The best AI receptionist apps for small business

How we picked

We searched the US App Store for AI receptionist apps that a small business can set up on its own, without a sales call or an installer, and looked at what each one does, where it works, what it costs and how it's rated. Three stood out, and they split neatly into two jobs: answering the phone, and answering the people in front of you.

The three picks at a glance

1. Kioskly AI: best for walk-in customers

Kioskly AI turns an iPhone or iPad into an AI receptionist for your counter. You teach it your business once, with a few setup questions, your website, menus, price lists and photos, then switch on Employee Mode. Customers walk up, ask out loud, and it answers in a sentence or two, spoken and shown on screen.

Where it shines

• It helps the people in front of you. No phone app can answer a customer standing at your counter.
• It sticks to your facts. Business details come only from what you added. It hands allergy, medical, booking and billing questions to your staff, and says so when it doesn't know.
• 25 languages. With Premium, customers tap Change Language and are greeted and answered in theirs.
• It shows you the gaps. Questions it couldn't answer land on your home screen, ready to fill in.
• No new hardware. A spare iPhone or iPad on a stand is enough.

Where it falls short

• It doesn't answer phone calls.
• It answers questions only: no bookings, payments or appointments.
• It needs iOS 26 or later, which rules out older devices.
• Unlimited answers, customer language switching and autodetect need Premium.
• It's new on the App Store, so it doesn't have many ratings yet.

How it works in Kioskly AI

1. Pick your business type and answer a few questionsType or talk; setup takes about three minutes.
2. Add your website, files and photosMenus, price lists, guest directories: whatever you'd give a new employee.
3. Start Employee Mode at the counterCustomers ask out loud and Kioskly AI answers in a sentence or two.
4. Fill the gapsQuestions it couldn't answer appear on your home screen.

Customer

Do you have parking?

Kioskly

Yes, free parking is behind the building, entrance on Mill Street.

2. SimplyWise: best for answering business calls

SimplyWise's AI Receptionist works on the phone. According to its App Store listing, it answers and manages calls around the clock, schedules meetings and appointments, flags urgent messages, and supports several languages with a natural-sounding voice.

Where it shines

• It picks up when you can't, at any hour.
• It can schedule appointments, which an information-only assistant can't.
• It's highly rated on the App Store.

Where it falls short

• It does nothing for customers who walk in.
• It's designed for iPhone only.
• Its privacy label lists contact info, contacts, audio and usage data as linked to you, and usage data as used to track you.

3. Beside: best for a separate work number

Beside gives you a new business phone number in your local area code, so work and personal calls stay apart. Its App Store listing centers on what happens around your calls: it transcribes calls and voicemails, lets you ask its AI to find details, sends summaries with suggested actions and calendar events, and sends daily recaps.

Where it shines

• A local work number without a second phone.
• Searchable call notes, so details don't get lost.
• Works on iPhone and iPad, and it's highly rated.

Where it falls short

• It's built around your calls and messages, not the people at your counter.
• The app is available in English only.
• Its privacy label lists contact info, contacts, messages, audio and usage data as linked to you, and usage data as used to track you.

Also worth a look

Kiosk browsers such as Kiosk Pro and Kiosker show your website, menu or a form full-screen on an iPad. They're useful when customers should read or fill something in, but they don't answer questions. See our Kiosk Pro alternative comparison.

Which one should you choose?

• Choose Kioskly AI if most of your questions come from people standing at your counter, especially visitors who speak other languages.
• Choose SimplyWise if missed calls and bookings are the problem, though it won't help anyone who walks in.
• Choose Kioskly AI if you want answers strictly from your own information, with allergy, medical and booking questions always going to staff.
• Choose Beside if you want a separate work number with call notes and summaries, though it's built around your phone, not your counter.
• Choose Kioskly AI alongside a phone app if you get both calls and walk-ins: they don't overlap.

Frequently asked questions

Kioskly AI is made by us, Arai Tech. Features, prices, privacy labels and ratings of the other apps come from their US App Store listings and can change.