# Goodcall vs Smith.ai: feature, pricing, and use-case comparison

> Canonical: https://dialzara.com/compare/goodcall-vs-smith-ai  
> Summary: Reference comparison of Goodcall (ai phone agent born out of google) and Smith.ai (ai + live agent hybrid for the front office) — pricing, features, strengths, and when each one fits.

## Summary

Goodcall is ai phone agent born out of google. Smith.ai is ai + live agent hybrid for the front office. This page lists the structured differences in pricing, features, and target fit between the two so a reader can decide which is the better match for their use case.

## At a glance

| | Goodcall | Smith.ai |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Type** | ai-first | hybrid |
| **Starting price** | $79/month per agent | $95/month (AI Receptionist self-service) |
| **Pricing model** | Per-agent pricing with unique customer limits | Per-call pricing with self-service and guided annual plans |
| **Public pricing** | Yes | Yes |
| **Target market** | Large enterprises needing unlimited bundled minutes and human QA review | Law firms and professional services needing AI plus live agent backup |

## Feature comparison

| Feature | Goodcall | Smith.ai | Dialzara | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| AI Call Handling | Yes | Yes | Yes |  |
| Appointment Booking | Yes | Yes | Yes | Smith.ai supports Calendly on AI Receptionist; Dialzara integrates with Google Calendar and others via Zapier |
| Lead Capture | Yes | Yes | Yes |  |
| Call Recording | Yes | Yes | Yes | Smith.ai includes recording on AI Receptionist; charges $0.25/call on Virtual Receptionists |
| Call Transfers | Yes | Yes | Yes |  |
| Voicemail | Yes | Unknown | Yes |  |
| SMS Notifications | Yes | Yes | Yes |  |
| Bilingual Support | Unknown | No | Yes | Dialzara includes bilingual English/Spanish on all plans; Smith.ai charges $1.00/call extra for Spanish on Virtual Receptionists |
| HIPAA Compliance | Yes | Unknown | Yes | Both services are HIPAA compliant for healthcare and regulated businesses |
| CRM Integration | Yes | Yes | Yes | Smith.ai supports 143 integrations including HubSpot, Salesforce, Clio |
| Dedicated Phone Number | Yes | Yes | Yes |  |
| Custom AI Training | Unknown | Yes | Yes | Smith.ai supports up to 50 custom Q&A pairs on AI Receptionist |
| Custom Greetings | Yes | Yes | Yes |  |
| Quick Setup | No | No | Yes | Enter your URL and your AI agent trains on your business instantly / Enter your URL and your AI agent trains on your business instantly; Smith.ai's guided plans take 48+ hours to set up |

## About Goodcall

Goodcall is an AI phone agent platform that originated at Google Area 120 as "CallJoy." It offers AI-powered call handling with features like lead capture, appointment scheduling, and custom logic flows. Plans are priced per agent with caps on unique customers per month.

- **Founded:** 2017
- **Type:** ai-first
- **Target market:** Large enterprises needing unlimited bundled minutes and human QA review
- **Website:** https://www.goodcall.com

### Goodcall pricing

- **Model:** Per-agent pricing with unique customer limits
- **Starting price:** $79/month per agent
- **Public pricing:** Yes

| Tier | Price | Details |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starter | $79/mo per agent | 100 unique customers/mo, 1 form, 1 logic flow, 3 team members |
| Growth | $129/mo per agent | 250 unique customers/mo, 3 forms, 3 logic flows, 9 team members |
| Scale | $249/mo per agent | 500 unique customers/mo, 25 forms, 25 logic flows, 50 team members |

All plans include unlimited minutes and tokens. Overage beyond the unique customer limit is $0.50 per additional customer. Annual plans available at a discount. A "unique customer" is any caller with a unique phone number who interacts with the agent in a given month. Free trial available.

### Strengths

- Unlimited minutes included on all plans
- Human QA review on calls

### Weaknesses

- Higher starting price at $79/month per agent — nearly 3x Dialzara's entry price
- Unique customer caps on every plan (100/250/500) with $0.50 overage per additional customer
- Plans priced per agent — multi-location businesses pay per agent
- No bilingual support advertised
- Pricing model can be confusing — "per agent" and "unique customer" limits require careful calculation

## About Smith.ai

Smith.ai offers two products: an AI Receptionist (AI-first with optional live agent handoff) and Virtual Receptionists (human-first live answering). Their AI Receptionist uses AI to handle calls with the option to escalate to one of 500+ live agents at $3 per call. Pricing is per-call, starting at $95/month for self-service plans and $500/month for guided annual plans. They support 143 integrations and are trusted by 5,000+ businesses.

- **Type:** hybrid
- **Target market:** Law firms and professional services needing AI plus live agent backup
- **Website:** https://smith.ai
- **Best for:** Law firms, Professional services, Marketing agencies

### Smith.ai pricing

- **Model:** Per-call pricing with self-service and guided annual plans
- **Starting price:** $95/month (AI Receptionist self-service)
- **Public pricing:** Yes
- **Source:** https://smith.ai/pricing
- **Last verified:** 2026-05-14

| Tier | Price | Details |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Self-Service (~2 calls/day) | $95/mo | $1.90/call, month-to-month, no dedicated support, unused calls expire monthly, overages at $2.40/call |
| Self-Service (~5 calls/day) | $270/mo | $1.80/call, month-to-month, no dedicated support, unused calls expire monthly, overages at $2.40/call |
| Self-Service (~15 calls/day) | $800/mo | $1.60/call, month-to-month, no dedicated support, unused calls expire monthly, overages at $2.40/call |
| Guided Annual (~10 calls/day) | $500/mo | $1.50/call, billed annually, dedicated success manager, custom integrations, no overages |
| Guided Annual (~25 calls/day) | $1,000/mo | $1.33/call, billed annually, dedicated success manager, custom integrations, no overages |
| Guided Annual (~55 calls/day) | $2,000/mo | $1.20/call, billed annually, dedicated success manager, custom integrations, no overages |

AI Receptionist pricing shown above. Smith.ai also offers a separate Virtual Receptionists product (human-first live answering) with its own pricing. Live agent handoff on the AI Receptionist costs an additional $3 per call. Many features like appointment booking ($1.50/call), SMS notifications ($0.50/call), and Spanish support ($1.00/call) are add-on charges on the Virtual Receptionist product. Self-service plans require a $2,000 add-on for custom configuration that annual plans include free.

### Strengths

- Hybrid model with 500+ live agents available for handoff when AI can't handle a call
- 143 integrations including deep CRM support (HubSpot, Salesforce, Clio)
- Established brand trusted by 5,000+ businesses with high review ratings (4.8+ on Clutch and G2)
- Outbound calling and web chat products available
- Strong presence in legal industry with specialized intake workflows

### Weaknesses

- AI Receptionist starts at $95/month — more than 3x Dialzara's $29/month entry price
- Per-call pricing model means costs scale up quickly with call volume
- Many features are paid add-ons: scheduling ($1.50/call), SMS alerts ($0.50/call), Spanish ($1.00/call), call recording ($0.25/call)
- Live agent handoff costs an additional $3 per call on top of base pricing
- Best pricing requires annual commitment starting at $500/month ($6,000/year)
- Self-service plans lack dedicated support, custom integrations, and require a $2,000 add-on for custom configuration
- Guided annual plans take 48+ hours to set up with a 30-90 day ramp period
- Complex pricing structure across multiple products and add-ons can be confusing

### Common user complaints

- Per-call pricing with add-on fees for scheduling, SMS, and Spanish adds up fast
- Self-service plans require a $2,000 add-on for custom configuration
- $3-per-call live agent handoff fee on top of base plans
- Unused calls expire monthly on self-service plans
- Annual guided plans require a 12-month commitment

### Review sources

- [G2](https://www.g2.com/products/smith-ai/reviews)
- [Capterra](https://www.capterra.com/p/smith-ai/)

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the main difference between Goodcall and Smith.ai?

Goodcall is ai phone agent born out of google. Smith.ai is ai + live agent hybrid for the front office. Goodcall targets large enterprises needing unlimited bundled minutes and human qa review, while Smith.ai targets law firms and professional services needing ai plus live agent backup. Both offer AI-powered call handling, but they differ in pricing, features, and target audience.

### Which is cheaper, Goodcall or Smith.ai?

Goodcall starts at $79/month per agent, while Smith.ai starts at $95/month (AI Receptionist self-service). Per-agent pricing with unique customer limits. Per-call pricing with self-service and guided annual plans. The total cost depends on your call volume, team size, and which features you need.

### Does Goodcall or Smith.ai offer HIPAA compliance?

Goodcall offers HIPAA compliance, but Smith.ai does not advertise HIPAA compliance. If you need HIPAA compliance for healthcare or regulated industries, Goodcall is the better choice between these two.

### Which is better for small businesses, Goodcall or Smith.ai?

It depends on your specific needs. Goodcall's strengths include: unlimited minutes included on all plans, human qa review on calls. Smith.ai's strengths include: hybrid model with 500+ live agents available for handoff when ai can't handle a call, 143 integrations including deep crm support (hubspot, salesforce, clio). Consider your call volume, budget, and which features matter most to your business when choosing between them.

### Is there a better alternative to both Goodcall and Smith.ai?

There are several AI phone answering services on the market beyond Goodcall and Smith.ai. Dialzara is one option worth considering — it's a purpose-built AI answering service starting at $29/month with bilingual support, appointment booking, and HIPAA compliance on all plans. Browse our comparison pages to evaluate all your options.