On this page
- What is the best Smith.ai alternative?
- Why businesses look beyond Smith.ai
- 1. Adaptify: the done-for-you AI phone agent (best overall)
- 2. Ruby
- 3. AnswerConnect
- What 300 calls a month costs
- Self-serve AI vs. done-for-you AI
- How to switch from Smith.ai to Adaptify
- Get the Smith.ai alternative that's built for you
- Sources
If you're comparing Smith.ai alternatives, you've probably found that "AI receptionist" can mean a self-serve tool you set up yourself, billed by the call. There's a better way for most owners: a done-for-you AI phone agent, built and launched by experts and billed by the minute. Here's how the options compare, using each company's own pages as of October 2026.
What is the best Smith.ai alternative?
Adaptify is the best Smith.ai alternative for most businesses. You don't configure anything: Adaptify's experts build, test and launch a custom AI phone agent for you in 6 days. It answers every call 24/7, books jobs into your calendar or field service software, transfers urgent calls to your team and logs everything in your dashboard, for $0.25 a minute after a one-time $600 setup.
Why businesses look beyond Smith.ai
- You do the setup. Smith.ai describes its paid AI tiers as self-serve, month-to-month plans. (Smith.ai) Most owners would rather have it built for them.
- Per-call pricing. Pro is about $2.00 a call and Enterprise about $1.67. A 40-second "are you open Saturday?" call costs the same as a long intake.
- Every call counts. Smith.ai counts every AI-answered call toward your quota by default, with known spam filtered and up to 10% removable for spam. (Smith.ai)
- Add-ons. Live agent involvement is a per-call add-on. (Smith.ai)
- Live plans are expensive. Smith.ai's receptionists cost $300 for 30 calls up to $2,100 for 300. (Smith.ai)
1. Adaptify: the done-for-you AI phone agent (best overall)
See how it works and request your agent on the Adaptify done-for-you AI phone agent homepage.
- Built for you. One onboarding call. Adaptify builds your greeting, questions, booking rules and escalation list, tests the agent and launches it in 6 days on your existing number.
- Books the job. Custom integrations with ServiceTitan, Jobber, Housecall Pro and your calendar, plus live transfers and texts.
- A complete dashboard. Every call log, transcript and recording. Top up minutes, request agent updates and open support tickets in one place.
- Per-minute pricing. $600 one time with 120 free minutes, then $0.25 a minute. A 1-minute call costs 25 cents, not $2.
- Optional Agent Maintenance. $400 a month for updates, new guardrails, upgrades to newer AI models and ongoing tuning to book more callers. Cancel anytime.
- Your team, not a stranger. Urgent calls transfer to your own people by your rules.
- Secure. Built on a voice platform that is HIPAA, SOC 2 and PCI DSS compliant.
See the full Smith.ai vs. Adaptify comparison.
2. Ruby
Ruby is a live receptionist service sold in minute bundles, from 50 minutes for $250 a month to 500 minutes for $1,725, billed in 60-second increments. (Ruby) Ruby says an AI that answers calls on its own isn't how it works. (Ruby) Read Ruby receptionist alternatives.
3. AnswerConnect
AnswerConnect sells live minutes in bundles, starting at 200 minutes for $350 a month plus a $49.99 setup fee, with extra minutes at $1.85 to $2.50. (AnswerConnect)
What 300 calls a month costs
Illustrative, at a 2-minute average (600 minutes):
- Smith.ai AI Receptionist: about $500 (Enterprise).
- Smith.ai live receptionists: $2,100 (300-call plan).
- Ruby: over $1,725 (beyond its 500-minute plan).
- Adaptify: about $150 in call minutes, or $550 with optional Agent Maintenance.
For the bigger picture, read AI answering service pricing.
Self-serve AI vs. done-for-you AI
A self-serve AI receptionist looks simple in a demo. In practice, someone has to write the instructions, connect the calendar, decide what counts as an emergency, test the edge cases and fix what breaks. A done-for-you AI receptionist hands all of that to experts, so the agent works on day one and keeps improving.
How to switch from Smith.ai to Adaptify
- Book an onboarding call.
- Adaptify builds and tests your agent, with integrations, transfers and texts.
- Go live in 6 days on your existing number. See keep your business number.
- Cancel Smith.ai once you're happy.
Get the Smith.ai alternative that's built for you
Adaptify answers every call, books jobs and shows you everything in one dashboard, for $0.25 a minute. Browse industries we serve, see pricing or request your agent.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Smith.ai alternative?
Adaptify, for most businesses. Instead of a self-serve AI you configure yourself, Adaptify's experts build, test and launch a custom AI phone agent for you in 6 days, at $0.25 a minute after a one-time $600 setup.
How much does Smith.ai cost in 2026?
Smith.ai's AI Receptionist page lists a free tier with 25 calls a month, Pro at $150 a month (about $2.00 a call) and Enterprise at $500 a month (about $1.67 a call). Its live receptionist plans start at $300 a month for 30 calls.
Is Adaptify cheaper than Smith.ai?
For most businesses, yes. At 300 two-minute calls a month, Smith.ai's AI is about $500 and Adaptify about $150 in call minutes. Smith.ai's live receptionists are $2,100 for 300 calls. Adaptify's Agent Maintenance is optional.
What's the difference between self-serve and done-for-you AI?
With self-serve AI, you write the instructions, connect your tools and fix problems yourself. With done-for-you AI, experts build, test and launch the agent for you, and can keep tuning it if you choose Agent Maintenance.
Can Adaptify connect to ServiceTitan, Jobber or Housecall Pro?
Yes. Adaptify builds custom integrations with ServiceTitan, Jobber, Housecall Pro and your calendar, so calls end with a booked job.
