AI receptionists
Rosie vs Frontdesk
The $49 card looks like a receptionist. It picks up. It texts a booking link. It does not put the job on the calendar. Frontdesk is $99 and it will book Housecall Pro. That is the whole comparison.
| What | Rosie | Frontdesk |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly floor that answers | $49 Professional, 250 min | $99 Business-in-a-Box, 200 voice min |
| Books the calendar | Scale at $149. Not the $49 plan | Yes, on Google Calendar and Housecall Pro |
| Live transfer | Scale at $149 | Warm-transfer on Business |
| Overage | Auto-upgrade. Current period plus at least two more | $0.25/min after 200, auto-reload $10 per 1,000 credits |
| SMS | Website Texting $50 for 25, then $1 | 400 SMS in the $99 box |
| Human behind it | AI-only | AI-only |
| Trial | 7 days. Card required | 7 days |
| Housecall Pro shops | Not a native HCP brain | Named native booking |
| Jobber shops | Not the dispatch brain | Jobber help article is a 404 |
| Verdict | Situational, 7 | Situational, 6 |
| Skip this number | Professional as a booker. It is a pickup plus a link | $79 shown as monthly. That is $948 prepaid. Basic $20 has zero voice minutes |
The skip is treating $49 like it books
Both are a bot on the shop line. Neither is Smith.ai at $150 or Ruby at $250. If a 2 a.m. emergency needs a person, hang up on this aisle.
Buy Rosie Professional if after-hours is mostly "are you open" and 250 minutes is a real month. Buy Scale at $149 when she has to put the job on Google Calendar while you still have a pipe in your hand. English and Spanish are on every plan. Cancel in the dashboard at the end of the cycle.
Buy Frontdesk if you already run Housecall Pro, you will live with an AI-only voice, and 200 minutes is close. Overage is ugly and visible: 350 minutes lands around $126.50 that month. Do not buy Basic $20. Do not prepay a year to try Zapier. Jobber is not native.
A $29 add-on on Jobber Core is a different product: 30 conversations, then $0.79. That is not this page.
Buy Rosie
$49 if a text-back link is enough. $149 when the calendar has to move without you.
Buy Frontdesk
Housecall Pro shop. 200 minutes is close. You will watch the $0.25 meter.
The catch
Rosie hides the real receptionist behind Scale. Frontdesk hides the real bill behind 200 minutes. Both will leave a caller who demanded a person.
FAQ
Does Rosie book the calendar at $49?
No. Professional at $49 texts an appointment link. Calendar booking and live transfer start at Scale $149.
Which one hooks to Housecall Pro?
Frontdesk. Google Calendar and Housecall Pro are native. The Jobber help article is a 404. Rosie books Google Calendar or Calendly starting at Scale.
What happens when I go over minutes?
Rosie auto-upgrades you to a higher plan. That hits the current period and at least the next two. Frontdesk bills $0.25 a minute after 200, plus auto-reload unless you turn it off.
Full aisle: AI receptionists. Humans: Smith.ai vs Ruby. Shop OS: Jobber vs Housecall Pro.