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Best AI receptionist for vet clinics (2026): prices and PMS compared
Updated October 30, 2026
5 AI phone receptionists built for vet clinics: Dodo, Acorn Plus, VetRec AI Receptionist, PupPilot and Central. They answer calls when the desk can't, book into your practice software and hand urgent calls to your team. The table lists what each one costs, which PMS it names, and how it handles nights and weekends. They appear in the order we added them, not ranked, and nobody paid for a spot.
AI receptionists side by side
| Tool | Price | PMS named by vendor | After hours | Booking | Trial | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dodo | Contact sales source checked 2026-10-20 | ezyVetCornerstoneAVImarkDigitailVetspireProvet | Yes: 24/7 calls and texts with emergency routing | Books into the PMS; refills and new-client intake | unknown | source checked 2026-10-20 |
| Acorn Plus | Unclear: no plan prices published source checked 2026-10-29 | Any PIMS (unclear) | Yes: 24/7 | Scheduling and call routing | 30 days, no credit card | source checked 2026-10-29 |
| VetRec AI Receptionist | Starter $299/mo (up to 500 interactions) · Plus $499/mo (up to 1,000) · $0.65 per extra call source checked 2026-10-30 | VetspireezyVetCornerstoneInstinctAVImarkImproMedShepherdCovetrus PulseProvetDigitail | Yes: 24/7, or business hours, after hours only, or overflow | Books and reschedules, writes back to the PIMS; online booking included | unknown (vendor FAQ mentions a trial, terms not shown) | source checked 2026-10-30 |
| PupPilot | Quote only: plans sized to your clinic source checked 2026-10-30 | Any PIMS (unclear) | Yes: after hours, overflow and busy desk; emergencies go to your on-call team or referral partner | Books into the PIMS during the call | yes (1 week, starts after a config call) | source checked 2026-10-30 |
| Central | Quote only: scales with call volume and locations source checked 2026-10-30 | ezyVetCornerstoneAVImarkVetspireShepherdDigitailImproMed | Yes: after hours, weekends and surgery blocks; triage by your protocols, emergencies escalated | Books visits; logs refill requests for doctor approval | unknown | source checked 2026-10-30 |
Teal tags are direct connections; grey tags mean the vendor lists the system without saying how it connects. "Quote only" means the vendor doesn't publish a price. Each claim links to the vendor page we read it on, with the date.
Scribe vs receptionist vs answering service
- AI scribe: listens in the exam room and drafts the medical record (SOAP notes, discharge notes). It doesn't touch the phones. See scribe prices or the scribe cost calculator.
- AI receptionist: answers calls, texts or chat, reads your schedule and books appointments, takes refill requests and routes emergencies. Priced per location or per call volume.
- Answering service: people at a call center take messages after hours. Most can't book into your PMS, and you pay per call or per minute. An AI receptionist is the software version, with your schedule behind it.
Some products do two jobs: Acorn Plus bundles a receptionist with SOAP notes, and VetRec sells a scribe and a receptionist separately.
What to ask in a demo
- Book a test appointment on your own PMS and watch it land on the schedule.
- Call with an emergency script (a dog that ate chocolate, a cat that can't pee) and see where it goes.
- Ask what counts as an "interaction" or a call, and what an extra one costs.
- Ask how calls reach it: forwarding, a new number, or porting your line.
- Ask where call recordings are stored and for how long.
Biscuit and Pixel's tip: run it on after-hours calls first. That's where clinics miss the most calls, and the stakes for a bad booking are lower.