Alternatives · prices checked October 8, 2026
Smith.ai Alternatives in 2026: Human and AI Options Compared
Short answer
If you want to keep live people, look at PATLive (from $49/mo, 14-day free trial) or Ruby (from $250/mo for 50 minutes). If most of your calls are routine, an AI receptionist costs a fraction: Smith.ai's own AI Receptionist ($150/mo for 75 calls), Goodcall ($79/mo), My AI Front Desk ($99/mo) or Dooza, which sets it up for you on your line within 48 hours. At 60 calls a month, Smith.ai's live Starter plan comes to about $645; the AI options above cost $79 to $150 (list prices, checked October 8, 2026).
What Smith.ai costs
From Smith.ai's pricing page (checked October 8, 2026): live receptionists answer 24/7 for $300/mo for 30 calls ($11.50 per extra call), $810/mo for 90 calls ($10.50 extra) or $2,100/mo for 300 calls ($8.50 extra), month to month, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Smith.ai also sells an AI Receptionist: a free plan with 25 calls, Pro from $150/mo for 75 calls and Enterprise from $500/mo.
People usually look for alternatives for one reason: per-call pricing adds up. Thirty calls is about one a day, and every call past that costs $11.50 on Starter.
6 alternatives compared
"60 calls" = what 60 calls a month of about 3 minutes each (180 minutes) costs on the cheapest plan that covers it, at list price before taxes. Your numbers will differ: try the AI receptionist cost calculator.
Best for: Staying with Smith.ai but paying far less: same company, AI instead of people.
- Price
- Free plan (25 calls, then $3.00/call); Pro $150/mo for 75 calls, then $2.50/call; Enterprise $500/mo
- How to try it
- Free plan; month-to-month, 30 days notice to cancel
- 60 calls/month
- $150
Ruby
Live humansBest for: Live people answering, if your calls are short (Ruby bills by the minute, Smith.ai by the call).
- Price
- $250/mo for 50 minutes, $395 for 100, $720 for 200, $1,725 for 500; 24/7
- How to try it
- No trial or guarantee stated on the pricing page
- 60 calls/month
- $720
PATLive
Live humansBest for: The cheapest way to keep live people, and you can try it free for 14 days.
- Price
- $49/mo pay as you go at $2.99/min; $99 for 50 min; $189 for 100; $349 for 200; 24/7
- How to try it
- 14-day free trial on any plan; no contracts
- 60 calls/month
- $349
Goodcall
AIBest for: Long calls: you pay per unique caller, not per minute.
- Price
- $79/agent/mo for 100 unique customers, then $0.50 each; unlimited minutes
- How to try it
- Free trial mentioned; length not stated
- 60 calls/month
- $79
Best for: A low flat price if you set it up yourself.
- Price
- $99/mo ($79 billed yearly) for 200 minutes, then $0.25/min
- How to try it
- 7-day free trial
- 60 calls/month
- $99
Dooza AI Receptionist
AI, done for youBest for: Busy owners who want it set up for them: we configure it on your line within 48 hours and tune it on your real calls.
- Price
- Pricing depends on the product; see /pricing
- How to try it
- Refundable pilot: 100% refund within 14 days
- 60 calls/month
- see /pricing
How we got the 60-call figures: Smith.ai Starter $300 + 30 extra calls × $11.50 = $645 (cheaper than Basic at $810). Ruby: no overage rate is published, so the 200-minute plan ($720). PATLive: 200-minute plan $349. Smith.ai AI Pro: 75 calls included, $150. Goodcall: up to 100 unique customers, $79. My AI Front Desk: 200 minutes included, $99.
When to stay with Smith.ai
- You need live people on every call, 24/7, and your calls are long (per-call billing beats per-minute billing on long calls).
- Your callers are often upset or need judgement a script can't give.
- You like Smith.ai but want to pay less: try their AI Receptionist free plan before switching vendors.
Where Dooza fits, and where it doesn't
Dooza's AI receptionist is done for you. It answers every call in your company name, asks your intake questions, books the job into your calendar or dispatch software, texts the caller a confirmation and hands off to you or your dispatcher by your rules. We set it up on your existing line within 48 hours of a free 30-minute call, and you listen to the recordings. It starts with a refundable pilot: 100% refund within 14 days. Pricing is on /pricing.
Not a fit if: you need live humans, answering in languages other than English, or a HIPAA service (Dooza answers in English only and does not sign a BAA). If you want the lowest price and are happy to set it up yourself, Goodcall or My AI Front Desk cost less.
FAQ
For live human answering: PATLive (from $49/mo pay as you go, 14-day free trial) and Ruby (from $250/mo for 50 minutes). For AI answering: Smith.ai's own AI Receptionist (free plan, Pro $150/mo for 75 calls), Goodcall ($79/mo, unlimited minutes, 100 unique customers), My AI Front Desk ($99/mo for 200 minutes), and Dooza (done for you, live on your line within 48 hours, refundable pilot). Prices checked October 8, 2026 on each vendor's pricing page.
Smith.ai virtual receptionists (live people, 24/7) cost $300/mo for 30 calls ($11.50 per extra call), $810/mo for 90 calls ($10.50 extra), or $2,100/mo for 300 calls ($8.50 extra), with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Smith.ai's AI Receptionist has a free plan with 25 calls, Pro from $150/mo for 75 calls and Enterprise from $500/mo (checked October 8, 2026, smith.ai/pricing).
Yes. At 60 calls a month (about 3 minutes each), Smith.ai's live Starter plan comes to $645 ($300 + 30 extra calls at $11.50). PATLive's 200-minute plan is $349, Smith.ai's own AI Pro plan is $150, My AI Front Desk is $99 and Goodcall is $79 (list prices checked October 8, 2026, before taxes).
Switch when most of your calls are routine: booking, hours, directions, taking a message, qualifying a job. Keep live people when callers are upset, the call needs judgement, or you need legal or medical intake handled by a person. Many businesses use AI for routine calls and hand the rest to a human.
Dooza fits if you want an AI receptionist set up for you: it answers in your company name day and night, asks your intake questions, books into your calendar or dispatch software, texts the caller a confirmation and hands off to you by your rules. It is live on your existing line within 48 hours of the setup call, and starts with a refundable pilot (100% refund within 14 days). It is not the right pick if you need live people, answering in languages other than English, or a HIPAA service: Dooza answers in English only and does not sign a BAA.
It depends on call length. Smith.ai bills per call ($300 for 30 calls), Ruby bills per minute ($250 for 50 minutes). With short calls, Ruby can cost less; with long calls, Smith.ai usually does. At 60 three-minute calls a month: Smith.ai Starter about $645, Ruby's 200-minute plan $720 (checked October 8, 2026).
Prices checked October 8, 2026 on each vendor's own pricing page; they change, so check the linked page before you buy. Dooza sells an AI receptionist, so we are one of the options here. See also: AI receptionist pricing · all alternatives pages.