Buyer's guide
An AI receptionist that answers every call andbooks the visit
Front desks miss calls at lunch, after hours, and during surges. An AI receptionist answers all of them, books in real time, and routes what needs a person. Here is how to choose one, and how to try it free on your own line.
24/7 front desk · HIPAA BAA included · No sales call
The short answer
It should do the front desk's job, not describe it
An AI receptionist earns its place by handling the reason for the call: booking, rescheduling, refill and results questions, insurance and hours, and a clean handoff to a human for anything clinical or urgent.
Because those calls involve patient information, a signed BAA is required, not optional. Add a branded number in your area code so patients recognize and answer the line, and write-back so bookings land in your schedule automatically.
Most options are enterprise and demo-only. Rivvi is self-serve: sign up, accept the included BAA, and get 3 logins, 10,000 conversation credits, and a branded number on a free 14-day trial, so you can hear it answer your own calls this week.
What matters
Choosing an AI receptionist
rivviFree, self-serve plan
rivvi
YesEnterprise healthcare AI
NoGeneric AI receptionist
Varies
Built for healthcare / PHI
rivvi
YesEnterprise healthcare AI
YesGeneric AI receptionist
Varies
Signed BAA included
rivvi
YesEnterprise healthcare AI
Not stated
Generic AI receptionist
Varies
Books and routes in real time
rivvi
YesEnterprise healthcare AI
YesGeneric AI receptionist
Varies
Branded phone number included
rivvi
YesEnterprise healthcare AI
Not stated
Generic AI receptionist
Add-on
Outbound programs + web chat
rivvi
YesEnterprise healthcare AI
Voice-led
Generic AI receptionist
Inbound only
Public pricing
rivvi
YesEnterprise healthcare AI
NoGeneric AI receptionist
Varies
SOC 2 Type II
rivvi
YesEnterprise healthcare AI
Not stated
Generic AI receptionist
Not stated
Competitor details are drawn from each vendor's public pricing and product pages as of July 2026 and may change. "Not stated" means the vendor does not publish that detail. Rivvi's free-trial details reflect the current published offer at rivvi.ai/pricing and rivvi.ai/sign-up.
Questions
AI receptionists, answered
Is there a genuinely free HIPAA compliant AI for healthcare?
Yes. Rivvi's free trial includes a signed Business Associate Agreement, so you can run AI voice and web-chat agents on protected health information from day one. Most free tools gate HIPAA coverage behind a paid or enterprise plan; Rivvi's is HIPAA-ready on day one, and you can cancel anytime before the trial ends.
Do free AI tools sign a BAA?
Usually no. A Business Associate Agreement is the legal prerequisite for any tool that handles PHI, and most vendors gate it to paid or enterprise plans, or offer no self-serve signup at all. Rivvi includes the signed BAA on its free trial, e-signed in the app before any patient data moves.
Is Rivvi SOC 2 and HIPAA compliant?
Yes. Rivvi is SOC 2 Type II and runs on HIPAA-eligible infrastructure, signing a BAA with every organization before patient data moves. Patient information is never used to train third-party models, and TCPA opt-out is honored on every outreach path.
What is a conversation credit?
A conversation credit is a small unit of usage that meters per minute of conversation: a voice minute is about 40 credits and web chat costs less. Rivvi's free trial includes 10,000 credits (roughly 250 voice minutes), enough to run real appointment reminders, refill reminders, and recall calls end to end before you decide whether to move to a paid plan.
More on how the rules bind: Security and compliance