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NextPhone vs Smith.ai AI Receptionist

AI receptionist with flat monthly pricing and unlimited calls, aimed at law firms and service businesses. AI receptionist that answers 24/7, qualifies leads and can hand complex calls to Smith.ai's live North America-based receptionists.

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	NextPhone	Smith.ai AI Receptionist
Type	AI only	AI + human option
Starting price	$199/mo (unlimited calls)	$0/mo Free plan (25 calls/mo, then $3.00/call); Pro from $150/mo (75 calls)
Billing	flat (unlimited calls)	per call
Plans	Pro: $199/mo (self setup) Growth: $299/mo (built for you) Scale: $599/mo (complex routing) Annual: $166 / $249 / $499 per month equivalent	Free: $0/mo, 25 calls/mo, $3.00 per extra call Pro: $150/mo for 75 calls ($2.00/call); 150 and 300 call tiers available Enterprise: $500/mo for 300 calls ($1.67/call); larger tiers and custom plans
Free plan / trial	7-day free trial	Free plan (25 calls/mo)
Contract	Month-to-month, no cancellation fees	Month-to-month; 30 days' notice to cancel
Key features	Unlimited calls, no per-minute or overage fees Warm & announced transfers Custom intake questions; remembers repeat callers Texts booking links during calls Spam labeling iOS app	24/7 AI call answering Live human receptionist backup (transfer) Recording, transcription & summaries Lead qualification & call routing AI scheduling (Calendly & more) Spam call filtering (known spammers not billed)
Integrations	Google & Outlook calendars, Calendly, Acuity, Cal.com, Clio Manage, Clio Grow, MyCase, HubSpot, GoHighLevel, Zapier, Make	Clio, Zapier, Calendly
Languages	Multilingual answering	Not stated on pricing page
Worth knowing	Highest entry price among self-serve AI tools here; worth it only at higher volume.	Every answered call counts toward your quota by default (up to 10% can be removed as spam each cycle).
Source (checked)	https://www.getnextphone.com/pricing(2026-10-17)	https://smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist(2026-10-17)

Consider NextPhone if…

Busy offices (e.g., law firms) that want one predictable bill.

Visit NextPhone (affiliate link)

Consider Smith.ai AI Receptionist if…

Businesses that want AI first with the option of a live human taking over complex calls; law firms and lead-driven service businesses.

Visit Smith.ai

We haven't run live call tests; this comparison only restates what each vendor publishes. No ratings.

FAQ

Which is cheaper, NextPhone or Smith.ai AI Receptionist?

NextPhone starts at $199/mo (unlimited calls) (flat (unlimited calls)); Smith.ai AI Receptionist starts at $0/mo Free plan (25 calls/mo, then $3.00/call); Pro from $150/mo (75 calls) (per call). Because they bill differently, the cheaper one depends on your call volume and call length.

Do NextPhone and Smith.ai AI Receptionist offer free trials?

NextPhone: 7-day free trial. Smith.ai AI Receptionist: Free plan (25 calls/mo).

Who is each one for?

NextPhone: Busy offices (e.g., law firms) that want one predictable bill. Smith.ai AI Receptionist: Businesses that want AI first with the option of a live human taking over complex calls; law firms and lead-driven service businesses.