Vendor comparison
Phonely vs Smith.ai: which AI receptionist fits?
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Last updated: 15 October 2026. Both Phonely and Smith.ai publish a free starting tier. Phonely meters minutes. Smith.ai meters calls and is backed by live North America-based agents, with a human receptionist option on Human-first plans. Prices rechecked on vendor pages 2026-10-15.
Verdict
Pick Phonely if you want a free 100-minute AI phone-agent tier, builder-style agent tools, and an Enterprise plan with a HIPAA BAA and per-minute pricing.
Pick Smith.ai if you want a free 25-call AI receptionist, Clio-friendly law intake, Quality Studio before go-live, and a human receptionist option (Human-first plans) rather than AI-only forever.
Side-by-side
| Field | Phonely | Smith.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Website | phonely.ai | smith.ai |
| What it does | AI phone agents that answer calls, book appointments and handle customer support 24/7, from a free tier to enterprise. | AI receptionist backed by live North America-based agents that answers, qualifies, books and routes calls, with strong focus on law-firm intake. |
| Starting price | $0 (free plan) | $0 (free plan) |
| Pricing model | Usage plus base | Usage plus base |
| Included on entry plan | 100 min | 25 calls |
| Overage (entry plan) | Not published | $3.00/call |
| Setup fee | Not published | Not published |
| Published pricing | Free $0 (100 min); Starter $50/mo (200 min on the plan card, 250 in the comparison table; $0.25/min over); Professional $150/mo (650 min on the plan card, 750 in the comparison table; $0.30/min over); Enterprise as low as $0.05/min | Free $0/mo (25 calls, then $3.00/call); Pro $150/mo (75 calls at $2.00/call, larger call bundles discounted); Enterprise from $500/mo (300 calls at $1.67/call); custom plans available |
| Trial or free plan | Free plan | Free plan, card required |
| Demo line | Not published | Not published |
| Integrations | CRM integrations (providers not named on pricing page) | Clio, Zapier, Calendly |
| Key features | AI agent builder; 100+ voices and languages; Transcripts and AI analytics; Conversational SMS (Pro); HIPAA BAA on Enterprise | 24/7 AI call answering with recording, transcripts and summaries; Lead qualification and call routing; AI scheduling; Quality Studio for testing before go-live; Human receptionist option (Human-first plans) |
| Industries (our tags) | Medical Offices, Small Businesses, Home Services, Law Firms, Real Estate, Insurance Agencies | Small Businesses, Home Services, Law Firms |
| Practice size | Small teams to enterprise | Solo to enterprise and multi-location |
| Listing note | None | None |
| Source | Vendor site (phonely.ai) | Vendor site (smith.ai) |
| Last checked | 2026-10-15 | 2026-10-15 |
- What it does
- Phonely: AI phone agents that answer calls, book appointments and handle customer support 24/7, from a free tier to enterprise.
- Smith.ai: AI receptionist backed by live North America-based agents that answers, qualifies, books and routes calls, with strong focus on law-firm intake.
- Starting price
- Phonely: $0 (free plan)
- Smith.ai: $0 (free plan)
- Pricing model
- Phonely: Usage plus base
- Smith.ai: Usage plus base
- Included on entry plan
- Phonely: 100 min
- Smith.ai: 25 calls
- Overage (entry plan)
- Phonely: Not published
- Smith.ai: $3.00/call
- Setup fee
- Phonely: Not published
- Smith.ai: Not published
- Published pricing
- Phonely: Free $0 (100 min); Starter $50/mo (200 min on the plan card, 250 in the comparison table; $0.25/min over); Professional $150/mo (650 min on the plan card, 750 in the comparison table; $0.30/min over); Enterprise as low as $0.05/min
- Smith.ai: Free $0/mo (25 calls, then $3.00/call); Pro $150/mo (75 calls at $2.00/call, larger call bundles discounted); Enterprise from $500/mo (300 calls at $1.67/call); custom plans available
- Trial or free plan
- Phonely: Free plan
- Smith.ai: Free plan, card required
- Demo line
- Phonely: Not published
- Smith.ai: Not published
- Integrations
- Phonely: CRM integrations (providers not named on pricing page)
- Smith.ai: Clio, Zapier, Calendly
- Key features
- Phonely: AI agent builder; 100+ voices and languages; Transcripts and AI analytics; Conversational SMS (Pro); HIPAA BAA on Enterprise
- Smith.ai: 24/7 AI call answering with recording, transcripts and summaries; Lead qualification and call routing; AI scheduling; Quality Studio for testing before go-live; Human receptionist option (Human-first plans)
- Industries (our tags)
- Phonely: Medical Offices, Small Businesses, Home Services, Law Firms, Real Estate, Insurance Agencies
- Smith.ai: Small Businesses, Home Services, Law Firms
- Practice size
- Phonely: Small teams to enterprise
- Smith.ai: Solo to enterprise and multi-location
- Listing note
- Phonely: None
- Smith.ai: None
- Source
- Phonely: Vendor site (phonely.ai)
- Smith.ai: Vendor site (smith.ai)
- Last checked
- Phonely: 2026-10-15
- Smith.ai: 2026-10-15
Every row comes from our vendor data, refreshed whenever the directory is rebuilt. "Not published" means the vendor does not publish it or we have not recorded it.
Pricing
Phonely (phonely.ai, 2026-10-15): Published plans: Free $0 (100 min); Starter $50/mo (200 min on the plan card, 250 in the comparison table; $0.25/min over); Professional $150/mo (650 min on the plan card, 750 in the comparison table; $0.30/min over); Enterprise as low as $0.05/min. The plan cards and the comparison table on Phonely's pricing page list different included minutes for Starter and Professional, so treat both figures as unconfirmed until you check in-app.
Smith.ai AI Receptionist (smith.ai/ai-receptionist, 2026-10-15): Published plans: Free $0/mo (25 calls, then $3.00/call); Pro $150/mo (75 calls at $2.00/call, larger call bundles discounted); Enterprise from $500/mo (300 calls at $1.67/call); custom plans available. We have no published price for its human receptionist option; ask sales.
Rough decision rule: Phonely bills in minutes and Smith.ai bills in calls, so price a typical month of your own calls on both with the cost guide. If you need Clio and a path to humans, Smith.ai's free call pool is the clearer start. If you want builder tooling and an Enterprise HIPAA BAA, start on Phonely's free plan.
Features
- Free tier shape: Phonely = minutes. Smith.ai = calls. Price a typical month of your calls on both before comparing.
- Hybrid: Smith.ai is backed by live North America-based agents and offers Human-first plans. Phonely's record describes AI phone agents only.
- Compliance: Phonely Enterprise markets HIPAA BAA. Confirm BAAs and jurisdiction needs with either vendor before PHI-heavy workflows.
- Tooling: Phonely emphasizes an AI agent builder, 100+ voices/languages, transcripts/analytics, and Pro conversational SMS. Smith.ai emphasizes Quality Studio, lead qualification, scheduling, and recordings/summaries.
Setup and trial
Demo lines: Phonely, no public demo line in our data; Smith.ai, no public demo line in our data. Phonely: Free plan with 100 minutes. Smith.ai: Free plan, card required with 25 calls a month; stay on it until you need more, and use Quality Studio to test before go-live. More trial patterns in the free trial guide.
Best fit by industry
| Need | Lean Phonely | Lean Smith.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Medical offices | Tagged + Enterprise HIPAA BAA | Not tagged in our data |
| Law firms | Tagged | Free AI + Clio + human option |
| Home services / SMB | Free minute pool | Free call pool + human receptionist option |
| Insurance agencies | Tagged | Not tagged in our data |
- Home services / SMB
- Lean Phonely: Free minute pool
- Lean Smith.ai: Free call pool + human receptionist option
How to choose in one minute
- Count last month's inbound minutes and distinct answered calls from your phone carrier.
- Price Free-tier headroom: Phonely 100 min vs Smith.ai 25 calls.
- If you need live human backup, shortlist Smith.ai (see also Abby Connect vs Smith.ai). If you need builder tooling and an Enterprise HIPAA path, shortlist Phonely.
- Confirm Phonely's Starter/Pro included minutes in-app (site cards and table disagree) and Smith.ai human receptionist pricing with sales.
FAQ
Which free plan is "better"?
Neither is universally better. Phonely gives 100 minutes. Smith.ai gives 25 calls. Which lasts longer depends on how many calls you get and how long they run, so price a typical month on both.
Does Phonely include live receptionists?
Not in our data: Phonely's record describes AI phone agents only. Smith.ai is backed by live North America-based agents and has a human receptionist option on Human-first plans.
Do they publish demo phone lines?
Phonely: no public demo line in our data. Smith.ai: no public demo line in our data. Smith.ai's Quality Studio lets you test the agent before go-live.
Is Phonely's Starter really 200 or 250 minutes?
The vendor pricing page is internally inconsistent (plan cards vs comparison table). Confirm the live entitlement before you buy.
Which is stronger for law firms?
Smith.ai for Clio + hybrid option. Phonely is tagged for law firms too, but its record names no legal CRM integration.
Related pages
- Phonely and Smith.ai
- Best AI receptionist, cost, free trials
- Medical offices, law firms, small businesses
- Methodology · submit a correction
Disclosure
Snapshot dated 2026-10-15. Re-verify prices on each vendor's site before you buy. AI Front Desk List is independent and is not affiliated with Phonely or Smith.ai. Rankings and picks are never sold. Paid placements are always labelled Sponsored. See Advertise.