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Which phone systems include an auto attendant
| Provider | Auto attendant on | Cheapest plan with one | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoom Phone | Every plan (unlimited auto attendants/IVR) | US & CA Unlimited | $16 a user billed annually, $18 monthly | Call queues (ACD groups) on every plan too |
| Ooma Office | Every plan (Virtual Receptionist) | Essentials | $19.95 a user | No contract; one monthly price |
| Grasshopper | Solo Plus and Small Business (not True Solo) | Solo Plus | $25 a month annual, $32 monthly | Priced per account, not per user |
| Google Voice | Standard | Standard | $20 a user | Not on Starter ($10) |
| Quo | Business and Scale (phone menus) | Business | $23 a user annual, $33 monthly | Not on Starter ($15 annual) |
| Aircall | Every plan (IVR) | Essentials | $30 a user annual, $40 monthly | Minimum of 3 licenses |
| Vonage | Virtual Receptionist listed; plan not readable | Not stated | Mobile from $19.99 a user | Promo prices need a 1-year contract |
| Nextiva | Smart Call Routing (Simple IVR) listed; plan not clear | Not stated | Core from $15 a user annual | |
| RingCentral | Auto attendant listed; plan not stated | Not stated | Core from $20 a user | |
| Dialpad | Not stated on its pricing page | Not stated | Standard from $15 a user |
From each company's own pricing page, checked November 2, 2026. Prices exclude taxes and regulatory fees. "Not stated" means the pricing page lists the feature, or none like it, without saying which plan includes it: ask the company before you buy.
What an auto attendant does
An auto attendant answers your business line with a recorded greeting and a menu: "press 1 for sales, press 2 for support." Each choice sends the caller to a person, a group of phones, a voicemail box or another menu. Providers call it different things: Ooma and Vonage say virtual receptionist, Aircall and Nextiva say IVR, and Quo and Grasshopper say phone menu. It is the same feature.
An auto attendant does not understand speech or answer questions. If you want calls answered in conversation, that is an AI receptionist, sold as an add-on or a separate service.
The cheapest ways to get one
- A small team on per-user pricing: Zoom Phone US & CA Unlimited at $16 a user billed annually ($18 monthly), with unlimited auto attendants and call queues on every plan.
- No contract at all: Ooma Office Essentials at $19.95 a user, with its Virtual Receptionist included.
- A few people sharing one line: Grasshopper Solo Plus at $25 a month billed annually covers the whole account. Its $14 True Solo plan has no phone menu.
Watch the entry plans of Google Voice, Quo and Grasshopper. Google Voice lists auto attendants on Standard at $20, not Starter at $10. Quo puts phone menus on Business, not Starter. Grasshopper's menu starts on Solo Plus, not True Solo. The cheapest plan from those three will not give you a menu.
Setting up a menu that works
- Keep it short. Three or four options are easier to remember than eight. Put the most common reason people call first.
- Say the choice before the number: "For billing, press 2," so callers can stop listening once they hear theirs.
- Always offer a way to reach a person or leave a message, and decide what happens if the caller presses nothing.
- Set business hours. Most systems can play a different greeting and route calls differently after hours and on holidays.
- Call your own number after every change and go through each option.
A greeting you can adapt
"Thanks for calling [business name]. For sales, press 1. For an existing order or account, press 2. For our hours and address, press 3. To leave a message, press 0, or stay on the line."
Comparing full systems rather than one feature? See hosted PBX prices from 10 providers or compare every business phone system.
More by setup: multi-line phone systems and restaurant phone systems.
The auto attendant is one part of a PBX; see what is a PBX.
Want callers answered by AI instead of a menu? See AI phone systems.
Frequently asked questions
What is an auto attendant?
A recorded greeting and menu that answers a business line and routes callers by keypress, such as press 1 for sales. Providers also call it a virtual receptionist, IVR or phone menu.
What is the cheapest phone system with an auto attendant?
Per user, Zoom Phone US & CA Unlimited at $16 a user billed annually ($18 monthly). With no contract, Ooma Office Essentials at $19.95. For one shared line, Grasshopper Solo Plus at $25 a month billed annually covers the account. Prices before taxes and fees.
Does Google Voice have an auto attendant?
Google lists auto attendants on Google Voice Standard at $20 a user. They are not listed on Starter at $10.
Is an auto attendant the same as an IVR?
In small business phone systems, yes: both mean a menu that routes callers by keypress. Aircall and Nextiva use the term IVR; Ooma and Vonage say virtual receptionist.
Is an auto attendant the same as an AI receptionist?
No. An auto attendant plays a menu and routes by keypress. An AI receptionist holds a conversation, answers questions and can take messages or book appointments, usually for an extra fee.