My AI Front Desk (Frontdesk) alternative
The My AI Front Desk alternative with no credits to top up.
My AI Front Desk, now Frontdesk, bundles voice, chat, SMS and a light CRM for $99 and meters the overage in credits. Ody puts unlimited AI answering inside a $19 phone seat.
7-day free trial on every plan · No per-minute charges · My AI Front Desk facts verified September 2026
THE QUICK ANSWER
My AI Front Desk, now branded Frontdesk, packs a lot into $99/mo ($79 annual): 200 voice minutes, 100 chatbot conversations, 400 two-way SMS, a built-in AI-native CRM and 1,000 overage credits. The $20 Basic plan includes zero voice minutes and does not answer calls, and everything past the bundle is metered in credits at one cent each: voice costs 25 credits a minute ($0.25), auto-reloading at $10 per 1,000. At 100 three-minute calls a month that is about $114. There is no HIPAA BAA, and reviews cite aggressive sales and refund refusals on annual prepayments. Ody is $19/user/mo for a phone system with a 24/7 AI receptionist that has no minutes and no credits, plus a shared inbox, texting and 43 integrations. Frontdesk is a broad bundle on top of your phone; Ody is the phone.
PRICING
What you'll actually pay.
Frontdesk (My AI Front Desk) AI receptionist
Overage is credit-based: 1 credit = $0.01; voice 25 credits/min ($0.25), SMS 4 credits, chatbot 5 credits per conversation. The Business plan includes 1,000 overage credits a month (expire monthly), then auto-reloads at $10 per 1,000 credits. No contract, no setup fee, cancel anytime with service running to the end of the billing period; reviews report refund denials on annual prepayments. The $20 Basic tier includes zero voice minutes and confuses buyers. The company publishes that it has no HIPAA certification. White-label platform access is marketed from $500/mo.
Ody
One number per user included; extra local or toll-free numbers $5/mo each. Business texting needs one-time 10DLC registration ($20 setup + $4/mo per texting number, handled during onboarding). International calling is a $5/mo add-on with $5 of usage included. Plans are billed monthly or prepaid annually (annual saves up to 30%). Taxes apply; there are no per-minute charges and no AI credits.
Try for free →THE MATH
100 answered calls a month, about 3 minutes each
100 calls at 3 minutes is 300 voice minutes. Frontdesk includes 200 for $99; the extra 100 minutes cost 25 credits each ($25), of which the included 1,000 monthly credits cover $10, leaving about $15 of auto-reloaded credits, for roughly $114. At 200 calls it is about $189. Ody Starter is $19/mo with unlimited AI answering, a number, calling and texting. Taxes excluded for both.
SIDE BY SIDE
Ody vs My AI Front Desk, feature by feature.
Frontdesk (My AI Front Desk) AI receptionist facts from their published pricing & docs, verified September 2026.
| Feature | Frontdesk (My AI Front Desk) AI receptionist | Ody |
|---|---|---|
| AI answering | ||
| AI receptionist answers calls | My AI Front DeskYes, AI only, 20+ languages | OdyIncluded on every plan |
| What the AI costs | My AI Front Desk200 min for $99, then $0.25/min via credits | Ody$0 extra. No credits, no minute bundles |
| Books appointments | My AI Front DeskYes, native scheduling and reminders | Ody✓ |
| AI texts back missed calls | My AI Front DeskTwo-way SMS, 400/mo included; SMS sequences | Ody✓ |
| AI call summaries & transcripts | My AI Front DeskCall logs, transcripts, AI-native CRM auto-updates | OdyGrowth+ |
| Turn AI on/off per line & hour | My AI Front DeskForward all or conditionally | Ody✓ |
| The phone system underneath | ||
| Business phone system included | My AI Front Desk— | Ody✓ |
| Phone number included | My AI Front DeskVerified outbound number; forward yours or use theirs | Ody1 per user; extras $5/mo |
| US & Canada calling | My AI Front DeskOutbound capped at 20 AI calls/day | Ody✓ |
| Business texting (SMS/MMS) | My AI Front DeskTwo-way SMS with callers | OdyUS & Canada, 10DLC handled |
| Shared team inbox | My AI Front DeskBuilt-in AI-native CRM and ticketing | Ody✓ |
| Phone menus (IVR) | My AI Front Desk— | OdyGrowth+ |
| Integrations & data | ||
| CRM integrations | My AI Front DeskBuilt-in CRM, Zapier; API on Partner/Enterprise | Ody43 integrations, every plan |
| ChatGPT / Claude (MCP) | My AI Front Desk— | Ody✓ |
| Developer API & webhooks | My AI Front DeskPartner / Enterprise only | OdyEvery plan |
| Analytics & reporting | My AI Front DeskCall tracking, intent and sentiment dashboards | OdyGrowth+ |
| Commercial | ||
| Pricing model | My AI Front DeskPer account + credits | OdyPer user, flat |
| Starting price | My AI Front Desk$99/mo | Ody$19/user/mo ($15 annual) |
| Overage | My AI Front Desk$0.25/min voice via credits | OdyNone |
| Contract | My AI Front DeskMonth-to-month or annual | OdyBilled monthly or annually. Change plans in-app |
| Free trial | My AI Front DeskFree access to start; limits not published | Ody7 days, every plan, full product |
| Support | My AI Front DeskChatbot and email; Slack and AM on Enterprise | OdyEmail (Starter), live chat (Growth), phone + onboarding (Enterprise) |
WHY TEAMS SWITCH
Where Ody pulls ahead of My AI Front Desk.
No credit meter
Frontdesk's Business plan covers about 65 three-minute calls before overage credits kick in at $0.25 a minute, auto-reloading $10 at a time. Ody's AI receptionist has no minutes and no credits on any plan; a month of 300 calls costs the same $19 as a month of 30.
The $19 plan answers calls
Frontdesk's $20 Basic tier includes zero voice minutes; it is a chatbot and SMS plan that confuses buyers. Ody's $19 Starter includes the 24/7 AI receptionist, a phone number, unlimited US & Canada calling and texting, voicemail transcription and a shared inbox.
A phone system underneath
Frontdesk forwards calls from a line you still pay for, and its API is reserved for Partner and Enterprise. Ody is the line: a number per user, ring orders and IVR on Growth, 43 integrations, MCP for ChatGPT and Claude, and a REST API and webhooks on every plan.
AN HONEST TAKE
Which one is right for you?
You want one cheap overlay that handles calls, web chat, two-way SMS and a light CRM together, your voice volume stays under 200 minutes a month, and you do not operate in a regulated space that needs a HIPAA BAA. Agencies wanting a white-label AI receptionist to resell also fit here.
You want the AI receptionist and the business phone in one product at one price, with no credits to watch, a shared inbox for the team, and an API from day one. Ody's $19 seat replaces both the forwarding line and the answering overlay.
EVERYTHING INCLUDED
The whole phone system,
with the AI built in. One price.
Scroll through what every Ody workspace ships with: a number, calling and texting, a shared inbox, and a receptionist that never clocks out.
ChatGPT
Claude
CursorGo deeper, feature by feature.
All features →SWITCHING IS EASY
Move from My AI Front Desk without missing a call.
Start your free trial
Create your workspace in minutes. Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial | you get a live number, calling, texting, and your AI agent from day one.
Port your number free
Porting is free on every plan and your existing line keeps working the whole time | no downtime, no lost calls while the port completes.
Turn on the AI (or don't)
Set your hours and decide exactly when the AI answers | per number, per hour, per team. The rest of the time, it's the best softphone you've used.
Frontdesk is month-to-month with service running to the end of the billing period; annual prepayments are reportedly not refunded, so time the move to renewal. If you used a Frontdesk number, ask to port it to Ody, free. Ody plans are billed monthly or annually.
FAQ
Ody vs My AI Front Desk, answered.
More comparisons
Same research, same honesty, other providers.