AlwaysRespond vs Smith.ai
Smith.ai: AI-first receptionists with human backup, billed per call. AlwaysRespond is one monthly price that answers the call, books the job, sends the tech, and collects.
1 month free. We read your site, and setup takes about 10 minutes.
- Smith.ai
- Per call
- AlwaysRespond
- Monthly, then $1.00-$1.50/call over your plan
Everything Smith.ai sells as a per-call add-on, included in the monthly price.
| Feature | AlwaysRespond | Smith.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Answers calls 24/7 | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Monthly, then $1.00-$1.50/call over your plan | Per call |
| Books jobs on your calendar | Yes | Add-on ($1.50/call, human plans) |
| Sends invoices, collects payment | Yes | Collection add-on ($1.00/call) |
| AlwaysRoute smart dispatch | Yes | No |
| Review automation | Yes | No |
| SMS marketing & win-back | Coming soon | No |
| 30+ languages | Yes | No |
| Starting price | Starts at $79/mo | AI $150/mo · human $300/mo per 30 calls |
| Setup time | About 10 min | Days |
Smith.ai figures are from its own published pricing pages, checked August 2026.
Thirty calls for three hundred dollars, then $11.50 for every one after.
Per-call meters make a busy month expensive: human plans run $300/mo for 30 calls, with booking and payment collection billed on top. We include 100 calls in $79 and charge $1.50 for each one after that, with booking and payments included either way.
The trade-offs
- $300/mo covers 30 calls, then $11.50 for each one after
- Appointment booking and payments are per-call add-ons on human plans
- No field-service platform: no dispatch, invoicing, or job tracking
- No native Jobber, Housecall Pro, or ServiceTitan integration listed
When Smith.ai is the better choice.
Firms that specifically want human agents in the loop and have low, predictable call volume.
What Smith.ai does well
- Human agents available as backup
- Polished intake and spam screening
- Established brand
One booked job can pay for the month.
Every feature on every plan. Plans differ only by how many calls are included. 1 month free. No setup fee. Cancel any time.
Other comparisons
See all comparisonsWhat AlwaysRespond includes.
- AI receptionistAnswers every call in your company's name, day or night.Answers 24/7 in your company's nameBooks the job during the callSends you a summary of every call
- Scheduling and bookingBooks the job on your real calendar during the call.Shows only the times you are freeSame calendar as your phone lineBookings from your site or Google listing
- Estimates and paymentsSends invoices by email and takes card payments through Stripe.Invoices go out by emailCard payments through StripeEach payment matched to its invoice