Smith.ai Alternatives 2026: 8 Virtual Receptionists Priced, Plus AI Receptionists
Published · prices checked October 26, 2026
Key takeaways
- Smith.ai Virtual Receptionists cost $915 for 100 calls a month; every live alternative here but Ruby costs less (prices checked October 26, 2026).
- Smith.ai bills per call, so it gains on per-minute services as calls get longer. At 3-minute calls Abby Connect costs more than Smith.ai from about 254 calls a month.
- ReceptionHQ ReceptionistPlus also bills per call and costs less than Smith.ai at 50, 100 and 200 calls.
- Smith.ai's AI Receptionist costs the most of the AI receptionists here at 13 calls a day, $695.30, but its free plan covers 25 calls a month.
Smith.ai Virtual Receptionists cost $915 for 100 calls a month on the cheapest plan for that volume, and its AI Receptionist $212.50 (prices checked October 26, 2026). Of the 8 live alternatives priced here, ReceptionHQ ReceptionistPlus costs the least at 100 calls, $260, and only Ruby costs more than Smith.ai.
What does Smith.ai cost?
Smith.ai sells two products on one site, both billed per call. Live Virtual Receptionists start at $300/month (30 calls) and cost $530, $915 and $1,965 at 50, 100 and 200 calls. The AI Receptionist is free for 25 calls, then starts at free (25 calls), then $150/month (75 calls). Plans, add-ons and terms are on Smith.ai pricing.
Smith.ai alternatives compared
Prices checked against each vendor's own pricing page on October 26, 2026.
| Service | Billing unit | Entry plan | 50 calls/mo | 100 calls/mo | 200 calls/mo | Overage | Contract | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith.ai Virtual Receptionists | Per call | $300/month (30 calls) | $530 | $915 | $1,965 | $8.50 to $11.50 a call | Cancel 30 days before the cycle ends or the next month is billed; annual plans prepaid and non-refundable | smith.ai/pricing/receptionists, read Oct 26, 2026 |
| ReceptionHQ ReceptionistPlus | Per call | $35/month (pay per use at $2.99/call) | $135 | $260 | $505 | $2.99 a call | Month-to-month; email 3 days before renewal | receptionhq.com/service/live-call-answering/virtual-receptionist, read Oct 26, 2026 |
| Go Answer | Per minute | $175/month (100 minutes) | $262.50 | $345 | $700 | $1.25 to $1.75 a minute | "Cancel anytime", but the FAQ asks for 30 days written notice; no proration | goanswer.io/pricing/live-receptionist, read Oct 26, 2026 |
| MAP Communications | Per minute | $49/month (pay per use at $1.37/min) | $211.50 | $403 | $777 | $1.28 to $1.30 a minute | Month-to-month; written notice one month before the next invoice | mapcommunications.com/pricing, read Oct 26, 2026 |
| PATLive | Per minute | $49/month (pay per use at $2.99/min) | $293.50 | $479 | $938 | $1.49 to $2.29 a minute | Month-to-month | patlive.com/pricing, read Oct 26, 2026 |
| Posh | Per minute | $65/month (pay per use at $2.30/min) | $322.50 | $630 | $1,170 | $1.90 to $2.20 a minute | Month-to-month; cancels at the end of the cycle; non-refundable | posh.com/pricing, read Oct 26, 2026 |
| Moneypenny | Per minute | $165/month (50 minutes) | $397.50 | $661 | $1,194 | $2.09 to $2.85 a minute | Month-to-month; one full calendar month notice by phone | moneypenny.com/us/plans-pricing-people, read Oct 26, 2026 |
| Abby Connect (live and AI) | Abby Minute (one AI minute counts as half) | $164/month (50 minutes) | $493 | $898 | $1,656 | $2.76 to $3.29 a minute | Month-to-month; 30 days notice after the first 30 days; no refunds | abby.com/pricing, read Oct 26, 2026 |
| Ruby | Per minute | $250/month (50 minutes) | $620 | $1,160 | $2,125 | $3.30 to $5.40 a minute | 30-day contract that renews automatically | ruby.com/plans-and-pricing, read Oct 26, 2026 |
Our arithmetic: each vendor's cheapest published plan for that volume plus its published overage; per-call plans count calls, per-minute plans use 3-minute calls. Goodcall bills per unique caller; we count every call as a new caller. Taxes, setup fees and add-ons are not included. How we price.
At 50, 100 and 200 calls, every alternative in the table except Ruby costs less than Smith.ai. Ruby costs the most at 100 calls, $1,160. ReceptionHQ ReceptionistPlus costs the least at 100 calls, and it is the one other row billed per call.
Per call against per minute: where the lines cross
Smith.ai's bill depends on how many calls you get; a per-minute bill depends on how long they run. Our table assumes 3 minutes, so every per-minute cost in it rises with longer calls while Smith.ai's does not.
Volume moves the order too. Abby Connect costs $1,656 at 200 calls, less than Smith.ai's $1,965.
At 300 calls Smith.ai's Pro plan, $2,100/month for 300 calls, costs less than Abby's $2,484. On our arithmetic the two cross at about 254 calls a month. At 300 calls Smith.ai also costs less than Ruby's $3,127.50.
Smith.ai's own pitch for law firms makes the same point: "a long new-client call costs the same as a short one" (smith.ai, read October 7, 2026). Its reasonable use policy caps one add-on: Extended Intake calls "cannot exceed an average of 120 seconds".
What each alternative does better and worse than Smith.ai
ReceptionHQ ReceptionistPlus
Better: per call like Smith.ai, at $260 for 100 calls. Worse: "Extended call durations will require a Plus Pack to be added" (ReceptionHQ terms, read October 26, 2026), and the plan captures "Up to 5 details" a call (receptionhq.com, read October 7, 2026).
Go Answer
Better: $345 at 100 calls, and its pricing page says "we don't charge for obvious spam/robocalls" (read October 26, 2026). Worse: the same page says "we don't charge any setup fees"; its terms charge a "set-up fee depending on the plan chosen" (goanswer.io/terms-conditions, read October 7, 2026).
MAP Communications
Better: $211.50 at 50 calls, against Smith.ai's $530. Worse: the home page says "Only pay for the time we're actually speaking with your callers", while the terms also bill time after the caller hangs up "or we perform other work on your account" (mapcommunications.com/terms, read October 7, 2026).
PATLive
Better: $479 at 100 calls, billed in 6-second steps after the first minute. Worse: spam calls are billed like any other: the terms exempt spam chats only, and every call carries "a one-minute minimum" (patlive.com/terms-of-use, read October 7, 2026).
Posh
Better: $630 at 100 calls, and a trial of 7 days or 250 minutes with no card, where Smith.ai has no live trial. Worse: Posh publishes no spam rule; a blog post says screened spam calls "do not consume meaningful minutes" (posh.com blog, read October 7, 2026).
Moneypenny
Better: $661 at 100 calls, rounded "up to the nearest 30-second increment" after wrap-up. Worse: "Payment of Fees for your first and last month's service plus any options and initial setup fee are required" to start (Moneypenny terms, read October 7, 2026).
Abby Connect
Better: $898 at 100 calls, with AI and people on one plan, where Smith.ai's Hybrid plan is quote only. Worse: from about 254 calls a month it costs more, and its 30-second rounding "includes ring time" (abby.com terms, read October 26, 2026).
Ruby
Better: scheduling, intake and Spanish are on every plan, where Smith.ai sells booking and a Spanish line per call. Worse: $1,160 at 100 calls, every call rounded up to a minute, hold time included.
AI receptionists against Smith.ai's AI Receptionist
| Service | Entry plan | 3 calls/day (90/mo) | 5 calls/day (150/mo) | 13 calls/day (390/mo) | If calls double (13 to 26 a day) | Overage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith.ai AI Receptionist | Free (25 calls), then $150/month (75 calls) | $187.50 | $270 | $695.30 | +$692.70 | $2.10 to $3.00 a call | smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist, read Oct 26, 2026 |
| Goodcall | $79/month (100 unique callers) | $79 | $118.50 | $129 | +$72.80 | $0.15 to $0.79 a caller | goodcall.com/pricing, read Oct 26, 2026 |
| NextPhone | $199/month (unlimited calls) | $199 | $199 | $199 | No change | None, unlimited calls | getnextphone.com/pricing, read Oct 26, 2026 |
| Upfirst | $24.95/month (30 calls) | $59.95 | $119.95 | $227.45 | +$197.55 | $0.70 to $1.50 a call | upfirst.ai/pricing, read Oct 26, 2026 |
| Phonely | Free (100 minutes), then $50/month (200 minutes) | $67.50 to $74.50 | $112.50 to $137.50 | $292.50 to $389.50 | +$292.50 to $409.50 | $0.25 to $0.35 a minute | phonely.ai/pricing, read Oct 26, 2026 |
| Rosie | $49/month (250 minutes) | $149 | $149 | $299 | Not computable | Moves up to the next plan | heyrosie.com/pricing, read Oct 26, 2026 |
| My AI Front Desk | $99/month (240 minutes: 200 voice plus a 1,000-credit pool worth 40) | $106.50 | $151.50 | $331.50 | +$292.50 | $0.25 a minute | myaifrontdesk.com/pricing, read Oct 26, 2026 |
| Dialzara | $29/month (60 minutes) | $121.50 | $199 | $408.50 | +$409.50 | $0.35 to $0.48 a minute | dialzara.com/pricing, read Oct 26, 2026 |
| RingCentral AI Receptionist | From $49/month (100 minutes) | $134 | $224 | $584 | +$585 | $0.50 a minute | ringcentral.com/pricing/ai-receptionist.html, read Oct 26, 2026 |
| Simple Phones | From $97/month (100 calls) | $97 | Not computable from the published price | Not computable from the published price | Not computable | Not published | simplephones.ai/pricing, read Oct 26, 2026 |
Simple Phones publishes no rate past the 100 calls in its entry plan, so it has no price at 5 or 13 calls a day.
At 13 calls a day, Smith.ai's AI Receptionist costs the most of the AI receptionists in the table, and Goodcall the least, $129. At 3 calls a day Upfirst costs the least, $59.95.
NextPhone shows how per-call and flat bills cross. At 3 calls a day Smith.ai's AI costs $187.50, less than NextPhone's $199; at 5 a day it costs $270, more. The break-even is about 95 calls a month.
What Smith.ai's AI adds is a person behind it: calls "can be transferred to a live North America-based receptionist" (AI pricing page, read October 26, 2026). Its help center prices that: "Live agent involvement is billed at a flat rate of +$3.00 per call, only when used" (Smith.ai help center, read October 7, 2026).
Where Smith.ai is still the better buy
- Long calls. At 300 calls a month, Smith.ai's live Pro plan costs less than Ruby and Abby Connect even at 3 minutes, and a per-call bill does not rise with call length.
- Spam on a caller ID line. Live plans skip spam "as long as the lines you forward to us pass Caller ID" (pricing page, read October 26, 2026).
- Very low AI volume. The free plan covers 25 calls a month with no monthly fee.
One full-time receptionist on the BLS median wage (May 2025) costs $4,399 a month with benefits and turnover, 4.8 times Smith.ai's live bill at 100 calls: receptionist cost vs AI receptionist.
Which alternative fits which situation
Best per-call plan at a lower bill: ReceptionHQ ReceptionistPlus
$260 at 100 calls, the least in the table. It may not fit long calls, which need a paid Plus Pack.
Best per-minute plan at 100 calls: Go Answer
$345 at 100 three-minute calls, less than MAP Communications, PATLive, Posh, Moneypenny and Ruby. It may not fit if your calls run long, because every second is billed.
Best for AI with people on the same plan: Abby Connect
$898 at 100 three-minute calls priced as human minutes; minutes its AI handles count as half. It may not fit from about 254 calls a month up, where Smith.ai costs less.
Best for a flat AI bill at 13 calls a day: NextPhone
NextPhone costs $199 at 13 calls a day and the same at 26, the only bill in the table that does not move when calls double. Rosie costs less, $149, from 3 to 11 calls a day; from about 334 calls a month Rosie moves up a plan and costs $299 at 13 a day. Neither puts a person on the call.
How to switch from Smith.ai without losing calls or your number
- Count back 30 days. "Cancellation must be made at least thirty (30) days prior to the end of the current subscription cycle", or the next month bills (smith.ai/receptionists/terms, read October 7, 2026).
- Expect a person to close it. On AI plans, "submitting a cancellation request does not immediately stop your service" (Smith.ai AI help center, read October 7, 2026).
- Move your number first. After you leave, Smith.ai may let you "keep the Subscriber Identifier as a useable phone line" for a monthly fee, at its discretion (terms).
- Check for a prepaid plan. Long-term plans are "prepaid and non-refundable" (terms), so time the switch to the term's end.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is cheaper than Smith.ai?
At 100 calls a month, ReceptionHQ ReceptionistPlus costs $260, Go Answer $345 and Posh $630, against Smith.ai's $915. Per-minute prices assume 3-minute calls, prices checked October 26, 2026.
Is Smith.ai cheaper than Ruby?
Yes, at 50, 100, 200 and 300 three-minute calls. At 100 calls Smith.ai costs $915 and Ruby $1,160. Ruby bundles booking and Spanish that Smith.ai sells per call.
Is Abby Connect cheaper than Smith.ai?
Yes, up to about 254 calls a month at 3 minutes a call. At 100 calls Abby Connect costs $898 and Smith.ai $915; at 300 calls Smith.ai costs less.
What is a cheaper AI alternative to Smith.ai?
At 13 calls a day Goodcall costs $129 and Smith.ai's AI Receptionist $695.30. Up to 25 calls a month, Smith.ai's free plan costs nothing.
How much notice does Smith.ai need to cancel?
Smith.ai's terms ask for cancellation at least 30 days before the end of the current subscription cycle; later than that, the next month is billed. The AI pricing page also asks for 30 days' notice.
How these numbers were made
Every vendor price on this page was read from the vendor's own pricing page on the date in its Source cell and saved as a dated capture. Monthly costs use each vendor's cheapest published plan for the volume plus its published overage, at 3-minute calls. The in-house figure uses the BLS median wage for receptionists over 2,080 paid hours (paid leave included), other employer benefit costs and turnover, each from the BLS release named below. Vendors that hide prices stay in the tables as quote only. We do not test answering quality and publish no ratings.
Sources
Vendor pricing and terms pages, from the price index
- Abby Connect: abby.com/pricing (read October 26, 2026); abby.com/resources/terms-and-conditions (read October 7, 2026)
- Dialzara: dialzara.com/pricing (read October 26, 2026); dialzara.com/terms-of-use (read October 27, 2026)
- Go Answer: goanswer.io/pricing/live-receptionist (read October 26, 2026); goanswer.io/terms-conditions (read October 7, 2026)
- Goodcall: goodcall.com/pricing (read October 26, 2026); help.goodcall.com/en/articles/8007566-terms-of-service (read October 27, 2026)
- MAP Communications: mapcommunications.com/pricing (read October 26, 2026); mapcommunications.com/terms (read October 7, 2026)
- Moneypenny (US): moneypenny.com/us/plans-pricing-people (read October 26, 2026); cdn.prod.website-files.com/6a06eb94845f8e1701b7e7f1/6aaa99366734be94e463cc1b_us-terms-and-conditions.pdf (read October 7, 2026)
- My AI Front Desk: myaifrontdesk.com/pricing (read October 26, 2026); myaifrontdesk.com/terms-of-service (read October 27, 2026)
- NextPhone: getnextphone.com/pricing (read October 26, 2026)
- PATLive: patlive.com/pricing (read October 26, 2026); patlive.com/terms-of-use (read October 7, 2026)
- Phonely: phonely.ai/pricing (read October 26, 2026)
- Posh: posh.com/pricing (read October 26, 2026); posh.com/terms (read October 7, 2026)
- ReceptionHQ ReceptionistPlus: receptionhq.com/service/live-call-answering/virtual-receptionist (read October 26, 2026); receptionhq.com/call-answering-service-terms (read October 7, 2026)
- RingCentral AI Receptionist: ringcentral.com/pricing/ai-receptionist.html (read October 26, 2026)
- Rosie: heyrosie.com/pricing (read October 26, 2026); heyrosie.com/legal/terms (read October 27, 2026)
- Ruby: ruby.com/plans-and-pricing (read October 26, 2026); ruby.com/terms (read October 7, 2026)
- Simple Phones: simplephones.ai/pricing (read October 26, 2026)
- Smith.ai AI Receptionist: smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist (read October 26, 2026)
- Smith.ai Virtual Receptionists: smith.ai/pricing/receptionists (read October 26, 2026); smith.ai/receptionists/terms (read October 7, 2026)
- Upfirst: upfirst.ai/pricing (read October 26, 2026); upfirst.ai/terms-of-service (read October 27, 2026)
Hire-cost inputs, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- OEWS, receptionists and information clerks (SOC 43-4171) (May 2025, released May 15, 2026)
- Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, table 4 (June 2026 (2026 Q2), released September 9, 2026)
- Employee Benefits in the United States (March 2026, released September 25, 2026)
- Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, annual 2025 (released March 13, 2026)
- Heather Boushey and Sarah Jane Glynn, "There Are Significant Business Costs to Replacing Employees," Center for American Progress, November 16, 2012 (issue brief; PDF carries an August 31, 2015 correction to Figure 3)
Other pages quoted
- Smith.ai: terms, reasonable use policy, personal injury page, AI cancellation help, read October 7, 2026.
- MAP Communications home page, mapcommunications.com, read October 7, 2026.
Changes to these prices
- Upfirst: cancellation notice recorded as none. Its pricing FAQ says "You can cancel, upgrade, or downgrade anytime, no questions asked," the same strength as other cancel-anytime terms. Its setup-fee summary now reads "None stated": no page says there is no fee. No price changed.
- My AI Front Desk: the 1,000 monthly overage credits its pricing page lists as included ("Extra credits you get each month in case you go over your included usage") now count as 40 included minutes, so Business-in-a-Box covers 240 minutes before the $0.25 rate applies (was 200).
- Phonely: its Professional plan card says 650 minutes and its comparison table 750; the card is used. When two plans tie on their lowest cost, the one with the narrower range is chosen, so Phonely at 300 calls a month prices on Professional alone.
- My AI Front Desk: billing-term summaries (billing unit, rounding, time billed beyond the call, spam, setup fee, contract, trial) added from the vendor-data billing-terms and contracts files and their captures. No price changed.
- Simple Phones: billing-term summaries (billing unit, rounding, time billed beyond the call, spam, setup fee, contract, trial) added from the vendor-data billing-terms and contracts files and their captures. No price changed.
- Phonely: billing-term summaries (billing unit, rounding, time billed beyond the call, spam, setup fee, contract, trial) added from the vendor-data billing-terms and contracts files and their captures. No price changed.
- RingCentral AI Receptionist: billing-term summaries (billing unit, rounding, time billed beyond the call, spam, setup fee, contract, trial) added from the vendor-data billing-terms and contracts files and their captures. No price changed.
- Rosie added from its own pricing page (captured October 26, 2026), with billing terms from its terms, FAQ and help pages (read October 27, 2026). Rosie moves an account up a plan instead of charging overage.
- Goodcall added from its own pricing page (captured October 26, 2026), with billing terms from its terms, FAQ and help pages (read October 27, 2026). Goodcall bills per unique caller a month; our arithmetic counts every call as a different caller.
- Dialzara added from its own pricing page (captured October 26, 2026), with billing terms from its terms, FAQ and help pages (read October 27, 2026).
- Upfirst added from its own pricing page (captured October 26, 2026), with billing terms from its terms, FAQ and help pages (read October 27, 2026). Upfirst does not bill calls under 15 seconds or spam.
- Moneypenny (US) raised its live extra-minute rates on every plan: $2.28 to $2.85 (50 minutes), $2.12 to $2.65 (100), $1.91 to $2.39 (200) and $1.67 to $2.09 (500); plan prices are unchanged. Found in a full re-check of every source page.
- Abby Connect Starter is now $164 a month (was $165), with extra minutes at $3.29 (was $3.30). Found in a full re-check of every source page.
- Smith.ai AI Receptionist Enterprise at 500 calls ($800, $2.10 per extra call) added from its pricing page, in a full re-check of every source page.
- Added NextPhone Pro, Growth and Scale from its public pricing page. All three plans include unlimited calls with no per-minute charge or overage fee.
- PATLive added its 2,000 to 5,000-minute tiers.
- Smith.ai AI Receptionist: billing terms added.
- ReceptionHQ ReceptionistPlus added as its own live row (messages and call transfers; read October 5, 2026): from $35 a month plus $2.99 a call to $2,440 for 1,000 calls, from its ReceptionistPlus page and the price table in ReceptionHQ's terms (read October 7, 2026), with its own billing terms ($0.30 a call after hours, $0.30 per transfer).
- Go Answer: 1,700, 2,500, 5,000 and 10,000 minutes ($1,870, $2,750, $5,500 and $11,000, overage $1.40 and $1.25 a minute) added from its pricing page (read October 5, 2026).
- Ruby: 1,500, 2,000 and 2,500 minutes ($4,945, $6,400 and $7,875, overage $3.50 to $3.30 a minute) added from its help center (read October 7, 2026).
- My AI Front Desk: overage of $0.25 a minute (25 credits at $0.01) added; it was on the captured page but missing here.
- Go Answer: 750 minutes ($825) added; it was on the captured page but missing here.
- Smith.ai AI Receptionist: billing terms added from its terms, FAQ and help pages (read October 7, 2026): billing unit, rounding, time billed beyond the call, spam billing, setup fee, contract and trial.
- Ruby: billing terms added from its terms, FAQ and help pages (read October 7, 2026): billing unit, rounding, time billed beyond the call, spam billing, setup fee, contract and trial.
- Smith.ai Virtual Receptionists: billing terms added from its terms, FAQ and help pages (read October 7, 2026): billing unit, rounding, time billed beyond the call, spam billing, setup fee, contract and trial.
- PATLive: billing terms added from its terms, FAQ and help pages (read October 7, 2026): billing unit, rounding, time billed beyond the call, spam billing, setup fee, contract and trial.
- Posh: billing terms added from its terms, FAQ and help pages (read October 7, 2026): billing unit, rounding, time billed beyond the call, spam billing, setup fee, contract and trial.
- ReceptionHQ ReceptionistPlus: billing terms added from its terms, FAQ and help pages (read October 7, 2026): billing unit, rounding, time billed beyond the call, spam billing, setup fee, contract and trial.
- MAP Communications: billing terms added from its terms, FAQ and help pages (read October 7, 2026): billing unit, rounding, time billed beyond the call, spam billing, setup fee, contract and trial.
- Moneypenny (US): billing terms added from its terms, FAQ and help pages (read October 7, 2026): billing unit, rounding, time billed beyond the call, spam billing, setup fee, contract and trial.
- Go Answer: billing terms added from its terms, FAQ and help pages (read October 7, 2026): billing unit, rounding, time billed beyond the call, spam billing, setup fee, contract and trial.
- Abby Connect: billing terms added from its terms, FAQ and help pages (read October 7, 2026): billing unit, rounding, time billed beyond the call, spam billing, setup fee, contract and trial.
- Ruby: overage rates added from its help center ($5.40/min on the 50-minute plan down to $3.65 on 1,000 minutes), plus the 350, 750 and 1,000 minute plans published there. Ruby's pricing page still shows no overage rate.
- Abby Professional overage corrected to $2.99 per Abby Minute (its terms and help center), from $3.00 computed as price divided by minutes.
Download the data
The first table on this page (CSV, 9 rows). The full price index (CSV), free to reuse under CC BY 4.0.
How to cite this page
ReceptionistPrices.com, Smith.ai Alternatives 2026: 8 Virtual Receptionists Priced, Plus AI Receptionists, prices checked October 26, 2026, https://www.receptionistprices.com/smith-ai/alternatives/