You’re finishing a job when another call comes in, and every missed call could mean a missed booking. **For a one-man shop, Allo is the cheapest true missed-call text-back at $45 a month; Jobber’s $29 Receptionist add-on costs less if you already use Jobber, while Wakeman starts at $149 a month for after-hours answering.**
The key difference is what happens to the call: Allo texts callers you miss, Jobber’s text-back follows a specific interaction with its AI Receptionist, and Wakeman answers calls with AI.
The short answer: what each one costs a one-man shop
Jobber costs the least if you already use it, Allo is the lowest-priced true missed-call text-back, and Wakeman costs the most for a one-man shop.
- Starting monthly price: jobber $49 Core monthly, or $29 billed annually, plus Receptionist, allo $45 Business seat, wakeman $149 After Hours
- Text-back or answering: jobber Receptionist: $29 monthly, with 30 conversations, then $0.79 each, allo Missed-call text-back included with Business, wakeman AI answers after-hours calls
- AI Receptionist: jobber Included on Plus at $499 monthly for 5 users, allo $45 monthly, or $32 billed yearly, wakeman Included in answering plans
- Extra charge: jobber $0.79 per conversation beyond 30, allo $24 one-time texting registration, wakeman Extra minutes billed by plan
Allo’s Business seat costs $45 monthly or $32 monthly billed yearly. Its AI Receptionist adds $45 monthly, or $32 billed yearly. Wakeman’s plans cost $149, $349, or $829 monthly, with 300, 750, or 2,000 minutes included; extra minutes cost $0.59, $0.39, or $0.29, respectively.
Jobber’s Core plan is $49 month to month or $29 monthly billed annually. Receptionist adds $29 monthly, with 30 conversations included and each additional conversation costing $0.79. Jobber Plus includes Receptionist for $499 monthly for 5 users.
What "the text-back already in Jobber" really is
Jobber’s text-back is a Receptionist feature for callers who hang up before the AI starts a conversation, not an automatic reply to a call you miss on your cell.
Jobber’s dedicated phone number is for texts. Calls to that number forward to your regular phone, and a missed call on your cell does not trigger a text-back. The Receptionist setting called “SMS send back” sends one text to that caller, with a limit of one text per caller every 24 hours. It skips callers who have texted STOP.
Receptionist requires a dedicated Jobber number, and US numbers must be registered for business texting first. Two-way texting inside Jobber starts on Grow, which costs $199 monthly or $149 monthly billed annually. On Core or Connect, Receptionist is a paid add-on.
The Receptionist price and conversation allowance have appeared differently across Jobber’s help pages. Check your Jobber billing screen to confirm the current price and included conversations before adding it.
Allo: a phone system with text-back built in
Allo replaces your phone line with an app and sends a text from your business number when nobody answers.
The Business seat costs $45 monthly or $32 monthly billed yearly. It includes a business number, free transfer of your old number, and unlimited calls within your own country. A caller’s reply lands in a shared inbox. You set your business hours, and the automatic reply can go out in English, Spanish, or French.
Texting requires a one-time $24 carrier registration, which takes 3 to 7 days to approve. Once it is approved, Allo does not charge per text. Adding Allo’s AI Receptionist brings the monthly price to $90, or $64 billed yearly.
There is no setup fee or contract. The 7-day trial requires a card.
Wakeman: an AI that answers instead of texting
Wakeman picks up the call with an AI voice using your business’s name, then sends job details to you or your on-call phone.
You keep your existing number through call forwarding. If a call drops without a booking, Wakeman texts the caller back only after they agree to receive texts during the call. When you turn on booking, it can add booked jobs to Jobber.
The $149 After Hours plan answers only while your business is closed. Daytime missed-call coverage requires Front Desk at $349 monthly. Wakeman’s plans include 300, 750, or 2,000 minutes, then charge $0.59, $0.39, or $0.29 per minute, respectively.
You get a 14-day or 500-minute trial without a card, no setup fee, and no minimum term. The first month can be refunded, and you set a monthly spending limit. Wakeman says it is built for shops with roughly 2 to 15 techs, so its pricing is aimed at larger crews than a solo handyman.
Side-by-side math and the fine print
For a one-man shop, Jobber Core plus Receptionist costs $78 monthly for 30 conversations, while Allo Business costs $45 and Wakeman Front Desk costs $349.
At 60 Jobber conversations, the bill reaches $101.70: $78 for Core and Receptionist, plus $23.70 for 30 conversations beyond the allowance. Allo Business with its AI Receptionist costs $90 monthly. Wakeman Front Desk provides daytime call answering at $349 monthly.
Jobber’s add-ons cannot be activated during its 14-day free trial, which runs on Grow. Its Marketing Suite at $99 monthly and Pipeline at $49 monthly are not needed to catch calls.
Annual billing changes the monthly rates: Jobber Core is $29 monthly billed annually, Allo Business is $32 monthly billed yearly, and Allo’s AI Receptionist is another $32 monthly billed yearly. Wakeman’s yearly plans cost ten times the monthly plan price.
What owners say, and how to pick
One Jobber user says Receptionist keeps calls out of voicemail, while its questions feel locked to the request form.
If you already use Jobber, try the $29 Receptionist add-on first and confirm its current conversation allowance in your billing screen. If you are not on Jobber and want missed callers texted, Allo Business starts at $45 monthly, plus the one-time $24 texting registration.
If you run several trucks and need AI to answer emergency calls, look at Wakeman. Its After Hours plan starts at $149 monthly, while daytime coverage requires the $349 Front Desk plan.
