Upfirst review: AI receptionist that answers, books and transfers calls for small businesses
AI receptionist that answers, books and transfers calls for small businesses
Starts at $24.95/mo, free plan: no, free trial: 14-day free trial, no credit card required, prices checked on November 2, 2026.
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What Upfirst does
Answers your business calls, collects caller details, books appointments, texts links and transfers calls to your team.
Upfirst is an AI answering service that picks up your business phone so callers reach a voice instead of voicemail. You can let it handle every call, only the ones you miss, or only after-hours calls, and you keep your current number by forwarding calls to the Upfirst number that comes with each plan.
You train it on your hours, services and prices, either by typing them in or by importing them from your website. During a call it can answer questions, collect the caller's details, text a link such as a booking page, book into connected calendars (Google, Outlook, Clio, Acuity, Calendly, Square), or transfer the call to a person with a warm handoff that tells you who is calling. It speaks English, Spanish and 35+ other languages, recognizes returning callers, and blocks spam. Summaries, recordings and transcripts go out by text and email. Zapier and Custom Actions connect it to a CRM and other apps.
Pricing is based on the number of calls, not minutes. Starter is $24.95 per month billed monthly, or $20 per month billed yearly, and includes 30 calls. Premium is $59.95 per month billed monthly ($48 per month billed yearly) for 90 calls. Pro is $159.95 per month billed monthly ($128 per month billed yearly) for 300 calls. Scale is $299 per month billed monthly ($240 per month billed yearly) for 600 calls. Beyond 600 calls there is a Custom plan with volume pricing. Extra calls are billed per call, and each additional agent is $9.95 per month. There is no permanent free plan, but a 14-day trial with full access is offered without a credit card.
- Answers every call, overflow or after-hours calls
- Books appointments into connected calendars
- Warm live call transfers
- Texts callers links mid-call
- Spam call blocking
- 35+ languages
- Remembers returning callers
- Zapier and Custom Actions integrations
- Call summaries, recordings and transcripts
Official video
AI Receptionist for Shopify (Step-by-Step Tutorial) · by Upfirst ·
The player loads only when you press play.
Good for / Not for
Good for
- Small businesses that miss calls while on a job or with a client
- Offices that want after-hours or overflow calls covered
- Businesses with Spanish-speaking or other non-English callers
- Teams that want call summaries by text and email, plus a CRM link via Zapier
Not for
- Anyone who needs a permanent free plan
- Teams needing live human phone support outside weekday business hours
How to start
Sign up for an account and type in your website address; Upfirst begins training your receptionist from that site, giving it a foundation to build on. source
Enter your business hours, your services and the questions customers commonly ask, then choose how every kind of call gets handled. source
Forward your business number to Upfirst, either all calls, overflow, or after-hours calls only. source
Test with real forwarded calls during the 14-day free trial. source
Limits and gotchas
From the official site and docs of Upfirst, checked on November 2, 2026.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Call-based plans from $24.95 per month billed monthly, with a Custom plan above 600 calls
- 14-day trial with full plan access and no credit card required
- Books into Google Calendar, Outlook, Clio, Acuity, Calendly and Square, and can text callers links
- Spam calls, calls under 15 seconds and silent calls are not billed
- Speaks English, Spanish and 35+ other languages and recognizes returning callers
Cons
- No permanent free plan, only a 14-day trial
- Each plan has a call cap, and extra calls cost extra, for example $1.50 per additional call on Starter
- Each additional agent costs $9.95 per month
- Human support runs Monday through Friday only, with an AI assistant on weekends
- The official pages do not list supported platforms or a public API
Our take
Upfirst suits small businesses that miss calls while working, such as law offices, clinics, home services and property managers, and want a phone agent that books, texts and transfers. The official pages show a clear call-based price ladder and a 14-day trial, so you can test it with real forwarded calls. It fits less well if you want a permanent free tier, if your call volume is unpredictable and overage per call worries you, or if you need live human help outside weekday business hours. Platform and public API details are not stated on the pages.
Comparisons and lists with Upfirst
Coming soon
Coming soon — we are writing comparisons that include Upfirst.
Upfirst pricing
| Plan | Monthly billing | Annual billing (per month) | Limits / what’s included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter per month | $24.95 | $20 | 30 calls; $1.50 per additional call |
| Premium per month | $59.95 | $48 | 90 calls; $1 per additional call |
| Pro per month | $159.95 | $128 | 300 calls; $.75 per additional call |
| Scale per month | $299 | $240 | 600 calls; $.70 per additional call |
| Custom | — | — | More than 600 calls; volume pricing, contact us |
Free trial: 14-day free trial, no credit card required. Free plan: no.
Prices checked on on the official Upfirst pricing page. “—” = not published.
All Upfirst plans, limits and annual prices →
Frequently asked questions
How much does Upfirst cost?
Starter is $24.95 per month billed monthly or $20 per month billed yearly for 30 calls. Premium, Pro and Scale cost more and include more calls. A Custom plan covers more than 600 calls a month.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. The pricing page describes full access to every feature in your selected plan for 14 days, and says no credit card is required.
Can I keep my current phone number?
Yes. You can forward calls from a cell phone, landline or VoIP number to the Upfirst number that comes with every plan, with no porting required.
Does Upfirst charge for spam calls?
No. Spam is detected and blocked, and calls under 15 seconds or calls where the caller never speaks are also not billed.
Which calendars does it work with?
It books appointments into Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, Acuity Scheduling, Square and Clio Manage.
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