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Buyer’s guide · 2026

The 9 best AI receptionists for medical practices in 2026

Our pick for the best AI receptionist for a medical practice in 2026 is InsertChat. It answers patient calls and messages about hours, locations, accepted insurance, and new-patient steps, books appointments, and routes clinical questions to your staff. Practices that handle protected health information use Enterprise, from $998 a month, with a signed BAA.

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Our picks at a glance

  1. 1.InsertChat: Best AI receptionist for medical practices
  2. 2.Weave: Best for dental practices
  3. 3.DeepCura: Best for EHR-connected clinics
  4. 4.Freed Front Desk: Best for overflow and after-hours patient calls
  5. 5.MAP Communications: Best for 24/7 human answering with HIPAA listed
  6. 6.Abby Connect: Best people-and-AI mix for practices
  7. 7.AnswerConnect: Best for 24/7 people with a HIPAA add-on
  8. 8.Upfirst: Best low-volume AI with a BAA option
  9. 9.Newo.ai: Best for Open Dental and Dentrix offices

Compare the AI receptionists for medical practices side by side

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Compare the AI receptionists for medical practices side by side: ranked picks with what each is best for, entry price, channels, and the source checked
PickBest forStarting priceChannelsChecked
1. InsertChatBest AI receptionist for medical practicesPro at $98/month, or $81.67/month billed annually, with 5,000 credits, 3 assistants, and 3 seatsWebsite chat, phone, email, SMS, and WhatsApp in one shared inbox Our pricing
2. WeaveBest for dental practicesPlans start from $199 a month; the AI Receptionist’s own price is not publishedCalls, texts, and website chats, answered around the clockOctober 13, 2026 Source
3. DeepCuraBest for EHR-connected clinics$129 a month per provider seat (seats 1–2), or $999 a year per seatPhone, with a free number included; texts intake forms and payment links to callers during the callOctober 13, 2026 Source
4. Freed Front DeskBest for overflow and after-hours patient calls$149 a month per block of 250 callsPhone calls, summarized in its inbox, with two-way SMS built inOctober 13, 2026 Source
5. MAP CommunicationsBest for 24/7 human answering with HIPAA listed$49 per month with no minutes included, then $1.37 per minutePhone answering with a toll-free number and free message deliveryOctober 13, 2026 Source
6. Abby ConnectBest people-and-AI mix for practices$165 per month for 50 Abby Minutes, with no setup feePhone answering by people or AI; follow-up calls and texts from the AbbyGO appOctober 13, 2026 Source
7. AnswerConnectBest for 24/7 people with a HIPAA add-on$350 per month for 200 minutes plus a $49.99 setup fee; Growth is $395 for 300 minutes with no setup feePhone answering, plus live chat staffed by people on Growth and Standard; notifications by app, SMS, and emailOctober 13, 2026 Source
8. UpfirstBest low-volume AI with a BAA option$24.95 a month for 30 calls ($20 billed annually), with a 14-day free trialPhone calls, with texts sent during calls and call summaries by text or emailOctober 13, 2026 Source
9. Newo.aiBest for Open Dental and Dentrix offices$0 to start with 50 free units, then $1.75 per unit; AI Receptionist $299 for 200 units, then $1.50 per unitInbound voice, web chat, and social messaging on every plan; outbound voice on requestOctober 13, 2026 Source

Prices are in USD as each vendor lists them. Vendors change plans, so confirm current terms with the linked source before you buy.

The 9 best AI receptionists for medical practices

1. InsertChat

Best AI receptionist for medical practices

Front desks miss the most calls at opening time, at lunch, and after hours. InsertChat answers those calls and your website chat from your practice information, collects new-patient details, offers or records appointment requests, and sends clinical questions to your staff. Pro is $98 a month for use without patient health information; Enterprise, from $998 a month, can sign a Business Associate Agreement.

Why it’s our pick

  • Answers hours, locations, parking, accepted insurance plans, and new-patient questions from the information you add.
  • Routes symptoms, medication questions, and anything clinical to your staff, and tells a caller to call 911 when you add that instruction.
  • Follows each patient’s language, with 58 business languages to choose from.
  • Enterprise includes 100 AI assistants, so each office or provider can have its own hours and knowledge.

Watch out for

  • Protected health information needs Enterprise, from $998 a month, with a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA).
  • It doesn’t connect to EHR or practice management software; appointments go into Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, Cal.com, or the built-in calendar.
  • It doesn’t transfer live calls. Your phone can ring first for 5 to 60 seconds; after that, the AI answers and flags anyone who needs a person, with the details attached.
Entry price
Pro at $98/month, or $81.67/month billed annually, with 5,000 credits, 3 assistants, and 3 seats Details
Pricing model
Pro, Growth, Scale, and Enterprise plans with monthly AI credits included. Annual billing costs ten monthly payments, paid upfront. Details
What is metered
AI credits from one monthly allowance. Use depends on the model, conversation length, knowledge processing, and tools; calls round up to whole minutes. Details
Channels
Website chat, phone, email, SMS, and WhatsApp in one shared inbox Details
Human handoff
Your own team takes over in the shared inbox with the full conversation, on every plan Details
Booking
Books into the built-in calendar, Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, or Cal.com, automatically or after your team’s approval Details
Notable limits
Additional phone numbers, SMS, WhatsApp, and other connected services can carry their own charges; analytics and reports start on Scale Details

InsertChat facts come from our pricing and product pages.

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2. Weave

Best for dental practices

Weave pairs its AI Receptionist with phones, texting, reminders, online scheduling, and payments, and books directly into qualified dental practice management systems.

Pick it if

  • You run a dental practice on a qualified practice management system and want the AI to book and reschedule directly into it.
  • You want phones, two-way texting, reminders, online scheduling, forms, and text-to-pay from one vendor.
  • You want calls, texts, and website chats answered, with a summary when the AI hands off.

Watch out for

  • The AI Receptionist’s own price isn’t published.
  • Outside qualified dental systems, it captures requests for staff to schedule.
Entry price
Plans start from $199 a month; the AI Receptionist’s own price is not published Source
Pricing model
Pro, Elite, and Ultimate platform plans, quoted on request, starting from $199 a month Source
What is metered
Platform plans; the pricing page lists no AI Receptionist usage rate Source
Channels
Calls, texts, and website chats, answered around the clock Source
Human handoff
Routes the call or message to your team with a conversation summary when unsure Source
Booking
Books directly for qualified dental practice management systems; otherwise captures requests for staff to schedule Source
Notable limits
Direct booking is for qualified dental systems only; real-time language switching is listed as coming soon Source

Checked on from Weave’s public pricing page.

3. DeepCura

Best for EHR-connected clinics

DeepCura’s per-provider seat bundles an AI receptionist with a scribe, intake, and coding, and its calendar mirrors your EHR’s schedule every 15 minutes.

Pick it if

  • You want one per-provider price that bundles the AI receptionist with a scribe, intake, coding, and free EHR integration.
  • You run an EHR DeepCura names on its pricing page, such as Epic, athenahealth, eClinicalWorks, AdvancedMD, or Practice Fusion.
  • You want callers warm-transferred to your staff during the call.

Watch out for

  • Every user of the AI needs their own seat.
  • The credits a call uses aren’t stated.
Entry price
$129 a month per provider seat (seats 1–2), or $999 a year per seat Source
Pricing model
Per provider seat: $129 a month, or $999 a year billed annually; volume discounts apply to monthly plans Source
What is metered
1,000 monthly credits per seat, shared across its AI agents; the credits a call uses are not stated Source
Channels
Phone, with a free number included; texts intake forms and payment links to callers during the call Source
Human handoff
Warm-transfers calls to a person with a whisper only your staff hears, or takes a message Source
Booking
Books, checks, and cancels in its own calendar, which mirrors your EHR’s schedule every 15 minutes Source
Notable limits
Every user of the AI needs their own seat; doubling credits to 2,000 is a $59 monthly add-on; lists HIPAA and PIPEDA compliance with each seat Source

Checked on from DeepCura’s public pricing page.

4. Freed Front Desk

Best for overflow and after-hours patient calls

Freed Front Desk covers a single-site practice’s overflow and after-hours calls in blocks of calls, with an inbox, two-way texting, and spam calls left off the bill.

Pick it if

  • You run a single-site practice and want overflow and after-hours calls covered at a published $149 a month per 250 calls.
  • You want spam calls and empty calls kept off the bill.
  • You want calls held in each patient’s preferred language, which Freed lists.

Watch out for

  • It captures requests for staff rather than booking directly.
  • The plan is labeled beta, and the overage rate isn’t stated.
Entry price
$149 a month per block of 250 calls Source
Pricing model
Front Desk Starter (beta): $149 a month per block of 250 calls Source
What is metered
Calls; spam and calls with no one on the line are not billed Source
Channels
Phone calls, summarized in its inbox, with two-way SMS built in Source
Human handoff
Warm transfer to your team during business hours, with escalation rules Source
Booking
Captures new-patient details, visit reasons, refills, and referrals for your staff; direct calendar or EHR booking is not stated Source
Notable limits
Described as ideal for single-site practices with one or two phone numbers; the overage rate is not stated Source

Checked on from Freed’s Front Desk page.

5. MAP Communications

Best for 24/7 human answering with HIPAA listed

MAP Communications lists HIPAA compliance on every plan, with people answering around the clock in English and Spanish, for practices that want a person on after-hours calls.

Pick it if

  • You want people answering around the clock, with English and Spanish fluency on every plan.
  • You need the HIPAA, PCI-DSS, HITRUST, and SOC 2 assurances MAP lists on its plans.
  • Your call volume is high and overage near $1.28 per minute fits your budget.

Watch out for

  • Calls only, with message delivery.
  • Setup fees and billing increments aren’t listed.
Entry price
$49 per month with no minutes included, then $1.37 per minute Source
Pricing model
Pay As You Go ($49), Business ($179 for 125 minutes), Enterprise ($339 for 250), and Premium ($649 for 500) Source
What is metered
Minutes; extra minutes cost $1.37 on Pay As You Go and $1.30 to $1.28 on other plans Source
Channels
Phone answering with a toll-free number and free message delivery Source
Human handoff
Human service: virtual receptionists answer, with 24/7 coverage on every plan Source
Notable limits
No long-term contracts; setup fees and billing increments are not listed; every plan lists HIPAA compliance plus PCI-DSS, HITRUST, and SOC 2 certification Source

Checked on from MAP Communications’s public pricing page. Compare InsertChat vs MAP Communications

6. Abby Connect

Best people-and-AI mix for practices

Abby Connect sends sensitive patient calls to US-based receptionists, with HIPAA compliance options on human answering, and routine calls to its AI at half the minute cost.

Pick it if

  • You want trained US-based receptionists on the calls that need a personal touch, with AI on the rest.
  • You want to set the human and AI mix by call type and change it month to month.
  • You need HIPAA compliance options, which Abby offers on human answering.

Watch out for

  • HIPAA compliance options cover human answering only.
  • The Starter plan includes 50 Abby Minutes.
Entry price
$165 per month for 50 Abby Minutes, with no setup fee Source
Pricing model
Starter $165 (50 Abby Minutes), Essential $329 (100), Professional $599 (200), Growth $1,380 (500), and custom Enterprise plans Source
What is metered
Abby Minutes: one per minute of human answering, half per minute of AI answering Source
Channels
Phone answering by people or AI; follow-up calls and texts from the AbbyGO app Source
Human handoff
US-based receptionists and an AI receptionist; each call goes to a person or the AI based on call type Source
Notable limits
Overage is billed at the plan’s Abby Minute rate; HIPAA compliance options are for human answering only Source

Checked on from Abby Connect’s public pricing page. Compare InsertChat vs Abby Connect

7. AnswerConnect

Best for 24/7 people with a HIPAA add-on

AnswerConnect staffs people around the clock and sells HIPAA compliance, transcriptions, and Spanish answering as add-ons.

Pick it if

  • You want every caller to reach a person, day or night: AnswerConnect’s guide says it uses no AI agents.
  • Callers need live transfers, on-call routing, or complex call flows handled by a receptionist.
  • You want people on your website chat as well, which AnswerConnect includes on Growth and Standard.

Watch out for

  • Each interaction rounds up to a whole minute.
  • Add-ons raise the monthly price.
Entry price
$350 per month for 200 minutes plus a $49.99 setup fee; Growth is $395 for 300 minutes with no setup fee Source
Pricing model
Monthly plans by receptionist minutes: Entry $350 for 200, Growth $395 for 300, Standard $575 for 400, and larger plans up to 100,000 minutes Source
What is metered
Receptionist minutes, rounded up and billed in 1-minute increments; the first 30 interactions under 30 seconds each billing cycle are free Source
Channels
Phone answering, plus live chat staffed by people on Growth and Standard; notifications by app, SMS, and email Source
Human handoff
Human service: the guide says it uses no AI agents; receptionists transfer calls using your call flows Source
Booking
Appointments booked into your calendar with its free scheduling software Source
Notable limits
Extra minutes cost $2.50 on Entry and $1.85 on Growth and Standard; transcriptions, HIPAA compliance, Spanish answering, and live operator relay are add-ons from $30 to $40 a month Source

Checked on from AnswerConnect’s published US pricing guide (PDF). Compare InsertChat vs AnswerConnect

8. Upfirst

Best low-volume AI with a BAA option

Upfirst sells AI phone answering in small call bundles and offers a BAA on its Custom plan.

Pick it if

  • You get few calls and want a $24.95 entry price for 30 calls.
  • You want live, warm call transfers, which Upfirst lists on every plan.
  • You need a BAA and can use Upfirst’s Custom plan, where it is offered.

Watch out for

  • The BAA is offered only on its Custom plan.
  • Voice only, with texting during calls.
Entry price
$24.95 a month for 30 calls ($20 billed annually), with a 14-day free trial Source
Pricing model
Starter, Premium, Pro, and Scale plans by included calls; annual billing saves 20% Source
What is metered
Calls (30 to 600 a month), with extra calls from $1.50 down to $0.70; spam and calls under 15 seconds are not billed Source
Channels
Phone calls, with texts sent during calls and call summaries by text or email Source
Human handoff
Live, warm call transfers to you or your team on every plan Source
Booking
Books into Google, Outlook, Clio, Acuity, Calendly, Square, and more Source
Notable limits
Each additional AI agent is $9.95 a month; a BAA is offered only on the Custom plan Source

Checked on from Upfirst’s public pricing page. Compare InsertChat vs Upfirst

9. Newo.ai

Best for Open Dental and Dentrix offices

Newo.ai works in tools such as Open Dental and Dentrix and bills calls and texts in shared units, with a pay-as-you-go start.

Pick it if

  • You want to start without a monthly fee: Pay As You Go includes 50 free units once, then $1.75 per unit.
  • Most of your calls are short: one unit covers a call of 30 seconds to 3 minutes, and spam and immediate hang-ups cost nothing.
  • You want social messaging handled by the same agent, which Newo lists on every plan.

Watch out for

  • Each plan covers one agent at one location.
  • Longer calls bill in 3-minute increments.
Entry price
$0 to start with 50 free units, then $1.75 per unit; AI Receptionist $299 for 200 units, then $1.50 per unit Source
Pricing model
Pay As You Go from $0, AI Receptionist at $299 per month, and custom Enterprise Source
What is metered
Units shared by voice and text: 1 unit per call of 30 seconds to 3 minutes, longer calls in 3-minute increments, 0.5 units per 15 agent messages Source
Channels
Inbound voice, web chat, and social messaging on every plan; outbound voice on request Source
Booking
Books and updates records in connected tools such as Calendly, Square, Housecall Pro, ServiceM8, Open Dental, and Dentrix Source
Notable limits
One agent at one location per plan; unused units don’t roll over; white label is Enterprise-only Source

Checked on from Newo.ai’s public pricing page. Compare InsertChat vs Newo.ai

How we evaluated

We read the pages that rank for “best ai receptionist for medical practices”, kept the products a small business can actually buy, and read each vendor’s own pricing and product pages, most recently on October 13, 2026. We don’t give star ratings or scores, and we didn’t buy every plan: these are documented facts, not hands-on test results. Anything a vendor doesn’t publish is left out rather than guessed. InsertChat is first because we build it for this job; the others are ordered by how well they fit the buyer this page is for.

BAA and patient data

Whether the vendor signs a Business Associate Agreement, on which plan, and what it covers.

Scheduling

Booking directly into your EHR or practice software, a separate calendar, or requests for staff.

Clinical boundaries

How symptoms and medication questions reach clinical staff, and how emergencies are handled.

New-patient intake

Contact details, reason for visit, insurance, and referral collected before the first visit.

Languages

Whether patients are answered in their own language, and at what cost.

Cost per provider or call

Per-provider seats, call blocks, minutes, or credits at your practice’s call volume.

How to choose an AI receptionist for a medical practice

A medical practice needs an AI receptionist that handles the routine calls (hours, directions, insurance, scheduling) and never pretends to be clinical. Settle patient-data compliance first, then compare how each option books and what it costs.

Settle the BAA before the demo

If the receptionist will hear symptoms, visit reasons, or insurance details, that’s protected health information, and you need a signed BAA on the plan you buy. InsertChat signs one on Enterprise; Upfirst lists one on its Custom plan. Ask each vendor what its BAA covers, including transcripts.

Decide where appointments go

Direct booking into your EHR or practice software saves staff time; Weave lists it for qualified dental systems, and DeepCura mirrors your EHR schedule. A separate calendar or a request queue works when your scheduling rules are complex.

Write the clinical line

Tell the receptionist which questions it may answer and which go to a nurse or provider: symptoms, medications, results, and anything urgent. Add the exact words for emergencies, such as calling 911.

Plan new-patient intake

List what you need from a new patient: name, contact details, reason for visit, insurance carrier, and referral. Collect only what your BAA status allows.

Test after hours and in every language

Call at 7 p.m. and on a Saturday, and call in each language your patients use. Listen for whether the receptionist books, records a request, or only takes a message.

The 9 best AI receptionists for medical practices in 2026: common questions

Choosing, pricing, and switching

Get started

We rank InsertChat first, and we make it: it answers patient calls and website chat about hours, locations, insurance, and new-patient steps, books appointments, and routes clinical questions to your staff. Practices that handle protected health information use Enterprise, from $998 a month, with a signed BAA. Dental offices on a qualified system can also look at Weave.

InsertChat Enterprise, from $998 a month, can sign a Business Associate Agreement for practices that handle protected health information. We don’t claim a HIPAA certification. On other plans, keep patient health information out of the assistant’s knowledge, conversations, and connected workflows.

Some can: DeepCura mirrors your EHR’s schedule, and Weave books directly for qualified dental practice management systems. InsertChat books into Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, Cal.com, or its built-in calendar, or records the request for your staff; it doesn’t connect to EHRs.

Within the rules you write. InsertChat routes symptoms and clinical questions to your staff, flags urgent calls right away, and tells a caller to call 911 when you add that instruction. It doesn’t transfer live calls, so keep your on-call process for after-hours emergencies.

Pricing on this list ranges from per-provider seats (DeepCura) and call blocks (Freed) to receptionist minutes (MAP, AnswerConnect) and platform plans (Weave). InsertChat Pro is $98 a month without patient health information, and Enterprise, which can sign a BAA, starts at $998 a month.

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