Smith.ai vs Upfirst
An honest comparison of Smith.ai and Upfirst for AI phone answering. Find out which service fits your business best.
Quick Overview
Smith.ai is ai + live agent hybrid for the front office. Upfirst is ai answering service and virtual receptionist for small businesses. Both serve the AI phone answering space, but they differ in pricing, features, and target audience.
Smith.ai vs Upfirst: At a Glance
Smith.ai
Hybrid
Best for: Law firms and professional services needing AI plus live agent backup
Upfirst
AI-First
Best for: Small businesses, solopreneurs, and service professionals needing budget-friendly 24/7 call coverage
Smith.ai vs Upfirst: Feature Comparison
See how these two services compare on key features.
| Feature | Smith.ai | Upfirst |
|---|---|---|
| AI Call Handling | Yes | Yes |
| Appointment Booking | Yes | Yes |
| Lead Capture | Yes | Yes |
| Call Recording | Yes | Yes |
| Call Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| SMS Notifications | Yes | Yes |
| Bilingual Support | No | Yes |
| HIPAA Compliance | Unknown | No |
| CRM Integration | Yes | Unknown |
| Zapier Integration | Unknown | Yes |
| Dedicated Phone Number | Yes | Yes |
| Custom AI Training | Yes | Unknown |
| Custom Greetings | Yes | Unknown |
| Spam Filtering | Unknown | Yes |
| Quick Setup | No | Yes |
Pricing Comparison
How Smith.ai and Upfirst compare on cost.
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.
Upfirst Pricing
Per-call pricing with monthly tiers
$24.95/month (Starter)
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 & Weaknesses
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)
Upfirst
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
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
Looking for a Better Option? Try Dialzara
While Smith.ai and Upfirst 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.
Smith.ai vs Upfirst: FAQ
Common questions about the differences between Smith.ai and Upfirst.