Quo vs Upfirst
An honest comparison of Quo and Upfirst for AI phone answering. Find out which service fits your business best.
Quick Overview
Quo is business phone system (formerly openphone) with sona ai agent, starting at $19/user/month. Upfirst is ai answering service and virtual receptionist for small businesses. Both serve the AI phone answering space, but they differ in pricing, features, and target audience.
Quo vs Upfirst: At a Glance
Quo
AI-First
Best for: Small to mid-size teams needing a modern business phone system with AI features
Upfirst
AI-First
Best for: Small businesses, solopreneurs, and service professionals needing budget-friendly 24/7 call coverage
Quo vs Upfirst: Feature Comparison
See how these two services compare on key features.
| Feature | Quo | Upfirst |
|---|---|---|
| AI Call Handling | Yes | Yes |
| Appointment Booking | Yes | Yes |
| Lead Capture | Yes | Yes |
| Call Recording | Yes | Yes |
| Call Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| Voicemail | Yes | Unknown |
| SMS Notifications | Unknown | Yes |
| Bilingual Support | No | Yes |
| HIPAA Compliance | No | No |
| CRM Integration | Yes | Unknown |
| Zapier Integration | Yes | Yes |
| Dedicated Phone Number | Yes | Yes |
| Custom AI Training | No | Unknown |
| Spam Filtering | Unknown | Yes |
| Quick Setup | Unknown | Yes |
Pricing Comparison
How Quo and Upfirst compare on cost.
Quo Pricing
Per-user monthly pricing with tiered AI credit add-ons
$19/user/month (Starter plan)
Starter: $19/user/mo
Phone number per user, unlimited US/CA calling & messaging, voicemail transcripts, Sona AI agent (1,000 free credits / ~10 calls), email support, API access
Business: $33/user/mo
Everything in Starter plus AI call summaries & transcripts, group calling, call transfers, HubSpot & Salesforce integrations, phone menus, analytics, auto call recording, live chat support
Scale: $47/user/mo
Everything in Business plus AI call tags, dedicated onboarding, priority support, inbound phone support
Sona AI agent included on all plans with 1,000 free credits (~10 calls). Additional AI credit tiers: $25/mo (40 calls), $49/mo (100 calls), $99/mo (250 calls), $199/mo (600 calls). Overage rates from $0.45-$1.00 per call. Carrier registration fee of $19.50 one-time for messaging. Annual billing saves ~20%. 7-day free trial available.
Upfirst Pricing
Per-call pricing with monthly tiers
$24.95/month (Starter)
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 & Weaknesses
Quo
Strengths
- Modern business phone system with unlimited US/CA calling and messaging
- Sona AI agent included on all plans (1,000 free credits)
- Native HubSpot and Salesforce integrations on Business plan
- Well-funded company ($105M raised) with strong product development
- Desktop and mobile apps for seamless communication
Weaknesses
- Per-user pricing — costs scale with team size ($19-$47/user/month)
- AI call summaries require Business plan ($33/user/month)
- Sona AI only includes 10 free calls — additional AI usage costs $25-$199/month extra
- Call transfers require Business plan ($33/user/month)
- No HIPAA compliance advertised
Upfirst
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
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
Looking for a Better Option? Try Dialzara
While Quo and Upfirst each have their strengths, Dialzara offers a purpose-built AI answering service starting at just $29/month with features that both services charge more for — including bilingual English/Spanish support, appointment booking, call transfers, HIPAA compliance, and Zapier integration on every plan.
Flat pricing with 60 minutes included. No per-user charges.
Enter your website URL and your AI agent is ready to go.
Healthcare-ready on all plans, starting at $29/month.
Quo vs Upfirst: FAQ
Common questions about the differences between Quo and Upfirst.