TL;DR: Beside is the best-value AI receptionist for solo operators and micro-businesses, answering calls in a clone of your own voice, booking appointments and qualifying leads from about $16.67/user/mo with a genuine self-serve free trial. It is the cheapest credible option in the category, though it is a generalist without industry-specific depth and some users report call-quality issues. App Score: 7.9/10.
How we scored Beside
Weighted against our AI receptionist rubric. Sub-scores out of 10; weight in brackets.
Our independent score, from our own weighted rubric and verified data, kept separate from any sponsorship. Our methodology.
| Starting price | $16.67/user/mo (annual) or $29.99 monthly |
| Plans | Beside $16.67-29.99/user/mo; Teams/Enterprise custom |
| Best for | Solo operators & micro-SMBs |
| Standout | Answers in a clone of your own voice |
| Free trial | Yes, 7-day self-serve |
| Works with | HubSpot, Salesforce, Zapier (1,000+) |
Beside (formerly M1) is a horizontal, app-first AI receptionist aimed at solo operators and small local businesses. It answers inbound calls 24/7 in a clone of the owner’s voice, books appointments, qualifies leads and sends SMS follow-ups, all self-serve from a mobile and web app at a flat, unusually low price.
Key Features of Beside
- Voice-clone answering: inbound calls answered 24/7 in a clone of your own voice, with live transcription.
- Booking & qualification: appointment scheduling, lead qualification and scoring, contact enrichment.
- SMS follow-up: text follow-ups and quote sending after the call.
- Call summaries: automatic transcripts and a daily recap of every call.
- Multi-language: English, Spanish, French and Portuguese handling.
- 1,000+ integrations: HubSpot, Salesforce and Zapier connections at a low price point.
Who Beside Is Best For
Beside fits solo operators and micro-businesses trying an AI receptionist for the first time on a tight budget, especially those who want the personal touch of their own cloned voice. Regulated or complex verticals that need industry-specific workflows should look at a specialist, and teams wanting human backup should compare Smith.ai.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Cheapest credible option with a genuine self-serve free trial
- Voice-cloning personalisation is a real differentiator for owner-operators
- Broad integration library unusual at this price
Cons
- Some users report dropped-call and call-quality issues
- Generalist with no industry-specific depth
- A single flat plan means limited differentiation for larger teams
Verdict
Beside is the value pick and one of the most interesting funded challengers in the category, ideal for owner-operators who want an affordable, personal AI receptionist. Larger or regulated businesses will want more depth. See where it ranks in our best AI receptionist guide.
Comparing your options? See how Beside lines up against the rest of the field in our best Smith.ai alternatives roundup.
Related guides
Compare more in our cluster: AI Receptionist for Small Business and Best AI Answering Services.
