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DeskMD alternatives

8 DeskMD alternatives from our directory, ranked by AIOP Score, with published pricing, HIPAA BAA status, best fit and when to switch. Admin and operations only.

DeskMD listingFacts last checked up to 2026-10-16 · ranked by AIOP Score

About DeskMD

Full listing →
8.2/10From $299/provider/moBAA available
Pricing
$299/provider/mo Standard, $449 Pro; 14-day free trial (vendor site)
HIPAA BAA
Yes – signed BAA on every account (vendor site)
Best fit
AI virtual receptionist that answers calls, identifies the requested provider, captures structured intake and sends a record to your inbox. Does not write to the EHR.
Last checked
2026-10-14 · www.deskmd.ai

Why practices look for DeskMD alternatives

  • DeskMD doesn't write to the EHR; the call record goes to your inbox.
  • Pricing is per provider ($299/mo Standard, $449 Pro), so multi-provider practices pay per seat.

Stay with DeskMD if…

You want a signed BAA on every account and a 14-day free trial, and an inbox record is enough.

Quick picks

8 alternatives, ranked

All Phones & Scheduling tools →
  1. 1V

    VCare Health

    Phones & Scheduling
    9.0/10
    From $299/moBAA available
    Pricing
    Starter $299/mo (1–3 providers); Growth $599/mo (4–10 providers); Enterprise custom; 14-day free trial, no credit card, no setup fee (vendor trial page)
    HIPAA BAA
    Yes – BAA included at no cost on all plans including trial (vendor site)
    Best for
    AI receptionist for independent practices that answers inbound (and on higher plans outbound) calls 24/7, books and updates appointments via EHR API sync, and sends SMS confirmations and reminders. Setup marketed as live in under three days without an IT project.
    Last checked
    · vcare-health.com

    Full listing Visit site ↗ Side-by-side →

  2. 2

    Retell AI

    Phones & Scheduling
    8.9/10
    $0.07–$0.31/minBAA available
    Pricing
    Usage-based, $0.07–$0.31/min; $10 free credits (vendor site)
    HIPAA BAA
    Yes – self-service BAA portal (vendor site)
    Best for
    Build-your-own voice agent platform with a medical answering template; connects to your schedule and knowledge base.
    Last checked
    · www.retellai.com

    Full listing Visit site ↗

  3. 3M

    MedReception AI

    Phones & Scheduling
    8.8/10
    From $299/moBAA available
    Pricing
    Studio (self-serve) $299/mo; Managed Essential $495/mo (500 min), Professional $995/mo (1,000 min), Elite $1,495/mo (2,000 min); overages ~$0.95–$1.25/min; Annie AI after-hours $99/mo add-on on Essential; annual ~15% off (vendor site)
    HIPAA BAA
    Yes – BAA signed for every deployment that touches PHI (vendor HIPAA page)
    Best for
    Physician-built AI medical receptionist that answers calls, books visits in supported EMRs, and leaves staff call summaries. Managed plans include setup and optimization; Studio is self-serve. After-hours Annie AI and smart voicemail available as add-ons on lower tiers.
    Last checked
    · www.medreception.ai · BAA: www.medreception.ai

    Full listing Visit site ↗ Side-by-side →

  4. 4C

    Clinivocx

    Phones & Scheduling
    8.4/10
    From $799/moBAA available
    Pricing
    Small $799/mo (1 provider), Medium $1,999/mo (2–3 providers), Large $4,999/mo (4+ providers); all features in every tier; no per-call or per-minute patient-call charges (vendor AI-info page)
    HIPAA BAA
    Yes – signed BAA with every plan; MFA mandatory (vendor site)
    Best for
    AI receptionist for independent US practices (about 1–10 clinicians) that answers 24/7, books/reschedules against practice rules, escalates urgent red-flag calls, and delivers transcripts and action items. Does not write back to the EHR; practices forward their existing number.
    Last checked
    · www.clinivocx.com

    Full listing Visit site ↗ Side-by-side →

  5. 5E

    Echo

    Phones & Scheduling
    7.9/10
    QuoteBAA available
    Pricing
    Base $499/mo or $449/mo yearly; Pro $599/mo or $539/mo yearly; one-time onboarding fee quoted (vendor site)
    HIPAA BAA
    Yes – signed BAA before go-live, included at every size (vendor site)
    Best for
    AI receptionist that answers inbound and outbound calls 24/7, books into your EHR under your scheduling rules, and can add texting, online booking and chat on Pro.
    Last checked
    · www.echobooking.com

    Full listing Visit site ↗

  6. 6

    Phone Stack

    Phones & Scheduling
    7.5/10
    From $199/moBAA available
    Pricing
    Growth $199/mo (1,000 min), Scale $399/mo; plans from $69/mo (vendor site)
    HIPAA BAA
    Yes – on Scale and Enterprise plans only (vendor site)
    Best for
    AI phone answering for practices with published Growth/Scale plans; HIPAA BAA on Scale and Enterprise. Integrates with HubSpot, Salesforce, Calendly, Zapier/Make, Google Calendar and REST/MCP APIs (vendor integrations page).
    Last checked
    · phonestack.com

    Full listing Visit site ↗

  7. 7

    Central

    Phones & Scheduling
    7.4/10
    From $89/moBAA reported
    Pricing
    Reported $89/mo for 90 calls; 10-day trial (third-party review)
    HIPAA BAA
    Reported yes – BAAs executed with customers handling PHI (third-party review)
    Best for
    AI receptionist that answers calls and books on Cal.com, Calendly or Google Calendar.
    Last checked
    · www.clinicspots.com

    Full listing Visit site (affiliate) ↗

  8. 8

    Smith.ai

    Phones & Scheduling
    6.3/10
    Free plan · from $0/moBAA unverified
    Pricing
    $0/mo Free tier (25 calls included, then overage per call); Pro $150/mo (75 calls); Enterprise $500/mo (300+ calls); Calendly, Clio & Zapier (vendor pricing)
    HIPAA BAA
    unverified – vendor markets to medical/wellness but no public BAA found on pricing or industry pages
    Best for
    AI receptionist with optional live North America agents: answers calls, qualifies leads, books appointments, and escalates complex calls. Integrates with Calendly, Clio, Zapier and 7,000+ apps. Confirm HIPAA/BAA directly before routing PHI.
    Last checked
    · smith.ai · BAA: smith.ai

    Full listing Visit site ↗

DeskMD vs the top 3 at a glance

DeskMDVVCare HealthRetell AIMMedReception AI
Pricing$299/provider/mo Standard, $449 Pro; 14-day free trial (vendor site)Starter $299/mo (1–3 providers); Growth $599/mo (4–10 providers); Enterprise custom; 14-day free trial, no credit card, no setup fee (vendor trial page)Usage-based, $0.07–$0.31/min; $10 free credits (vendor site)Studio (self-serve) $299/mo; Managed Essential $495/mo (500 min), Professional $995/mo (1,000 min), Elite $1,495/mo (2,000 min); overages ~$0.95–$1.25/min; Annie AI after-hours $99/mo add-on on Essential; annual ~15% off (vendor site)
What it doesAI virtual receptionist that answers calls, identifies the requested provider, captures structured intake and sends a record to your inbox. Does not write to the EHR.AI receptionist for independent practices that answers inbound (and on higher plans outbound) calls 24/7, books and updates appointments via EHR API sync, and sends SMS confirmations and reminders. Setup marketed as live in under three days without an IT project.Build-your-own voice agent platform with a medical answering template; connects to your schedule and knowledge base.Physician-built AI medical receptionist that answers calls, books visits in supported EMRs, and leaves staff call summaries. Managed plans include setup and optimization; Studio is self-serve. After-hours Annie AI and smart voicemail available as add-ons on lower tiers.
HIPAA BAAYes – signed BAA on every account (vendor site)Yes – BAA included at no cost on all plans including trial (vendor site)Yes – self-service BAA portal (vendor site)Yes – BAA signed for every deployment that touches PHI (vendor HIPAA page)
Best fitunverifiedunverifiedunverifiedunverified
Last checked · source · source · source · source
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Facts come from vendor pages and third-party reviews, as labeled on each line. “Unverified” means we couldn't confirm it. Get the BAA for the exact plan you buy and confirm pricing with the vendor before you switch.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best DeskMD alternatives for a small practice?

Ranked by AIOP Score among the 8 alternatives we track: VCare Health (9.0), Retell AI (8.9), MedReception AI (8.8) and Clinivocx (8.4). The score is editorial and calculated from published pricing, BAA status, small-practice fit, setup and features. Sponsorship never affects it.

Which DeskMD alternatives include a BAA on every plan?

Per the vendors' own pages: VCare Health, MedReception AI, Clinivocx and Echo. Confirm the BAA covers the exact plan you buy.

Does DeskMD offer a HIPAA BAA?

Our data says: Yes – signed BAA on every account (vendor site). Last checked 2026-10-14.

Is there a free alternative to DeskMD?

Smith.ai list a free plan, tier or free use. Check whether the free option is covered by a BAA before using it with patient information.

Affiliate disclosure: Some “Visit site” links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up through it, we may earn a referral fee at no extra cost to you. That is how this free directory is funded, and it never affects our scores or listings.

Disclaimer: This site covers administrative and operational workflows only. It is not clinical, legal, or compliance advice. Pricing and BAA status come from vendor sites or third-party reviews as of the date shown and can change – confirm directly with each vendor and your compliance advisor before using any tool with protected health information.