AI Receptionist Pricing 2026 — A Transparent Comparison
What does an AI receptionist actually cost in 2026? Real pricing for Aroha, Goodcall, Rosie, Smith.ai and others — with the gotchas.
The headline prices (per month)
Aroha Lite NZ$99 / US$45. Aroha Essentials NZ$199 / US$90. Aroha Professional NZ$349 / US$157. Aroha Premium NZ$599 / US$269. Goodcall: from US$59 (Starter), US$199 (Pro). Rosie: from US$199. My AI Front Desk: from US$65. Smith.ai (hybrid): from US$285.
What's included vs. what's an upsell
Watch for: per-minute overage charges, calendar integration as a paid add-on, CRM access only on top tiers, language support locked behind premium plans, and setup fees of $500+ on enterprise plans.
Aroha is transparent on purpose
Aroha plans include: unlimited minutes (Essentials and up), free white-glove setup, managed Google Calendar setup, CRM, email summaries, no per-call fees. The price you see is the price you pay.
ROI by plan
Lite (NZ$99) pays for itself with one recovered booking a month. Essentials (NZ$199) typically pays back 5x. Professional (NZ$349) pays back 8-10x for multi-staff teams. Premium (NZ$599) pays back 15-20x for multi-location operators.
Should you start cheap or premium?
Most service businesses should start on Essentials. Lite is for sole operators with low call volume. Professional + is for teams of 3+ or multi-location operators.