Rosie (HeyRosie) vs TheKeyBot: Direct Feature and Pricing Comparison (2026)

Rosie is the cheaper of the two and the simpler start: $49 a month for 250 minutes, English and Spanish on every plan, and calendar booking from the $149 plan. TheKeyBot starts at $149 a month for message-taking and $500 for a plan that quotes from your price book, books, takes deposits and dispatches. The detail that decides many bills is in Rosie's terms: calls round up to the next minute, and going over your minutes moves you to a higher plan that stays until you downgrade.

Disclosure: TheKeyBot publishes this comparison and makes one of the two products in it. We don't rank or score either one. Every Rosie fact links to Rosie's own pages as we read them in October 2026, and where a page doesn't say something, we say so.

Key takeaways

• Rosie is cheaper at the entry level. Plans are $49 for 250 minutes, $149 for 1,000 and $299 for 2,000, with two months free if you pay annually. TheKeyBot Lite is $149 for 100 calls and Core is $500 for 500 minutes (pricing).
• Spanish is on every plan of both. Rosie lists English and Spanish on every call; TheKeyBot detects and answers in either language (features).
• Rosie books from $149. The $49 plan texts callers a booking link; calendar booking and live or warm transfers start on Scale ($149).
• Mind Rosie's terms. Minutes round up to the next 60-second mark, going over your plan triggers an automatic upgrade that stays until you downgrade, and payments are nonrefundable.
• Quoting and dispatch are where they differ. Rosie's locksmith page says it explains your services and pricing and flags urgent jobs; TheKeyBot Core quotes from the price sheet you upload, takes deposits and texts the closest tech. Lite does none of that.
• Our limits: TheKeyBot costs more at most volumes, Lite doesn't quote or book, and nothing is pre-loaded; you supply the price sheet.

Rosie vs TheKeyBot plan by plan (as of October 2026)

Rosie facts come from its pricing page, terms and locksmith page. Our column lists only what TheKeyBot's own pages state.

What does Rosie do well?

A low, simple entry price. At $49 a month, Rosie's Professional plan answers around the clock, takes custom messages for two scenarios, texts callers appointment links and screens spam. For a part-time shop, that's a lot of coverage for little money, and annual billing knocks two months off.

Spanish without an upcharge. Rosie's pricing page lists English and Spanish on every call, on every plan, including the $49 one. That's a real point in its favor against tools that charge more for Spanish or don't offer it.

Booking and transfers on Scale. From $149, Rosie books directly on your calendar, offers warm transfers (it briefs your team before connecting) and live transfers, and can text callers during the call. Its pricing FAQ says it integrates with Google Calendar and Calendly, and that Professional-plan users can still send booking links by text. Growth ($299) adds waterfall transfers that try several numbers until someone answers, custom training documents and white-glove onboarding.

Quick setup from what's already online. Rosie says it scans your website to train itself and learns from your Google profile, and you can add FAQs and message requirements. You keep your number with call forwarding, and you can turn Rosie on only after hours or for overflow with conditional forwarding.

Small things that matter on a busy day. Every plan handles multiple calls at once, includes recordings, transcripts and call summaries, sends email and text notifications for every call, lets you pick your area code, and connects to other apps through Zapier.

Recording notices are covered. Rosie's terms say it provides template notices so callers are told the call is recorded and can consent by continuing.

Where does Rosie fall short?

The automatic upgrade. Rosie's terms say that if you use more minutes than your plan includes, Rosie will automatically upgrade you to a higher plan to cover them, and you stay on the higher plan until you downgrade. The terms also make you responsible for monitoring your minutes. For a shop whose volume swings, set a reminder to check usage and downgrade after a busy month.

Rounding. Minutes run from the moment the call connects until it disconnects, billed in 60-second increments and rounded up. A 2-minute-5-second lockout call uses 3 minutes.

No refunds, and the trial converts. Except for permitted downgrades and cancellations, payments are nonrefundable, with no credits for partly used periods. The 7-day free trial converts to a paid subscription unless you cancel before it ends, and the subscription renews every 30 days.

Calendar booking costs $149. On the $49 plan, Rosie sends a booking link by text rather than booking the job itself.

Quoting isn't specific. Rosie's locksmith page says it explains your offerings, availability and pricing, and answers questions like whether you handle smart lock installs. It doesn't describe quoting a car key by year, make and model, so test it with a real vehicle from your price list.

Dispatch is a flag, not an assignment. The locksmith page says Rosie tells urgent jobs from routine ones and flags them. Assigning a technician, tracking vans and taking deposits aren't described.

A statistic we couldn't verify. Rosie's locksmith page says "80% of callers will hang up and dial the next locksmith who answers right away." We looked for the study behind that figure and couldn't find one; the earliest version we traced is a 2014 CRM magazine item that credits Forbes without naming a study. The nearest real survey, Pew Research Center's 2020 survey, measured people ignoring unknown callers, not callers abandoning voicemail. Our voicemail hang-up guide explains how to measure your own rate. The FTC expects "competent and reliable evidence to support the claim at the time it is made" (FTC), so ask any vendor for the source of a number, and ask us too.

What does TheKeyBot do differently?

It quotes from your price book on Core. You upload your price sheet during onboarding with prices by vehicle year, make, model and key type, and you can set fallback prices for anything not on it (automated quoting). If a caller balks at the price, our FAQ says the bot offers a technician callback and marks the lead "Negotiating." Locksmith callers are told to ask for a price: Connecticut's Department of Consumer Protection advised in a July 2026 alert:

"When calling the business, ask for a full price upfront, including service and travel costs."

It runs the job after the call. Core includes scheduling and GPS dispatch, POS and payments, QuickBooks sync and unlimited users. Our AI call handling page says the AI texts the closest available technician the job details, location and contact info, and can collect a deposit by SMS payment link.

Lite is a message-taker on purpose. KeyBot Lite ($149) answers in English and Spanish, takes the message and sends it to your phone by Telegram, and tells callers the team will call back with an exact price. It doesn't quote or book. Callers reporting a child or pet locked in a car are told to call 911 first (Lite), which matters: the National Weather Service shows a car reaching an unsafe 94.3°F in just over 2 minutes.

The limits. Core starts at $500 a month and bundles tools you pay for even if you already have them. Nothing comes pre-loaded; the quote is only as good as your price sheet. Our FAQ says most businesses take 1 to 2 weeks to get running on the full plans, while Lite is live in about 10 minutes. And our pricing page doesn't say how partial minutes are rounded, so ask.

What does each cost when your volume swings? A worked example

Every number here is an assumption to show the method. Suppose a locksmith's calls average 2 minutes 20 seconds, which Rosie bills as 3 minutes each because of rounding. Four months, list prices as of October 2026, no add-ons:

Three things to take from it. Rosie is cheaper in every month here, often by a lot. Rounding matters: at 2 minutes 20 seconds of talk, 95 calls use 285 billed minutes instead of about 222. And the upgrade rule means the cheap plan only stays cheap if you watch usage and downgrade after a busy month; ask Rosie how the first upgraded month is billed.

The rows still don't do the same work. Rosie at $149 books on your calendar and transfers calls; TheKeyBot Lite at $149 takes messages only; Core at $500 quotes from your price book, books, takes deposits and dispatches. For more on sizing minutes, see how many AI receptionist minutes a locksmith shop needs and contract terms and minute rounding.

How does each handle five locksmith calls?

This table describes what each vendor's pages say happens; it doesn't measure how well. Your own test calls do that.

Which fits your shop?

For other options with published prices, see the best AI receptionist for locksmiths, and for another low-cost AI option side by side with ours, Dialzara vs TheKeyBot.

How do you test both before paying?

1. Start both trials in the same week. Rosie's 7-day trial converts to a paid plan unless you cancel, so put the end date in your calendar. TheKeyBot Lite's first 5 answered calls are free (up to 7 days), and Core, Pro and Elite include a 14-day free trial.
2. Give both the same facts: hours, service area, emergency rules and, for any plan that quotes, your real prices.
3. Place the five calls above from a phone neither vendor knows, plus one after 9 p.m. Our trial test-call script has the wording.
4. Check the bill math. Note each call's length and compare it with the minutes each vendor shows; rounding is easy to see on short calls.
5. Decide what the call must produce. If a message or a booking link is enough, Rosie's price is hard to beat. If you want a quote, a deposit and a dispatched tech, compare Core. Our Lite vs Core guide shows where that line falls.

Do both record calls?

Yes. Rosie's plans include call recordings and transcripts, and its terms describe template notices so callers can consent by staying on the line. TheKeyBot's AI call handling page says it records all calls. Federal law allows recording when "one of the parties to the communication has given prior consent" (18 U.S.C. § 2511(2)(d)), but some states require every party's consent. This is not legal advice; check your state's law and our call-recording consent guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Rosie cheaper than TheKeyBot?

Yes, at list price. Rosie starts at $49 a month for 250 minutes and its 1,000-minute Scale plan is $149, while TheKeyBot Lite is $149 for 100 calls and Core is $500 for 500 minutes. TheKeyBot Core's case is quoting from your price book, deposits and dispatch, not price.

What happens if I go over my Rosie minutes?

Rosie's terms say it automatically upgrades you to a higher plan to cover the extra minutes, and you stay on that plan until you downgrade. Check your usage each month and downgrade after a busy one.

Does Rosie answer in Spanish?

Yes. Rosie's pricing page lists English and Spanish on every call, on every plan, including the $49 Professional plan.

Can Rosie book appointments on my calendar?

On the Scale plan ($149) and higher, Rosie books directly on Google Calendar or Calendly. On the $49 Professional plan, it texts callers a booking link instead.

Does Rosie round up call minutes?

Yes. Rosie's terms say minutes are billed in 60-second increments and each call is rounded up to the next 60-second mark, counted from when the call connects until it disconnects.

Can TheKeyBot quote car key prices?

On Core, Pro and Elite, yes: it quotes from the price sheet you upload, by vehicle year, make, model and key type, with fallback prices for anything missing. KeyBot Lite doesn't quote; it tells callers the team will call back with an exact price.

Can I get a refund from Rosie?

Rosie's terms say payments are nonrefundable, except for downgrades and cancellations made as the terms allow, and there are no credits for partly used periods. Its 7-day free trial converts to a paid plan unless you cancel before it ends.

Sources

1. Rosie pricing: https://heyrosie.com/pricing
2. Rosie terms of service (last updated February 5, 2026): https://heyrosie.com/legal/terms
3. Rosie, locksmith answering service: https://heyrosie.com/industries/locksmiths
4. TheKeyBot pricing: https://www.thekeybot.com/pricing
5. TheKeyBot, KeyBot Lite: https://www.thekeybot.com/lite
6. TheKeyBot features, AI call handling, automated quoting and scheduling: https://www.thekeybot.com/features
7. TheKeyBot FAQ: https://www.thekeybot.com/faq
8. CRM magazine, "Business Voicemail Goes Unanswered" (November 1, 2014): https://www.destinationcrm.com/Articles/CRM-Insights/Insight/Business-Voicemail-Goes-Unanswered-100080.aspx
9. Pew Research Center, "Most Americans don't answer cellphone calls from unknown numbers" (December 14, 2020): https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2020/12/14/most-americans-dont-answer-cellphone-calls-from-unknown-numbers/
10. FTC, final order against Workado (August 28, 2025): https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/08/ftc-approves-final-order-against-workado-llc-which-misrepresented-accuracy-its-artificial
11. Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, locksmith scam alert (July 16, 2026): https://portal.ct.gov/dcp/news-releases-from-the-department-of-consumer-protection/2026-news-releases/be-wary-of-scammers-posing-as-locksmith-technicians
12. National Weather Service, "Children, Pets and Vehicles": https://www.weather.gov/safety/heat-children-pets
13. 18 U.S. Code § 2511, Cornell Legal Information Institute: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2511