Title: Smith.ai Alternatives (2026): Prices and Billing | Keres AI
URL: https://www.keresai.com/smith-ai-alternative
Updated: 2026-10-12
Description: Eight Smith.ai alternatives side by side: human, AI or hybrid, how each bills (per call, minute or caller), and the lowest published price.
Source: https://www.keresai.com/smith-ai-alternative (HTML). This is a Markdown copy of the page's main content for AI agents and LLM tools.

---

# Smith.ai alternatives, compared

The best Smith.ai alternatives in 2026 are Ruby, PATLive, Abby Connect, Goodcall, Rosie, Dialzara, Upfirst, My AI Front Desk and Remi by Keres AI, depending on whether you want live receptionists, AI or both, and whether you would rather pay per call, per minute or per caller.

Written by Keres AI, which sells Remi, one of the options below. Prices checked on October 11, 2026 on each vendor’s own pricing page. Updated October 12, 2026. [How we check and correct prices](https://www.keresai.com/editorial-policy).

## How do the Smith.ai alternatives differ?

Smith.ai pairs AI with live receptionists and bills per call. If you are comparing alternatives, the real differences are who answers (a person, AI or both) and how you are billed. Of the alternatives, Ruby and PATLive use live receptionists; Abby Connect mixes people and AI; Goodcall, Rosie, Dialzara, Upfirst and My AI Front Desk answer with AI. They also bill differently: per call, per minute, per caller or with included minutes.

Keres AI is a Smith.ai alternative for local service businesses that want an AI receptionist to book the appointment during the call. Its receptionist, Remi, answers in two rings, 24/7, and books into Google Calendar, HubSpot or ServiceTitan. Keres AI bills a monthly rate with included minutes, then per minute, with no per-call fees, and can also run your website and Google Business Profile.

## How much does Smith.ai cost?

As of October 11, 2026, Smith.ai's published plans start at **$300 a month for 30 calls** answered by human receptionists, with extra calls at $11.50 each. Its AI receptionist has a **free tier of 25 calls a month, then $3 per call**. Because Smith.ai bills per call, your cost tracks how many calls you get, not how long they last. Smith.ai's pricing page also lists a 30-day money-back guarantee on its receptionist plans. Source: [smith.ai/pricing](https://smith.ai/pricing).

## 8 Smith.ai alternatives, plus Keres AI

| Option | Who answers | How it bills | Lowest published plan | Best for |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Keres AI (Remi)](https://www.keresai.com/agents/inbound) *(that’s us)* | AI | One monthly rate with included minutes, then per minute; no per-call fees. | Quoted to your call volume; month-to-month. | Local service businesses that want calls booked into Google Calendar, HubSpot or ServiceTitan, and their website and Google profile run by the same team. |
| [Ruby](https://www.ruby.com) | Human | Monthly plans with included receptionist minutes. | $250/mo for 50 receptionist minutes. | Small businesses that want every call answered by a live, US-based receptionist. |
| [PATLive](https://www.patlive.com) | Human | Per minute, with monthly plans that include minutes. | $99/mo for 50 minutes ($2.29 per extra minute); pay-as-you-go at $2.99/min. | Businesses that want US-based live receptionists with bilingual answering included. |
| [Abby Connect](https://www.abby.com) | Hybrid | Monthly plans with included minutes; AI-answered minutes count as half. | $165/mo for 50 minutes of human answering (or 100 of AI). | Businesses that want a dedicated receptionist team, with AI for routine calls. |
| [Goodcall](https://www.goodcall.com) | AI | Per unique caller each month; no per-minute charges. | $79/mo for 100 unique callers (79¢ per extra caller). | Small businesses that want a self-serve AI agent billed by caller rather than by minute. |
| [Rosie](https://heyrosie.com) | AI | Monthly plans with included minutes. | $49/mo for 250 minutes. | Solo owners and small service businesses that want low-cost AI answering in English and Spanish. |
| [Dialzara](https://www.dialzara.com) | AI | Monthly plans with included minutes, then per minute. | $29/mo for 60 minutes ($0.48 per extra minute). | Small businesses with light call volume that want the lowest entry price. |
| [Upfirst](https://www.upfirst.ai) | AI | Monthly plans with included calls, then per call. | $24.95/mo for 30 calls ($1.50 per extra call). | Small businesses that want an inexpensive AI receptionist in many languages. |
| [My AI Front Desk](https://www.myaifrontdesk.com) | AI | Monthly plan with included voice minutes, texts and chats; overage from a credit pool. | $99/mo for 200 voice minutes plus text and chat. | Owners who want phone, text and website chat answered by one AI. |

Prices are each vendor’s lowest published plan, taken from its own pricing page on October 11, 2026. They change; check the linked page before you buy. Sources: [Ruby](https://www.ruby.com/pricing/) · [PATLive](https://www.patlive.com/pricing/) · [Abby Connect](https://www.abby.com/pricing/) · [Goodcall](https://www.goodcall.com/pricing) · [Rosie](https://heyrosie.com/pricing) · [Dialzara](https://www.dialzara.com/pricing) · [Upfirst](https://www.upfirst.ai/pricing) · [My AI Front Desk](https://www.myaifrontdesk.com/pricing).

## How did we compare these Smith.ai alternatives?

Keres AI compared 8 Smith.ai alternatives on four points: who answers (AI, people or both), how each one bills (per minute, per call or per caller), its lowest published plan, and who the vendor says it is for. Every figure comes from the vendor’s own pricing or product page, checked on October 11, 2026, and the table links each source. Where a vendor publishes no price or no overage rate, the page says so instead of estimating one. This is a comparison of published information, not a test of call quality, and there is no overall score; each pick below is matched to a need. Keres AI wrote this page and sells Remi, which sits in the same table under the same rules, labelled “that’s us”. Prices change, so check the linked page before you buy.

## Why do businesses look for Smith.ai alternatives?

- **Billing that matches their calls.** Per-call billing favours long calls. A business that gets many short calls, such as hours, directions or quick status checks, often compares per-minute plans instead.
- **One kind of answering.** Smith.ai offers AI, people, or both on one line. Some buyers want only live receptionists, others only AI at a lower entry price.
- **Booking into the tool they already run.** Smith.ai's site names integrations such as HubSpot, Salesforce, Clio, Calendly and Acuity. A contractor on ServiceTitan checks whether each option books the job there directly.
- **Fewer vendors.** Some owners want the website, the Google Business Profile and the phones handled by one team.

## What would 100 calls a month cost on Smith.ai?

On the published figures, 100 calls a month on the human Starter plan comes to $1,105: $300 for the first 30 calls plus 70 calls at $11.50. The same 100 calls on the AI receptionist's free tier come to $225: 75 calls past the free 25, at $3 each. Smith.ai's higher tiers lower the per-call rate, so check its page for your volume. The [AI receptionist cost guide](https://www.keresai.com/ai-receptionist-cost) runs the same 100 calls across every vendor that publishes an overage rate.

## Which Smith.ai alternative is best for your business?

Each pick below comes from the table above: what the vendor says it is for, how it bills and its lowest published plan.

- **Live, US-based receptionists on every call:** Ruby ($250/mo for 50 minutes) or PATLive ($99/mo for 50 minutes)
- **A receptionist team, with AI for routine calls:** Abby Connect ($165/mo for 50 human minutes; AI minutes count as half)
- **The lowest AI entry price:** Upfirst ($24.95/mo for 30 calls) or Dialzara ($29/mo for 60 minutes)
- **Billing by caller instead of by call:** Goodcall ($79/mo for 100 unique callers)
- **Low-cost AI answering in English and Spanish:** Rosie ($49/mo for 250 minutes)
- **Phone, text and website chat from one AI:** My AI Front Desk ($99/mo for 200 voice minutes)
- **Website, Google profile and AI receptionist from one team:** [Keres AI](https://www.keresai.com/agents/inbound) (Remi quoted to your call volume)

## When Keres AI is not the right choice

- **You chose Smith.ai for live people.** If a human must be able to pick up any call, stay with a live or hybrid service. Remi is AI.
- **You want the lowest published price and will set it up yourself.** Self-serve AI plans start at $24.95 a month; Keres AI sets Remi up for you and quotes it to your call volume.
- **You need a BAA.** Keres AI is not HIPAA or SOC 2 certified and does not sign BAAs, so practices that need one should look elsewhere.

## How do I switch from Smith.ai to Keres AI?

Bring the instructions your Smith.ai receptionists follow today, including which calls they transfer and to whom; those become Remi’s script and escalation rules.

1. Forward your number to Remi, or port it to Keres AI.
2. On a 30-minute call, share your current script and escalation rules.
3. Connect your calendar so Remi books into it.
4. Place test calls yourself and adjust anything that sounds wrong.
5. Go live once it answers the way you would; the timing is agreed on your first call.

Remi is quoted to your call volume: a monthly rate with included minutes, then per minute, month-to-month. See [pricing](https://www.keresai.com/pricing) or [hear Remi answer a call](https://www.keresai.com/hear-it).

## Smith.ai alternative — FAQ

### Is Keres AI a good Smith.ai alternative?

It fits businesses that want AI to answer and book the appointment, billed by minutes rather than per call. If you want a live person available on every call, Smith.ai’s human plans or another live service fit better.

### Does Keres AI use human receptionists like Smith.ai?

No. Remi is AI. When a call needs a person, Remi texts or transfers it to your team under the escalation rules you set. Keres AI does not put live receptionists on the line.

### How is Keres AI’s pricing different from Smith.ai’s?

Smith.ai bills per call. Keres AI charges a monthly rate with included minutes, then per minute, with no per-call fees. Remi is quoted to your call volume; see [pricing](https://www.keresai.com/pricing).

## More AI receptionist comparisons

- [Best AI receptionists for small businesses (2026)](https://www.keresai.com/best-ai-receptionist)
- [How much does an AI receptionist cost?](https://www.keresai.com/ai-receptionist-cost)
- [Ruby alternatives](https://www.keresai.com/ruby-alternative)
- [Goodcall alternatives](https://www.keresai.com/goodcall-alternative)
- [Rosie alternatives](https://www.keresai.com/rosie-alternative)
- [AnsweringLegal alternatives](https://www.keresai.com/answering-legal-alternative)
- [All comparisons](https://www.keresai.com/compare)
- [Hear Remi answer a call](https://www.keresai.com/hear-it)