We compared the top AI receptionists built for Australian trade businesses. Here's what we found on pricing, features, and which one fits different businesses.
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Disclosure: This comparison is published by ReplyMate. We've done our best to present accurate, publicly available information about each product. Pricing and features were verified as of July 2026 and may have changed. We encourage you to verify details on each company's website.
We evaluated each virtual receptionist on the criteria that matter most to Australian tradies: pricing transparency, ease of setup, lead capture quality, Australian voice support, integrations, and free trial availability. All information comes from publicly available sources.
| # | Product | Starting Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ReplyMate | From $49/mo | Tradies who want a phone layer that keeps ServiceM8, Jobber, or paper intact |
| 2 | Fully Booked | From $500/mo | Larger trade businesses wanting full automation |
| 3 | Johnni.ai | ~$150-300/mo (est.) | Tradies who need deep CRM integration |
| 4 | LANA Software | Unknown | Multi-channel communication (phone, email, SMS, web chat) |
| 5 | HiThere AI | Unknown | Simple call answering for tradies |
| 6 | Smith.ai | From $95/mo (AI only) | US-based businesses or those wanting hybrid virtual + human |
| 7 | Dialzara | Free trial available | Multi-language support and diverse industries |
*Pricing marked with "~" or "Unknown" is estimated or not publicly available. Contact providers directly for current pricing.
ReplyMate is the phone layer for Australian tradies: answer missed calls, capture lead details, and SMS you — without replacing ServiceM8, Jobber, or whatever ops tools you already run. If you want stack-safe lead capture instead of a full AI ops platform, ReplyMate ranks #1 for keep-your-stack simplicity.
Fully Booked is a full business automation platform, not just a receptionist. It handles everything from call answering to quote follow-ups to review requests. Great for established trade businesses with 5+ employees, but the $500/mo price tag makes it a tough sell for smaller operators.
Johnni.ai targets Australian tradies with strong CRM integrations. If your business runs on ServiceM8 or SimPRO and you want your virtual receptionist to log jobs directly into your system, Johnni.ai is worth a look. The lack of transparent pricing is a downside.
LANA Software takes a broader approach, handling communications across phone, email, SMS, and web chat. If you want a single platform for all customer communication channels, LANA could be a fit. However, the lack of pricing transparency and limited market presence make it harder to evaluate.
HiThere AI is another Australian entrant in the virtual receptionist space for tradies. While details are limited, it positions itself as a straightforward call answering solution. Worth checking out, but harder to evaluate without transparent pricing and feature details.
Smith.ai is a well-known US-based virtual receptionist service offering both automated and human agents. While feature-rich, it is not tailored to the Australian tradie market. You might encounter issues with accent understanding, trade-specific terminology, and Australian phone number support.
Dialzara is a general-purpose virtual answering service that works across industries. The free trial is a plus, and multi-language support could help tradies in diverse communities. However, it lacks the tradie-specific features and Australian market focus that dedicated competitors offer.
Not all virtual receptionists are created equal. Here are the key factors to consider when choosing one for your trade business.
Emergencies don't wait for business hours. Your virtual receptionist should answer every call, day or night.
Callers should feel like they're speaking to a local business, not an overseas call centre.
Your receptionist should gather name, number, address, job type, and urgency — not just take a message.
Stack fit: full CRM booking vs phone-layer alerts — do you need jobs logged into ServiceM8/SimPRO, or is a standalone SMS lead enough?
You should know what you'll pay before signing up. Hidden pricing often means higher costs.
Self-serve setup in minutes beats a 2-4 week managed onboarding for most small businesses.
Most “AI receptionist for tradies” products either (1) bundle into a full ops platform, (2) premium book-into-SM8 with setup fees, or (3) require a specific phone plan (ServiceM8 Phone Agent). ReplyMate’s lane is owner-operator phone coverage: keep your stack, trial in minutes, SMS leads while you’re mid-job.
If you want end-to-end automation into ServiceM8, evaluate Johnni / Fully Booked / LANA-class tools. If you only need missed-call coverage without switching software, start a ReplyMate trial.
No credit card · Keep ServiceM8 / Jobber / paper
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Affordable phone layer for Australian tradies. Keep your software. Set up in 5 minutes, no credit card required.
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