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

> Canonical: https://dialzara.com/compare/smith-ai-vs-upfirst  
> Summary: Reference comparison of Smith.ai (ai + live agent hybrid for the front office) and Upfirst (ai answering service and virtual receptionist for small businesses) — pricing, features, strengths, and when each one fits.

## Summary

Smith.ai is ai + live agent hybrid for the front office. Upfirst is ai answering service and virtual receptionist for small businesses. 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

| | Smith.ai | Upfirst |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Type** | hybrid | ai-first |
| **Starting price** | $95/month (AI Receptionist self-service) | $24.95/month (Starter) |
| **Pricing model** | Per-call pricing with self-service and guided annual plans | Per-call pricing with monthly tiers |
| **Public pricing** | Yes | Yes |
| **Target market** | Law firms and professional services needing AI plus live agent backup | Small businesses, solopreneurs, and service professionals needing budget-friendly 24/7 call coverage |

## Feature comparison

| Feature | Smith.ai | Upfirst | 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 / Both offer appointment booking; Upfirst integrates with Google Calendar, Outlook, and Clio |
| 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 |  |
| SMS Notifications | Yes | Yes | Yes | Both send instant call summaries via SMS or email |
| Bilingual Support | No | Yes | Yes | Dialzara includes bilingual English/Spanish on all plans; Smith.ai charges $1.00/call extra for Spanish on Virtual Receptionists / Upfirst supports 35+ languages; Dialzara offers bilingual English/Spanish support |
| HIPAA Compliance | Unknown | No | Yes | Dialzara is HIPAA compliant for healthcare businesses; Upfirst does not advertise HIPAA compliance |
| CRM Integration | Yes | Unknown | Yes | Smith.ai supports 143 integrations including HubSpot, Salesforce, Clio |
| Zapier Integration | Unknown | Yes | Yes | Both include Zapier on all plans for CRM and app connections |
| Dedicated Phone Number | Yes | Yes | Yes |  |
| Custom AI Training | Yes | Unknown | Yes | Smith.ai supports up to 50 custom Q&A pairs on AI Receptionist |
| Custom Greetings | Yes | Unknown | Yes |  |
| Spam Filtering | Unknown | Yes | Yes | Upfirst does not count spam calls toward your total; both filter unwanted calls |
| Quick Setup | No | Yes | Yes | Enter your URL and your AI agent trains on your business instantly; Smith.ai's guided plans take 48+ hours to set up / Dialzara trains from your website URL in 2 minutes; Upfirst setup takes about 10-30 minutes |

## 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/)

## About Upfirst

Upfirst is an AI-powered virtual receptionist that answers calls 24/7, captures leads, schedules appointments, and transfers calls. They use per-call pricing starting at $24.95/mo for 30 calls, with all features included on every plan. They support 35+ languages and offer Zapier integration. However, per-call pricing means you pay the same whether a call lasts 30 seconds or 10 minutes, and the Starter plan includes only 30 calls with $1.50 overage per additional call.

- **Type:** ai-first
- **Target market:** Small businesses, solopreneurs, and service professionals needing budget-friendly 24/7 call coverage
- **Website:** https://upfirst.ai

### Upfirst pricing

- **Model:** Per-call pricing with monthly tiers
- **Starting price:** $24.95/month (Starter)
- **Per-minute rate:** $1.50/call overage on Starter, $1.00 on Premium, $0.75 on Pro, $0.70 on Scale
- **Public pricing:** Yes

| Tier | Price | Details |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starter | $24.95/mo | 30 calls included, $1.50 per additional call, all features included |
| Premium | $59.95/mo | 90 calls included, $1.00 per additional call, all features included |
| Pro | $159.95/mo | 300 calls included, $0.75 per additional call, all features included |
| Scale | $299/mo | 600 calls included, $0.70 per additional call, all features included |

Annual billing saves 20% (Starter: $20/mo, Premium: $48/mo, Pro: $128/mo, Scale: $240/mo). Per-call pricing — you pay the same whether a call is 30 seconds or 10 minutes. Spam calls, calls under 15 seconds, and pocket dials are not counted. 14-day free trial with no credit card required.

### Strengths

- Low starting price at $24.95/month — one of the cheapest AI answering services
- Most features included on every plan — minimal upselling or tier-gating
- 35+ language support on all plans
- Per-call pricing means longer calls don't cost more
- Spam calls, pocket dials, and calls under 15 seconds are not billed
- 14-day free trial with no credit card required
- Clean, simple interface designed for non-technical users
- Transparent pricing with no hidden fees

### Weaknesses

- Only 30 calls included on the $24.95/mo Starter plan — businesses with moderate call volume will quickly exceed this
- Per-call pricing can be expensive for short calls — a 30-second call costs the same as a 10-minute call
- Overage costs add up quickly at $1.50 per additional call on Starter
- No HIPAA compliance — not suitable for healthcare or regulated industries
- Basic integrations compared to more robust platforms
- Simple workflow capabilities — not ideal for complex multi-step call handling
- Limited voice customization compared to some competitors

## Frequently asked questions

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

Smith.ai is ai + live agent hybrid for the front office. Upfirst is ai answering service and virtual receptionist for small businesses. Smith.ai targets law firms and professional services needing ai plus live agent backup, while Upfirst targets small businesses, solopreneurs, and service professionals needing budget-friendly 24/7 call coverage. Both offer AI-powered call handling, but they differ in pricing, features, and target audience.

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

Smith.ai starts at $95/month (AI Receptionist self-service), while Upfirst starts at $24.95/month (Starter). Per-call pricing with self-service and guided annual plans. Per-call pricing with monthly tiers. The total cost depends on your call volume, team size, and which features you need.

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

Neither Smith.ai nor Upfirst advertises HIPAA compliance. If you need HIPAA-compliant phone answering for healthcare or regulated businesses, you may need to look at other providers in the space.

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

It depends on your specific needs. 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). Upfirst's strengths include: low starting price at $24.95/month — one of the cheapest ai answering services, most features included on every plan — minimal upselling or tier-gating. Consider your call volume, budget, and which features matter most to your business when choosing between them.

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

There are several AI phone answering services on the market beyond Smith.ai and Upfirst. 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.