VocalReception vs Smith.ai: 2026 comparison
Verdict
Smith.ai suits North American businesses that want an AI receptionist with live human backup and pay per call: free for 25 calls, then from $150 a month. VocalReception suits European businesses that want a multilingual receptionist set up for them: €79 excl. VAT for 400 minutes, billed per minute, no commitment.
Side-by-side comparison
| Criterion | VocalReception | Smith.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price, monthly billing | €79 excl. VAT | $0 Free (25 calls), $150 Pro, $500 Enterprise (AI Receptionist) [1] |
| Billing unit | Per minute: 400 included, then €0.25 per started minute | Per call: 25 / 75 / 150 / 300 / 500 calls by plan, extra calls $3.00 to $2.10 [1] |
| Cost at 100 / 400 / 1,000 minutes a month | €79 / €79 / €229 | Scenario at 2 minutes a call: $75 / $385 / $800 [1] |
| Live human backup | Transfer to your own team | AI can hand calls to North America-based receptionists; Hybrid from about $2.50 a call [3] |
| Setup | Done by our team: €199 excl. VAT, credited on invoice 7 after 6 paid months | Free: self-service; Pro: you set it up with dedicated onboarding; Enterprise: full-service setup [1] |
| Languages | 7: French, Dutch, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German | Not public for the AI plan; dedicated Spanish line on human plans ($1.00 a call) [2] |
| Commitment | None | Month to month, 30 days' notice to cancel [1] |
| Trial or guarantee | 30-day money-back on the first €79 only; setup excluded | Free plan with 25 calls a month; 30-day money-back up to $1,000 for first-time virtual receptionist subscribers [4] |
| Company | AlphaOscar, Paris (France) | Smith.ai, Inc. [4] |
When to choose Smith.ai
- Live human backup: the AI can pass complex calls to North America-based receptionists, day or night, and a Hybrid plan mixes AI and people.
- Per-call billing favours long calls: a 10-minute call counts as one call, so businesses with long conversations can pay less than on a per-minute plan.
- A free plan with 25 calls a month lets you test before you pay, and native integrations (Clio, Zapier, Calendly) are listed.
When to choose VocalReception
- Short calls: at 2 minutes a call, 400 minutes cost €79 excl. VAT with us against $385 on Smith.ai Pro 150.
- You configure nothing: our team writes the script, tests the calls and goes live 7 days after a one-hour workshop.
- Seven languages including French and Dutch, for businesses in France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
- A monthly report lists the questions left unanswered, so the receptionist knows the answer the next month.
The two offers in one sentence
Smith.ai is a US answering service from Smith.ai, Inc. that sells an AI receptionist billed per call, with live North America-based receptionists as backup, from $150 a month on Pro (source 1, source 4). VocalReception is an AI receptionist set up for you by our team: €79 excl. VAT a month for 400 minutes, in seven languages (pricing).
Cost by call volume
Smith.ai counts calls and we count minutes, so the comparison needs an average call length. We assume 2 minutes a call: 100 minutes is 50 calls, 400 minutes is 200 calls, 1,000 minutes is 500 calls. Monthly billing, one business, inbound calls only, no SMS, setup or VAT. For Smith.ai we took the lowest-cost option at each volume (source 1).
| Minutes a month (calls) | VocalReception | Smith.ai AI Receptionist |
|---|---|---|
| 100 (50) | €79 | $75 (Free: 25 calls free, 25 × $3.00) |
| 400 (200) | €79 | $385 (Pro 150: $270 + 50 × $2.30) |
| 1,000 (500) | €229 | $800 (Enterprise 500) |
Formulas: VocalReception = €79 + €0.25 × (minutes - 400). Smith.ai = plan price + extra calls × the plan’s extra-call rate. Prices stay in their own currency.
The call length changes everything. If your calls average 5 minutes, 400 minutes is 80 calls and Smith.ai Pro 75 costs $150 + 5 × $2.50 = $162.50. Measure your average call first: our guide to AI receptionist pricing shows how, and the pricing simulator does our side of the sum.
AI with human backup, or AI set up for you
Smith.ai’s main argument is the human in the loop: when the AI hits a complex call, it can transfer to a live receptionist based in North America, at any hour (source 1). If you want more people on the phone, its Hybrid offer starts at about $2.50 a call and its human plans at $300 for 30 calls (source 2, source 3). For a wider view of that choice, read AI receptionist vs virtual receptionist.
On Pro, you set the AI up yourself with dedicated onboarding; full-service setup comes with Enterprise, from $500 a month (source 1). At VocalReception, setup is part of the single plan: a one-hour workshop, then our team writes the script, sets up transfers, tests the calls and goes live in 7 days. The €199 setup fee is credited on your seventh invoice after six paid months.
Customer reviews
On Trustpilot, Smith.ai shows 4.3 out of 5 from 375 reviews as of 5 November 2026 (source 5). VocalReception does not publish customer reviews yet.
Our advice
If you are in North America, take long calls and want a person to pick up when the AI cannot, Smith.ai is a good pick. If your callers speak French, Dutch or another European language, your calls are short and you would rather have it handled for you, start with VocalReception or try the demo.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Smith.ai cost per minute?
Smith.ai does not bill per minute. Its AI Receptionist bills per call: 25 free calls, then $3.00 each on the Free plan, or $150 for 75 calls on Pro. At 2 minutes a call, 400 minutes means 200 calls and costs $385 on Pro 150 with overage.
Does Smith.ai include a human receptionist?
Its AI Receptionist can transfer complex calls to a live North America-based receptionist. Smith.ai also sells a Hybrid offer from about $2.50 a call and fully human plans from $300 for 30 calls.
Can I cancel Smith.ai at any time?
Yes. Its pricing page describes AI Receptionist as month to month, with 30 days' notice to cancel. VocalReception has no commitment either.
Sources
- Smith.ai: AI Receptionist pricing, plans and FAQ (smith.ai)
- Smith.ai: human receptionist pricing and add-ons (smith.ai)
- Smith.ai: hybrid AI and human pricing (smith.ai)
- Smith.ai: terms of service (Smith.ai, Inc., money-back guarantee) (smith.ai)
- Trustpilot: Smith.ai reviews (trustpilot.com)
- VocalReception: pricing (vocalreception.com)
Written by VocalReception, so not neutral. Every competitor fact comes from their public pages, cited below, on the date shown. Prices exclude VAT unless stated; offers change, so check the vendor’s site. Spotted an error? Email us and we fix it within 48 hours.