Smith.ai AI Receptionist vs Upfirst: pricing & features compared
Smith.ai AI Receptionist (AI receptionist (human options available)) vs Upfirst (AI receptionist): Smith.ai AI Receptionist is from $0/mo and Upfirst is from $24.95/mo. Both mention plumbers, hvac companies, law firms on their websites. Compared on published pricing and keyword-matched features.
Compare alternatives to Smith.ai AI Receptionist Compare alternatives to Upfirst
Which should you pick?
Choose Smith.ai AI Receptionist if
- you want the lower entry price ($0/mo vs $24.95/mo, a free plan with limited usage)
- you run electricians (only its site targets this trade)
Choose Upfirst if
- HIPAA matters to you (mentioned on its site)
- you use Google Calendar, Acuity (only it mentions these)
- you run salons (only its site targets this trade)
Based only on published prices and keyword mentions on each vendor site (unverified); not a quality judgement.
How much do Smith.ai AI Receptionist and Upfirst cost at 100, 300 and 600 calls?
Smith.ai AI Receptionist: $212.5 at 100, $500 at 300, $1010 at 600 calls a month. Upfirst: $69.95 at 100, $159.95 at 300, $299 at 600 calls a month. Estimates use list prices only, 3 minutes per call; see methodology.
| Calls / month | Smith.ai AI Receptionist | Upfirst |
|---|---|---|
| 100 calls | $212.5/mo (Pro) | $69.95/mo (Premium) |
| 300 calls | $500/mo (Pro 300 calls) | $159.95/mo (Pro) |
| 600 calls | $1010/mo (Enterprise 500 calls) | $299/mo (Scale) |
Short answer: At list prices with 3-minute calls, Smith.ai's free plan is cheaper up to 36 calls a month. From 37 calls, Upfirst AI costs less at every volume we modelled, and the gap grows fast: $69.95 vs $212.50 at 100 calls. Smith.ai's case is its live-agent backup, not price.
Cheapest plan per volume at list price, billed monthly. Sources: smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist and upfirst.ai/pricing, checked 2026-10-22.
Pricing side by side
- Smith.ai AI Receptionist (smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist, checked 2026-10-22): Free $0 for 25 calls ($3.00 per extra call); Pro $150 for 75 calls ($2.50 extra), 150 calls at $1.80 each ($2.30 extra) or 300 at $1.67; Enterprise $500 for 300 calls ($2.17 extra), 500 at $1.60 ($2.10 extra), custom from 1,000.
- Upfirst (upfirst.ai/pricing, checked 2026-10-22): Starter $24.95 for 30 calls, Premium $59.95 for 90, Pro $159.95 for 300, Scale $299 for 600; $1.50, $1.00, $0.75 and $0.70 per extra call. Custom quote above 600 calls. 20% off annual billing, 14-day free trial. Spam, calls under 15 seconds and silent calls aren't billed.
Assumption: 3-minute calls (both bill per call), every call answered by the AI, no spam or short-call exclusions applied. Cheapest plan per volume, overage included, checked with a script for 1-800 calls. Above 600 calls we continue Upfirst's listed Scale overage, and above 500 Smith.ai's listed Enterprise overage, though both quote custom pricing there.
Estimated monthly cost: - 25 calls: Smith.ai $0, Upfirst $24.95. - 30 calls: Smith.ai $15, Upfirst $24.95. - 50 calls: Smith.ai $75, Upfirst $54.95. - 100 calls: Smith.ai $212.50 (Pro), Upfirst $69.95 (Premium). - 150 calls: Smith.ai $270, Upfirst $119.95. - 300 calls: Smith.ai $500 (Enterprise), Upfirst $159.95 (Pro). - 500 calls: Smith.ai $800, Upfirst $299 (Scale).
The smallest gap is $0.55, at 37 calls, where the lead switches to Upfirst. Past that, Smith.ai's per-call rates ($1.60-$3.00) stay well above Upfirst's ($0.50-$1.50 effective).
Compare more options: Upfirst alternatives or /match.
Features each site mentions
- Human backup: Smith.ai mentions transfers to live North America-based receptionists, day or night. Upfirst mentions warm transfers to you or your team.
- Booking: Smith.ai mentions AI scheduling with Calendly and more. Upfirst names Google, Outlook, Clio, Acuity, Calendly and Square.
- Integrations: Smith.ai names Clio and Zapier, with unlimited custom integrations on Enterprise. Upfirst names Zapier and custom actions for any CRM with an API.
- Testing before launch: Smith.ai mentions a Quality Studio with test and simulated calls on every plan.
- Languages: Upfirst mentions 35+ languages. tools.json records bilingual mentions for Smith.ai.
- HIPAA: Upfirst lists BAAs on its Custom plan. We found no HIPAA mention for Smith.ai in our data.
Weaknesses
- Smith.ai: $3 per call after the 25 free calls, $150 minimum for Pro, and only up to 10% of calls removable as spam.
- Upfirst: $1.50 Starter overage, no published price above 600 calls, BAAs only on Custom, and no live-agent network.
Verdict
Above 36 calls a month, Upfirst AI costs less at every volume we modelled. Under that, Smith.ai's free plan is the lower bill, and Smith.ai is also the pick if you want calls escalated to live receptionists.
Neither tool is an affiliate partner, so there are no vendor links here. Next step: answer five questions at /match, or compare Upfirst AI with a partner tool in Rosie vs Upfirst (Rosie is an affiliate partner).
How do Smith.ai AI Receptionist and Upfirst compare side by side?
Smith.ai AI Receptionist is from $0/mo and Upfirst is from $24.95/mo; the rest of the table compares trials and keyword-matched features.
 Smith.ai AI Receptionist |  Upfirst | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | AI receptionist (human options available) | AI receptionist |
| Entry price | from $0/mo | from $24.95/mo |
| Priced plans published | 6 | 4 |
| Est. at 150 calls × 3 min | $270/mo on Pro 150 calls | $119.95/mo on Premium |
| Free trial | Free plan (25 calls/mo) | 14-day free trial |
| Calendar booking (keyword-matched) | Mentioned on site | Mentioned on site |
| Human handoff (keyword-matched) | Mentioned on site | Mentioned on site |
| Integrations (keyword-matched) | CalendlyClioZapier | CalendlyGoogle CalendarClioZapierAcuity |
| Trades (keyword-matched) | PlumbersHVAC CompaniesElectriciansLaw Firms | PlumbersHVAC CompaniesSalonsLaw Firms |
| HIPAA mentioned (keyword-matched) | Not found | Yes |
| Test-call score | Not tested yet | Not tested yet |
| Data checked | 2026-10-21 | 2026-10-22 |
| Vendor site | Compare alternatives to Smith.ai AI Receptionist | Compare alternatives to Upfirst |
How much does Smith.ai AI Receptionist cost?
Smith.ai AI Receptionist costs $0 to $800 per month on published plans (checked 2026-10-21).
| Plan | Price | Included | Overage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/month | 25 calls | $3 each extra | |
| Pro | $150/month | 75 calls | $2.5 each extra | $2.00/call included rate |
| Pro 150 calls | $270/month | 150 calls | $2.3 each extra | 150 calls at $1.80/call (Pro volume option; total computed from the listed per-call rate) |
| Pro 300 calls | $500/month | 300 calls | $2.17 each extra | 300 calls at $1.67/call, $2.17 per extra call (Pro volume option; $500/mo listed on smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist, checked 2026-10-22) |
| Enterprise | $500/month | 300 calls | $2.17 each extra | $1.67/call; full-service setup |
| Enterprise 500 calls | $800/month | 500 calls | $2.1 each extra | 500 calls at $1.60/call (total computed from the listed per-call rate) |
Source: smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist, checked 2026-10-21.
How much does Upfirst cost?
Upfirst costs $24.95 to $299 per month on published plans (checked 2026-10-22).
| Plan | Price | Included | Overage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $24.95/month | 30 calls | $1.5 each extra | |
| Premium | $59.95/month | 90 calls | $1 each extra | |
| Pro | $159.95/month | 300 calls | $0.75 each extra | |
| Scale | $299/month | 600 calls | $0.7 each extra |
Source: upfirst.ai/pricing, checked 2026-10-22.
Feature fields marked “keyword-matched” are mentions found on the vendor's website and haven't been independently verified yet. Prices are hand-copied from vendor pricing pages. How we make money.
Your call volume is different? Estimate both at your volume or get matched.
What do people ask most?
These are the questions we get most, answered from published vendor data.
Is Upfirst AI cheaper than Smith.ai?
Above very low volume, yes, at every volume we modelled. At the lowest volumes Smith.ai's free plan costs less. See the cost breakdown on this page.
How do the two bill?
Both bill per call. Smith.ai has a free plan, Pro and Enterprise tiers; Upfirst AI has Starter, Premium, Pro and Scale tiers. Both charge per extra call.
Do spam calls count?
Upfirst says spam, calls under 15 seconds and silent calls aren't billed. Smith.ai says known spammers are filtered before answering and lets you remove a share of calls each cycle as spam.
Does either offer a human receptionist?
Smith.ai's page mentions transferring complex calls to its live North America-based receptionists. Upfirst mentions warm transfers to you or your team, not a staffed agent network.
Is there a contract, and how do I cancel?
Smith.ai is month-to-month with 30 days' notice to cancel. Upfirst AI has a free trial and monthly or annual billing; we did not find cancellation terms on its pricing page.
Have you tested both?
Not yet. Test-call results are coming soon.
What else should you compare?
These comparisons share at least one of the two tools.
- Beside vs Upfirst
- Nextiva XBert AI Employee vs Smith.ai AI Receptionist
- Nextiva XBert AI Employee vs Upfirst
- Quo (formerly OpenPhone) AI agent vs Smith.ai AI Receptionist
- Rosie vs Smith.ai AI Receptionist
- Rosie vs Upfirst
- Upfirst vs VoiceFleet
- All Smith.ai AI Receptionist alternatives
- All Upfirst alternatives