Quo vs Smith.ai
An honest comparison of Quo and Smith.ai for AI phone answering. Find out which service fits your business best.
Quick Overview
Quo is business phone system (formerly openphone) with sona ai agent, starting at $19/user/month. Smith.ai is ai + live agent hybrid for the front office. Both serve the AI phone answering space, but they differ in pricing, features, and target audience.
Quo vs Smith.ai: At a Glance
Quo
AI-First
Best for: Small to mid-size teams needing a modern business phone system with AI features
Smith.ai
Hybrid
Best for: Law firms and professional services needing AI plus live agent backup
Quo vs Smith.ai: Feature Comparison
See how these two services compare on key features.
| Feature | Quo | Smith.ai |
|---|---|---|
| AI Call Handling | Yes | Yes |
| Appointment Booking | Yes | Yes |
| Lead Capture | Yes | Yes |
| Call Recording | Yes | Yes |
| Call Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| Voicemail | Yes | Unknown |
| SMS Notifications | Unknown | Yes |
| Bilingual Support | No | No |
| HIPAA Compliance | No | Unknown |
| CRM Integration | Yes | Yes |
| Zapier Integration | Yes | Unknown |
| Dedicated Phone Number | Yes | Yes |
| Custom AI Training | No | Yes |
| Custom Greetings | Unknown | Yes |
| Quick Setup | Unknown | No |
Pricing Comparison
How Quo and Smith.ai compare on cost.
Quo Pricing
Per-user monthly pricing with tiered AI credit add-ons
$19/user/month (Starter plan)
Starter: $19/user/mo
Phone number per user, unlimited US/CA calling & messaging, voicemail transcripts, Sona AI agent (1,000 free credits / ~10 calls), email support, API access
Business: $33/user/mo
Everything in Starter plus AI call summaries & transcripts, group calling, call transfers, HubSpot & Salesforce integrations, phone menus, analytics, auto call recording, live chat support
Scale: $47/user/mo
Everything in Business plus AI call tags, dedicated onboarding, priority support, inbound phone support
Sona AI agent included on all plans with 1,000 free credits (~10 calls). Additional AI credit tiers: $25/mo (40 calls), $49/mo (100 calls), $99/mo (250 calls), $199/mo (600 calls). Overage rates from $0.45-$1.00 per call. Carrier registration fee of $19.50 one-time for messaging. Annual billing saves ~20%. 7-day free trial available.
Smith.ai Pricing
Per-call pricing with self-service and guided annual plans
$95/month (AI Receptionist self-service)
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 & Weaknesses
Quo
Strengths
- Modern business phone system with unlimited US/CA calling and messaging
- Sona AI agent included on all plans (1,000 free credits)
- Native HubSpot and Salesforce integrations on Business plan
- Well-funded company ($105M raised) with strong product development
- Desktop and mobile apps for seamless communication
Weaknesses
- Per-user pricing — costs scale with team size ($19-$47/user/month)
- AI call summaries require Business plan ($33/user/month)
- Sona AI only includes 10 free calls — additional AI usage costs $25-$199/month extra
- Call transfers require Business plan ($33/user/month)
- No HIPAA compliance advertised
Smith.ai
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)
Looking for a Better Option? Try Dialzara
While Quo and Smith.ai each have their strengths, Dialzara offers a purpose-built AI answering service starting at just $29/month with features that both services charge more for — including bilingual English/Spanish support, appointment booking, call transfers, HIPAA compliance, and Zapier integration on every plan.
Flat pricing with 60 minutes included. No per-user charges.
Enter your website URL and your AI agent is ready to go.
Healthcare-ready on all plans, starting at $29/month.
Quo vs Smith.ai: FAQ
Common questions about the differences between Quo and Smith.ai.