In 2026, an AI-based receptionist will likely be a necessity. At all hours of the day and night, customers will be contacting businesses via phone, text and online chat. What they desire is instant response, not voicemail. When a potential customer misses a call due to the lack of availability of an immediate live representative, he/she may lose the opportunity to become a new customer.
As a result, many businesses are currently experimenting with AI-powered telephone and online chat solutions. Among these solutions are XBert and Goodcall. Both provide 24 hour/365 days of operation. Also, both have as their goal helping you to identify and secure more leads.
The ways in which these solutions approach the objective of securing more leads differs. One uses a narrow and direct method. The other uses a broader and multi-channel methodology. This difference provides the basis for the comparison that follows.
XBert: Nextiva’s AI Answering Service
XBert is Nextiva’s AI receptionist and customer service assistant. XBert responds to inbound calls, texts, and online chat messages 24/7. Additionally, XBert schedules and reschedules appointments; it qualifies leads; it transfers calls that it cannot handle directly to a live support team member along with a complete summary of the call.
Unlike some generic AI solutions, XBert relies on information found within your business’ website, Google Business Profile, FAQ page, operating hours, and policies to generate responses. Thusly, the responses generated by XBert are accurate and reflective of your brand.
Nextiva, a company established in 2006 located in Scottsdale, Arizona has provided XBert as part of its AI Employee family of products since 2026. The AI Employee family consists of Agent Assist (a real-time coach for live agents) and an AI Voice Agent in addition to XBert.
Features of Popular XBert AI Receptionists
All Channels in One Place: One AI agent manages voice, SMS, and web chat in one inbox. As such, calls, texts, and chats are kept together rather than being separated in multiple tools.
Scheduling Appointments: It synchronizes with your calendar; it sends confirmation emails/reminders; it allows individuals to reschedule their own appointments to reduce ‘no shows’.
Capturing Leads and Synchronizing With CRM Systems: It gathers contact information for callers and pushes it to connected CRM systems including Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, etc.
Intelligent Hand Off: It directs difficult/sensitive inquiries to the proper individual with a summary attached so the individual does not have to explain their inquiry again.
Transcripts and Analytics: Every call/chat is recorded/transcribed/summarized/scoring for sentiment.
Quick No Code Setup: According to Nextiva, the majority of organizations can begin using XBert in less than 5 minutes using either Nextiva’s website or Google Business Profile.
Enterprise Grade Compliance: Built upon Nextiva’s enterprise platform which is SOC 2 Type II audited, ISO 27001 certified, PCI DSS compliant, HIPAA eligible with a signed Business Associate Agreement.
Cost of Using XBert AI Receptionists
The cost for XBert is $99/month for up to 100 AI conversations. After that, each additional conversation costs $.99. Nextiva displays this price on their site, so you don’t have to request a sales call to view it.
What constitutes a conversation? A conversation includes a call lasting longer than 30 seconds or a threaded text/chats session consisting of three or more responses from the AI. Conferences lasting less than 30 seconds and chats with only one message from the AI do not constitute a conversation.
Each XBert plan has no contract requirements; each plan has a 30-day money back guarantee.
You can purchase XBert as either a stand-alone solution or as an added feature to your existing Nextiva plan. Therefore, you are not obligated to engage the entire platform in order to utilize the AI receptionist functionality.
Goodcall Overview
Goodcall is an AI phone assistant. The primary target market for Goodcall is local and small service businesses. Think salons, home services providers and health clinics that receive numerous incoming phone calls daily.
Goodcall was formed in 2021 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. Goodcall focuses solely on providing voice assistance. The AI assists you by responding to your incoming calls, answering typical questions asked by customers and capturing leads 24/7.
Using Goodcall is relatively quick and simple. To activate Goodcall simply attach your Google Business Profile, your website or input a few basic pieces of business information. From that point on the AI utilizes that data to assist you and begins providing service. Each support team agent receives his/her own Goodcall phone number and may select their preferred local area code. Agents may also route their present numbers to Goodcall.
Goodcall supports connecting to CRM systems/calendars through Zapier which is integrated into the application. Goodcall also supports pushing lead information to Google Sheets/SMS/email.
On compliance issues, Goodcall’s trust center indicates that it holds SOC 2 Type II certification, ISO 27001 certification and is eligible for HIPAA.
The Key Differences Between the Two Platforms Are:
Channels: Goodcall is primarily designed as a voice-only solution. Although it answers phone calls well, it is centered on voice communications. XBert is a omnichannel solution that handles voice communications (phone calls); SMS (text) and web chat in one agent’s inbox.
Pricing Model: Goodcall charges per-agent/per-month and counts usage by “unique customers”. Unique customers represent any caller that interacts with the agent during a given month. Starter plan is $79 per-agent-per-month and includes 100 unique customers. Any subsequent customers beyond the first 100 incur an additional charge of $0.50/customer. All minute/tokens are unlimited. XBert charges per-conversation. XBert costs $99/month for up to 100 conversations. All subsequent conversations are charged at $0.99/conversation. Goodcall’s Starter price is lower; however, Goodcall charges by unique customer whereas XBert charges per-conversation regardless of whether the interaction occurs by voice/text/webchat.
Depth of Platform Support: Goodcall is a pure-play voice-based solution. XBert is part of Nextiva’s comprehensive platform which includes team collaboration tools; help desk solutions; other AI employees; etc.. If you wish to expand into a more robust system structure, XBert has more capabilities available for expansion.
Comparison Table Between XBert and Goodcall
| Feature | XBert (Nextiva) | Goodcall |
|---|---|---|
| Company Parent | Nextiva (founded in 2006; headquartered in Scottsdale AZ) | Goodcall (founded in 2021; headquartered in Palo Alto CA) |
| Reviews on G2 | 4.5 (3622) | 3.5 (1) |
| Type of Product | AI-based receptionist/customer service assistant (omnichannel) | AI-based phone assistant (voice only) |
| Starter Price | $99/month for up to 100 conversations; then $0.99/conversation | $79/month per agent (Starter); includes 100 unique customers |
| Charge Basis | Conversations | Unique customers; then $0.50/each above plan limit |
| Communication Channels | Voice communications; SMS; web chat | Voice communications only |
| Primary Integrations | Sales Force; Hub Spot; Zoho; calendars | CRM/calendars via Zapier; Google Sheets; SMS; email |
| Time Required to Set Up | Less than five minutes from your website or Google Business Profile | Minutes via a Google listing/wesbite/business details |
| Compliance Certifications | SOC 2 Type II; ISO 27001; PCI DSS; HIPAA eligible with a signed BAA | SOC 2 Type II; ISO 27001; HIPAA (as listed on trust center) |
| Contract Requirements | None; free trial offered; money back guarantee for thirty days | Monthly or annually (15% discount given for annual commitment); fourteen-day free trial |
XBert and Goodcall FAQs
Is it possible to purchase XBert by itself, or is it necessary to have the complete Nextiva platform?
You may choose either option. XBert will function independently. Alternatively, you can add XBert to an already established Nextiva account. There are no restrictions in regards to purchasing XBert and being limited to utilizing all of the features that Nextiva has available to utilize as a receptionist.
Which communication channel(s) will each tool provide access to?
XBert provides support via multiple communication channels (voice, SMS, web chat) using one user and one inbox. Goodcall is designed specifically for telephone support and handles incoming calls.
How much does each tool cost?
The pricing model for XBert is $99.00 per month for up to 100 conversations; thereafter, it costs $.99 per conversation. The starting point for pricing for Goodcall is $79.00 per month per agent for 100 unique customers; thereafter, it costs $.50 per additional customer. Therefore, Goodcall is less expensive initially but counts usage differently than XBert.
What constitutes a “conversation” within the context of XBert?
Any call lasting 30 seconds or longer counts. In addition, any text/chat exchange including three (3) or more responses from the AI counts. Calls and/or chat exchanges with fewer than three responses from the AI do not count.
How quickly can these tools be activated?
They both activate very rapidly. Nextiva claims that over 95% of their users can activate XBert in under five (5) minutes through their website or Google Business Profile. Goodcall also activates rapidly based upon information provided via a Google listing, website, etc.
Last Updated: August 25, 2026
