# Smith.ai Alternative (2026): InsertChat vs Smith.ai Source: https://insertchat.com/alternatives/smith-ai > AI receptionist billed per call, with a 25-call free plan and live-receptionist backup. 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. Competitor details checked on October 13, 2026 from [Smith.ai’s public pricing page](https://smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist). Prices are in USD as listed; vendors change plans, so confirm current terms with each linked source. ## 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 | 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](https://insertchat.com/pricing)) | Free, Pro, and Enterprise plans priced by calls per month ([source](https://smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist)) | | 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](https://insertchat.com/pricing#channel-costs)) | 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](https://smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist)) | | Channels | Website chat, phone, email, SMS, and WhatsApp in one shared inbox ([details](https://insertchat.com/product/inbox)) | AI call answering; custom SMS branding on Pro ([source](https://smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist)) | | Human handoff | Your own team takes over in the shared inbox with the full conversation, on every plan ([details](https://insertchat.com/product/inbox)) | Transfers calls to a live North America-based receptionist, day or night ([source](https://smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist)) | | Knowledge sources | Website URLs, documents, questions and answers, audio and video files, and product information (1,000 sources on Pro) ([details](https://insertchat.com/product/knowledge)) | Not verified | | Booking | Books into the built-in calendar, Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, or Cal.com, automatically or after your team’s approval ([details](https://insertchat.com/product/scheduling)) | AI scheduling with Calendly and other calendars, from the Free plan ([source](https://smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist)) | | Entry price | Pro at $98/month, or $81.67/month billed annually, with 5,000 credits, 3 assistants, and 3 seats ([details](https://insertchat.com/pricing)) | Free for 25 calls a month; Pro from $150 for 75 calls; Enterprise from $500 for 300 calls ([source](https://smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist)) | | Notable limits | Additional phone numbers, SMS, WhatsApp, and other connected services can carry their own charges; analytics and reports start on Scale ([details](https://insertchat.com/pricing#channel-costs)) | Every answered call counts, with up to 10% removable as spam; cancelling takes 30 days’ notice ([source](https://smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist)) | “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. 1. **Add your knowledge.** Import the website pages, documents, and FAQs your Smith.ai setup answers from, then test the common questions. 2. **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. 3. **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. ## What is a good Smith.ai alternative? 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. ## Is InsertChat cheaper than Smith.ai? 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. ## Does InsertChat include human receptionists like Smith.ai? 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. ## Can I keep my business phone number if I switch to InsertChat? 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. ## Smith.ai compared with other vendors - [Smith.ai vs Ruby](https://insertchat.com/compare/smith-ai-vs-ruby): Smith.ai’s per-call AI receptionist with human backup, against Ruby’s human receptionists billed by the minute. - [Rosie vs Smith.ai](https://insertchat.com/compare/rosie-vs-smith-ai): Rosie’s minute bundles from $49 against Smith.ai’s per-call AI receptionist with a free plan and human backup. ## Other comparisons - [InsertChat vs My AI Front Desk](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/my-ai-front-desk): AI receptionist with separate voice, chat, SMS, and email allowances on one $99 plan, plus overage credits. - [InsertChat vs Goodcall](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/goodcall): AI phone agent billed by unique callers, not minutes, from $79 a month. - [InsertChat vs Rosie](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/rosie): AI phone answering sold by the minute from $49, with a website chat widget on every plan. - [InsertChat vs Dialzara](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/dialzara): AI receptionist billed by the minute from $29, with an SMS agent and website chatbot on one knowledge base. - [InsertChat vs Upfirst](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/upfirst): AI phone answering sold by the call from $24.95, with warm transfers and calendar booking. - [InsertChat vs RingCentral AI Receptionist](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/ringcentral): AI receptionist for any phone system, $49 standalone or $39 on RingEX, with 100 minutes included. - [InsertChat vs Sophiie](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/sophiie): AI receptionist and office manager for trade businesses, with prices quoted on a demo call. - [InsertChat vs Ruby](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/ruby): Human receptionists and live chat agents, priced by minutes and by chats. - [InsertChat vs Chatbase](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/chatbase): AI agent builder metered by message credits, from $40 a month. - [InsertChat vs Tidio](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/tidio): Customer chat with the Lyro AI agent, priced by human and Lyro conversations. - [InsertChat vs Intercom Fin](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/intercom-fin): AI agent priced at $0.99 per outcome, alongside Intercom’s per-seat plans. - [InsertChat vs AnswerConnect](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/answerconnect): Human receptionists around the clock, billed by whole minutes from $350 for 200, with live chat on Growth and Standard. - [InsertChat vs Abby Connect](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/abby-connect): US-based receptionists with an AI option, priced in Abby Minutes from $165 for 50; AI calls use half the minutes. - [InsertChat vs PATLive](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/patlive): Human-only US receptionists around the clock, from $49 pay-as-you-go, with live chat and outbound calls as separate plans. - [InsertChat vs Nexa](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/nexa): Live virtual receptionists on Nexa 100, 300, and 500 voice-minute plans, with prices given on request. - [InsertChat vs Moneypenny](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/moneypenny): People and AI call answering in the US, with minute plans from $165 and call plans from $69; voicenation.com now redirects here. - [InsertChat vs Davinci Virtual](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/davinci-virtual): Live receptionist plans from $129 for 50 minutes, billed by the second, with scheduling on Premium plans. - [InsertChat vs Posh](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/posh): Live receptionists billed by the minute, from $65 a month with no minutes included to $1,900 for 1,000. - [InsertChat vs MAP Communications](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/map-communications): Answering service with 24/7 coverage on every plan, from $49 pay-as-you-go to $649 for 500 minutes. - [InsertChat vs Vapi](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/vapi): Developer voice AI platform: $0.05 per minute for hosting, plus models and carrier fees at provider cost. - [InsertChat vs Retell AI](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/retell-ai): Pay-as-you-go voice and chat agent platform, from $0.07 to $0.31 per minute depending on the model and voice. - [InsertChat vs Bland AI](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/bland-ai): Voice agent platform with all-in per-minute rates: $0.14 on Start, or $0.12 on Build with a $299 monthly fee. - [InsertChat vs Voiceflow](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/voiceflow): Platform for building voice and chat agents, billed in usage credits, with business pricing on request. - [InsertChat vs ElevenLabs Agents](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/elevenlabs-agents): Voice agent plans with included call minutes, $0.08 per extra minute, and LLM usage billed on top. - [InsertChat vs Slang.ai](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/slang-ai): AI phone assistant for restaurants, priced per location from $399, with OpenTable, SevenRooms, Yelp, and Resy integrations. - [InsertChat vs Trillet](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/trillet): Inbound AI receptionist at $49 for 150 minutes, from a voice platform that also sells white-label plans to agencies. - [InsertChat vs Newo.ai](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/newo-ai): AI receptionist billed in shared voice and text units: pay as you go, or $299 a month for 200 units, one location per plan. - [InsertChat vs Quo Sona](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/quo-sona): AI agent in the Quo (formerly OpenPhone) phone system, billed per call: 10 calls a month included, then monthly credit tiers. - [InsertChat vs Dialpad AI Receptionist](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/dialpad): AI receptionist built on Dialpad AI Agents, priced by conversation from a pool of credits whose price is not published. - [InsertChat vs Nextiva AI Receptionist](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/nextiva): XBert AI receptionist for Nextiva plans: $99 a month for 100 resolutions across calls, texts, and chat, then $0.99 each. - [InsertChat vs Marlie AI](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/marlie-ai): AI answering service in minute plans from $49 for 250 minutes, with call transfer and document knowledge on higher tiers. - [InsertChat vs CallRail Voice Assist](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/callrail): AI voice agent from the CallRail call-tracking platform, from $95 a month plus Lead Tracking, then $1 per extra call. - [InsertChat vs Zendesk](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/zendesk): Helpdesk suite priced per agent, with AI agents billed per automated resolution. - [InsertChat vs Crisp](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/crisp): Customer messaging suite priced per workspace, with AI credits for automated conversations and a free plan. - [InsertChat vs LiveChat](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/livechat): Live chat sold as Text plans per user, with AI Agent resolutions included; ChatBot.com lists the same plans. - [InsertChat vs Freshchat](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/freshchat): Messaging helpdesk priced per agent, with Freddy AI Agent sessions sold in packs of 100. - [InsertChat vs Botpress](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/botpress): AI agent platform priced by conversations, with a free plan and AI usage included per conversation. - [InsertChat vs CustomGPT.ai](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/customgpt): Knowledge-based AI agent builder priced by monthly queries, with 10 agents on its entry plan. - [InsertChat vs SiteGPT](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/sitegpt): Website AI chatbot priced by plan and message volume, with WhatsApp and branding removal as add-ons. - [InsertChat vs Chatling](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/chatling): AI chatbot builder priced by monthly AI credits, with a free plan and branding removal on its top plan. - [InsertChat vs Gorgias](https://insertchat.com/alternatives/gorgias): Ecommerce helpdesk priced by monthly tickets, with an AI Agent billed per automated interaction.