# Allo vs Upfirst: feature, pricing, and use-case comparison

> Canonical: https://dialzara.com/compare/allo-vs-upfirst  
> Summary: Reference comparison of Allo (ai phone system for small teams at 14€/user/month with unlimited calling) and Upfirst (ai answering service and virtual receptionist for small businesses) — pricing, features, strengths, and when each one fits.

## Summary

Allo is ai phone system for small teams at 14€/user/month with unlimited calling. Upfirst is ai answering service and virtual receptionist for small businesses. This page lists the structured differences in pricing, features, and target fit between the two so a reader can decide which is the better match for their use case.

## At a glance

| | Allo | Upfirst |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Type** | ai-first | ai-first |
| **Starting price** | 14€/user/month (Business plan, ~$15 USD) | $24.95/month (Starter) |
| **Pricing model** | Per-user monthly pricing with all features included | Per-call pricing with monthly tiers |
| **Public pricing** | Yes | Yes |
| **Target market** | Small teams and entrepreneurs needing a complete AI-powered business phone system with unlimited calling | Small businesses, solopreneurs, and service professionals needing budget-friendly 24/7 call coverage |

## Feature comparison

| Feature | Allo | Upfirst | Dialzara | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| AI Call Handling | Yes | Yes | Yes | Both offer AI-powered call answering; Allo includes it as part of a full phone system |
| Appointment Booking | Yes | Yes | Yes | Both support scheduling meetings from calls / Both offer appointment booking; Upfirst integrates with Google Calendar, Outlook, and Clio |
| Lead Capture | Yes | Yes | Yes | Both capture caller details and lead information |
| Call Recording | Yes | Yes | Yes |  |
| Call Transfers | Yes | Yes | Yes | Allo offers call forwarding and automatic routing; Dialzara offers blind transfers on all plans and warm transfers on Pro ($99/mo) |
| Voicemail | Yes | Unknown | Yes |  |
| SMS Notifications | Yes | Yes | Yes | Allo includes business SMS on the Business plan; Dialzara sends SMS notifications after calls / Both send instant call summaries via SMS or email |
| Bilingual Support | No | Yes | Yes | Dialzara supports English and Spanish; Allo supports English and French / Upfirst supports 35+ languages; Dialzara offers bilingual English/Spanish support |
| HIPAA Compliance | No | No | Yes | Dialzara is HIPAA compliant; Allo does not advertise HIPAA compliance / Dialzara is HIPAA compliant for healthcare businesses; Upfirst does not advertise HIPAA compliance |
| CRM Integration | Yes | Unknown | Yes | Allo integrates with HubSpot and QuickBooks natively; Dialzara connects via Zapier/Make |
| Zapier Integration | Yes | Yes | Yes | Both include Zapier on all plans for CRM and app connections |
| Dedicated Phone Number | Yes | Yes | Yes |  |
| Custom AI Training | Yes | Unknown | Yes | Allo trains on your website URL, PDFs, and text files; Dialzara trains from your website URL |
| Custom Greetings | Yes | Unknown | Yes | Both allow customization of the AI voice and personality |
| Spam Filtering | Unknown | Yes | Yes | Upfirst does not count spam calls toward your total; both filter unwanted calls |
| Quick Setup | Yes | Yes | Yes | Both set up from your website URL in minutes / Dialzara trains from your website URL in 2 minutes; Upfirst setup takes about 10-30 minutes |

## About Allo

Allo (withallo.com) is an AI-powered business phone system designed for entrepreneurs and small teams. Unlike standalone AI answering services, Allo is a full phone system that includes AI receptionist, AI call summaries, call recording, voicemail transcription, and unlimited national calling — all for 14€/user/month (approximately $15 USD). They raised $12M in funding. Allo includes native integrations with HubSpot, QuickBooks, Zapier, and Make. It supports English and French. However, Allo is a per-user business phone system, not a dedicated AI answering service — it's a different product category than Dialzara.

- **Type:** ai-first
- **Target market:** Small teams and entrepreneurs needing a complete AI-powered business phone system with unlimited calling
- **Website:** https://withallo.com

### Allo pricing

- **Model:** Per-user monthly pricing with all features included
- **Starting price:** 14€/user/month (Business plan, ~$15 USD)
- **Public pricing:** Yes

| Tier | Price | Details |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Business | 14€/user/mo | All features included: AI Receptionist, AI call summaries, unlimited national calls, call recording, voicemail transcription, international calls to 90+ countries, business SMS, shared numbers, CRM integrations, 7-day free trial |
| Starter | 108€/year | Limited feature set — no AI Receptionist, no AI call summaries, no AI call tags; designed as a basic phone line |

Pricing is in euros. 10DLC registration (required for US SMS/calling) costs an additional 24€. Extra phone numbers cost 5€ each. The Starter plan does not include the AI Receptionist feature. All pricing is per user.

### Strengths

- Complete AI business phone system — calling, SMS, AI receptionist, and CRM all in one platform
- Competitive pricing at 14€/user/month (~$15 USD) with all features included
- Unlimited national calling minutes included
- International calling to 90+ countries included at no extra cost
- Native CRM integrations with HubSpot and QuickBooks
- AI call summaries, call recording, and voicemail transcription all included
- Desktop and mobile apps for seamless device switching
- Custom AI training from website URL, PDFs, and uploaded files
- Well-funded company ($12M raised)
- 7-day free trial

### Weaknesses

- Per-user pricing — costs scale with team size (a 5-person team pays 70€/month)
- AI Receptionist not available on the Starter plan — requires the Business plan
- No HIPAA compliance advertised — not suitable for healthcare businesses
- Only supports English and French — no Spanish support
- Primarily a phone system, not a dedicated AI answering service — may be more than needed if you only want call answering
- Pricing in euros — may be less convenient for US-based businesses
- 10DLC registration costs an additional 24€ for US phone numbers
- Newer product with less established track record compared to purpose-built answering services

## About Upfirst

Upfirst is an AI-powered virtual receptionist that answers calls 24/7, captures leads, schedules appointments, and transfers calls. They use per-call pricing starting at $24.95/mo for 30 calls, with all features included on every plan. They support 35+ languages and offer Zapier integration. However, per-call pricing means you pay the same whether a call lasts 30 seconds or 10 minutes, and the Starter plan includes only 30 calls with $1.50 overage per additional call.

- **Type:** ai-first
- **Target market:** Small businesses, solopreneurs, and service professionals needing budget-friendly 24/7 call coverage
- **Website:** https://upfirst.ai

### Upfirst pricing

- **Model:** Per-call pricing with monthly tiers
- **Starting price:** $24.95/month (Starter)
- **Per-minute rate:** $1.50/call overage on Starter, $1.00 on Premium, $0.75 on Pro, $0.70 on Scale
- **Public pricing:** Yes

| Tier | Price | Details |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starter | $24.95/mo | 30 calls included, $1.50 per additional call, all features included |
| Premium | $59.95/mo | 90 calls included, $1.00 per additional call, all features included |
| Pro | $159.95/mo | 300 calls included, $0.75 per additional call, all features included |
| Scale | $299/mo | 600 calls included, $0.70 per additional call, all features included |

Annual billing saves 20% (Starter: $20/mo, Premium: $48/mo, Pro: $128/mo, Scale: $240/mo). Per-call pricing — you pay the same whether a call is 30 seconds or 10 minutes. Spam calls, calls under 15 seconds, and pocket dials are not counted. 14-day free trial with no credit card required.

### Strengths

- Low starting price at $24.95/month — one of the cheapest AI answering services
- Most features included on every plan — minimal upselling or tier-gating
- 35+ language support on all plans
- Per-call pricing means longer calls don't cost more
- Spam calls, pocket dials, and calls under 15 seconds are not billed
- 14-day free trial with no credit card required
- Clean, simple interface designed for non-technical users
- Transparent pricing with no hidden fees

### Weaknesses

- Only 30 calls included on the $24.95/mo Starter plan — businesses with moderate call volume will quickly exceed this
- Per-call pricing can be expensive for short calls — a 30-second call costs the same as a 10-minute call
- Overage costs add up quickly at $1.50 per additional call on Starter
- No HIPAA compliance — not suitable for healthcare or regulated industries
- Basic integrations compared to more robust platforms
- Simple workflow capabilities — not ideal for complex multi-step call handling
- Limited voice customization compared to some competitors

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the main difference between Allo and Upfirst?

Allo is ai phone system for small teams at 14€/user/month with unlimited calling. Upfirst is ai answering service and virtual receptionist for small businesses. Allo targets small teams and entrepreneurs needing a complete ai-powered business phone system with unlimited calling, while Upfirst targets small businesses, solopreneurs, and service professionals needing budget-friendly 24/7 call coverage. Both offer AI-powered call handling, but they differ in pricing, features, and target audience.

### Which is cheaper, Allo or Upfirst?

Allo starts at 14€/user/month (Business plan, ~$15 USD), while Upfirst starts at $24.95/month (Starter). Per-user monthly pricing with all features included. Per-call pricing with monthly tiers. The total cost depends on your call volume, team size, and which features you need.

### Does Allo or Upfirst offer HIPAA compliance?

Neither Allo nor Upfirst advertises HIPAA compliance. If you need HIPAA-compliant phone answering for healthcare or regulated businesses, you may need to look at other providers in the space.

### Which is better for small businesses, Allo or Upfirst?

It depends on your specific needs. Allo's strengths include: complete ai business phone system — calling, sms, ai receptionist, and crm all in one platform, competitive pricing at 14€/user/month (~$15 usd) with all features included. Upfirst's strengths include: low starting price at $24.95/month — one of the cheapest ai answering services, most features included on every plan — minimal upselling or tier-gating. Consider your call volume, budget, and which features matter most to your business when choosing between them.

### Is there a better alternative to both Allo and Upfirst?

There are several AI phone answering services on the market beyond Allo and Upfirst. Dialzara is one option worth considering — it's a purpose-built AI answering service starting at $29/month with bilingual support, appointment booking, and HIPAA compliance on all plans. Browse our comparison pages to evaluate all your options.