One product, both sides of the call
Need calls handled? ClawCall works both directions.
Every paid plan makes outbound calls. Unlimited Reserve Plus also answers one active reserved number as your AI receptionist. In either direction, ClawCall handles the conversation and captures the evidence.
- Outbound AI caller
- Every paid plan
- Inbound AI receptionist
- Unlimited Reserve Plus
- Both directions
- The conversation, plus transcript evidence when present
The difference is who dials
An AI receptionist answers calls coming in. An AI caller places calls going out. ClawCall does both, depending on the plan.
On a narrow screen, swipe horizontally inside the table to compare both models.
| Decision point | AI receptionist / answering service | Outbound AI caller |
|---|---|---|
| Who initiates? | A customer, lead, patient, vendor, or other contact calls the number owner. | The user or an authorized workflow chooses a destination and starts the call. |
| Whose number? | The buyer owns, forwards, or configures the number that receives calls. | The service provides an outbound calling identity; the destination belongs to the other party. |
| Primary job | Begin with a fixed recording disclosure, follow configured instructions, gather context, optionally hand off, or take a message. | Navigate a phone tree, wait on hold, ask or act, then report the result. |
| Context source | Standing business or owner instructions plus what the incoming caller says. | A per-call briefing: goal, known facts, constraints, alternatives, and fallback behavior. |
| Human handoff | On Reserve Plus, can hand the incoming caller to one configured external number. | May consult and join the user into the active outbound call when participation is needed. |
| Evidence | Captured transcript evidence, when present, and call details show what the caller asked and how the receptionist responded. | Network outcome plus captured transcript evidence when present shows what happened during the outbound task. |
| ClawCall mode | Unlimited Reserve Plus with one active reserved number. | Outbound AI calling on every paid plan. |
| Choose it when | The costly failure is someone calling your number and not getting help. | The costly failure is a phone errand never getting done because nobody makes the call. |
Four questions pick the mode and plan
Start with direction. Then match the plan and handoff behavior to the phone work you need handled.
- Who starts the call?If people call your number, use receptionist mode. If you want a call placed for you, use caller mode.
- Which plan unlocks the mode?Every paid plan makes outbound calls. Answering calls needs Unlimited Reserve Plus and one active reserved number.
- What happens when the AI needs you?Receptionist mode can pass the caller to one handoff number. Caller mode can bring you into the live call when your voice is needed.
- What result do you need back?Call details plus captured transcript evidence when present. The network outcome alone does not prove the task succeeded.
Put ClawCall on either side of the conversation
Caller mode gets outgoing phone work done. Receptionist mode answers the active reserved number and gathers incoming context.
- Outbound · appointments and billing
Turn preferences and limits into a completed call
Book or reschedule an appointment, ask about a charge, dispute a bill, cancel a subscription, or reserve a table without handling the conversation yourself.
- Outbound · airlines, utilities, and offices
Let ClawCall handle menus and hold
ClawCall works through the IVR and queue, then speaks with the person who answers or brings you in when your participation is needed.
- Inbound · your AI receptionist
Answer callers with your configured profile
On Reserve Plus, ClawCall begins with a fixed recording disclosure, then answers one active reserved number using your inbound instructions plus global voice and personality settings.
- Inbound · optional handoff
Connect the caller when a person should take over
Configure one external handoff number for receptionist mode. For broader queues, multiple lines, seats, or CRM routing, choose a contact-center platform.
Match the plan to the direction
Every paid plan includes outbound AI calling. Unlimited Reserve Plus adds inbound AI receptionist behavior once one active reserved number is configured.
- Unlimited$4.99/mo
- Make user-directed outbound calls from shared ClawCall numbers. This is the simplest path for appointments, billing, cancellations, queues, and other phone errands.
- Unlimited Reserve$8.99/mo
- Add one private reserved caller-ID number for outbound calls. This plan does not include the AI inbound assistant.
- Unlimited Reserve Plus$14.99/mo
- Add AI receptionist behavior on one active reserved number while keeping the same outbound AI calling capability.
Keep control without doing the whole call
You set the limits. ClawCall stays inside them and tells you what it captured.
You decide whether ClawCall leaves a message
Include the authorized message or fallback in the task. ClawCall can leave a concise voicemail when instructed instead of improvising one.
Take over only when the call needs you
For verification, payment, negotiation, or a conversation you need to finish yourself, ClawCall can consult you before connecting the calls. Post-join recording and transcription follow your “Record bridged conversations” setting, so captured evidence may end at the bridge.
Read what happened, not just whether someone answered
A network outcome describes the line. Judge task success only from the transcript evidence actually captured, including what was agreed or left unresolved.
Use ClawCall for focused US phone work
ClawCall supports English-language calls to US +1 numbers. It is not for robocalls, predictive dialing, or bulk/high-volume automated outreach or sales campaigns.
Put ClawCall to work in either direction
Try an outbound errand, set up receptionist mode on Reserve Plus, or connect ClawCall to your app or AI agent.
Browse focused phone errands
See ClawCall handle appointments, billing, cancellations, airlines, restaurants, utilities, menus, and hold time.
Browse use cases →Inbound AI receptionistAnswer your active reserved number
Use Reserve Plus to configure inbound instructions, global voice and personality settings, and an optional external handoff number.
Explore the AI receptionist →DevelopersCall from your own product
A trusted backend can place calls over REST and read back the network outcome plus captured transcript evidence when present.
Evaluate the API →AI agentsConnect a compatible AI host
Compatible AI hosts can use OAuth-protected hosted MCP and 12 bounded tools without receiving a ClawCall API key.
Connect an AI agent →Using ClawCall as an AI caller or receptionist
- What is the simplest difference between an AI receptionist and an AI caller?
- Direction. An AI receptionist answers calls coming into an owned number; an AI caller starts calls going out to a chosen destination. ClawCall supports both modes: outbound calling on every paid plan and inbound AI receptionist behavior on Unlimited Reserve Plus with an active reserved number.
- What outbound work can ClawCall handle?
- ClawCall handles focused phone errands such as booking or rescheduling appointments, asking billing questions, disputing a charge, cancelling a subscription, calling an airline, reserving a table, contacting a utility, navigating a phone tree, and waiting on hold. You provide the destination, goal, known facts, and decision limits; ClawCall returns the network outcome and captured transcript evidence when present.
- How does ClawCall work as an AI receptionist?
- Unlimited Reserve Plus can answer one active reserved number using configurable inbound instructions plus global voice and personality settings. Inbound calls begin with a fixed recording disclosure; the assistant then follows those instructions, gathers useful context, and can optionally hand the call to one configured external number. This is a focused self-serve receptionist, not a broad multi-line, multi-seat contact center or CRM platform.
- Is an AI answering service different from an AI receptionist?
- The terms overlap. “Answering service” often emphasizes coverage, message capture, and escalation; “receptionist” describes the broader front-door role. ClawCall’s Reserve Plus mode answers the active reserved number, follows the configured inbound profile, gathers context, and can optionally hand off the call.
- Which ClawCall plan fits each direction?
- Every paid plan supports outbound AI calling. Unlimited Reserve adds a private reserved caller-ID number but not inbound AI answering. Unlimited Reserve Plus adds AI receptionist behavior on one active reserved number while retaining outbound calling. You can try outbound calling with the free trial before choosing a paid plan.
Verified product details
Modes, plan gates, handoff behavior, security limits, and the evidence model come from the current product pages below.
- ClawCall documentation
- ClawCall pricing
- ClawCall security and data handling
- US Federal Trade Commission: Telemarketing Sales Rule guide
The FTC source is informational, not legal advice. ClawCall does not claim a vendor ranking, customer result, reliability, completion-rate, or market-share benchmark on this page.
Start with the direction you need
Try outbound calling on a US +1 number you control. The free trial includes 30 calls and 30 minutes, whichever lasts later, with no credit card. Add Reserve Plus when you also need ClawCall to answer.