Best Smith.ai Alternatives: Compare Pricing, Features & UX

Smith.ai is a well-liked AI-powered receptionist service which can handle inbound calls, qualify your leads, and schedule appointments. It does so with a hybrid model that combines AI automation with human backup. With all respect, there are other AI receptionist platforms which offer features and functions it cannot quite beat as-is. These include more transparent pricing models, better customization capabilities, faster setup times, and more affordable entry points for smaller businesses.

So to determine the best Smith.ai alternatives, we evaluated various AI call answering platforms. We looked into natural language understanding capabilities, appointment booking accuracy, lead qualification workflows, and integration depth with popular business tools. Based on that, we found our best Smith.ai alternatives.

At a Glance: Comparison Table

How We Evaluated These Alternatives

To figure out who comprised the best Smith.ai alternatives, we peeked into features that businesses who need AI-powered call handling rather than generic UCaaS capabilities wanted most. We wanted platforms that excelled specifically at intelligent call answering, lead capture, and appointment automation compared to Smith.ai's hybrid AI-human model.

Here are the categories that really mattered when evaluating these alternatives:

• Pricing Transparency: We investigated how clearly each provider communicates costs compared to Smith.ai's per-call pricing model. We looked for straightforward pricing pages, predictable monthly costs, and clear information about overage charges rather than requiring sales conversations
• Appointment Booking: We tested how seamlessly each platform schedules appointments through calendar integrations. Care was taken to systems that could check availability, book appointments on calls, send confirmation communiques, and handle rescheduling without human help
• Lead Qualification: We evaluated how effectively each would capture lead information, ask qualifying questions, and route callers based on their needs. This included looking at customizable intake forms, CRM capture, and lead scoring compared to Smith.ai's rigid process
• Conversational AI Quality: We examined how naturally each platform handles caller interactions using natural language understanding rather than rigid phone tree menus. We looked for systems that could grasp caller intent, respond contextually, and handle unexpected questions without immediately escalating to humans
• Setup Speed and Time: We analyzed how quickly businesses can deploy these alternatives compared to Smith.ai and prioritized the platforms offering rapid training through website scraping, pre-built templates, and intuitive configuration rather than lengthy onboarding processes
• Integration Capabilities: We examined how well each platform connects with scheduling tools, CRMs, and business software. We prioritized native integrations over Zapier-dependent connections to ensure reliable data flow between your AI receptionist and existing systems

Best Smith.ai Alternatives 

We’ve done the research for you and identified the top Smith.ai alternatives, and discussed exactly what makes them tick and worthy of your consideration.

RingCentral AI Receptionist

RingCentral AI Receptionist is an AI-powered call handling solution built directly into RingCentral's unified communications platform. Unlike Smith.ai's standalone forwarding model, AI Receptionist operates natively within your phone infrastructure, syncing automatically with your employee directory, business hours, and company knowledge for faster deployment.

The platform trains itself by pulling information from your website and documents, eliminating the extensive manual configuration Smith.ai requires.

Top Features

• Third-Party Integrations: Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, Zendesk, and 500+ other applications through RingCentral's app marketplace
• Multimodal AI Capabilities: Handles voice calls, sends appointment reminders via SMS, shares links during conversations, and schedules follow-ups across multiple communication channels
• Knowledge Base Training: Automatically learns from your website content, uploaded documents, and FAQs to provide accurate business-specific answers without requiring manual script writing
• Intelligent Call Routing: Routes calls based on names, keywords, and conversation context rather than rigid menu trees, ensuring callers reach the right department or person
• Built-in Analytics: Captures every call with transcription, tracks call trends, identifies common customer issues, and provides insights to improve staffing decisions

Pricing

RingCentral’s AI Receptionist can be added onto any plan for $59 per account, per month and includes 100 minutes. RingCentral also offers a 14-day free trial of the feature. RingCentral UCaaS plans range from $20-$35 monthly per user when paid annually. CCaaS plans start at $65 monthly, per user.

For more information, please see our RingCentral pricing guide.

Why RingCentral AI Receptionist is a Good Alternative to Smith.ai

RingCentral offers flat monthly pricing with minute-based costs instead of Smith.ai's per-call charges. At $0.59 per minute versus Smith.ai's $2.40 per call, RingCentral is more economical for longer conversations. The native phone system integration eliminates Smith.ai's call forwarding complexity and reduces setup time from days to minutes through automatic syncing.

Best For

• Businesses already using or considering RingCentral's unified communications platform
• Companies wanting predictable per-minute pricing rather than per-call charges
• Teams seeking rapid deployment through automatic knowledge base training
• Organizations needing enterprise-grade voice infrastructure with AI capabilities

GoTo Connect AI Receptionist

GoTo Connect AI Receptionist is a 24/7 AI-powered call handling solution designed for small and mid-sized businesses. This is a newer solution, with the platform saying it has "nearly zero configuration" deployment, allowing businesses to go live in minutes rather than the days Smith.ai's hybrid setup requires.

Unlike Smith.ai's blend of AI with live agents, GoTo Connect focuses on pure AI automation with multilingual support in over 10 languages. The system integrates directly into GoTo Connect's platform, syncing business hours and routing rules automatically without Smith.ai's manual configuration process.

Top Features

• Third-Party Integrations: Native integration with GoTo Connect platform, plus CRM tools for automated follow-ups via email
• Multilingual Support: Conversational AI in 10+ languages including English (US/UK), Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German with no price increase for additional languages
• Intelligent Call Routing: Understands caller intent through natural language processing and routes to appropriate departments or team members based on conversation context
• Real-Time Reporting and Analytics: Monitors key metrics like average talk time, escalation rates, and call handling patterns directly in GoTo Admin portal
• Customizable Voice and Personality: Adjust tone, voice characteristics, and response style to reflect brand identity and maintain consistent caller experiences

Pricing

To access GoTo Connect’s AI Receptionist, you’ll need to buy one of their plans. GoTo Connect offers two unified communications plans: the Phone System plan includes voice calling, SMS texting, team chat, and video conferencing; and the Customer Engagement plan adds web chat and a shared inbox.

Unfortunately, GoTo does not publicize pricing information for either plan. The price of said Add-on is not available publicly, you will need to contact GoTo for more details.

Why GoTo Connect AI Receptionist is a Good Alternative to Smith.ai

GoTo's setup takes minutes compared to Smith.ai's configuration calls and training periods. The native multilingual AI in 10+ languages beats Smith.ai's English-only AI (Spanish requires human agents at higher tiers).

Best For

• Small and mid-sized businesses needing fast deployment with minimal IT involvement
• Multi-location companies or franchises with distributed operations
• Teams serving diverse customer bases requiring multilingual AI support
• Businesses already using GoTo Connect for unified communications

Synthflow AI Receptionist

Synthflow AI Receptionist is a no-code voice AI platform that lets businesses build custom conversational voice agents through visual workflow builders. Unlike Smith.ai's standardized service, Synthflow offers drag-and-drop flow creation, extensive voice customization, and complex multi-step call handling logic for businesses with specific requirements.

Synthflow delivers sub-400ms response latency for natural conversations, supports over 30 languages, handles unlimited concurrent calls, and provides SOC 2, HIPAA, and GDPR compliance that Smith.ai doesn't explicitly advertise.

Top Features

• Third-Party Integrations: HubSpot CRM, Salesforce, Google Calendar, Stripe, monday.com, Cisco, Zapier, and custom API connections for tailored workflows
• No-Code Visual Builder: Drag-and-drop interface for designing conversational flows, conditional logic, variable collection, and handoff triggers without programming knowledge
• Sub-400ms Latency: Ultra-fast AI responses create smooth, human-like conversations without awkward delays common in slower voice AI systems
• Extensive Voice Customization: Library of 50+ languages and multiple voice options from providers like ElevenLabs, allowing businesses to match brand personality precisely
• Enterprise Security Compliance: SOC 2, HIPAA, and GDPR certified with U.S.-based data storage, making it suitable for regulated industries like healthcare and finance

Pricing

Synthflow prices their plans based on how many minutes you anticipate to have per month. Their bare minimum Pro Plan starts at just $375 a month total assuming you plan to have 8000 workflows, 25 concurrent calls, and need to use their workflow builder as it costs $0.002 per workflow and $7 per concurrent call and roughly $0.13 per minute.

Pricing starts at $29 per month for small-scale use with limited minutes and concurrent calls. Plans then scale up to $375 and $750 per month with thousands of minutes included, more concurrent calls, and lower per-minute costs. Higher-end options provide 6,000 minutes for $1,250 per month, while enterprise customers can negotiate custom pricing that adds compliance, SLAs, SIP trunking, and volume discounts.

Why Synthflow AI Receptionist is a Good Alternative to Smith.ai

Synthflow provides far greater customization than Smith.ai's standardized workflows through visual builders that let businesses design exact call flows without coding. For high-volume operations, Synthflow's pricing is more economical.

Best For

• Businesses needing highly customizable AI voice agents beyond standard receptionist scripts
• Teams comfortable with visual workflow design and iterative optimization
• Companies with complex call handling requirements or industry-specific workflows
• Organizations requiring HIPAA compliance or other regulatory certifications

Rosie AI Receptionist

Rosie is a dominant player in the home services industry space because of its unique AI answering abilities that are perfectly tailored to plumbers, HVAC company workers, contractors, and other businesses in that realm. It can even handle basic law firm work, though it’s noted for the trades more often than not. It is not some generic AI solution; Rosie is a full-fledged platform that has features for emergency call handling, job estimation, and service area verification that other general platforms can only dream of achieving.

The system has the benefit of being integrated already within popular field service management software at a deep level. Rosie has the power to create work orders automatically, check the availability of technician staff, and even estimate the initial costs using historical data. Do not underestimate the platform’s ability to trace seasonal patterns, spot trade-specific scheduling constraints, and work on emergency priorities. It’s a must-have for those businesses in the space that put rapid response and timing as the paramount priorities.

Top Features

• Bilingual Support: Native AI handling of both languages without requiring separate plans or premium charges, unlike Smith.ai's human-only Spanish support
• Website Training: Automatically learns business information by scanning your website and Google Business Profile, reducing manual configuration time
• Spam Call Filtering: Automatically detects and blocks spam calls using caller patterns and behavior analysis, preventing wasted minutes on non-business calls
• Appointment Link Distribution: Sends direct booking links via text during calls, enabling callers to schedule immediately without phone tag or follow-up
• Warm Call Transfers: Seamlessly transfers calls to your team when needed, providing context about the caller and their inquiry before handoff

Pricing

Rosie offers 3 different fixed-price plans that start at just $49 per month, where small businesses and solo professionals can get unlimited minutes and message taking with custom questions. You also get a bilingual agent who can handle Spanish and detect spam.

For complex and multi-locational enterprise spaces that really need more customization, you’ll need to contact Rosie’s team. Custom plans are necessary if you have more than one location or multi-unit franchises or want a dedicated account rep that’s ready to help you anytime.

Why Rosie AI Receptionist is a Good Alternative to Smith.ai

Rosie's unlimited minutes at $49/month dramatically undercuts Smith.ai's per-call model, making it far more economical for high-volume businesses. The bilingual English/Spanish AI is included standard versus Smith.ai requiring at least $292.50 monthly for human receptionist plans for Spanish support.

Best For

• Home services businesses (plumbing, HVAC, electrical, contracting)
• Real estate professionals and property management companies
• Small law firms needing basic client intake and appointment scheduling
• Businesses serving bilingual English/Spanish customer bases

Abby Connect AI

Abby Connect AI Receptionist combines conversational AI with optional on-demand human backup from U.S.-based receptionists. Unlike Smith.ai's fixed hybrid structure, Abby Connect allows businesses to customize when and how AI hands off to live agents, offering more control over the AI-to-human balance.

Built on 20 years of virtual receptionist expertise using Deepgram's speech-to-text technology, Abby Connect delivers sub-300ms latency that excels in noisy environments like construction sites. The Professional and Growth AI plans include human backup, while the Starter AI plan operates as pure AI automation at lower cost.

Top Features

• Third-Party Integrations: Native connections with Clio, MyCase, HubSpot, Calendly, and 200+ applications through Zapier and API access
• Hybrid AI + Human Model: Flexible escalation options where AI handles routine calls and U.S.-based live agents step in for complex situations, with customizable handoff rules
• Call Transcriptions and Summaries: Automatic transcription with PII redaction, AI-generated call summaries, and sentiment scoring to track customer satisfaction trends
• AbbyGO Mobile App: Manage call routing, review transcripts, provide feedback, and update availability on-the-go through dedicated iOS and Android apps
• Industry-Specific Training: Over 2 decades of receptionist expertise embedded in AI training, with particular strength in legal, healthcare, and home services call handling

Pricing

Abby Connect offers four AI receptionist pricing tiers. The Starter plan is free and includes 20 minutes monthly with AI-only handling (no human backup). The Professional plan costs $299 monthly for 200 minutes and includes on-demand human backup.Custom enterprise pricing is available for businesses needing higher volumes or specialized features.

Abby also offers human-only Virtual Receptionist plans starting at $329 monthly for 100 minutes. The pricing is significantly higher than pure AI alternatives like Rosie ($49 for unlimited minutes) but includes the flexibility of human backup similar to Smith.ai's hybrid model. However, Abby's pricing is more transparent than Smith.ai's per-call structure, using straightforward per-minute allocations.

Why Abby Connect AI is a Good Alternative to Smith.ai

Abby Connect offers more customization in AI-human escalation than Smith.ai's predetermined handoff rules, giving businesses control over which call types receive human attention. The 20-year virtual receptionist track record provides confidence newer AI startups lack, and sub-300ms latency performs better in noisy environments where Smith.ai may struggle.

Best For

• Businesses wanting flexibility to adjust AI-to-human balance based on changing needs
• Companies in loud or challenging audio environments requiring robust transcription
• Organizations already using virtual receptionist services looking to add AI automation
• Teams needing both AI receptionist and human receptionist options from one provider

VirtualReception.ai

VirtualReception.ai provides specialized AI reception services with industry-specific customization and white-label options for service providers. Their distinctive advantage is deep industry specialization with pre-built templates for healthcare, legal, real estate, and other sectors, plus HIPAA compliance options and white-label solutions for agencies wanting to resell AI reception services under their own brand.

VirtualReception.ai is a compliance-ready solution with features that are key for anyone in a regulated industry where privacy requirements make AI adoption a bit harder. HIPAA compliance and other features are included and not locked behind expensive add-ons. It does come at a premium but some will find the investment worthy compared to time and effort taken on customizing more generic solutions to fit a complex workflow.

Top Features

• Browser-Based Management: All setup and management happens through web browsers without requiring downloads, making it accessible from any device with internet access
• Appointment Booking Integration: Connects with popular scheduling platforms to book appointments directly during calls based on real-time availability
• Emotion Awareness: AI recognizes caller sentiment and emotional states, offering to transfer frustrated or upset callers to human team members
• Multilingual Support: Handles calls in multiple languages, allowing businesses to serve diverse customer bases without language barriers
• Outbound Calling: Enterprise plans include AI-initiated outbound calls for appointment reminders, follow-ups, and proactive customer engagement

Pricing

VirtualReception.ai offers three service levels starting at just $14 monthly. The basic plan provides 50 minutes for $14 with additional minutes at $0.30 each, including reception services and SMS/email notifications.

The mid-tier option costs $49 monthly for 250 minutes with additional minutes at $0.25 each, adding appointment booking, integrations, text links, call transfers, and one receptionist. The premium level features custom pricing with unlimited usage, unlimited receptionists, custom CRM integrations, and outbound marketing capabilities.

Why VirtualReception.ai is a Good Alternative to Smith.ai

VirtualReception.ai costs 85% less than Smith.ai ($14/month vs. $95 minimum), making basic AI reception accessible to micro-businesses that can't justify Smith.ai's pricing. The browser-only management and simple setup eliminate Smith.ai's learning curve for solopreneurs wanting quick deployment.

Best For

• Solopreneurs and micro-businesses with very limited budgets
• Service businesses needing only basic call answering and appointment booking
• Teams wanting simplest possible setup without extensive configuration
• Businesses with straightforward call handling that don't require lead qualification

My AI Front Desk

My AI Front Desk is an AI-powered receptionist service emphasizing rapid deployment and simplicity for small businesses and service professionals. With setup taking under 5 minutes through automated website scanning, it's faster to deploy than Smith.ai's onboarding process that includes training calls and detailed configuration.

The platform optimizes for appointment scheduling with integrations for Calendly, Google Calendar, Vagaro, and Booksy. It offers 100+ premium voice options from providers like ElevenLabs for precise brand personality matching and handles unlimited parallel calls without busy signals.

Top Features

• Third-Party Integrations: Seamless connections with Calendly, Google Calendar, HubSpot, Salesforce, and 9,000+ apps via Zapier for flexible workflow automation
• 100+ Voice Options: Extensive library of premium AI voices from ElevenLabs and other providers, enabling precise brand personality matching through voice selection
• 5-Minute Setup: Rapid deployment through automated website scanning and FAQ import, getting businesses operational faster than Smith.ai's configuration process
• Texting During Calls: AI can send custom links, appointment confirmations, and information via SMS while actively on calls with customers
• Unlimited Parallel Calls: Handles unlimited concurrent conversations simultaneously, preventing busy signals during high-volume periods or marketing campaigns

Pricing

My AI Front Desk offers two pricing plans ranging from $79 to $119 per month as well as custom plans. The plans include 200 or 300 credits respectively. Each credit is stated to be worth about one minute. Overage costs are about $0.12 per credit. Each plan also includes 500 text messages per month for U.S. customers. Texts that go over are $0.02 per text.

My AI Front Desk offers a 7 day free trial and there are no contracts.

Why My AI Front Desk is a Good Alternative to Smith.ai

My AI Front Desk's 5-minute automated setup beats Smith.ai's configuration calls and training periods for businesses needing immediate deployment. The 100+ voice options exceed Smith.ai's limited choices, allowing precise brand personality matching. At $65-79/month versus Smith.ai's $95 minimum, it's more affordable while matching appointment booking capabilities.

Best For

• Service businesses where appointment scheduling is the primary call objective
• Solo operators and small teams wanting plug-and-play deployment
• Businesses needing extensive voice personality customization
• Teams seeking affordable AI reception without human backup requirements

Which Smith.AI Alternative Should You Choose?

Which Smith.ai alternative you choose depends on the features and pricing model it possesses. These solutions need to meet your needs while balancing automation excellence with budget constraints and what human touch preferences your customer base have.

Here's a breakdown to steer you as you make your decision:

• Best Overall Alternative: RingCentral AI Receptionist felt the most complete for businesses seeking enterprise-quality AI call handling without Smith.ai's per-call pricing structure. The $59/month flat rate with 100 included minutes provides predictable costs, while integration with RingCentral's broader communications platform creates seamless workflow
• Best for High Call Volumes: Rosie AI delivers unbeatable value for businesses with unpredictable or high call volumes through unlimited minute plans starting at $49/month. Unlike Smith.ai's per-call charges that accumulate quickly, Rosie's flat-rate unlimited approach eliminates budget anxiety for businesses that can't predict monthly call patterns
• Best for Restaurants: My AI Front Desk excels for restaurants with its 5-minute setup, unlimited parallel calls during dinner rushes, and texting capabilities to send menus or directions during calls. The appointment booking integrations work seamlessly for reservations, and at $65-79/month it's more affordable than Smith.ai while handling high-volume peak periods without busy signals
• Best for Customization: Synthflow AI Receptionist provides the deepest customization capabilities through no-code visual workflow builders and extensive voice options. Businesses needing highly specific call handling logic beyond Smith.ai's standardized scripts will find Synthflow's flexibility worth the higher price point and configuration investment
• Best for Bilingual Support: Rosie AI and GoTo Connect both excel at multilingual call handling, with Rosie offering native English/Spanish AI at all price points and GoTo supporting 10+ languages. Both dramatically undercut Smith.ai's requirement to upgrade to expensive human receptionist plans for non-English call handling
• Best Budget Option: VirtualReception.ai starts at just $14/month with 50 minutes, making it 85% more affordable than Smith.ai's $95 minimum. While feature-limited compared to Smith.ai's sophisticated lead qualification, it covers basic call answering and appointment booking for budget-conscious solopreneurs
• Best for Quick Setup: My AI Front Desk's 5-minute deployment through automated website scanning gets businesses operational faster than Smith.ai's configuration calls and training periods. Service businesses wanting immediate AI reception without coordination delays will appreciate the plug-and-play approach
• Best for Hybrid AI-Human Model: Abby Connect AI most closely mirrors Smith.ai's hybrid approach but offers more customization in escalation rules and balance between AI automation and human backup. The 20-year virtual receptionist track record provides confidence in service quality that newer pure-AI startups lack
• Best for Rapid Deployment Across Locations: GoTo Connect AI Receptionist's "nearly zero configuration" approach makes it ideal for multi-site businesses or franchises needing consistent call handling deployed quickly across multiple locations without lengthy per-location setup processes

When the big decision day comes, you need to see where you lie. Your choice will depend on whether you prioritize cost savings (Rosie or  VirtualReception.ai fit the bill here), customization depth (Synthflow), enterprise infrastructure (RingCentral), or human escalation options (Abby Connect).

For most small to mid-sized businesses seeking straightforward AI call handling at reasonable prices, Rosie AI and My AI Front Desk offer the best balance of features, affordability, and ease of use compared to Smith.ai's more expensive hybrid model.