Deskie AI Reception is Deskie's AI receptionist service for Australian trades and service businesses. This guide compares six AI receptionist products with current Australian relevance: Deskie, Sophiie AI, Hooroo AI, Johnni AI, Chime Labs and AiDial. It uses official product information, shows unavailable facts instead of estimates, and does not use ratings or paid-review scores.
Both products claim a natural voice. You can hear Deskie's for yourself right now, call 0485 017 007. No signup, no details, about 30 seconds. Try doing the same with the others.
Product research checked 14 July 2026. Last updated 16 July 2026.
Best AI receptionist for tradies in Australia
If you need broader office automation, a self-service dashboard, published included minutes or deep job-system integrations, one of the other products is a genuine option and may be the better fit.
One thing to check before comparing prices: a Deskie call and a competitor call are not always the same unit. With Deskie, a call only counts when there is a real enquiry, a name, a number, and what the caller wants. Spam, hang-ups, wrong numbers and time-wasters never count, and any dud that slips through is credited back. So Deskie's monthly calls are genuine enquiries, not raw call volume.
But if your main problem is simpler, you are busy or on a job and calls are going unanswered, Deskie is the stronger choice. You keep your existing number and you only ever pay for genuine enquiries. Deskie Core: Limited time: $99/month (normally $149/month). $99/month for your first 12 months while your subscription remains active, then it reverts to the regular price.The moment a call comes in you get an SMS with the caller's details while the caller gets a confirmation, so the job does not ring the next business instead.
Deskie is built for Australian trades and service businesses. A small number of industries are not supported, so confirm your industry before setup.
Solo tradies: compare monthly call count with average call length
Small teams: check simultaneous calls, transfers and escalation rules
Booking-led businesses: confirm the exact calendar or job-system workflow
After-hours work: test urgent-call routing and the fallback when nobody answers
How we selected and compared the shortlist
A product had to show current Australian availability or a clear Australian business focus on its official website. We then checked published pricing, included calls or minutes, after-hours coverage, message capture, owner summaries, appointment booking, call transfer, setup model and relevant limitations.
No product was scored on testimonials, star ratings or third-party claims. Unknown facts are marked unavailable. We also checked NextPhone, but excluded it because its official site did not publicly confirm Australian service availability, Australian phone-number support, AUD pricing or Australian terms.
Australian AI receptionist comparison
Prices and features below reflect what each official site showed on 14 July 2026. Check the linked source before buying because product plans can change.
Criterion
Deskie
Sophiie AI
Hooroo AI
Johnni AI
Chime Labs
AiDial
Australian availability
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Australian business focus
Australian small businesses
Trades and service businesses, with an Australian location
Only genuine enquiries (name, number, and what they want). Spam, hang-ups and wrong numbers never count and are credited back.
Not publicly stated.
Not publicly stated.
Not publicly stated.
Not publicly stated.
Not publicly stated.
After-hours coverage
24/7
24/7
24/7
24/7
24/7
24/7
Message capture and owner summary
Owner SMS summary plus caller confirmation SMS
Lead details and summaries to inbox or CRM
Instant SMS summary plus dashboard, recording and transcript
Detailed summaries, recordings and dashboard
Summaries and transcript, with important-call summaries by SMS and email
Job details plus instant SMS notification
Appointment booking
Yes, when configured
Yes
Sends appointment links
Yes, into calendar or CRM
Yes, directly into a calendar
Yes, into connected calendar or job system
Call transfer
Yes, when configured
Yes, smart call transfers
Yes, transfer rules
Yes, routing and transfer workflows
Not stated on the pricing page
Yes, intelligent routing and transfer
Setup model
Configured with the business in about three minutes; existing number stays
Online signup and business knowledge configuration
Self-service setup advertised in 30 seconds
Custom business setup with a local forwarded number
Self-service setup on Sole Traders
$1,500 one-off setup on Core
Relevant limitation
The plan is measured in answered calls; top-ups apply after 60
Price and included usage are not publicly shown
The plan is minute-based and overage is $0.20/minute
Included usage and plan-to-price mapping are not clearly shown
Included usage, overage and transfer capability are not publicly shown for Sole Traders
Included minutes, $0.55/minute overage and material setup fee
What each product may suit
Deskie
Best fit in this shortlist
Australian trades and service businesses that want usage measured in answered calls, transparent pricing and a fast missed-call setup.
As a real example, one solo franchise operator runs around nine calls a day through Deskie.
Published price
Deskie Core: Limited time: $99/month (normally $149/month). $99/month for your first 12 months while your subscription remains active, then it reverts to the regular price. Includes 60 answered calls.
Verified capabilities
24/7 answering, owner SMS summaries, caller confirmation SMS, optional appointment booking and optional call transfer. Setup is completed with the business in about three minutes.
Limitation to check
Usage is measured in answered calls rather than minutes. Top-ups are needed when the included 60 calls are used.
Trades and service teams looking for a broader front-office platform spanning calls, scheduling, jobs, customer records, quoting and invoicing.
Published price
Public price and included calls or minutes not found.
Verified capabilities
The official site states 24/7 call answering, lead capture, summaries sent to an inbox or CRM, appointment booking and smart call transfers. Online signup is available and responses can be configured through a business knowledge base.
Limitation to check
The public site does not show a price or included calls, so buyers need a direct quote before comparing total cost.
Australian businesses that prefer clearly published included minutes and a self-service setup.
Published price
$149 AUD/month for Pro with 300 minutes, then $0.20 per minute after the included minutes.
Verified capabilities
24/7 answering, SMS summaries, recordings and transcripts, appointment links, custom text links and call transfer rules. The official site advertises free self-service setup in 30 seconds.
Limitation to check
The Pro plan is measured in minutes, so call length affects usage. Its appointment feature is described as sending booking links rather than conducting every booking inside the call.
Australian trade and service businesses seeking customised call workflows and connections to calendars, CRMs or job-management systems.
Published price
$99/month is shown on the homepage; clearly defined included calls or minutes were not found.
Verified capabilities
24/7 answering, detailed summaries and recordings, appointment booking into a calendar or CRM, call routing and custom integrations. The site says each setup is designed around the business and uses a local forwarded number.
Limitation to check
The public plan presentation does not clearly define the included usage or how the displayed plan levels map to the $99 price, so those details need direct confirmation.
Australian sole tradies who want a tradie-specific product with direct calendar booking and a published monthly plan price.
Published price
$199/month for the Sole Traders plan; the included calls or minutes are not publicly shown.
Verified capabilities
24/7 answering, call summaries and transcripts, important-call summaries by SMS and email, direct calendar booking and self-service setup. The official site advertises a seven-day trial and no lock-in contract.
Limitation to check
The Sole Traders pricing page does not publish included calls or minutes, an overage price or call-transfer capability, so those details need direct confirmation.
Australian trade and service teams that need detailed call-routing, scheduling and job-management integrations and can justify a higher setup cost.
Published price
$199/month for Core plus a $1,500 one-off setup fee, including 300 call minutes, then $0.55 per additional minute.
Verified capabilities
24/7 answering, instant SMS notifications, appointment booking, intelligent routing and transfer, Australian voices and trade software integrations. Core supports two concurrent calls.
Limitation to check
Core has a material one-off setup fee, included minutes and a published overage charge. Buyers should also confirm which integrations are included in the quoted implementation.
Start with a month of real call data. Count calls, estimate typical duration, note after-hours demand, and list the questions that must be captured. Then decide whether an included answered calls or included minutes make more sense.
A plumber or locksmith may receive short urgent enquiries. A cleaner, landscaper, removalist or mechanic may need longer conversations about location, timing and job details. The right product is the one whose included usage, booking process and summary format match those calls.
Before signing up, confirm overage charges, setup work, number forwarding, transfer rules, calendar support, data access and which business categories the provider accepts.
A solo franchisee often needs local missed calls answered in the franchise name without replacing the franchisor's national systems. Compare whether the receptionist can use approved service, territory and pricing rules, capture the right local details, and escalate anything that needs head-office approval.
Deskie Core: Limited time: $99/month (normally $149/month). $99/month for your first 12 months while your subscription remains active, then it reverts to the regular price. See the 60-call inclusion and live demo on the Deskie homepage, or call now to hear the AI receptionist answer.
The shortlist includes products with current official websites showing Australian availability or a clear Australian business focus. We checked Australian relevance, published pricing, included usage, after-hours coverage, summaries, booking, transfers, setup and limitations on 14 July 2026.
What is the best AI receptionist in Australia?
There is no universal best option. Deskie is our preferred fit for a solo tradie or small Australian service business that wants 60 genuine enquiries, SMS handoff and a fast missed-call setup. Deskie Core: Limited time: $99/month (normally $149/month). $99/month for your first 12 months while your subscription remains active, then it reverts to the regular price. Hooroo and AiDial publish included minutes, Chime Labs is tradie-specific, Sophiie covers broader office automation, and Johnni offers customised workflows.
Which AI receptionist publishes its included usage most clearly?
Deskie publishes 60 genuine enquiries. Deskie Core: Limited time: $99/month (normally $149/month). $99/month for your first 12 months while your subscription remains active, then it reverts to the regular price. Spam, hang-ups, wrong numbers and credited duds do not count. Hooroo publishes 300 minutes for its $149 AUD Pro plan and a $0.20-per-minute overage. AiDial Core publishes 300 call minutes for $199 per month, a $1,500 setup fee and a $0.55-per-minute overage. Sophiie and Chime Labs do not publish included usage for the compared offer, and Johnni's included usage was not clearly shown.
Do these AI receptionists work after hours?
Yes. The official websites for Deskie, Sophiie AI, Hooroo AI, Johnni AI, Chime Labs and AiDial each describe 24/7 or round-the-clock call answering.
Can Australian AI receptionists book appointments and transfer calls?
It depends on the product and configuration. Deskie supports booking and transfer when configured. Sophiie states that it books appointments and supports smart transfers. Hooroo publishes appointment links and transfer rules. Johnni states that it can book into calendars or CRMs and route calls. Chime Labs publishes direct calendar booking but does not state transfer capability on its pricing page. AiDial publishes booking plus intelligent routing and transfer.
What should a trade or service business compare first?
Start with real monthly call volume, average call length, the questions callers need answered, summary format, booking system, transfer rules, setup support and overage charges. A plumber with many short urgent enquiries may value included answered calls differently from a cleaning or landscaping business with longer booking conversations.