By Matt Horner ·
Updated ·Prices checked on smith.ai·10 min read
Smith.ai is a US call-answering service that bills per call. Its AI receptionist is free for 25 calls a month, then $150 a month for 75 calls, and live receptionists start at $300 a month for 30 calls. It suits law firms that want native Clio intake. If your call volume moves around, a flat plan is easier to budget.
Why people look for a Smith.ai alternative
Every call over your allowance is billed: $2.17 to $3.00 on AI plans, $8.50 to $11.50 on live plans.
On live plans, booking appointments adds $1.50 a call and call recording $0.25 a call.
AI and Hybrid plans need 30 days' notice to cancel.
Quick comparison: the best Smith.ai alternatives
Starting prices are the cheapest published plan, checked on each vendor's own site.
Smith.ai sells three products, all billed per call. Prices are monthly in US dollars.
AI receptionist (AI-first)
Month to month, 30 days' notice to cancel. Extra calls are billed at the rate shown.
Free
$0
25 calls , then $3.00 a call
Pro
$150
75 calls , then $2.50 a call
Pro
$270
150 calls , then $2.30 a call
Pro
$500
300 calls , then $2.17 a call
Enterprise
From $500
300+ calls, built for you , then $2.10 a call or less
Hybrid (AI plus live agents)
Quoted after a consultation. 30 days' notice to cancel.
New Client Priority
From $2.50 a call
Humans take new leads
Highest Touch
From $3.10 a call
More calls go to humans
After Hours Only
From $3.70 a call
AI covers nights and weekends
Live receptionists (Human-first)
Month to month, 30-day money-back guarantee, 10% off a 12-month term.
Starter
$300
30 calls , then $11.50 a call
Basic
$810
90 calls , then $10.50 a call
Pro
$2,100
300 calls , then $8.50 a call
Also worth knowing
Booking appointments: $1.50 a call
Call recording and transcription: $0.25 a call
Dedicated Spanish line: $1.00 a call
Each CRM after the first: $0.50 a call
Spam calls that show caller ID are not billed
Prices from smith.ai/pricing (AI-first, Hybrid and Human-first pages), checked 21 October 2026, before tax. Add-ons listed apply to live receptionist plans. Smith.ai changes its plans often, so check before you buy.
Smith.ai AI vs Jodie at your call volume
Move the slider. The calculator picks Smith.ai's cheapest AI plan for that volume, including extra calls.
Cost calculator
100
10300
Jodie Basic
$49/mo
Flat. Unlimited.
Competitor: AI Pro 75
$213/mo
$150 base + $63 overage
You'd save
$164/month ($1,962/year)
Smith.ai AI-first tiers and extra-call rates from smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist, checked 21 October 2026. Up to 41 calls a month, Smith.ai's free AI plan costs less than Jodie Basic. Live receptionist plans start at $300 for 30 calls and are not shown here.
What Smith.ai reviews say
Themes from public customer reviews, set against what each Smith.ai plan includes.
Smith.ai's homepage shows ratings of 4.3 to 4.9 out of 5 from four review sites.
What customers praise
Polite, professional receptionists
Many reviewers say the receptionists sound polite and professional, and some say callers assume they have reached someone in the office.
Live plans start at $300 a month for 30 calls, then $11.50 for each extra call.
No more calls lost to voicemail
Solo lawyers and small firms say 24/7 answering stops new enquiries going to voicemail and then on to a competitor.
The free AI plan covers 25 calls a month, then $3.00 for each call after that.
Helpful setup and support
Reviewers often name the staff who set them up, and say support replies quickly when something needs fixing.
Live plans run month to month with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
What customers criticise
Call quality varies
Some say quality depends on who picks up, and a firm in a niche practice area found receptionists did not grasp what it handles.
Call recording, useful for spot checks, is a paid add-on at $0.25 a call.
AI line can misunderstand callers
A few users of the AI receptionist say it repeated questions callers had already answered, or did not understand them.
AI Pro starts at $150 a month for 75 calls, with 30 days' notice to cancel.
Slow cancellations and refunds
Several critical reviews describe slow cancellations, an extra month billed under the notice rule, or prepaid terms not refunded.
AI plans need 30 days' notice to cancel, and longer prepaid terms are non-refundable, Smith.ai says.
Themes are paraphrased from public reviews and comments about Smith.ai read on 21 October 2026, and reflect individual experiences. The rating range above is Smith.ai's own published claim, checked the same day.
The 7 best Smith.ai alternatives
Best flat-price alternative
1. Jodie
Best for: Small businesses and trades that take more than about 40 calls a month and want one fixed bill.
Jodie is an AI receptionist that answers every call 24/7, takes the details and sends you a summary straight away. Every plan has unlimited minutes, so a busy month costs the same as a quiet one.
Flat price, no per-call fees. $49 a month on Basic at any volume, up to 1,000 calls a month. At 300 calls, Smith.ai AI Pro is $500.
Live in minutes. Sign up, forward your business number and Jodie starts answering. No onboarding call.
Try it before you pay. 7 days free with no card needed, and no contract or notice period.
From $49/month
Basic $49, Professional $99, Premium $199. Unlimited minutes
on every plan, 7 days free.
Not for you if: Skip Jodie if you want a person on every call, or native Clio intake without Zapier. Smith.ai or Ruby fit better there.
Sarah wants a quote to replace a 12-year-old tank water heater at her home in Park Hill. It is leaking at the base. She would like a callback today after 3 p.m.
Collected Information
Callback number
(303) 555-0142
Name
Sarah Collins
Address
2417 Elm Street, Denver, CO 80205
Job type
Water heater replacement (tank)
A captured call in the Jodie app: who called, what they need and how to reach them.
"Much cheaper than a real receptionist and available 24/7. Great value for money."
Smith.ai vs Jodie
What you gain and what you give up on each side.
Jodie
Smith.ai
Cost at 100 calls a month
$49 (Basic)
$212.50 on AI Pro, $915 with live receptionists
Cost at 20 calls a month
$49 (Basic)
$0 on the free AI plan
Pricing model
Flat monthly, unlimited minutes
Per call, extra calls billed on every plan
Try before you buy
7-day free trial, no card
Free AI plan; 30-day money-back on live plans
Who answers
AI receptionist
AI, live receptionists, or a mix
Clio and legal CRMs
Via Zapier on Premium ($199)
Native, first CRM included
Cancelling
No contract, no notice period
30 days' notice on AI and Hybrid plans
Cost at 100 calls a month
Jodie
$49 (Basic)
Smith.ai
$212.50 on AI Pro, $915 with live receptionists
Cost at 20 calls a month
Jodie
$49 (Basic)
Smith.ai
$0 on the free AI plan
Pricing model
Jodie
Flat monthly, unlimited minutes
Smith.ai
Per call, extra calls billed on every plan
Try before you buy
Jodie
7-day free trial, no card
Smith.ai
Free AI plan; 30-day money-back on live plans
Who answers
Jodie
AI receptionist
Smith.ai
AI, live receptionists, or a mix
Clio and legal CRMs
Jodie
Via Zapier on Premium ($199)
Smith.ai
Native, first CRM included
Cancelling
Jodie
No contract, no notice period
Smith.ai
30 days' notice on AI and Hybrid plans
Smith.ai figures from smith.ai/pricing, checked 21 October 2026. Costs use the cheapest Smith.ai plan for that volume, including per-call overage and before add-ons. Jodie Basic includes unlimited minutes under a fair-use limit of 1,000 calls a month.
Other Smith.ai alternatives worth a look
Where each one is the better pick, and what it costs. Prices checked on each vendor's
site.
Best for live US receptionists
2. Ruby
Answered by: Humans
$250/month
50 receptionist minutes, billed per minute and rounded up. Checked Oct 2026 on ruby.com.
Best for: Businesses that want a live person on every call and will pay for it.
Ruby is a long-running US receptionist service. Calls are answered live 24/7, with Spanish included and optional AI help at no extra cost.
Strengths
+
Live answering 24/7, including weekends and holidays
+
Bilingual Spanish service included on every plan
Weaknesses
-
The rate for extra minutes is not published
-
$250 covers 50 minutes, and hold time counts
Pick it over Jodie if: You want a human voice on every call and your call volume is steady.
100 unique callers a month, then 79 cents each. Checked Oct 2026 on goodcall.com.
Best for: Businesses that want to build and wire up their own AI agent.
Goodcall is an AI phone agent you configure yourself, with tools, workflows and escalation contacts. It bills per unique caller each month, never per minute.
Strengths
+
Call length never changes the bill
+
Repeat callers in the same month count once
Weaknesses
-
Starter allows 1 external tool and 1 team member
-
No staffed fallback: calls escalate to people you set up
Pick it over Jodie if: You want custom AI workflows and are happy to build them yourself.
Best if you use RingCentral
7. RingCentral AI Receptionist
Answered by: AI
$49/month
Standalone: 100 minutes, then $0.50 a minute in 30-second steps. $39 as a RingEX add-on. Checked Oct 2026 on ringcentral.com.
Best for: Teams already on RingCentral RingEX.
RingCentral AI Receptionist answers and routes calls inside RingCentral's phone system, and logs callers to CRMs such as Salesforce and HubSpot.
Strengths
+
14-day free trial on both plans
+
Built-in CRM logging to Salesforce, HubSpot and Zoho
Weaknesses
-
Only 100 minutes included before per-minute charges
-
The $39 price also needs a paid RingEX plan
Pick it over Jodie if: Your team already runs its phones on RingCentral.
Smith.ai pricing and alternatives: common questions
How much does Smith.ai cost per month?
Smith.ai's AI receptionist is free for 25 calls a month, then $150 a month for 75 calls, $270 for 150 or $500 for 300, with extra calls at $2.17 to $3.00. Live receptionists start at $300 a month for 30 calls, with extra calls at $8.50 to $11.50. Prices checked October 2026.
Does Smith.ai have a free plan?
Yes. Smith.ai's AI-first Free plan answers 25 calls a month at no cost, then charges $3.00 for each extra call. Live receptionist plans have no free tier but come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Jodie has no free plan; it has a 7-day free trial with no card.
Is Smith.ai legit?
Yes. Smith.ai is a real US company that has answered calls for businesses since 2015, using live receptionists and an AI line. Most reviewers are long-term, satisfied clients, many of them law firms. Complaints focus on uneven call handling, the AI mishearing callers and slow cancellations, so read the cancellation terms first.
What do Smith.ai reviews say?
Most reviews are positive. Customers, many of them solo lawyers and small firms, praise polite receptionists, 24/7 answering and quick support. Critical reviews mention calls handled unevenly, an AI receptionist that repeated or misheard questions, and slow cancellations or refunds, which Smith.ai often answers publicly.
Does Smith.ai charge per minute or per call?
Per call. Smith.ai counts each call against your plan's allowance, whatever its length, and charges a set fee for each call over it. On live plans, spam calls that show caller ID are not billed. Jodie does neither: every plan has unlimited minutes for a flat monthly price.
Is Smith.ai cheaper than Jodie?
Only at low volume. Up to 41 calls a month, Smith.ai's free AI plan costs less than Jodie's $49 Basic plan. Above that, Jodie is cheaper: at 100 calls Smith.ai's cheapest AI option is $212.50 and its live receptionists $915, against $49 flat on Jodie.
Can I keep my number if I switch from Smith.ai?
Yes. Jodie answers through call forwarding from your existing business number, so nothing changes for callers. If you ported your number to Smith.ai, ask for it to be ported back to your phone provider before you cancel, then forward it to Jodie.
What is the difference between an AI receptionist and an answering service?
An AI receptionist answers instantly at any hour for a flat or low per-call price, working from the information you give it. A human answering service brings judgement on unusual calls but costs more and bills by the minute or call. Smith.ai, Abby Connect and Posh sell both.
Does Jodie integrate with Clio?
Yes, through Zapier on the Premium plan at $199 a month, which can send call details to Clio and thousands of other apps. Smith.ai connects to Clio natively with the first CRM included, so it is the simpler choice if Clio intake is your main need.
How to switch from Smith.ai to Jodie
Keep your number and run both for a few days. Give Smith.ai notice early, because AI plans need 30 days.
Total time: Under 1 hour active time, 5-7 days running both
1
Start your 7-day Jodie trial
5 minutes
Sign up without a card. You get your Jodie number straight away.
2
Forward your business number to Jodie
10 minutes
Set call forwarding (busy, no answer or always) from your phone provider to your Jodie number.
3
Run both for 5-7 days
5-7 days
Send some calls to Jodie and read the summaries. If it is not right for you, remove the forward and nothing has changed.
4
Give Smith.ai notice
Before your next bill
AI and Hybrid plans need 30 days' notice. Live receptionist plans are billed to the end of the current month. If you ported your number to Smith.ai, ask for it back first.
5
Check the last calls land on Jodie
5 minutes
Make a test call and confirm the summary reaches your inbox.
Where Jodie fits better than Smith.ai
Businesses whose call volume swings, where a per-call bill swings with it.
