Comparison
Two AI receptionists for home service businesses, side by side — what each plan includes, where booking starts, and what happens to the callers who don't book.
Both answer the phone. The differences are what's included at the price you'd actually pay, and what happens after a call that didn't turn into a job.
Zovio sells three tiers, priced by how many calls a month you take. Calendar booking and SMS are on the middle tier and up. On First Call is one tier with everything in it, and it does two things we couldn't find on Zovio's plan list: it texts you about the callers who didn't book, and it lets your crew run their day by text without an app.
50 calls a month. AI voice assistant, full dashboard, audio recordings, transcripts, Excel export, and a dedicated number. Calendar booking and SMS notifications are not listed on this plan.
150 calls a month. Everything in Starter, plus client memory, calendar booking, a custom greeting, and SMS notifications.
300 calls a month. Everything in Pro, plus advanced analytics, priority support, and a dedicated manager.
Annual billing is listed at 15% off. Zovio's page says missed calls and calls under ten seconds don't count toward the monthly cap.
One plan, $199 a month. Answering around the clock, live booking onto your Google Calendar during the call, a confirmation text the customer can reply to in order to reschedule, recognising returning callers, a review request after each completed job, the crew-by-text tools, a text to you about each caller who didn't book, recordings, and a dashboard. There is no tier by call count and no higher plan. Founder pricing for early businesses is on the pricing page.
| Zovio | On First Call | |
|---|---|---|
| Price of a plan that books | $349 (Pro) | $199 |
| Tiers by call volume | 50 / 150 / 300 calls a month | One flat price |
| Answers 24/7 | Yes | Yes |
| Books onto your calendar | Pro and up | Yes, during the call |
| Confirmation text to the customer | Pro and up | Yes, and they can reschedule by reply |
| Recognises returning callers | Pro and up (client memory) | Yes |
| Recordings and transcripts | All plans | Yes |
| Texts you who called and didn't book, and why | Not listed | Yes, right after the call |
| Crew updates by text, no app | Not listed | Yes |
| Review request after the job | Not listed | Yes |
| Keep your existing number | Yes — forward to their number | Yes — forwards only unanswered calls |
| Excel export | All plans | Dashboard only |
| Dedicated account manager | Business plan | No |
| Built for | Home service contractors and small businesses generally | Trades and home services only |
If you're not a trade — a salon, a clinic, a law office — Zovio's site describes serving those businesses and ours doesn't. If you want a spreadsheet export or a named account manager, that's on their list and not ours. And if you take well over 300 calls a month, ask both of us exactly what happens, because neither plan list answers it.
A call that gets answered and still doesn't book — the caller wanted a price you don't quote, or a time you didn't have, or said “I'll think about it” — is where most of the revenue in a missed call actually sits. Every AI receptionist answers the phone. The question is what you learn about the ones it couldn't close.
On First Call reads that call after it ends and texts you: who it was, what they wanted, and why they walked — while a callback still lands. Zovio's plans list recordings and transcripts, which means the information is there if you go and listen for it. That's the difference between a report and a text message, and on a Tuesday afternoon under a sink it's the whole difference.
The same goes for your crew. On First Call lets a technician text “block me out Friday” or “that one's done” to the same number your customers call, and sends them their day each morning. There's no app to install and no login to forget. We couldn't find that on Zovio's plans either.
The comparison that actually matters isn't $199 against $349. It's what a missed call costs you. There's a calculator on the homepage — your missed calls a week, your average job, your close rate. Ten seconds, and the number is yours.
For a plan that books appointments, yes. On First Call is $199 a month, one tier. Zovio's plan that includes calendar booking is Pro at $349 a month; its $249 Starter is cheaper than us but doesn't list booking or SMS. Those are Zovio's published prices as of September 7, 2026 — check both pricing pages before deciding, because plans change.
On its Pro and Business plans, according to its pricing page. Calendar booking and SMS notifications are not listed under the Starter plan. On First Call books to your Google Calendar on its only plan, during the call.
No. Both work by forwarding. Zovio gives you a dedicated number and you forward your existing line to it. On First Call uses a carrier code on your existing line that forwards only the calls you don't answer, so you keep picking up when you can and we get the rest.
Three things. It reads each call that didn't book and texts you who it was, what they wanted and why they walked. It lets your technicians block time, mark jobs done and get their day by texting the same number, with no app. And it asks for a Google review after each completed job. We checked Zovio's public plans on September 7, 2026 and didn't find these. If that changes, tell us and we'll update this page.
If you're a trade with one calendar and a crew in vans, On First Call. If you're a salon, a clinic, a law office, or you want an Excel export and a named account manager, Zovio lists those and we don't. If you're unsure, run your own numbers on the calculator and take both demos.
A free demo set up on your own business — your calendar, your prices, your service area — within 24 hours.
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