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

> Canonical: https://dialzara.com/compare/goodcall-vs-upfirst  
> Summary: Reference comparison of Goodcall (ai phone agent born out of google) and Upfirst (ai answering service and virtual receptionist for small businesses) — pricing, features, strengths, and when each one fits.

## Summary

Goodcall is ai phone agent born out of google. 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

| | Goodcall | Upfirst |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Type** | ai-first | ai-first |
| **Starting price** | $79/month per agent | $24.95/month (Starter) |
| **Pricing model** | Per-agent pricing with unique customer limits | Per-call pricing with monthly tiers |
| **Public pricing** | Yes | Yes |
| **Target market** | Large enterprises needing unlimited bundled minutes and human QA review | Small businesses, solopreneurs, and service professionals needing budget-friendly 24/7 call coverage |

## Feature comparison

| Feature | Goodcall | Upfirst | Dialzara | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| AI Call Handling | Yes | Yes | Yes |  |
| Appointment Booking | Yes | Yes | Yes | Both offer appointment booking; Upfirst integrates with Google Calendar, Outlook, and Clio |
| Lead Capture | Yes | Yes | Yes |  |
| Call Recording | Yes | Yes | Yes |  |
| Call Transfers | Yes | Yes | Yes |  |
| Voicemail | Yes | Unknown | Yes |  |
| SMS Notifications | Yes | Yes | Yes | Both send instant call summaries via SMS or email |
| Bilingual Support | Unknown | Yes | Yes | Upfirst supports 35+ languages; Dialzara offers bilingual English/Spanish support |
| HIPAA Compliance | Yes | No | Yes | Both services are HIPAA compliant for healthcare and regulated businesses / Dialzara is HIPAA compliant for healthcare businesses; Upfirst does not advertise HIPAA compliance |
| CRM Integration | Yes | Unknown | Yes |  |
| Zapier Integration | Unknown | Yes | Yes | Both include Zapier on all plans for CRM and app connections |
| Dedicated Phone Number | Yes | Yes | Yes |  |
| Custom Greetings | Yes | Unknown | Yes |  |
| Spam Filtering | Unknown | Yes | Yes | Upfirst does not count spam calls toward your total; both filter unwanted calls |
| Quick Setup | No | Yes | Yes | Enter your URL and your AI agent trains on your business instantly / Dialzara trains from your website URL in 2 minutes; Upfirst setup takes about 10-30 minutes |

## About Goodcall

Goodcall is an AI phone agent platform that originated at Google Area 120 as "CallJoy." It offers AI-powered call handling with features like lead capture, appointment scheduling, and custom logic flows. Plans are priced per agent with caps on unique customers per month.

- **Founded:** 2017
- **Type:** ai-first
- **Target market:** Large enterprises needing unlimited bundled minutes and human QA review
- **Website:** https://www.goodcall.com

### Goodcall pricing

- **Model:** Per-agent pricing with unique customer limits
- **Starting price:** $79/month per agent
- **Public pricing:** Yes

| Tier | Price | Details |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starter | $79/mo per agent | 100 unique customers/mo, 1 form, 1 logic flow, 3 team members |
| Growth | $129/mo per agent | 250 unique customers/mo, 3 forms, 3 logic flows, 9 team members |
| Scale | $249/mo per agent | 500 unique customers/mo, 25 forms, 25 logic flows, 50 team members |

All plans include unlimited minutes and tokens. Overage beyond the unique customer limit is $0.50 per additional customer. Annual plans available at a discount. A "unique customer" is any caller with a unique phone number who interacts with the agent in a given month. Free trial available.

### Strengths

- Unlimited minutes included on all plans
- Human QA review on calls

### Weaknesses

- Higher starting price at $79/month per agent — nearly 3x Dialzara's entry price
- Unique customer caps on every plan (100/250/500) with $0.50 overage per additional customer
- Plans priced per agent — multi-location businesses pay per agent
- No bilingual support advertised
- Pricing model can be confusing — "per agent" and "unique customer" limits require careful calculation

## 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 Goodcall and Upfirst?

Goodcall is ai phone agent born out of google. Upfirst is ai answering service and virtual receptionist for small businesses. Goodcall targets large enterprises needing unlimited bundled minutes and human qa review, 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, Goodcall or Upfirst?

Goodcall starts at $79/month per agent, while Upfirst starts at $24.95/month (Starter). Per-agent pricing with unique customer limits. Per-call pricing with monthly tiers. The total cost depends on your call volume, team size, and which features you need.

### Does Goodcall or Upfirst offer HIPAA compliance?

Goodcall offers HIPAA compliance, but Upfirst does not advertise HIPAA compliance. If you need HIPAA compliance for healthcare or regulated industries, Goodcall is the better choice between these two.

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

It depends on your specific needs. Goodcall's strengths include: unlimited minutes included on all plans, human qa review on calls. 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 Goodcall and Upfirst?

There are several AI phone answering services on the market beyond Goodcall 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.