How much does Upfirst cost?

Upfirst's Starter plan is $24.95/month for 30 calls ($1.50 per extra call), Premium is $59.95/month for 90 calls ($1.00), Pro is $159.95/month for 300 calls ($0.75) and Scale is $299/month for 600 calls ($0.70). There is a 14-day trial, and spam calls are not charged. These are the prices as published in October 2026; check Upfirst's pricing page for current rates.

Is Masheev cheaper than Upfirst?

At a 2-minute average the two are about level, and Upfirst is slightly cheaper. Take 100 calls averaging 2 minutes, which is 200 voice minutes. On Masheev Starter that is $18 + 200 x $0.30 = $78, minus the $7 of included usage, so $71/month. Upfirst Premium covers 90 calls for $59.95, plus 10 extra calls at $1.00, so $69.95. Call length decides the rest. If those 100 calls average 1 minute, Masheev comes to $18 + $30 - $7 = $41. If they average 3 minutes, Masheev comes to $101 and Upfirst is still $69.95. Upfirst is also cheaper at higher volume with 2-minute calls: 300 calls is $159.95 on its Pro plan and $191 on Masheev. What differs on the Masheev side is SMS and web chat in the same inbox and unlimited seats.

What is the best Upfirst alternative?

It depends on your calls. If they are long, per-call or unlimited-minute AI receptionists will usually cost less. If they are short, per-minute products are worth comparing. If you also want texts and website chats handled, look at multichannel AI receptionists. Masheev bills per minute and covers phone, SMS and web chat in one inbox.

Can I keep my phone number if I switch?

Yes. You can forward your existing business number to Masheev, or add a new number in Masheev. Starter includes one phone number.

An Upfirst alternative billed by the minute instead of by the call

Upfirst is an AI phone receptionist priced per call, with many named calendar integrations. Masheev bills by the minute and answers phone, SMS and web chat in one inbox.

Start free See pricing

14-day Starter trial
Unlimited seats
From $18/mo

Conversations

Tomas Lindqvistnow

I was told I would get money back on the callout.

You

Aisha Patelnow

Can you come out on Saturday?

Draft2

Marcus Boatengnow

Call completed, job booked

AI1

Website visitor18m

Chat ended, Saturday hours confirmed.

Marcus BoatengThu

Job #1032 closed, invoice sent by text.

Aisha PatelWed

Warranty PDF sent for the Rinnai unit.

Unknown callerTue

No voicemail left. Screened by AI.

Website visitorMon

Quote request routed to Dana for follow-up.

You

8 conversations today · 6 handled by AI · 2 needed you

Demo board. Synthetic conversations, real product interface.

How does Masheev compare with Upfirst?

Upfirst is an AI phone receptionist priced per call, from $24.95/month for 30 calls to $299/month for 600 calls, with booking through named calendar tools and support for 35+ languages. It suits businesses that want a predictable cost per call whatever the call length. Masheev is an AI receptionist that answers phone calls, SMS and web chat in one shared inbox for $18/month plus metered usage, which costs less when calls are short and more when they are long.

What Upfirst does well

Upfirst is an AI receptionist that answers calls, sends texts during the call, books appointments and makes warm transfers, with recordings and transcripts. It books through Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, Acuity, Square and Clio, supports 35+ languages, connects to Zapier and does not charge for spam calls.

Predictable per-call pricing, regardless of call length.
Many named calendar integrations: Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, Acuity, Square and Clio.
35+ languages.
Spam calls are not charged, and there is a 14-day trial.

Upfirst pricing

Upfirst bills per call. Starter is $24.95/month for 30 calls, Premium is $59.95/month for 90, Pro is $159.95/month for 300 and Scale is $299/month for 600. Extra calls cost $1.50, $1.00, $0.75 and $0.70 respectively, and spam calls are not charged.

Plan	Price	Included	Beyond the plan
Starter	$24.95/month	30 calls	$1.50 per extra call
Premium	$59.95/month	90 calls	$1.00 per extra call
Pro	$159.95/month	300 calls	$0.75 per extra call
Scale	$299/month	600 calls	$0.70 per extra call

Prices as published by Upfirst, checked in October 2026. Vendors change plans often, so confirm on their site: Upfirst pricing.

Masheev and Upfirst, side by side

The differences that usually decide it. Masheev's own rates are on the pricing page.

Capability	Masheev	Upfirst
Answering model	AI first; your own team takes over, and it learns from them	AI
Entry price	$18/month, incl. $7 usage	$24.95/month for 30 calls
How usage is billed	Metered: voice $0.30/minute, web chat $0.10/message	Per call; spam calls not charged
Channels covered	Phone, SMS and web chat in one inbox	Phone, with in-call texting
Appointment booking	Connected calendar or supported booking tool	Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, Acuity, Square, Clio
Languages	Voice in 40+ languages	35+ languages
Free trial	14 days on Starter	14 days
Contract terms	Monthly plans, unlimited seats	Cancel anytime

Which one fits

Both answer the phone. The right choice depends on your calls and who you want answering them.

Upfirst fits when

Your calls run long, so a fixed price per call costs less than paying per minute.
You book through one of the calendar tools Upfirst names, such as Acuity, Square or Clio.
You only need the phone covered and want a cost per call you can predict in advance.

Masheev fits when

Your calls are short, around a minute, so per-minute billing comes in under per-call pricing.
You want SMS conversations and web chat answered in the same inbox as phone calls.
You want unlimited seats and a written summary on every handoff to your team.
You want AI first, not AI only: your team can step into any conversation from the shared inbox, and Masheev drafts knowledge from how they resolved it for you to approve.
A developer is setting it up: the embed SDK, typed API client, MCP server and Agent Skills let a coding assistant install it from one prompt.

Frequently asked questions

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Try the AI receptionist on your own calls

Forward your number, add what it should know, and test before anything goes live. 14-day Starter trial, from $18/mo.

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Upfirst is a trademark of its owner. Masheev is not affiliated with or endorsed by Upfirst.