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

> Canonical: https://dialzara.com/compare/posh-vs-smith-ai  
> Summary: Reference comparison of Posh (live virtual receptionists with per-minute plans and bilingual support) and Smith.ai (ai + live agent hybrid for the front office) — pricing, features, strengths, and when each one fits.

## Summary

Posh is live virtual receptionists with per-minute plans and bilingual support. 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

| | Posh | Smith.ai |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Type** | human-first | hybrid |
| **Starting price** | Entry plans starting roughly in the $60–$100/month range for very small minute buckets (verify on pricing page) | $95/month (AI Receptionist self-service) |
| **Pricing model** | Tiered monthly minute plans with per-minute overages | Per-call pricing with self-service and guided annual plans |
| **Public pricing** | Yes | Yes |
| **Target market** | Solo practitioners, professional services, and small businesses that want a smaller, named-team feel from a live answering service | Law firms and professional services needing AI plus live agent backup |

## Feature comparison

| Feature | Posh | Smith.ai | Dialzara | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| AI Call Handling | Unknown | 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 | Unknown | Yes | Yes |  |
| Call Recording | Unknown | 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 | Yes | No | Yes | Posh markets bilingual coverage; Dialzara includes it on every plan / Dialzara includes bilingual English/Spanish on all plans; Smith.ai charges $1.00/call extra for Spanish on Virtual Receptionists |
| CRM Integration | Yes | Yes | Yes | Posh integrates with Clio, Lawmatics, Salesforce; Dialzara via Zapier + direct / Smith.ai supports 143 integrations including HubSpot, Salesforce, Clio |
| Dedicated Phone Number | Unknown | Yes | Yes |  |
| Custom AI Training | Yes | Yes | Yes | Smith.ai supports up to 50 custom Q&A pairs on AI Receptionist |
| Custom Greetings | Unknown | Yes | Yes |  |
| Spam Filtering | No | Unknown | Yes |  |
| Quick Setup | No | No | Yes | Dialzara live in 2 minutes; Posh onboards scripts manually with the account team / Enter your URL and your AI agent trains on your business instantly; Smith.ai's guided plans take 48+ hours to set up |

## About Posh

Posh (Posh Virtual Receptionists) is a 24/7 live virtual receptionist service used across legal, medical, home-service, and small-business categories. Receptionists handle inbound calls, schedule appointments, take messages, transfer urgent calls, and route after-hours coverage. Plans are sold as monthly minute buckets with bilingual coverage and a per-call/per-minute hybrid structure. Posh markets a smaller, more boutique team than Ruby or AnswerForce and emphasizes named-receptionist relationships.

- **Founded:** 2009
- **Type:** human-first
- **Target market:** Solo practitioners, professional services, and small businesses that want a smaller, named-team feel from a live answering service
- **Website:** https://www.poshvirtualreceptionists.com
- **Best for:** Law firms, Medical & dental practices, Real estate, Home services

### Posh pricing

- **Model:** Tiered monthly minute plans with per-minute overages
- **Starting price:** Entry plans starting roughly in the $60–$100/month range for very small minute buckets (verify on pricing page)
- **Per-minute rate:** Effective rate typically $2–$3 per minute depending on plan size
- **Public pricing:** Yes
- **Source:** https://www.poshvirtualreceptionists.com/pricing/
- **Last verified:** 2026-05-14

Posh publishes a tier of small entry-level plans (e.g., ~$60–$100/mo for short minute buckets) followed by mid- and high-volume plans. Effective per-minute cost decreases as you commit to a larger bucket, but per-minute overages and spam-call consumption can spike the bill. Verify current pricing on their pricing page before quoting publicly.

### Strengths

- Boutique, named-team feel — smaller receptionist pool than Ruby or AnswerForce
- Bilingual English/Spanish receptionists on standard plans
- 24/7/365 live coverage including weekends and holidays
- CRM integrations for legal (Clio, Lawmatics) and general business (Salesforce, Zapier)
- 15+ years in market with consistent reviews

### Weaknesses

- Smallest plans still cost 2–3x more than AI alternatives for fewer included minutes
- Per-minute billing rewards larger commitments and punishes low-volume firms
- Spam and wrong-number calls consume your paid minutes
- Overage rates can spike unexpectedly in a busy month
- Onboarding requires manual script and integration build-out
- Pricing is straightforward but every plan tier commits you to monthly minimums

### Common user complaints

- Per-minute billing with monthly minimums frustrates low-volume users
- Spam and wrong-number calls consume billable minutes
- Overage rates can surprise customers in a busy month
- Setup and script changes can lag during high-touch onboarding cycles

### Review sources

- [G2](https://www.g2.com/products/posh-virtual-receptionists/reviews)
- [Capterra](https://www.capterra.com/p/posh-virtual-receptionists/)

## 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 Posh and Smith.ai?

Posh is live virtual receptionists with per-minute plans and bilingual support. Smith.ai is ai + live agent hybrid for the front office. Posh targets solo practitioners, professional services, and small businesses that want a smaller, named-team feel from a live answering service, 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, Posh or Smith.ai?

Posh starts at Entry plans starting roughly in the $60–$100/month range for very small minute buckets (verify on pricing page), while Smith.ai starts at $95/month (AI Receptionist self-service). Tiered monthly minute plans with per-minute overages. 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.

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

It depends on your specific needs. Posh's strengths include: boutique, named-team feel — smaller receptionist pool than ruby or answerforce, bilingual english/spanish receptionists on standard plans. 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 Posh and Smith.ai?

There are several AI phone answering services on the market beyond Posh 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.