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AI receptionist alternative
Smith.ai alternative: InsertChat vs Smith.ai
InsertChat is the Smith.ai alternative for businesses that want one AI assistant answering every channel. Smith.ai’s AI Receptionist bills per call: free for 25 calls a month, then Pro from $150 for 75 calls ($2.00 each). InsertChat answers calls, website chat, email, SMS, and WhatsApp in one shared inbox, from $98 per month with 5,000 monthly AI credits.
Our verdict on InsertChat vs Smith.ai
InsertChat is the stronger pick when customers call, chat, email, and text you, and you want one assistant and one flat plan for all of it. Smith.ai makes sense when live receptionists taking transferred calls matter more to you than channel coverage.
Choose InsertChat if
- You want calls, website chat, email, SMS, and WhatsApp answered by the same assistant, in one shared inbox.
- You want a flat plan instead of $1.60 to $3.00 a call: Pro is $98 per month with 5,000 monthly AI credits for calls and written conversations.
- You want your own team to step in from the inbox with the full conversation, on every plan.
- You want 3 assistants answering from your website, documents, FAQs, audio and video files, and product information.
Stay with Smith.ai if
- You want live receptionists to take over transferred calls: Smith.ai routes them to its North America-based team, day or night.
- You want to try AI answering on real calls for free: its Free plan covers 25 calls a month.
- You prefer a per-call bill, and your calls run long enough that per-minute pricing would cost more.
New customers can try Pro free for 7 days with 500 credits. A card is required at checkout, and the Pro plan starts when the trial ends unless you cancel first.
InsertChat vs Smith.ai at a glance
Competitor details checked on from Smith.ai’s public pricing page. Prices are in USD as listed; vendors change plans, so confirm current terms with each linked source.
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| Compared | InsertChat | Smith.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Pro, Growth, Scale, and Enterprise plans with monthly AI credits included. Annual billing costs ten monthly payments, paid upfront. Details | Free, Pro, and Enterprise plans priced by calls per month Source |
| What is metered | AI credits from one monthly allowance. Use depends on the model, conversation length, knowledge processing, and tools; calls round up to whole minutes. Details | Calls: $1.60 to $2.00 per included call on paid tiers; extra calls cost $3.00 on Free and $2.10 to $2.50 on paid tiers Source |
| Channels | Website chat, phone, email, SMS, and WhatsApp in one shared inbox Details | AI call answering; custom SMS branding on Pro Source |
| Human handoff | Your own team takes over in the shared inbox with the full conversation, on every plan Details | Transfers calls to a live North America-based receptionist, day or night Source |
| Knowledge sources | Website URLs, documents, questions and answers, audio and video files, and product information (1,000 sources on Pro) Details | Not verified |
| Booking | Books into the built-in calendar, Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, or Cal.com, automatically or after your team’s approval Details | AI scheduling with Calendly and other calendars, from the Free plan Source |
| Entry price | Pro at $98/month, or $81.67/month billed annually, with 5,000 credits, 3 assistants, and 3 seats Details | Free for 25 calls a month; Pro from $150 for 75 calls; Enterprise from $500 for 300 calls Source |
| Notable limits | Additional phone numbers, SMS, WhatsApp, and other connected services can carry their own charges; analytics and reports start on Scale Details | Every answered call counts, with up to 10% removable as spam; cancelling takes 30 days’ notice Source |
“Not verified” means our check did not confirm this detail. Ask the vendor before deciding.
Switch from Smith.ai in a day
Keep Smith.ai answering while you build and test InsertChat. When the answers sound right, point your call forwarding at InsertChat; you can change it back at any time.
02
Set the voice and routing
Pick a voice and greeting, and choose when the AI answers: always, after hours, or when your team doesn’t pick up.
03
Test, then forward your number
Place test calls. In the US and Canada, forward your existing number to InsertChat; elsewhere, use an InsertChat number. Porting is not offered.
Carrier steps for AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Spectrum, Visible, Mint Mobile, RingCentral, Comcast Business, Grasshopper, Quo (OpenPhone), Nextiva, 8x8, Zoom Phone, Vonage, Ooma Office, Rogers, Bell, TELUS, Fido, Koodo, Freedom Mobile, Virgin Plus, Videotron, iPhone, and other providers are in our call forwarding guides.
What you get when you switch from Smith.ai
AI receptionist
InsertChat answers your business calls from your own services, hours, and prices. It books appointments on your calendar and brings in your team, full transcript attached, when a person should follow up.
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After-hours answering
Your team’s phones ring while you’re open. After hours, or whenever nobody picks up, the AI receptionist answers, books the visit, and flags emergencies to your team.
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Scheduling
Your front desk offers open times, books the one the customer picks, and moves or cancels it later, on calls, website chat, and texts. Every booking stays linked to the customer and the conversation.
Explore SchedulingBuilt for businesses like yours
All industries ↗InsertChat. It answers calls, website chat, email, SMS, and WhatsApp from your business knowledge, keeps every conversation in one shared inbox, books appointments into the built-in calendar, Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, or Cal.com, and hands customers to your team when they need a person. Pro is $98 per month with 5,000 monthly AI credits, and new customers can try it free for 7 days.
InsertChat’s paid entry plan costs less: Pro is $98 per month, against $150 for Smith.ai’s AI Receptionist Pro with 75 calls. Smith.ai’s Free plan covers 25 calls, then $3.00 per call. InsertChat calls use credits and round up to whole minutes, and connected services such as SMS can add charges, so compare with your own call volume.
No. InsertChat does not staff receptionists. InsertChat does not transfer a live call. To put people first, use the “AI when unanswered” setting: your phone rings for 5 to 60 seconds before the AI answers. When a caller needs a person, the assistant takes the details, marks the conversation needs-you, and emails your team. Smith.ai’s pricing page lists transfers to its live North America-based receptionists.
Yes, in the US and Canada: keep your business number, forward calls to InsertChat, and confirm the setup with a verification call. Elsewhere, use a local or toll-free InsertChat number where one is available. Number porting is not offered.
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