Phoneman vs Beside.
Business phone app (number, calls, texts, team lines) with a built-in AI receptionist, priced per business by AI call volume.
You want a full business phone, with calls, texts and team lines, that has an AI receptionist built in, and native apps today.
You want an assistant focused on answering: every call written up and sorted by urgency, learning from answers you approve, with a free plan to start.
How they compare.
| Feature | Beside | Phoneman |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Baseline $29/business/month with 30 AI receptionist calls; Unlimited $99/month source | Free plan; paid from $29.99/month for 100 AI minutes |
| Billing model | Flat per business per month, tiered by AI-answered calls; in-app Android/Canada plans are per seat ($29.99/month or $199.99/year) source | Monthly plans by AI minutes |
| Free option | 7-day trial on Unlimited (payment method required); no trial on Baseline source | Free plan with 15 AI minutes a month |
| Extra usage | Not found on the public pages reviewed | Pro: 30¢ per extra minute |
| Who answers | AI receptionist inside a business phone app source | AI, and it says so on every call |
| Apps | IOS, Android and iPad apps, plus web dashboard source | Web app on any phone or computer; iPhone and Android apps on the way |
| Transfers | AI call transfer with an introduction and context; rule-based routing source | During hours you set, only after the caller agrees |
| Booking | AI books appointments into your calendar source | Coming soon; takes the request with the details you need |
| Texting callers | AI receptionist handles inbound texts; texting callers after a call is not stated; unlimited US/CA texting source | Coming soon |
| Integrations | HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho CRM, Follow Up Boss, Zapier; integrations page also lists Pipedrive, Attio, Slack, Microsoft Teams source | Coming soon |
| Contract | Billed monthly, renews unless canceled source | No annual contract |
| Setup | Self-serve on web or app; forward or port your number, or pick a new one source | Self-serve, about 3 minutes; reads your website |
| Numbers | US and Canada (calling and texting) source | US |
- Full business phone: unlimited US/Canada calls and texts, number porting, extra lines
- Native iOS, Android and iPad apps
- Team access for up to 20 seats with shared numbers and group chats
- Calendar booking and CRM integrations (HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho, Follow Up Boss, Zapier)
- Every call is written up with priority, category and the caller’s own words.
- It learns your business: drafts answers to new questions, and only uses what you approve.
- Reads your website to set itself up in about 3 minutes, with a free plan to start.
Is Phoneman cheaper than Beside?
It depends on your calls. Beside’s entry pricing: Baseline $29/business/month with 30 AI receptionist calls; Unlimited $99/month. Phoneman is billed by AI minutes, with a free plan. Estimate your minutes on our pricing page and check Beside’s own pricing page for your volume.
Can I switch from Beside to Phoneman?
Yes. Set up Phoneman and call its test number first. When you’re happy, change your call forwarding to your Phoneman number.
Where do these facts come from?
From Beside’s own public pages, checked on October 22, 2026, linked below. Plans change, so confirm on their site.
Try it on your own calls.
Free to start, no card needed. Forward your calls only when you’re happy.