Updated October 2026
Looking for a Smith.ai Alternative?Start With What You Need.
Smith.ai offers an AI receptionist with a free plan and a live-human backup, plus human-first receptionist plans, all billed by the call. If that fits, keep it. If you want live people at a different price, a different pricing model, or the follow-up done after the call, there are good alternatives. Below: Smith.ai’s real prices, checked October 4, 2026, the options by need, and who should stay.
Lexi AI is not affiliated with Smith.ai. Every Smith.ai fact here is from Smith.ai’s own website, linked below.
Jump to: What Smith.ai does Its prices Alternatives Smith.ai vs Lexi When to stay
What Smith.ai Is
AI, Real People, or Both.
Smith.ai is a call-answering service with two kinds of plans: an AI receptionist that can hand complex calls to a live North America-based receptionist, and human-first plans answered by live agents 24/7. It’s a strong fit if you want to start free, want a person available, or run a law firm on legal software it connects to, such as Clio or MyCase.
A Free Plan to Start
The AI receptionist has a free plan with 25 calls a month, then $3 a call. You can try it before spending anything.
AI With a Human Backup
The AI answers first, and a complex call can be transferred to a live North America-based receptionist, any time of day.
Real People, If You Want Them
Human-first plans are live-staffed 24/7, with no overseas agents, according to its pricing page.
Priced by the Call
It bills per call, not per minute, so a long call costs the same as a short one. Known spam calls are filtered out and not counted.
Built-In Scheduling and Integrations
Every AI plan lists AI Scheduling (Calendly & more) and native integrations such as Clio and Zapier.
Deep Roots in Legal
Its site lists native connections with legal software like Clio, MyCase and Lawmatics, and it also serves home services, real estate and other fields.
According to Smith.ai’s own pages, checked October 4, 2026: AI receptionist pricing (free plan, “24/7 AI call answering”, “AI Scheduling (Calendly & more)”, “Native integrations (Clio, Zapier & more)”, transfer to “a live North America-based receptionist”, billed by the call, spam filtered); human-first receptionist pricing (“Live-staffed with expert agents 24/7”, “No overseas agents”); homepage (AI-first, hybrid and human-first; Clio, MyCase, Lawmatics and other legal integrations; industries served).
Smith.ai Pricing
What Smith.ai Costs, From Its Own Pages.
As checked October 4, 2026, Smith.ai’s AI receptionist is free for 25 calls a month ($3.00 a call after) and from $150 a month for 75 calls ($2.00 a call, $2.50 over); its human-first plans start at $300 a month for 30 calls ($10.00 a call, $11.50 over). Both are billed per call, month to month.
| Smith.ai plan | Monthly price | Calls included | Over the plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Receptionist — Free | $0 | 25 calls | $3 per call |
| AI Receptionist — Pro | From $150 | 75 calls ($2 a call) | $2.50 per call |
| AI Receptionist — Enterprise | From $500 | 300 calls and up | Shown on its page by tier |
| Human-first — Starter | $300 | 30 calls ($10 a call) | $11.50 per call |
From Smith.ai’s AI receptionist pricing page and human-first pricing page, checked October 4, 2026. Larger Pro and Enterprise tiers lower the per-call rate. Human-first add-ons are priced per call, for example “Book appointments” $1.50, “Text & email follow-up” $0.50 and a “Dedicated Spanish line” $1. The per-call figure in brackets is our own math. See all of Smith.ai’s options on its pricing page.
| Option | Monthly cost in this example | How it’s worked out |
|---|---|---|
| Smith.ai AI — Free plan | $105 | 25 calls free, 35 more at $3 |
| Smith.ai AI — Pro (75 calls) | $150 | All 60 calls fit inside 75 |
| Lexi | $326 | $299 + 180 minutes at $0.15 (texts and email extra; + $100 one-time setup) |
| Smith.ai Human-first — Starter | $645 | $300 + 30 calls over at $11.50 ($735 if every call books, at $1.50 a booking) |
Our own example, not a vendor figure. In it, Smith.ai’s AI plans cost less than Lexi. If the same 60 calls ran 10 minutes each, Smith.ai’s price would stay the same and Lexi’s would be $389. Lexi’s price includes the follow-up, campaigns and CRM described below. For every option’s cost, see how much an AI receptionist costs.
Why Look Around
Four Needs That Send People Shopping.
Businesses look past Smith.ai when they want the follow-up done after the call, want live people at a different price, get many short calls, or want a CRM included. None of these is a problem with Smith.ai. They’re different needs.
You Want the Follow-Up Done, Too
Answering is step one. If leads slip after the call, you may want something that books, follows up and runs campaigns.
You Want a Person on Every Call
Smith.ai’s AI plans answer with AI first. If every caller must hear a person first, its own human-first plans do that, and so do other live services such as Ruby and PATLive.
Your Calls Are Many and Short
Per-call billing treats a 30-second call like a 10-minute one. If most calls are quick, per-minute or per-caller pricing may cost less.
You Want a CRM Included
Smith.ai connects to the tools you already use. If you don’t have a CRM yet, you may want one that comes set up.
Alternatives by Need
The Right Alternative Depends on Your Reason.
For live people at a different price, Ruby or PATLive. For many short calls, Goodcall. For low-cost AI by the minute, Rosie. For the follow-through after the call, Lexi. We don’t rank them, because the right one depends on why you’re looking.
If you want live people at a different price
Ruby or PATLive
From $250 / $99 a month
Ruby’s live receptionists start at $250 a month for 50 minutes. PATLive starts at $99 a month for 50 minutes, $2.29 a minute after, 24/7. Good when every caller must reach a person.
If your calls are many and short
Goodcall
From $79 a month
Unlimited minutes, priced by unique caller (100 included, $0.50 per extra caller). Good when you get lots of brief calls.
If you want low-cost AI by the minute
Rosie
From $49 a month
250 minutes, and the starting plan texts callers a booking link. Direct calendar booking and live transfer start at $149. Good for answering on a tight budget.
If leads slip after the call
Lexi
$299 a month + usage
Answers every call 24/7, books on your calendar, follows up with every lead, runs email and text campaigns, and keeps your CRM current. For when the follow-through is the problem.
Prices from each company’s own pricing page, monthly billing, verified October 3–4, 2026: Ruby, PATLive, Goodcall, Rosie. Features vary by plan and prices change, so check each site before you buy. More side-by-side picks: the best AI receptionist for small business; live people or software: virtual receptionist vs AI receptionist.
Smith.ai vs Lexi
Side by Side, Facts Only.
Smith.ai gives you AI with a live-receptionist backup, or live people, billed by the call. Lexi is AI only, billed at $299 a month plus per-minute usage, and built to do the work after the call: booking, follow-up, campaigns and a CRM. Where Smith.ai’s page doesn’t say, we wrote “check your plan”.
| Smith.ai | Lexi | |
|---|---|---|
| Who answers | AI first, with transfer to a live North America-based receptionist for complex calls (AI plans); live agents (human-first plans) | AI, and she says so; transfers to you or your team live once transfer is set up |
| Starting price | Free (25 calls); Pro from $150 for 75 calls; human-first from $300 for 30 calls | $299/month at founder pricing, locked for life, + $100 one-time setup; public price $997/month |
| How you pay | Per call | $299 a month plus usage: calls $0.15/min, texts 3¢ a segment, email $0.002 |
| Hours | 24/7 (AI and human-first) | 24/7 |
| Booking | AI Scheduling (Calendly & more) on every AI plan; $1.50-per-call add-on on human-first plans | Books, moves and cancels on your calendar during the call |
| Follow-up after the call | Text & email follow-up is a $0.50-per-call add-on on human-first plans; AI plans: check your plan | Follows up with every lead by text and email |
| Campaigns to past customers | Check your plan | Writes and sends email and text campaigns |
| CRM | Native integrations (Clio, Zapier & more) | GoHighLevel CRM included, or plugs into your own GoHighLevel account |
| Languages | Bilingual answering (AI); dedicated Spanish line add-on (human-first) | English only |
| Contract | Month-to-month (AI plans: 30 days’ notice) | No contract, cancel any time |
Smith.ai column from its AI receptionist pricing, human-first pricing and pricing overview pages, checked October 4, 2026. Lexi column from Lexi AI’s own pricing.
When to Stay
Keep Smith.ai If This Is You.
Stay with Smith.ai if its free plan covers your calls, if you want a live person available behind the AI, if your callers need Spanish, if your calls run long, or if you run a law firm on legal software it connects to, such as Clio or MyCase. Lexi doesn’t offer live receptionists or Spanish, and she isn’t free.
You Want to Start Free
Nothing on this page beats 25 free calls a month. If the free plan covers you, keep it.
You Want a Person Available
If some callers need a live receptionist, Smith.ai has one behind its AI. Lexi doesn’t.
Your Callers Need Spanish
Smith.ai lists bilingual answering. Lexi answers in English only.
Your Calls Run Long
Per-call billing doesn’t grow with call length. If calls run long, that can cost less than per-minute pricing.
You Run a Law Firm on Clio or MyCase
Its native legal integrations may matter more than anything Lexi adds.
You Only Need Calls Answered
If calls get answered and your follow-up already works, there’s no reason to switch.
Where Lexi Fits
For When Answering Isn’t the Whole Job.
Lexi is for owners whose calls get answered but whose leads still slip, because nobody books them, follows up, or reaches past customers. She answers 24/7 like a receptionist, then keeps working the lead after the call.
What Lexi does: answers every call 24/7, says she’s an AI and that the call may be recorded, books, moves and cancels appointments, follows up with every lead, writes and sends email and text campaigns, keeps your GoHighLevel CRM current, and sends you a morning briefing. She can transfer a caller to you live once transfer is set up, and for urgent calls she texts, emails, or calls you right away and flags it in your portal. She doesn’t make up prices; a real quote needs you.
Already on GoHighLevel? She plugs into the account you have. Not on it? A GoHighLevel sub-account comes free, set up for you.
$299 a month at founder pricing, locked for life, plus a one-time $100 setup fee and usage (calls $0.15/min, texts 3¢ a segment, email $0.002). Texting registration and a GoHighLevel CRM are included. The public price is $997/month. No contract. U.S. businesses only.
Free 6-minute demo. No card. No sales call.
Common Questions
Smith.ai Alternatives: Your Questions
Quick answers on Smith.ai’s prices, its free plan, the alternatives, and how Lexi compares. Every Smith.ai fact is from its own website, checked October 4, 2026.
The best Smith.ai alternative depends on what you want changed. If you want live people at a different price, Ruby or PATLive fit. If you want AI with a different pricing model, Goodcall prices by unique caller and Rosie by the minute. If your calls already get answered but leads slip afterward, Lexi fits, because she also books, follows up with every lead, and runs your email and text campaigns. If you like what Smith.ai does, staying may be the right call.
According to Smith.ai’s pricing pages, checked October 4, 2026, its AI receptionist has a free plan for 25 calls a month and a Pro plan from $150 a month for 75 calls. The free plan charges $3.00 per call after 25, and the 75-call Pro plan works out to $2.00 a call with $2.50 per call over. Its human-first receptionist plans start at $300 a month for 30 calls, with $11.50 per call over 30. It bills by the call, not by the minute.
Yes. As checked on October 4, 2026, Smith.ai’s AI receptionist has a free plan with 25 calls a month. Calls past 25 cost $3.00 each, according to its AI receptionist pricing page. It is an easy way to try an AI receptionist before you spend anything.
Both. Smith.ai offers an AI receptionist and human-first live receptionists. According to its AI pricing page, the AI answers first and a complex call can be transferred to a live North America-based receptionist, any time of day. Its human-first plans are answered by live agents 24/7.
For AI answering, Smith.ai’s own free plan is hard to beat on price. Among paid AI plans, Rosie starts at $49 a month for 250 minutes and Goodcall at $79 a month with unlimited minutes for 100 unique callers. For live people, PATLive starts at $99 a month for 50 minutes and Ruby at $250 a month for 50 minutes. Lexi is not the cheapest option; she costs more because she also does the work after the call.
Lexi is an AI-only business partner billed at $299 a month plus per-minute usage, built for the work after the call; Smith.ai offers AI and live human receptionists priced by the call. Lexi answers 24/7, books, moves and cancels appointments, follows up with every lead, writes and sends email and text campaigns, keeps a GoHighLevel CRM current, and sends you a morning briefing. Smith.ai gives you live people on its human-first plans and a live-receptionist backup on its AI plans, which Lexi does not.
No. Lexi is an AI, and she tells callers she is one. She can transfer a caller to you or your team live, once transfer is set up on your account. For urgent calls she can text, email, or call you immediately and flag it in your Lexi portal. If you want a live receptionist answering for you, Smith.ai, Ruby or PATLive fit better.
No. Lexi AI is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or partnered with Smith.ai. Every Smith.ai fact on this page comes from Smith.ai’s own website, checked October 4, 2026, and is linked so you can check it yourself. Lexi AI earns no commission from any company named here.
Lexi costs $299 per month at founder pricing, locked for life, plus a one-time $100 setup fee and usage. Usage is calls at $0.15 per minute, texts at 3 cents a segment (about 160 characters), and email at $0.002 each. Texting registration and a GoHighLevel CRM are included. The public price is $997 per month. There is no contract.
No. Lexi answers in English only, and she is available to U.S. businesses only. If your callers need Spanish, Smith.ai lists bilingual answering on its AI receptionist pricing page and a dedicated Spanish line as an add-on on its human-first plans.
Compare Them on a Real Call. Start With Lexi.
Talk to Lexi for six minutes. Play your own customer and try to book, then decide for yourself.
Talk to Lexi Now →No card. No sales call. U.S. businesses only.