Smith.ai's live receptionist plans start at $300 a month for 30 calls, but the sticker price is the plan only. Booking an appointment is $1.50 a call, a text alert is $0.50 and call recording is $0.25. Our worked bills for a 90-call team land between $810 and $1,298 a month depending on which add-ons you switch on. Count the add-ons before you compare Smith.ai with a service that quotes everything in one price.
Every figure below comes from Smith.ai's plans and pricing page, read October 30, 2026. The bill totals are our arithmetic from those published rates, not quotes from Smith.ai. For the base plans and the AI receptionist, see our Smith.ai pricing and alternative page. This article covers only what sits on top.
The plans before any add-on
| Plan | Monthly price | Calls included | Overage per call | Free transfer destinations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $300 | 30 | $11.50 | 1 |
| Basic | $810 | 90 | $10.50 | 2 |
| Pro | $2,100 | 300 | $8.50 | 10 |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom | Custom |
The page lists no setup fee, a 30-day money-back guarantee and month-to-month terms. A 12-month commitment takes 10 percent off, which is $729 instead of $810 on Basic by our math. Wrong numbers and spam are not counted as long as the lines you forward pass caller ID. Calls cost the same at 2 pm and 2 am.
Every add-on and what it costs
Lead screening, qualification, new client intake of up to five short questions, a dedicated number, 24/7 answering and the first CRM integration are included. These are charged on top.
| Add-on | Price | Charged |
|---|---|---|
| Book appointments | $1.50 | Per call |
| Complex call routing | $1.50 | Per call |
| Extended intake (six more questions) | $1.50 | Per call |
| Custom extended intake | $0.25 | Per question |
| Accept payments | $1.00 | Per call |
| Third-party intake | $1.00 | Per call |
| Custom calendaring | $1.00 | Per call |
| Dedicated Spanish line | $1.00 | Per call |
| SMS or Slack notifications | $0.50 | Per call |
| Microsoft Teams notifications | $0.50 | Per call |
| Text and email follow-up | $0.50 | Per call |
| Conflict checks | $0.50 | Per call |
| Accept collect calls | $0.50 | Per call |
| Each CRM after the first | $0.50 | Per call |
| Call recording and transcription | $0.25 | Per call |
| Business caller ID for outbound | $10.00 | Per month |
| Additional transfer destination | $15.00 | Per month |
| Inbound call tracking number | $5.00 | Per month |
Most per-call add-ons look small. They multiply by every call the service answers, not only the calls that need the feature, unless Smith.ai applies them selectively. Ask whether a feature is charged on every call or only on the calls where it runs.
Three Smith.ai Basic bills at 90 calls
These bills assume 90 calls, so no overage, on the Basic plan at the monthly list price.
| Setup | What is switched on | Monthly bill |
|---|---|---|
| Plan only | Nothing extra | $810.00 |
| Typical lead desk | SMS notification on 90 calls ($45), recording on 90 ($22.50), booking on 40 ($60) | $937.50 |
| Heavy workflow | The typical set, plus text follow-up on 90 ($45), complex routing on 90 ($135), extended intake on 90 ($135) and three extra transfer destinations ($45) | $1,297.50 |
The heavy bill is 60 percent above the sticker price. The 10 percent annual discount takes $81 off the plan in each case, which is a smaller lever than the add-ons. If you need five agents reachable on Basic, the three extra destinations add $45 a month before any per-call feature.
Where per-call billing helps and where it hurts
Smith.ai bills by the call, and its pricing page argues that is fairer than billing by the minute. For long, valuable calls it is. A 12-minute conversation with a buyer costs the same as a 40-second one. For short calls it is the opposite: a service that bills by the minute and includes more features can cost less when most of your calls are brief. Compare using your own call mix. Our answering service cost comparison puts Smith.ai next to PATLive, AnswerConnect, Abby Connect, Moneypenny and Ruby at 60, 120 and 200 calls.
Booking is the add-on to examine first. At $1.50 a booked call, 40 bookings is $60. If most of your callers could pick a time themselves, a shareable booking page, for example a scheduler with booking pages, would handle the routine ones, and the receptionist could be kept for callers who need a person.
When a phone system is enough instead
If your staff can answer and the problem is getting calls to them, Phoner Team costs $17 per user per month billed yearly or $35 monthly. It includes an IVR phone menu, ring groups, business-hours schedules, cell forwarding, voicemail to text, texting and call recording.
Phoner is a cloud phone system, not a live answering service, and has no AI receptionist. It can forward overflow or after-hours calls to Smith.ai or any live service you choose, which keeps the service bill tied to the calls your team cannot take. Our business call forwarding page explains that routing. Agents who need coverage during showings can see the real estate answering service comparison.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Smith.ai cost per month?
Smith.ai live plans cost $300 a month for 30 calls, $810 for 90 and $2,100 for 300, with Enterprise custom. Add-ons are extra. Our worked Basic bills with common add-ons run from $937.50 to $1,297.50 a month at 90 calls, before taxes.
Does Smith.ai charge extra for call recording?
Yes, call recording and transcription is $0.25 per call on top of the plan. At 90 calls that is $22.50 a month. It includes access to recordings and searchable transcripts. Confirm whether it applies to every call or only the ones you choose to record.
Does Smith.ai charge a setup fee?
No, Smith.ai's pricing page lists no setup fees, and it also says there are no hidden fees. Per-call add-ons and extra transfer destinations are separate, published charges, so read the add-on list before you compare totals with a service that charges setup.
Is there a discount for paying annually?
Yes, Smith.ai says it takes 10 percent off for subscribing for 12 months. On Basic that is $729 a month instead of $810 by our calculation. The discount applies to the plan price; per-call add-ons are billed at their listed rates.
Can I cancel Smith.ai at any time?
Smith.ai is month-to-month with no long-term contract. If you cancel, you are billed through the end of the current cycle. It also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on a new plan and add-ons, up to $1,000, and overage calls are excluded from the refund.
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Get your business number
Phoner is a business phone system with answering service cost built in: a local or toll-free number your whole team can answer, with an IVR menu, voicemail-to-text, and routing from $9 per user per month billed yearly. No hardware, no contracts.