Smith.ai Alternatives for Contractors (2026)
Updated October 21, 2026 · Sources are vendor pricing pages unless noted · Disclosure
Smith.ai sells two things: an AI receptionist with live human backup, and a human-first virtual receptionist service. Both bill per call. If you're a plumber, HVAC tech or electrician comparing costs, this guide lays out Smith.ai's current prices and the alternatives in our directory, with every price taken from the vendor's own pricing page.
What Smith.ai costs per call
From Smith.ai's AI Receptionist pricing and the Human-first tab of smith.ai/pricing (both checked 2026-10-21). The per-call figure for human-first plans is simply the plan price divided by included calls.
| Plan | Price | Included calls | Per call |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smith.ai AI Free | $0 | 25 | Free, then $3.00/call |
| Smith.ai AI Pro | $150/mo | 75 | $2.00 ($2.50 extra) |
| Smith.ai AI Enterprise | $500/mo | 300 | $1.67 |
| Smith.ai Human-first Starter | $300/mo | 30 | $10.00 ($11.50 extra) |
| Smith.ai Human-first Basic | $810/mo | 90 | $9.00 ($10.50 extra) |
| Smith.ai Human-first Pro | $2,100/mo | 300 | $7.00 ($8.50 extra) |
Smith.ai lists month-to-month billing with no long-term contract. Its human-first plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee and no setup fees; extras such as appointment booking ($1.50/call) and Spanish answering ($1.00/call) are charged per call on those plans.
Alternatives at a glance
| Vendor | Type | Entry plan (vendor page) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosie | General SMB receptionist | Professional $49/mo | 24/7 answering; appointment link texting (Professional) |
| Goodcall | General SMB receptionist | Starter $79/mo (100 unique customers, then $0.79 each) | Billed per unique customer (one phone number per month; spam and wrong numbers not counted) |
| OnCrew | Home-services specialist | Starter $49/mo (100 calls) | Contractor-focused call intake; appointment request capture |
| Dialzara | General SMB receptionist | Lite $29/mo ($0.48/min over) | Spam screening, call summaries; warm transfer (Pro+) |
| Upfirst | General SMB receptionist | Starter $24.95/mo | Per-call billing; white-glove onboarding on Pro |
| Abby Connect | AI + human receptionist | Starter $165/mo (50 Abby Minutes) | Human and AI answering on one plan |
| Ruby | Human virtual receptionist / answering service (not AI) | Virtual receptionist: 50 min $250/mo | Live human receptionists (100% live per Ruby); 24/7 answering incl. after-hours, weekends, holidays |
Full published pricing
| Vendor | Published pricing | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smith.ai | AI-first Free $0 (25 calls, $3.00/call after); Pro from $150/mo (75 calls, $2.00/call); Enterprise from $500/mo (300 calls, $1.67/call) | smith.ai | 2026-10-13 |
| Rosie | Professional $49/mo; Scale $149/mo; Growth $299/mo; Website Texting add-on $50/mo | heyrosie.com | 2026-10-13 |
| Goodcall | Starter $79/mo (100 unique customers, then $0.79 each); Growth $129/mo (500, then $0.26 each); Scale $299/mo (2,000, then $0.15 each); Enterprise custom | www.goodcall.com | 2026-10-14 |
| OnCrew | Starter $49/mo (100 calls); Pro $149/mo; Multi-Truck $349/mo; $0.99 per extra call; $0.05 per extra alert text | oncrew.ai | 2026-10-13 |
| Dialzara | Lite $29/mo ($0.48/min over); Pro $99 ($0.45); Plus $199 ($0.40); Elite $349 ($0.35); SMS from $19/mo; chatbot $39/mo | dialzara.com | 2026-10-13 |
| Upfirst | Starter $24.95/mo; Premium $59.95/mo; Pro $159.95/mo; Scale $299/mo (lower with annual billing) | www.upfirst.ai | 2026-10-13 |
| Abby Connect | Starter $165/mo (50 Abby Minutes); Essential $329 (100); Professional $599 (200); Growth $1,380 (500); minutes double when AI handles the call | www.abby.com | 2026-10-13 |
| Ruby | Virtual receptionist: 50 min $250/mo; 100 min $395/mo; 200 min $720/mo; 500 min $1,725/mo; larger plans via sales. Live chat: 10 chats $143/mo; 30 $335; 50 $520 (20% off chat when bundled with a receptionist plan). No activation, onboarding or setup fees per Ruby. Overage rates not published on the pricing page. | www.ruby.com | 2026-10-16 |
How to pick
- Want a human available on hard calls? Smith.ai's AI-first plans include live backup. For human answering on every call, compare Ruby (visit Ruby, affiliate link) (sold in minutes) and Abby Connect (human and AI on one plan).
- Mostly need after-hours messages and booking requests? AI-only tools cost less on published entry prices: Rosie (visit Rosie, affiliate link), Goodcall (visit Goodcall, affiliate link), Dialzara or Upfirst.
- Run a home-services shop? OnCrew is built for home services: Starter is $49/mo for 100 calls ($0.99 per extra call) and it lists Housecall Pro (MAX plan) plus Jobber/ServiceTitan via webhooks.
- On Jobber? Jobber's own Receptionist add-on is $29/mo on Core, Connect and Grow (checked 2026-10-20). See our Jobber AI Receptionist guide or start a free Jobber trial (affiliate link).
- Check the billing unit. Smith.ai and OnCrew bill calls, Rosie and Dialzara bill minutes, and Goodcall bills unique customers. Estimate your monthly calls with the missed-call calculator.
Head-to-head comparisons
We have not call-tested these services. See also Ruby receptionist alternatives and the cheapest AI receptionists. Rosie, Goodcall, Ruby and Jobber links are affiliate links; Smith.ai is not. See our disclosure.
FAQ
How much does Smith.ai cost?
Per Smith.ai's AI Receptionist pricing page (checked 2026-10-21): Free is $0 for 25 calls a month, then $3.00 per call; Pro is $150/mo for 75 calls ($2.00 per call, extra calls $2.50); Enterprise is $500/mo for 300 calls ($1.67 per call). Its human-first virtual receptionist plans start at $300/mo for 30 calls ($11.50 per extra call), then $810/mo for 90 calls and $2,100/mo for 300 calls.
What are cheaper alternatives to Smith.ai for contractors?
On published entry prices in our directory: Upfirst Starter $24.95/mo, Dialzara Lite $29/mo, Rosie Professional $49/mo, OnCrew Starter $49/mo for 100 calls and Goodcall Starter $79/mo for 100 unique customers (all verified on the vendors' own pricing pages). They bill on different units, so compare them against your own call volume.
Is Smith.ai's free plan enough for a small trades business?
It covers 25 calls a month, then charges $3.00 per call. If you get more than a handful of calls a week after hours, a flat plan such as OnCrew Starter ($49/mo for 100 calls) or a minute-based plan like Rosie or Dialzara may cost less. Use the missed-call calculator to estimate your volume.
When is Smith.ai the better choice?
When you want a live person available behind the AI. Smith.ai says its AI Receptionist can transfer complex calls to a live North America-based receptionist at any hour, and its human-first plans are live-staffed 24/7. Most AI-only tools in our directory don't offer a human backup.
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