Many solutions answer the phone. Sayelo is set up in 5 minutes, lets you keep your number or take a new one, and supports you. This page compares the ways to stop missing calls, lists the questions to ask before choosing, and explains what Sayelo does differently.
The options
Four ways to handle a call you cannot take. Only one answers every call, books the appointment in your calendar and costs a fixed price.
It records a message, when the caller leaves one. Many hang up and dial the next number. No appointments booked, no emergencies sorted, and a list of people to call back in the evening. AI voice agent or voicemail →
Call handlers answer in your name, often from a script, during the hours in the contract. The limits: the contract hours, the queue at peak times, a cost that rises with volume, and messages still to be dealt with. AI voice agent or call answering service →
It routes calls, shows who is calling, records and measures. It does not answer for you: when nobody is available, the call ends up in voicemail. Useful for a team that already answers the phone, not enough for one that has nobody on it. AI voice agent or cloud phone system →
It answers every call, several at once if need be, understands the request, books the appointment in your calendar, transfers the emergency and sends you the summary. It announces itself as an AI. It does not replace a human relationship: it makes sure that relationship starts with an answer rather than with voicemail.
What sets us apart
You keep your current number by forwarding it to your agent's number. Your agent also receives a number according to your country's rules: see Sayelo in your country.
Call forwarding or, in France, number porting: you choose. Numbers and telephony are provided by a partner operator registered with ARCEP (the French telecoms regulator).
Your agent guides you in writing, on WhatsApp or with a form. It reads your website and writes its profile: ready in 5 minutes. Not a project lasting several weeks.
Tradespeople, practices, agencies, restaurants: Sayelo is designed for teams with nobody on the phone, not for call centres.
A real person helps you set up, adjust and optimise. You are never left alone with a dashboard.
Sayelo handles overflow and out-of-hours calls. Your teams keep the customer relationship.
GDPR and AI Act. Numbers and telephony are provided by a partner operator registered with ARCEP (the French telecoms regulator). Built for local micro-businesses and SMEs.
Comparison
| Other voice agents | Answering service | Sayelo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your current number | Varies by solution | Forwarded to the provider | Your choice: call forwarding or, in France, number porting (all plans), new number included |
| Setup | Several days | Several days | Ready in 5 minutes |
| Available 24/7 | Yes | Extended hours | Round the clock |
| Human support | Often self-service | Yes | Yes, dedicated |
| Cost | Variable + number extra | High | Fixed, under control |
| AI announcement at the start of the call (AI Act) | Varies | — | Yes |
Data collected on 14/10/2026; sources: Sayelo pricing and features (sayelo.ai/tarifs) and detailed comparisons (sayelo.ai/comparatif).
Sayelo against each competitor, with dated public prices and the criteria that matter to a micro-business: Sayelo vs Sylen, vs AgentVocal.ai, vs Voice Pilot, vs AirAgent, vs Névor, vs VOKAI, and the ranking of AI voice agents for micro-businesses. All comparisons → Pricing and features set out exactly what is included.
Before you choose
Ask Sayelo them too. The answers are alongside, and on the linked pages.
Who it's for
You are a micro-business or SME without a switchboard: a practice, a tradesperson, an agency, a restaurant, an independent professional. Your calls come in while you are working, your customers want an appointment or an answer, and every missed call goes to a competitor. See your trade →
You already have someone on reception, but not at peak times, not on Saturdays, not in the evenings. Sayelo takes the overflow and out-of-hours calls, and transfers to your team when it is there. How much do your missed calls cost you? →
Call centres with dozens of seats, mass outbound calling campaigns and multi-level sales scripts. Sayelo is designed to answer your customers, not to cold-call others: the AI agent calls nobody on your behalf. You can, however, call a customer back yourself from Sayelo, with your agent's number (only in France for now).
Frequently asked questions
No, it backs them up. The agent takes the calls nobody can answer: during a treatment, on a job, during a viewing, at peak times and out of hours. It transfers to a human whenever your instructions say so. Your team keeps front-desk reception, delicate situations and the relationship.
You decide what happens: a transfer to the number of your choice during the time slots you set, or a precise message, with the summary and transcript, so you can call the person back. The agent always announces that it is an AI in its first sentence, and never pretends to be someone else.
Yes, twice. The demo calls you back on your mobile for three minutes and plays the switchboard of a business in your trade, free and with no bank card needed. The 14-day free trial then gives you a real agent, on your number, with no commitment.
You keep your current number, as you prefer: by forwarding it to your agent or, in France, by porting it, on all plans. A new number is also included from the start of the trial, if you would rather start from scratch. In every case, your calls arrive on an operator line, and you choose the option. Numbers and telephony are provided by a partner operator registered with ARCEP (the French telecoms regulator).
The agent announces itself as an AI at the start of every call. Data is hosted in France by an HDS-certified host, recordings are opt-in and deleted automatically, and each contact can be deleted in one click. Details on the Security and GDPR page →
Hear the agent answer a call from your trade, then try it for 14 days on your number.
Try free for 14 days →
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