ReceptionistYesMonth-to-month with no contract, and you cancel yourself in the app without phoning anyone | TalkifyYesStandard plans are month to month with no lock-in and transcripts kept after you stop |
| On the call | ||
| Books appointments | AI ReceptionistPartlyIt books into the caller’s slot during the call | TalkifyYesThe agent reads live diary availability during the call and writes the appointment in |
| Transfers to a person | AI ReceptionistYesTransfers are warm by default: it texts you who is calling and why | TalkifyYesUrgent callers are warm-transferred to a person with the context already collected |
| Human receptionists as backup | AI ReceptionistNoNo human agents sit behind the AI | TalkifyNoThere is no human answering team behind the AI for customer calls |
| After-hours rules | AI ReceptionistPartlyAnswering is 24/7 on every plan including weekends and holidays | TalkifyYesIt answers continuously including weekends and public holidays |
| Urgent calls escalated | AI ReceptionistYesEmergency recognition is a documented behavior: the vendor says it triages urgent calls | TalkifyYesEmergencies are recognized against rules you write |
| Texts your callers | AI ReceptionistYesCallers can text the same number | TalkifyYesThe agent can text the caller after or during a call, including booking links |
| Call summary by text | AI ReceptionistYesYou can get per-call alerts by SMS as well as email, with a daily SMS | TalkifyYesA summary is texted and emailed as soon as the call ends |
| Language, privacy and trying it | ||
| Languages | AI ReceptionistYes57 languages | TalkifyYes32 languages |
| HIPAA, with a signed BAA | AI ReceptionistNoNo BAA today on any plan: the vendor lists HIPAA compliance | TalkifyNot stated |
| Hear it before you buy | AI ReceptionistYesThree live demo receptionists are published with their phone numbers | TalkifyYesA public New Zealand demo number is answered by their own agent around the clock |
| What it connects to | ||
| Google Calendar | AI ReceptionistYesGoogle Calendar is the only calendar it books into, included from the $14 plan up | TalkifyYesGoogle Calendar and Microsoft 365 or Outlook are booked into directly after a live availability read |
| Outlook | AI ReceptionistYesThe vendor says support for other calendar platforms is still to come | TalkifyYesGoogle Calendar and Microsoft 365 or Outlook are booked into directly after a live availability read |
| Calendly | AI ReceptionistYesThe vendor says support for other calendar platforms is still to come | TalkifyYesCalendly is supported but the caller is texted a single-use booking link instead |
| Your trade’s software | AI ReceptionistNot stated | TalkifyPartlyTrade and clinic systems are covered through ServiceM8, Fergus, Simpro, Jobber, Tradify |
| Keep your number | AI ReceptionistYesYou keep your existing line and forward it with carrier star codes, documented per carrier | TalkifyYesYou keep your existing mobile, landline or 0800 number |
| In short | ||
| What it is | AI ReceptionistAI Receptionist is a 24/7 AI phone answering service for small businesses and solo operators. It greets callers, answers their questions from your own business information, books appointments, screens spam and sends you a summary of every call.All answers for AI Receptionist | TalkifyTalkify is a New Zealand-built AI phone agent that answers a business number or a personal mobile around the clock, books into the caller's diary and texts a summary. It sells reception, personal assistant, booking, sales and outbound calling agents on NZ and Australian numbers.All answers for Talkify |
| Checked | AI ReceptionistOctober 14, 2026 | TalkifyOctober 15, 2026 |
Costs are for 100 or 500 calls a month of 2½ minutes each, on the cheapest public plan. How we price
“About” figures are converted at the European Central Bank rate of Oct 15, 2026.