Comparison

Goodcall alternative: an AI receptionist that starts free

Goodcall is an AI phone agent billed by the number of unique customers who call each month. Amernet’s AI receptionist answers, books and transfers 24/7, is free with inbound calls included, and can run on the phone system you already have. Here is how they compare, using the prices each company publishes.

Side by side

Amernet AI Receptionist Goodcall
Pricing model Free; inbound calls included, outbound billed by usage Per unique caller: $79 a month for 100 customers, $129 for 500, $299 for 2,000
Lowest paid plan $0 — the AI receptionist is free $79 a month for 100 unique callers
Free option Free plan, no credit card A free demo agent to test before connecting a number
Answers 24/7 Yes Yes
Books appointments on the call Yes — checks your live calendar Yes
Hands over to a person Yes — announces who is calling and why first Yes
Phone number New local number $2 a month, or keep and connect your own Local number included, or forward your own
Runs as an extension on your existing phone system Yes — SIP extension on your PBX or VoIP Call forwarding
Business phone system from the same provider Yes — Amernet phones, with the receptionist included free No

Goodcall figures are from its published pricing, checked October 2026; plan limits and rates change over time, so check goodcall.com for current terms. Amernet pricing is current as published on our pricing page. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.

Amernet or Goodcall: which fits?

Choose Amernet if

You want a lower entry price, you want to start free without a card, or you also want a business phone system from the same provider.

Choose Goodcall if

You want a phone number bundled into the plan price, or you plan to build many specialised agent “workers” connected to other tools.

Not sure? Ring both

Set each one up with the same hours and services, then call them with the same five questions — a booking, a price, a day you are closed. The difference is usually obvious in one call.

Questions

Common questions

On entry price, yes. Goodcall’s published plans start at $79 a month for 100 unique callers. Amernet’s AI receptionist is free, with no credit card, and answering inbound calls costs nothing; a new local number is $2 a month if you want one.

By unique customer: each different caller in a month counts once, and plans include 100, 500 or 2,000 of them. Amernet’s current plans are on our pricing page.

Yes. Forward your existing number, port it to Amernet, or keep your phone system as it is and add the AI receptionist as an extension behind it.

Minutes to get an agent answering. Give it your hours, services and booking calendar, ring it yourself to test, then point your calls at it.

Keep reading

More on how an AI receptionist compares and where it fits.

24/7 virtual receptionist, explained

The plain definition, what the human services cost, and when one of them still beats an AI receptionist.

AI receptionist vs answering service

A side-by-side table on cost, capability and setup time, against a live answering service and plain voicemail.

AI receptionist for multiple locations

One number across every site, callers routed to the right branch, and each location’s details kept separate.

Try it on your own phone line.

Free to start, no credit card. Keep your number or get a new one in minutes.