Anserve alternatives and pricing
The short answer
Anserve’s live phone answering starts at $25 a month, according to its FAQ, and its terms add a one-time, non-refundable setup charge set in your proposal. It doesn’t list minutes or full plans. Alternatives include Ruby, PATLive and MAP Communications for live receptionists with public plans, Smith.ai for per-call pricing, and CoveDesk, a voice assistant set up and run for you.
This page covers Anserve at anserve.com, the live phone answering company. It sells to contractors, medical offices, property managers and others, and it publishes a starting price but no plans. Here’s what its pages say, the side-by-side with CoveDesk, and what else to look at.
Updated November 3, 2026. CoveDesk is one of the services on this page; other companies’ prices and features are from their own websites, linked below.
Anserve alternatives, by what you need
- Ruby: Full plan prices on its site, a written 60-second billing rule and a refund window, where Anserve gives a starting figure only. From $250/month: 50 receptionist minutes, as published.
- PATLive: Live receptionists with every plan and extra-minute rate listed, and a 14-day free trial to test them on your own calls. From $49/month: no minutes included, as published.
- CoveDesk (that’s us): if you want calls picked up, missed callers texted, and your Google profile and website looked after, all set up and run for you. Not live receptionists. Front Desk is $249/mo with 250 minutes. Free 14-day pilot.
- MAP Communications: A public pay-as-you-go plan with a listed rate per minute, plus bigger minute plans, for anyone who wants the arithmetic before the phone call. From $49/month: no minutes included, as published.
- Smith.ai: Charges by the call on published tiers, so call length stops mattering, with live agents, software or both. From $0/month: 25 calls answered by software, as published.
- AnswerForce: Names Jobber, Housecall Pro and ServiceTitan outright, if that’s your sticking point, though it also keeps prices off its public pages and its terms set a 90-day minimum. Prices not published.
Anserve doesn’t publish full prices
| Plan | Price | Includes | Extra use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry plan (unnamed) | Starting at $25/month | an entry plan (minutes not listed) | Not listed |
The $25 starting price, in its FAQ, is the only figure it gives, and it has no pricing page. It says your final cost depends on call volume and customization, and its terms add a one-time setup charge in the amount your proposal states. Its HVAC page says billing is based on time, holidays are included and electronic messages aren’t charged. Rounding, minimums and included time aren’t stated. Its homepage advertises matching a competitor’s price, which is worth raising when you ask for a quote.
Anserve vs CoveDesk
| What to compare | Anserve | CoveDesk |
|---|---|---|
| Who answers | Live agents, 24/7, including after hours, weekends and holidays. Its FAQ says technology supports them where appropriate. Source: Anserve, who answers (opens in a new tab) | A trained voice assistant, set up and run by our team, in your business’s name, day or night. Not live receptionists. Callers hear a short notice at the start of the call. |
| Published price | Starting at $25 a month, per its FAQ. No other prices. Source: Anserve, published price (opens in a new tab) | Front Desk: $249/mo with 250 minutes. Text-Back alone: $99/mo. |
| How use is counted | Based on time, with holidays included and electronic messages not charged. Rounding, minimums and included time aren’t stated. Source: Anserve, how use is counted (opens in a new tab) | By the minute. Seconds are added up over the month and rounded once, not per call. Extra minutes $0.35 each. Alerts at 80% and 100% of your minutes. |
| Setup fee | A one-time, non-refundable charge, in the amount your proposal states. No figure is published. Source: Anserve, setup fee (opens in a new tab) | None. |
| Contract | Its FAQ says no contract is required. Its terms start service on a signed proposal, month to month, with 30 days’ written notice to end it. Source: Anserve, contract (opens in a new tab) | Front Desk is month to month. See pricing for other plans. |
| Free trial | Not stated on the pages we read. Source: Anserve, free trial (opens in a new tab) | Free 14-day pilot. We set it up, it’s live within 48 hours, and you can start with just your after-hours calls. |
| Money-back guarantee | Not stated on the pages we read. Its homepage advertises matching a competitor’s price. Source: Anserve, money-back guarantee (opens in a new tab) | 30-day money-back guarantee. If it isn’t working for you, tell us within 30 days of your first plan payment and we’ll end the plan and refund your first month’s plan fee. |
| Who sets it up | Not stated on the pages we read. Onboarding takes a few days. Source: Anserve, who sets it up (opens in a new tab) | Our team sets it up, writes your script and runs it. |
| Urgent calls | Urgent calls are prioritized, then dispatched or routed by your instructions or service area. Its FAQ says they can be transferred. No on-call rotation described. Source: Anserve, urgent calls (opens in a new tab) | Urgent calls are put straight through to you. No on-call rotation yet. |
| Booking | Agents book, change and confirm appointments live in your calendar, medical records system or CRM. Source: Anserve, booking (opens in a new tab) | Takes the details and sends them to you to call back. No calendar booking yet. |
| Job software and CRMs | Says it works with a range of CRMs and dispatch systems. Its contractor page shows ServiceTitan among five logos, with a prompt to check. Jobber and Housecall Pro aren’t mentioned on the pages we read. Source: Anserve, job software and crms (opens in a new tab) | None yet. Details arrive by text and in your CoveDesk account. |
| Spanish | Bilingual English and Spanish, plus translation for 200-plus other languages. Source: Anserve, spanish (opens in a new tab) | Not yet. |
| Text back after a missed call | Not mentioned on the pages we read. Source: Anserve, text back after a missed call (opens in a new tab) | Yes, included in Front Desk or on its own with Text-Back. |
| Review requests | Not mentioned on the pages we read. Source: Anserve, review requests (opens in a new tab) | Done for you with Google Business Profile Management, $149/mo. |
| Google profile care | Not mentioned on the pages we read. Source: Anserve, google profile care (opens in a new tab) | Done for you, $149/mo, or included in Front Office. |
| Website | Not mentioned on the pages we read. Source: Anserve, website (opens in a new tab) | Built and looked after for you, or included in Front Office. See pricing. |
Stay with Anserve if
- Your calls need a person who can work in your systems. Agents book, change and confirm appointments live in your calendar, medical records system or CRM. CoveDesk takes details for a callback, with no calendar booking yet.
- Your callers need another language. English and Spanish, with translation for 200-plus others. CoveDesk has no Spanish yet.
- Urgent calls need rules behind them. They’re sorted, then dispatched or routed by your instructions or coverage areas. CoveDesk sends urgent calls to the owner.
- You have a competing quote. Its homepage advertises matching a competitor’s price, so it’s worth bringing your current bill. CoveDesk’s Front Desk has one listed price.
What do you pay Anserve before the first call is answered?
Its terms of use (opens in a new tab) say these are due before service starts, and none of them is refundable:
- The setup charge. A one-time amount set in your proposal. No figure is published.
- Your first month of service. At least the $25 starting price, and more depending on call volume and customization.
- Sales tax. Its terms of use say all fees are subject to New Jersey sales tax.
Your signed agreement overrides that wording, so check what it says. When comparing, ask for the setup charge and first month as one number.
Why owners look past Anserve
- One starting figure. Nothing says how many minutes $25 covers, so it can’t be compared with a plan that lists its minutes. A real number needs a conversation.
- Billing is only sketched. You’re told it’s based on time and that electronic messages aren’t charged. Whether a 20-second call rounds to a minute isn’t answered.
- Money up front that doesn’t come back. Its terms of use make the setup charge, first month and tax non-refundable and due before service starts. We found no mention of a free trial or refund.
- Job software isn’t clear. ServiceTitan appears as one of five logos beside medical and property systems, with a prompt to check whether it connects. Jobber and Housecall Pro don’t appear on the pages we read.
Where CoveDesk is different
- A full price up front. This page states what Front Desk costs and how many minutes it includes, with no setup fee, so you don’t need a quote to compare.
- Seconds, rounded once. Use adds up by the second through the month, then rounds a single time.
- Your online presence too. Missed-call texts are in Front Desk, and we can do your Google profile and website. None of those is mentioned on Anserve’s site.
- What you give up. A trained voice assistant answers rather than an agent, callers hear a short notice up front, and there’s no medical-records or job software link. A medical office or a busy dispatch desk may well want Anserve’s people.
Switching from Anserve
- Notice. Email its cancellation address with 30 days’ notice, then complete the form it sends. Its terms call that the only way to close an account, which closes after the 30 days once fees are paid. Source: Anserve’s terms (opens in a new tab)
- Numbers. Telephone numbers Anserve furnishes stay its property when the agreement ends. You manage your own call forwarding, so a number you hold with your phone company stays with you. Source: Anserve’s terms (opens in a new tab)
- Records. Messages and call recordings are kept for up to six months, then may be deleted without notice. Longer retention needs a written arrangement and may cost more, so get copies before you go. Source: Anserve’s terms (opens in a new tab)
- Late bills. Its terms of use set payment at 15 days, with a 2% monthly finance charge on bills unpaid 30 days past due, unless your signed agreement says otherwise. Source: Anserve’s terms (opens in a new tab)
Before you cancel anything, forward your calls to the new service and make three test calls of your own: a new customer, an urgent problem and a wrong number.
How we checked this
We make CoveDesk, so we’re not neutral, and this page isn’t a review. Everything about Anserve comes from its own website, read on November 3, 2026, with the pages linked below. We haven’t bought its service, and we don’t quote ratings or anyone’s opinion as fact. Where we couldn’t find a fact, we say so instead of guessing, and “not mentioned” means not on the pages we read, which isn’t a search of its whole site.
Common questions
How much does Anserve cost?
Its FAQ says plans start at $25 a month and that your final cost depends on call volume and customization. Its terms add a one-time setup charge set in your proposal. It doesn’t list included minutes or other plans, so you’ll need a quote.
How much does AnswerConnect cost per month?
AnswerConnect’s plans start at $350 a month for 200 minutes and run to $3,375 for 2,500, with larger tiers beyond that. Because Anserve lists only a starting figure, the two can’t be lined up from their websites.
Is Anserve a phone answering service or a website chat tool?
The Anserve on this page, at anserve.com, is a live phone answering service. Check the web address before trusting a price you find.
Does Anserve require a contract?
Its FAQ says no contract is required and plans run month to month. Its terms do start service on a signed proposal, and either side can end it with 30 days’ written notice. It doesn’t mention a free trial or a money-back guarantee.
How do I cancel Anserve?
Email its cancellation address giving 30 days’ notice, then fill in the form it sends you. Its terms call that the only way to close an account, and it closes once the 30 days are up and any fees are paid.
Can I keep my number if I leave Anserve?
Your own number, yes: its terms leave call forwarding to you, so a number you hold with your phone company stays with you. Any telephone number Anserve furnishes stays its property when the agreement ends.
Is CoveDesk a live receptionist service?
No. CoveDesk is a phone answering service: a trained voice assistant, set up and run by our team, that picks up in your business’s name at any hour. Callers hear a short notice at the start of the call.
Sources
What this page says about Anserve comes from these pages of its website, read on November 3, 2026:
- https://www.anserve.com/faq/ (opens in a new tab) (plans and prices, who answers, free trial, who sets it up, booking, spanish)
- https://www.anserve.com/hvac-answering-service/ (opens in a new tab) (how use is counted)
- https://www.anserve.com/terms-and-conditions/ (opens in a new tab) (setup fee, contract, switching)
- https://www.anserve.com/ (opens in a new tab) (money-back guarantee, text back after a missed call, review requests, google profile care, website)
- https://www.anserve.com/plumbing-answering-service/ (opens in a new tab) (urgent calls)
- https://www.anserve.com/contractor-answering/ (opens in a new tab) (job software and crms)
- https://www.anserve.com/terms-of-use/ (opens in a new tab) (switching)
- CoveDesk: our pricing page
Prices and features change; check Anserve’s website before you buy. Company names are the trademarks of their owners and are used only to identify their services; none of them is affiliated with or endorses CoveDesk. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we’ll fix it.
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Want every call answered?
Tell us how your calls come in today and we’ll suggest the simplest setup, even if it isn’t CoveDesk.