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Smith.ai alternatives

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7 best Smith.ai alternatives (2026)

Smith.ai's per-call model is fair until the add-ons start. Here is what the same call volume costs elsewhere, humans and AI, with the fine print read for you.

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7-day free trial on every plan · No per-minute charges · Competitor facts verified September 2026

Smith.ai charges per call rather than per minute, which is a real advantage for long intake calls, and its 24/7 coverage carries no premium. The human Starter plan is $300/mo for 30 calls, Basic $810 for 90, and the AI Receptionist runs from $150 for 75 calls. Then the menu begins: appointment booking $1.50 per call, text follow-up $0.50, recording and transcript $0.25, complex routing $1.50, and about $3 each time the AI hands a call to a live agent. Reviewers advise budgeting 20-30% above the plan. We compared seven alternatives at 50, 100 and 200 calls a month using each vendor's own pricing.

WHY PEOPLE LOOK

Why teams look for a Smith.ai alternative.

1

Add-ons stack per call: booking $1.50, text or email follow-up $0.50, recording and transcription $0.25, Spanish $1.00, complex routing $1.50. Reviewers budget 20-30% above the plan price.

2

On the AI tier, calls escalate to paid live agents at about $3 per transfer, and clients report not feeling they authorized the escalation.

3

Cancellation is by email only with billing through the end of the cycle, some reviewers report charges continuing afterwards, and script changes go through support rather than a self-serve editor.

THE LIST

Ranked, with prices and who each one fits.

01

Ody

Best for: Small businesses that want AI answering with nothing billed per call
From
$19/mo at 50, 100 and 200 calls (one user, AI included)

Ody is our product, and its structure is the opposite of an a-la-carte answering service. It is a business phone system at $19/user/mo ($15 annual) whose AI receptionist answers 24/7, books appointments, texts callers back and sends you the transcript, with none of it billed per call: booking, texting, recording and routing are features, not line items. At 50, 100 or 200 calls one user pays the same $19. It is AI only, with handoff to your team when you want it; there are no human receptionists.

✓Booking, texting, recording and routing included, nothing per call
✓Flat $19/mo at any call volume for one user
✓Replaces the phone system: number, calling, texting, shared inbox
!Watch out for: AI only; no human receptionists to escalate to
02

Ruby Receptionists (Call Ruby plans)

Best for: Professional firms that want premium humans with no per-call add-ons
From
$620 / $1,160 / $2,125 at 50 / 100 / 200 calls

Ruby is the all-inclusive answer to Smith.ai's menu: scheduling, intake, payment collection, a HIPAA option and a hosted business line are all in the plan. You pay in minutes: $250/mo for 50, $395 for 100, $720 for 200, with unpublished overage from $5.40 to $3.30 per minute billed in arrears. At three-minute calls that is about $620 at 50 calls, $1,160 at 100 and $2,125 at 200, the highest here. Minutes round up to 60 seconds and include hold and wrap-up, and card payments add 3%.

✓All-inclusive: scheduling, intake, payments, HIPAA option, hosted line
✓Consistently high service ratings over 20 years
✓The Ruby app doubles as a light business line
!Watch out for: Highest per-minute cost in the category, with unpublished overage
03

Abby Virtual Receptionist (Abby Minutes)

Best for: Firms that want a named receptionist team and AI on one bill
From
$494 / $899 / $1,656 human; $165-329 / $329 / $599 AI at 50 / 100 / 200 calls

Abby Connect is the closest hybrid to Smith.ai: a dedicated team of 5-10 US receptionists plus the Abby AI Receptionist on one subscription, where AI-answered minutes count half. Starter is $165/mo for 50 Abby Minutes, Essential $329 for 100, Professional $599 for 200; at three-minute calls that is about $494, $899 and $1,656 with humans, or $165-329, $329 and $599 on AI. The human rate of $2.76-3.30 per minute is high, overage is not printed in dollars, and reviewers report paying for spam calls and ring time.

✓Dedicated receptionist team callers get to know
✓AI minutes count half; you choose the mix per call type
✓14-day free trial, no setup fee, month-to-month
!Watch out for: Overage is not printed in dollars; spam calls and ring time are billed
04

Moneypenny US (people plans + AI Answering)

Best for: SMBs that want cheap human minutes and per-call AI from one brand
From
$371 / $613 / $1,152 people; $99 / $199 / $418 AI at 50 / 100 / 200 calls

Moneypenny US publishes both human minutes and per-call AI. People plans are $165/mo for 50 minutes with $2.28 overage, $265 for 100, $422 for 200; AI Answering is $99/mo for 50 calls, $199 for 100, $435 for 250, with a $99 setup fee and $1.99/min for optional human transfer. At three-minute calls that is about $371, $613 and $1,152 with people, or $99, $199 and $418 on AI. US reviews cite minutes billed above call length, spam and dead-air time, and billing continuing after verbal cancellation.

✓Published rates for both human minutes and AI calls
✓24/7, bilingual, CRM push and app included
✓No contract; a 25-year brand with the largest US footprint
!Watch out for: Minutes billed above call length and post-cancellation billing complaints
05

PATLive 24/7 Live Call Answering

Best for: Small businesses that want humans plus a free phone system
From
$294 / $479 / $938 at 50 / 100 / 200 calls; $49 PAYG entry

PATLive publishes its whole ladder: $49/mo pay-as-you-go at $2.99/min, $189 for 100 minutes ($2.09 overage), $349 for 200 minutes ($1.99), no contract, 14-day trial. Only live talk time is billed, in 6-second increments, with hold and transfer time free, and a cloud phone platform with texting and team extensions is bundled at no charge. At three-minute calls expect about $294 at 50 calls, $479 at 100 and $938 at 200. Long intake calls get expensive per minute and short spam calls are billed.

✓Fully published pricing, no contract, 14-day free trial
✓6-second billing with hold and transfer time free
✓A cloud phone system with texting bundled free
!Watch out for: Per-minute metering makes 45-minute intakes cost $100+
06

Rosie AI Answering Service

Best for: Owners who want AI answering and spam filtering for $49 flat
From
$49 / $149 (auto-upgraded) / $149 at 50 / 100 / 200 calls

Rosie is the cheap AI-only route: Professional $49/mo for 250 minutes with message taking, appointment links, spam detection, summaries and transcripts; Scale $149 for 1,000 minutes with direct calendar booking, warm transfers and mid-call texting; Growth $299 for 2,000. At three-minute calls 50 calls fit in $49 while 100 or 200 need $149. The catch is how you get there: no published overage rate, an automatic upgrade to the next plan when you exceed minutes, and no human fallback.

✓Lowest flat price for AI answering with summaries and spam filtering
✓Auto-trains from your Google Business Profile; live in minutes
✓Bilingual EN/ES and native iOS and Android apps
!Watch out for: Silent auto-upgrade instead of a published overage; no human backup
07

Dialzara AI Receptionist

Best for: Budget buyers who want every rate printed and per-second billing
From
$72 Lite / $99 Pro at 50 calls; $135 / $239 at 100 / 200

Dialzara has the most transparent price sheet among AI receptionists: Business Lite $29/mo for 60 minutes with $0.48/min overage, Pro $99 for 220 minutes at $0.45 with warm transfer, bilingual EN/ES and calendar sync, Plus $199 for 500 minutes at $0.40. Numbers are extra (local $3/mo, toll-free $5), two-way AI texting is a $19/mo add-on, and connected spam calls consume minutes. At three-minute calls expect about $72 on Lite or $99 on Pro at 50 calls, $135 at 100 and $239 at 200.

✓Cheapest entry ($29) with per-second billing and no round-up
✓Every overage, number and add-on rate is published
✓No contract, 7-day free trial
!Watch out for: 60-minute Lite bucket runs out fast; $0.48/min is the highest AI overage

SIDE BY SIDE

Every alternative in one table.

ProviderPricing modelStarting priceOverageCoverage hoursBusiness phone system includedBooks appointments
1OdyPer user, flat$19/user/mo ($15 annual)None24/7, included✓✓
2RubyPer receptionist minute$250/mo$3.30-5.40/min, billed in arrears24/7/365 included; bilingual and outbound assists weekdays 5am-6pm PTHosted line + app; not a multi-user phone system✓
3Abby ConnectPer Abby Minute$165/moAt plan rate, ~$2.76-3.30/minBusiness hours, extended, or 24/7, no upcharge—✓
4MoneypennyPer minute / per call$165/mo people; $69/mo AI$1.67-2.28/min people; $1.69-2.39/call AI24/7/365 on both product lines—✓
5PATLivePer minute$49/mo PAYG$1.54-2.99/min24/7/365 includedYes, a cloud phone platform is bundled free✓
6RosiePer minute bundles$49/moAutomatic tier upgrade, no published rate24/7, handles simultaneous calls—Appointment links (Professional); direct calendar booking (Scale+)
7DialzaraPer minute bundles$29/mo$0.35-0.48/min by tier24/7, multiple concurrent callers—Yes, calendar sync on Pro+
How we ranked them

Every price, overage and add-on rate was read from the vendor's own pricing page in September 2026. Costs at 50, 100 and 200 calls assume three minutes per answered call where billing is per minute (150, 300 and 600 minutes), the cheapest plan plus overage that covers the volume, and exclude taxes, setup fees and per-call add-ons. Because Smith.ai customers leave over add-on creep, we weighted what is included versus billed extra, published versus hidden overage, coverage hours, and whether a phone system comes with it. Ody is our product and ranks first; it is AI-only and we state that.

EVERYTHING INCLUDED

The whole phone system,
with the AI built in. One price.

Scroll through what every Ody workspace ships with: a number, calling and texting, a shared inbox, and a receptionist that never clocks out.

Step 01 · Phone numbers

Get a number in 60 seconds.

Local or toll-free, or port the one you've had for years.

Phone numbers →
Step 02 · Shared inbox

Invite the team to one line.

One number, one thread per customer. Nobody double-replies.

Shared inbox →
Step 03 · Calling & texting

Call and text from anywhere.

Browser or mobile app, 150+ countries. Same number, same history.

International calling →
Step 04 · Integrations

Plug in the tools you run.

Calls log themselves to your CRM. Voicemails post to Slack.

All integrations →
Step 05 · AI receptionist

Let AI pick up when you can't.

After hours, overflow, or always. It answers in under a second.

AI receptionist →
Step 06 · AI texting

Every missed call gets a text.

The agent replies in seconds and keeps the thread in your inbox.

Business texting →
Step 07 · MCP

Hand your phone to your AI.

One config in ChatGPT, Claude, or Cursor. Only the scopes you grant.

The MCP server →
Step 08 · API & webhooks

Build it into your product.

One REST call sends a text. Webhooks stream everything back live.

Developer API →
Step 09 · Agent Phone

Or let an agent run it all.

An AI agent with its own line. It buys numbers, texts, calls, and reports back.

Agent Phone →
Find a numberAustin, TX | 512
+1 (512) 555-0134
CALLSSMSMMS
Included
Local
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+1 (800) 402-1188
CALLSSMS
$5/mo
Toll-free
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Already have a number? Port it in free.NO DOWNTIME
Sign the LOAWe file itIt goes live

Go deeper, feature by feature.

All features →
AI receptionist →Phone numbers →International calling →Call forwarding →Caller ID →Phone menus (IVR) →Ring orders →Business texting →Shared phone numbers →Shared inbox →Call recording & AI summaries →Business voicemail →Analytics & reporting →Developer API →ChatGPT & Claude (MCP) →Agent Phone →Integrations →

FAQ

Questions people ask before choosing.

Human plans start at $300/mo for 30 calls (overage $11.50 per call) and $810 for 90 calls ($10.50); the AI Receptionist is free for 25 calls, then $150 for 75, $270 for 150 and $500 for 300. At 50, 100 and 200 calls that is about $530, $915 and $1,965 with humans or $150, $270 and $385 on AI, before per-call add-ons such as booking ($1.50), text follow-up ($0.50) and recording ($0.25), and about $3 per AI-to-human transfer.

More comparisons

Same research, same honesty, other providers.

See all comparisons →
Ody vs one providerOdy vs Smith.ai
Head-to-headSmith.ai vs Ruby
Ody vs one providerOdy vs Ruby
Category comparisonAnswering service comparison
Best alternativesBest Ruby alternatives
Ody vs one providerOdy vs Abby Connect
Ody vs one providerOdy vs Rosie
Ody vs one providerOdy vs PATLive
Sources & accuracy. Competitor prices and features come from each vendor's published pricing pages, documentation, and public reviews, last verified September 2026. Vendors change plans; if you spot something out of date, email [email protected] and we'll fix it. Ody prices mirror our pricing page and include taxes only. Ruby Receptionists (Call Ruby plans) · Abby Virtual Receptionist (Abby Minutes) · Moneypenny US (people plans + AI Answering) · PATLive 24/7 Live Call Answering · Rosie AI Answering Service · Dialzara AI Receptionist

Never miss another customer.

Port your number, train your agent in minutes, and put your line on autopilot. Or keep the AI off entirely. Your call.