Last updated October 29, 2026
VOQUA.AI vs Smith.ai
Both sell AI answering. Smith.ai emphasizes per-call AI plans plus optional live-agent backup; VOQUA emphasizes minute-based AI Receptionist plans aimed at booking and dispatch workflows for service businesses.
VOQUA.AI is best for home-service and SMB operators who want an AI Receptionist that answers on their real line, books jobs into a calendar, and bills on published minute-based plans rather than a per-call stack.
Smith.ai is best for teams that want an AI front desk with a free entry tier and the option to escalate selected calls to Smith.ai live agents for an add-on fee.
How to decide
Pick the column that describes how you buy phone coverage — finished AI Receptionist product vs human or hybrid answering.
- You run plumbing, HVAC, roofing, electrical, or similar trades and care about booking the next job — not only taking a message
- You prefer published monthly minute allotments and overage rates you can see on /pricing
- You want the agent built from your website and live on your existing business number quickly
- You do not need a third-party live-agent network for every escalation
- You want a $0 entry plan with a small included call allotment to trial AI answering before paying
- You specifically want Smith.ai’s live-agent network available as a per-call add-on when callers ask for a human
- Your buying process already centers on Smith.ai’s Clio / legal tooling ecosystem
- You prefer call-count packaging over minute-based packaging for how you forecast spend
Side-by-side comparison
Product model
AI Receptionist product with Free / Pro / Enterprise call packages; live agents available as an add-on.
Source: smith.ai · as of 2026-10-29
Live agent add-on can route selected calls to Smith.ai’s 24/7 live agent network; published add-on is +$3.00 per call that uses the add-on (as of their help article).
Source: smithaivoiceassistant.freshdesk.com · as of 2026-10-29
AI Scheduling listed on Free plan features (Calendly & more).
Source: smith.ai · as of 2026-10-29
Pricing shape
Free plan at $0/mo with 25 included calls/mo; extra real calls on Free billed at $3.00/call per their pricing page.
Source: smith.ai · as of 2026-10-29
Pro listed from $150/mo for 75 calls/mo (~$2.00/call on that package); higher Pro packages at 150 and 300 calls/mo also published.
Source: smith.ai · as of 2026-10-29
Enterprise listed from $500/mo for 300 calls/mo on the public AI Receptionist pricing page, with higher call packages and custom 1000+.
Source: smith.ai · as of 2026-10-29
AI Receptionist described as month-to-month; cancellation requires 30 days’ notice per their pricing FAQ.
Source: smith.ai · as of 2026-10-29
Pricing
Both vendors publish their pricing. The pricing models are meaningfully different — read carefully.
VOQUA publishes AI Receptionist plans with included minutes and per-minute overage on each card at /pricing. Use the live cards (and ROI calculator on that page) for current dollars — this comparison does not hardcode catalog prices that can drift from billing.
Smith.ai AI Receptionist public pricing (as of verification): Free $0/mo (25 calls; $3.00/call after); Pro from $150/mo (75 calls) with larger call packs; Enterprise from $500/mo (300 calls). Live-agent involvement is a separate +$3.00/call add-on when used.
Source: smith.ai · as of 2026-10-29
If you want a free call pack and Smith.ai live-agent backup, Smith.ai fits that packaging. If you want minute-based AI Receptionist plans aimed at booking service jobs on your calendar, compare VOQUA’s live /pricing cards against your monthly talk time — not against Smith.ai’s per-call free tier alone.
Frequently asked questions
Want a 15-minute look at your missed-call leak?
We will pull a baseline of your current call coverage, missed-call rate, and likely revenue recovery — and tell you honestly whether VOQUA.AI is the better fit, or whether you should look at Smith.ai (or someone else).
Sources
Last updated October 29, 2026 (2026-10-29). Factual claims about Smith.ai cite public pages below. VOQUA product facts follow the live site (especially /pricing). If something looks stale, email hello@voqua.ai.
- Smith.ai AI Receptionist pricing · as of 2026-10-29
- Smith.ai AI Receptionist product page · as of 2026-10-29
- Smith.ai live agent add-on help article · as of 2026-10-29
- VOQUA pricing (live plans) · as of 2026-10-29
