AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup) vs My AI Front Desk
The short answer
- AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup) costs least at 100 calls a month ($90 via sales), My AI Front Desk at 500 ($359).
- Only AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup) has receptionists of its own to take over a call on every plan.
- Only My AI Front Desk holds a two-way text conversation with callers from the Business-in-a-Box plan.
 AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup)small businesses wanting cheap AI answering with a human receptionist still on the callVisit site |  My AI Front DeskVisit site | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | ||
| At 100 calls a month | AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup)$90 via salesLowest | My AI Front Desk$109 |
| At 500 calls a month | AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup)$450 via sales | My AI Front Desk$359Lowest |
| Advertised from | AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup)$10 a month | My AI Front Desk$99 a month |
| The advertised plan covers | AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup)Not counted | My AI Front DeskThe $99 plan covers 96 of 100 calls.4 cost extra. |
| Bills | AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup)per call | My AI Front Deskper minute |
| Keeps answering past your allowance | AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup)YesCalls past the plan allowance keep being answered and are billed as overage at $1.10… | My AI Front DeskYesCalls keep being answered past the allowance |
| Free trial or plan | AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup)PartlyA seven-day AI call answering free trial runs on your real diverted line… | My AI Front DeskPartlyBusiness-in-a-Box comes with a 7-day free trial, so you can try it before paying |
| Month to month, cancel online | AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup)YesBilling is a rolling monthly subscription with no lock-in and no cancellation fee… | My AI Front DeskYesBilling is month to month with no contract, and you cancel from the dashboard without a… |
| On the call | ||
| Books appointments | AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup)PartlyThe AI product is described as message-taking and transferring only | My AI Front DeskYesIt books into your calendar during the call |
| Transfers to a person | AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup)YesThe AI can transfer a caller through to you, and the vendor states its human… | My AI Front DeskYesWarm transfer is supported. 'Hot' transfers can play a whisper summary to your staff… |
| Human receptionists as backup | AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup)YesA live receptionist takes over whenever the AI is stuck or a caller asks for a person… | My AI Front DeskNoThere are no vendor-staffed human receptionists |
| After-hours rules | AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup)PartlyThe AI answers around the clock, so there is no out-of-hours gap… | My AI Front DeskYesIt answers 24/7 |
| Urgent calls escalated | AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup)Not stated | My AI Front DeskYesUrgent calls are escalated through transfer scenarios you describe… |
| Texts your callers | AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup)NoOutbound SMS exists only to deliver messages to your own listed staff mobiles and is… | My AI Front DeskYesIt can text callers during and after a call (links, menus, confirmations)… |
| Call summary by text | AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup)YesA full call summary with caller name, contact details and reason for calling is sent by… | My AI Front DeskYesCall notifications can go by SMS or email and can include the AI call summary and… |
| Language, privacy and trying it | ||
| Languages | AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup)PartlyEnglish and Spanish | My AI Front DeskPartly20+ languages |
| HIPAA, with a signed BAA | AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup)Not stated | My AI Front DeskYesThe HIPAA landing page says a Business Associate Agreement comes with every plan and is… |
| Hear it before you buy | AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup)YesA dedicated live demo number lets you talk to the Ginger AI agent about the service… | My AI Front DeskYesThere is a public demo phone line to call before buying… |
| What it connects to | ||
| Google Calendar | AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup)NoGoogle Calendar and Outlook are not named anywhere | My AI Front DeskYesGoogle Calendar has a native two-way sync with a setup guide |
| Outlook | AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup)NoGoogle Calendar and Outlook are not named anywhere | My AI Front DeskYesOutlook / Microsoft 365 calendar sync is listed on the integrations page |
| Calendly | AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup)YesCalendly, Acuity Scheduling, Setmore and Square Appointments are supported… | My AI Front DeskYesCalendly is named in the booking FAQ and in the help centre's scheduling category… |
| Your trade’s software | AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup)PartlyTrade tools named are Clio for law firms and ResDiary for hospitality | My AI Front DeskYesThere are documented connectors for Housecall Pro… |
| Keep your number | AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup)YesYou keep your advertised business number and divert it to the receptionist number issued… | My AI Front DeskYesYou can keep your existing number and forward calls to your Frontdesk number… |
| In short | ||
| What it is | AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup)AnsweringService.com SmartMessage is an AI phone receptionist that answers calls 24/7 in English or Spanish, takes messages and transfers callers. A live receptionist takes over any call the AI cannot handle.All answers for AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup) | My AI Front DeskMy AI Front Desk (branded Frontdesk) is an AI receptionist that answers a business's phone calls and also handles web chat, two-way SMS, email and a built-in CRM. Small businesses buy it self-serve; agencies can resell it under their own brand.All answers for My AI Front Desk |
| Checked | AnsweringService.com SmartMessage (AI Call Answering with Live Receptionist Backup)October 14, 2026 | My AI Front DeskOctober 14, 2026 |
Costs are for 100 or 500 calls a month of 2½ minutes each, on the cheapest public plan. How we price