Marlie AI carved out a niche as the go-to AI answering service for towing companies and roadside assistance businesses.
Their GPS location-sharing feature lets stranded callers text their coordinates instead of describing where they broke down on the highway.
That's genuinely useful if you run a tow truck fleet.
But what if you don't? Most businesses looking for AI phone support need something different. Maybe you want bilingual support (Marlie is English-only).
Maybe you need e-commerce integrations instead of Towbook.
Or maybe you just want an easier setup process without waiting for support to enable basic features.
We tested the leading alternatives to see which ones actually deliver. Here's what we found.
Why consider Marlie AI alternatives?
Marlie AI makes sense for a specific use case: mobile field service businesses that need location-based dispatch. Outside that niche, several limitations become apparent.
First, the language barrier. Marlie only supports English calls. If you serve Spanish-speaking customers (or any other language), you're out of luck.
Compare that to FrontDesk, which handles 20+ languages fluently.
Second, geography. Marlie only offers US phone numbers. Canadian or international businesses need to look elsewhere.
Third, setup friction. Basic configuration is self-serve, but advanced features like call transfers and texting require contacting support.
That slows down your time-to-value.
Finally, industry fit. Marlie's deep integrations with Towbook and Housecall Pro don't help if you run a Shopify store, medical practice, or restaurant.
You should look for an alternative if:
- You serve non-English speaking customers
- You need phone numbers outside the US
- You want faster setup without support tickets
- You run an e-commerce, healthcare, or food service business
Top 7 Marlie AI alternatives compared
Here's the quick comparison before we dive into details:
The best Marlie AI alternatives in detail
1. Ringly – Best for e-commerce stores
Ringly takes a different approach from Marlie. Instead of focusing on field service dispatch, it goes all-in on e-commerce support.
If you run a Shopify store, this is the alternative that makes the most sense.
The key difference is integration depth. While Marlie connects to field service tools like Towbook, Ringly plugs directly into your Shopify store.
The AI can check inventory in real-time, look up order status, process returns, and even initiate exchanges during the call. It's not just taking messages; it's resolving issues.
Pricing:
Pros:
- Satisfaction guarantee: you don't pay until the AI resolves at least 60% of calls
- 40-language support for international stores
- Caller location mapping analytics
- 14-day free trial (credit card required)
Cons:
- Only makes sense for Shopify stores
- Phone numbers cost extra ($5/mo)
- Expensive entry point for small stores
Best for: Shopify stores with meaningful call volume that want to automate order lookups, returns, and customer service.
2. Upfirst – Best overall for small businesses
Upfirst was built specifically for small businesses by the team behind SimpleTexting (used by over 17,000 SMBs).
That pedigree shows in the product. Where Marlie requires support involvement for advanced features, Upfirst aims to get you live in 10 to 30 minutes without talking to anyone.
The pricing model differs from Marlie's per-minute approach. Upfirst charges per call, which can be more predictable depending on your call patterns.
A short call costs the same as a long one, so if your customers tend to get to the point quickly, this works in your favor.
Pricing:
Pros:
- 14-day free trial, no credit card required
- Natural-sounding voices in multiple languages
- No limits on knowledge base size (most competitors cap this)
- Smart call routing based on call content
Cons:
- Fewer advanced integrations than enterprise platforms
- Not ideal for deep POS or EHR integration
Best for: Small businesses wanting reliable AI answering without technical complexity or sales calls.
3. Rosie AI – Best value for unlimited minutes
Rosie AI (also marketed as HeyRosie) takes a refreshing approach to pricing: unlimited minutes on every plan.
That removes the anxiety of watching the clock or getting surprised by overage charges.
The trade-off is that you're paying for features, not usage. At $49/month for the entry plan, it's competitive with Marlie's $49 tier (which includes 250 minutes).
But if you exceed those 250 minutes with Marlie, you're paying $0.35 per additional minute. With Rosie, you never worry about it.
Pricing:
Pros:
- 7-day free trial, no credit card required
- Bilingual support (English/Spanish) included on all plans
- Real-time email and SMS notifications
- Custom training from your website and Google Business Profile
Cons:
- No human escalation, only call transfers on higher plans
- Less specialized than Marlie for towing use cases
Best for: Budget-conscious businesses with high call volume who want predictable costs.
4. Smith.ai – Best hybrid human + AI option
Smith.ai takes a fundamentally different approach from pure AI platforms like Marlie.
They combine AI with human receptionists, giving you a hybrid that can handle situations AI alone might struggle with.
Here's how it works: the AI handles routine calls (business hours, basic questions, straightforward message-taking).
When a call gets complicated or the caller specifically requests a human, it routes to one of Smith.ai's trained receptionists.
This comes at a cost. Smith.ai is the most expensive option on this list on a per-call basis.
The Starter plan gives you just 50 calls for $95/month, with overages pushing $2.40 per call. Compare that to Marlie's per-minute model where a short call might cost $0.50-1.00.
Pricing:
Pros:
- Human verification for spelling and email accuracy
- VIP caller bypass (important contacts skip the AI entirely)
- Humans can log into closed platforms without APIs
Cons:
- Most expensive option per call
- No free trial (only 30-day money-back guarantee)
- No texting during calls
- UI feels dated (started as human service, added AI later)
Best for: Businesses nervous about pure AI who want human backup for complex situations.
5. Goodcall – Best for unique caller pricing model
Goodcall's pricing model is unique in this space. Instead of charging by the minute or by the call, they charge by the number of unique callers per month.
All plans include unlimited minutes.
This creates an interesting dynamic. If you have repeat customers who call frequently, Goodcall could be very cost-effective.
A customer who calls five times counts as one unique caller. But if you get lots of first-time calls (like a marketing campaign driving new inquiries), the model works against you.
Pricing:
Pros:
- 14-day free trial with full features
- Unlimited minutes on all plans
- Integrates with Boulevard, Service Titan, Microsoft Dynamics
- Good for businesses with repeat customer bases
Cons:
- Poor fit for high volumes of first-time callers
- Entry plan only stores 7 days of call history
- Requires mental math to predict costs
Best for: Businesses with repeat customers and predictable caller bases who want unlimited minutes.
6. My AI Front Desk – Best for multilingual support
If Marlie's English-only limitation is a dealbreaker, My AI Front Desk is your answer. It supports 20+ languages with high fluency, including Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, and Hindi.
The language support goes beyond simple detection and transfer.
The AI can actually hold conversations in these languages, not just identify the language and hand off to a human. For businesses in diverse metro areas or serving international customers, this matters.
Pricing:
Pros:
- Voice cloning to match your brand
- Warm transfer capability
- Records calls even after transfer
- Built-in CRM with kanban board for follow-ups
- 7-day free trial
Cons:
- Starter plan artificially limited (2 concurrent calls, 2 actions per call)
- Gets pricey quickly as you scale
- You'll likely need the Growth plan for real utility
Best for: Businesses serving diverse, multilingual customer bases who need fluent non-English support.
7. Loman.ai – Best for restaurants
Loman.ai is the most specialized platform on this list. Like Marlie focuses on towing, Loman focuses exclusively on restaurants.
The key feature is direct POS integration.
When a customer calls to place an order, the AI can take that order conversationally, handle modifications and special requests, and push it directly into Toast, SpotOn, Square, Clover, or whatever system you're using.
The order shows up in your kitchen just like an online order would. No one has to transcribe a voicemail or manually enter details.
Pricing:
Pros:
- Handles up to 50 simultaneous calls
- Direct integration with major POS systems
- Can book reservations into OpenTable, Olo
- Purpose-built for restaurant workflows
Cons:
- Most expensive on this list
- No free trial
- Overkill if you just need basic answering
- Setup fee on top of monthly cost
Best for: Restaurants with high phone order volume who want orders flowing directly into their POS without human intermediaries.
How to choose the right Marlie AI alternative
Let's break it down by use case.
Choose Ringly if: You run a Shopify store and want to automate order lookups, returns, and customer service. The deep Shopify integration is unmatched.
Choose Upfirst if: You want the easiest setup with reliable, natural-sounding AI for general business use. It's the safest default choice.
Choose Rosie AI if: Budget matters and you need unlimited minutes without overage surprises. The bilingual support is a bonus.
Choose Smith.ai if: You want AI efficiency but need human backup for complex calls. You're paying a premium for that safety net.
Choose Goodcall if: You have repeat customers and want predictable pricing based on unique callers rather than minutes or call volume.
Choose My AI Front Desk if: You serve multilingual customers and need fluent non-English support. The 20+ languages are genuinely impressive.
Choose Loman.ai if: You run a restaurant and want phone orders flowing directly into your POS system. The specialization comes at a price but delivers real automation.
Switching from Marlie AI: What to expect
Most alternatives offer free trials, so you can test before committing.
That's the best approach: sign up, forward a few calls, and see how the AI handles your specific scenarios.
Porting your phone number is usually possible, though timelines vary.
Most services can port numbers within 3-7 business days. If you can't afford downtime, consider using the new service with a temporary number during the trial, then port once you're satisfied.
Setup time varies significantly. Upfirst and Rosie AI can have you live in minutes.
Loman and Greetmate require more involved onboarding. Factor this into your decision if you need something working immediately.
Before switching, export your call logs and knowledge base from Marlie.
You'll want that historical data, and retraining a new AI is faster when you have your existing scripts and FAQs ready to import.
Try Ringly for your Shopify store
If you run an e-commerce store on Shopify, Ringly is the best Marlie AI alternative.
Seth, our AI phone agent, integrates directly with your store to handle order lookups, returns, and customer questions, resolving up to 73% of calls without human intervention.
Over 2,100 Shopify stores already use Ringly to automate their phone support. The setup takes minutes, not days. You can be live and taking calls today.
Start your 14-day free trial and see why e-commerce businesses are switching from generic AI answering services to Ringly's specialized Shopify integration.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best Marlie AI alternatives for small businesses?
For most small businesses, Upfirst ($24.95/mo) offers the best balance of ease-of-use and features. If you run a Shopify store, Ringly ($99/mo) provides deeper e-commerce integration. Rosie AI ($49/mo) is best for high call volume with its unlimited minutes.
Are there any free Marlie AI alternatives?
Most alternatives offer free trials (Upfirst and Rosie AI don't require credit cards), but none are permanently free for business use. Goodcall and EchoWin offer limited free tiers for testing, but you'll need to upgrade for production use.
Which Marlie AI alternative has the best pricing?
It depends on your call patterns. Upstart has the lowest entry point at $24.95/mo. Rosie AI offers the best value for high volume with unlimited minutes at $49/mo. If you have repeat customers, Goodcall's unique caller model might save you money.
Can Marlie AI alternatives handle multiple languages?
Yes, several alternatives outperform Marlie here. My AI Front Desk supports 20+ languages. Ringly handles 40 languages for international e-commerce. Rosie AI includes bilingual English/Spanish support. Marlie is English-only.
Which Marlie AI alternative is best for e-commerce?
Ringly is purpose-built for Shopify stores. It can check inventory, look up orders, process returns, and handle exchanges during calls. No other alternative offers this depth of e-commerce integration.
Do Marlie AI alternatives integrate with my existing tools?
Most alternatives offer Zapier integration, connecting to thousands of apps. Ringly has native Shopify integration. Loman connects to restaurant POS systems. Smith.ai can even have humans log into closed platforms without APIs.
