AI receptionist in Australia - best options for small businesses and tradies (2026)
For Australian small businesses and tradies, an AI receptionist answers every call (including after hours and while you're on the tools), captures the job details, books it in and texts you a summary. The main options are done-for-you receptionist services such as AIssie, Frontly, Valory and TradePA, and platforms like Outbox AI. Agencies and businesses use Outbox to build their own receptionist, connected to ServiceM8, GoHighLevel and the rest of their tools.
Disclosure: we make Outbox AI, which is built in Perth. Competitor details come from each company's own website, checked on 3 October 2026. Prices are in AUD unless marked USD.
What an AI receptionist should do for a trade business
- Answer every call within a ring or two, including after hours, weekends and while you're up a ladder.
- Capture the job properly: name, address, what's wrong, how urgent, photos by SMS if needed.
- Check your job software: is this an existing client, is there an open job? Then create the job or add a note.
- Book or call back: offer real times from your calendar, or promise a callback window.
- Escalate emergencies: a burst pipe or a power outage gets transferred to whoever's on call, not booked for Thursday.
- Text you a summary so you can quote from the van.
Australian AI receptionist options compared
| Provider | Type | Based in | Entry price (as published) | Job-software integrations | White-label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outbox AI | Platform: build your own, or an agency builds it for you | Perth | US$97/mo + 14¢/min (model and voice included); carrier extra | ServiceM8, GoHighLevel, Xero, AccuLynx + 1,000+ apps via the tool library | Yes |
| AIssie | Done-for-you voice and chat receptionist | Perth | $99/mo incl. 70 min, then $0.65/min | ServiceM8, Xero | No |
| Frontly | Done-for-you receptionist and outbound | Australia | From $199/mo + GST (200 min, annual plan); setup fee month-to-month | ServiceM8, simPRO, Fergus | No |
| Sophiie | Receptionist + trades office platform | Gold Coast | Not published (demo) | ServiceM8, simPRO (two-way) | Partner program |
| Voxworks | AI voice agent platform | Sydney | $49/mo incl. 60 min, then $0.99/min (ex GST) | GoHighLevel | Case by case |
| Valory | Managed receptionist service | Brisbane | $149/mo + setup from $990 | HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho | No |
| TradePA | Tradie marketing + receptionist bundle | Gold Coast | $249/mo (up to 150 min) + $250 setup | ServiceM8, Jobber | No |
| Hey Jodie | Receptionist, sold in Australia | London, UK | $99/mo unlimited (pricing page) | GoHighLevel | Yes (partner program) |
Minute allowances, GST treatment and setup fees vary, so compare the total for your real call volume. A business taking 300 minutes of calls a month pays very different amounts on per-minute and bundled plans.
Done-for-you service or a platform?
Pick a done-for-you service (AIssie, Frontly, Valory, TradePA) if you want someone else to set it up and you're happy with their scripts, integrations and per-minute rates. Watch for setup fees and annual-commitment pricing.
Pick a platform like Outbox if you, or an agency you work with, want control. You write exactly how the agent handles your jobs, connect it to the tools you already use, and pay platform rates rather than a reseller's markup. Outbox is also what many Australian agencies use to deliver AI receptionists to their trade clients under their own brand.
Outbox AI for Australian trade businesses
Outbox AI is an AI agent platform built in Perth (Outbox Solutions, ABN 34 668 304 658).
- Australian numbers. Bring a Telnyx, Twilio or Vonage number, or connect your existing phone system over SIP. Australian mobile numbers need a regulatory bundle with most carriers, and the docs walk you through it.
- ServiceM8. The agent can look up clients and jobs, create a new job, and add job notes in ServiceM8 during the call.
- GoHighLevel, calendars and SMS. Book into Google Calendar, Outlook or GoHighLevel calendars, send an SMS confirmation, and tag or update the contact.
- Emergency transfers. Route urgent calls to the on-call number with a warm handover, so the agent briefs the tradie before connecting the caller.
- Chat too. The same agent can answer website chat, SMS and WhatsApp.
- Cost. US$97/month on Starter plus 14¢ a minute with the model and voice included. At 300 minutes a month that's about US$139 plus your carrier's call charges. There's a 14-day free trial, and no lock-in.
You can set it up yourself from a receptionist template in plain English, or have an agency that runs on Outbox build and manage it for you.
Australian AI voice agent companies
If you're looking for Australian companies building voice AI more broadly, not just receptionists:
- Outbox AI (Perth): whitelabel AI voice and chat agent platform for agencies.
- Trillet (Australia): whitelabel voice AI platform for agencies, plus an SMB receptionist product.
- Voxworks (Sydney): AI voice agent platform for inbound and outbound calls.
- Heya (Melbourne): "AI workers" for regulated mid-market industries such as law, property and insurance.
- AIssie (Perth), Frontly, Sophiie (Gold Coast), Valory (Brisbane) and TradePA (Gold Coast): SMB and tradie receptionists.
- Tronic (Melbourne): 3CX and Yeastar phone-system partner with a voice AI builder.
Two you'll often see listed as Australian aren't any more, or never were. Curious Thing was founded in Sydney but has been owned by UK-based MaxContact since May 2025. Hey Jodie is a UK company with an Australian-targeted site.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an AI receptionist cost in Australia?
Published entry prices run from about $49 to $249 a month, usually with a minute allowance, then $0.65 to $2.50 a minute on top. Some services add setup fees of $250 to $990. On Outbox AI it's US$97 a month plus 14¢ a minute with the model and voice included, and phone-carrier charges extra.
What's the best AI receptionist for tradies in Australia?
Look for one that connects to your job software, handles emergencies with a live transfer, and texts you a job summary. Frontly, Sophiie, AIssie and TradePA integrate with ServiceM8. Outbox AI also connects to ServiceM8 and GoHighLevel and lets you customise exactly how jobs are captured.
Does an AI receptionist work with ServiceM8?
Several do. On Outbox AI, the agent can look up clients and jobs, create jobs and add job notes in ServiceM8 during a call. Frontly, Sophiie, AIssie and TradePA also list ServiceM8 integrations.
Can I keep my existing business number?
Usually, yes. Forward your existing number to the AI receptionist (all calls, or only when unanswered), or connect your phone system over SIP. On Outbox you can also verify your existing number as caller ID for outbound calls.
Will callers know it's an AI?
Modern voice agents sound natural, respond in under a second and can be interrupted mid-sentence. Being upfront is still good practice: a simple "I'm the virtual receptionist for…" builds trust and doesn't cost you jobs.
Which AI voice agent companies are Australian?
Australian-headquartered voice AI companies include Outbox AI (Perth), Trillet, Voxworks (Sydney), Heya (Melbourne), AIssie (Perth), Frontly, Sophiie (Gold Coast), Valory (Brisbane), TradePA (Gold Coast) and Tronic (Melbourne).
Sources
Checked on official sites on 3 October 2026: AIssie pricing, Frontly pricing and integrations, Sophiie integrations, Voxworks pricing, Valory pricing, TradePA, Hey Jodie pricing, Heya, Tronic Cloud Voice AI, Curious Thing acquisition, Trillet, Outbox telephony docs.