PATLive vs Smith.ai AI Receptionist
Live (human) answering service; included here as the benchmark AI receptionists are compared against.
Estimate, not a vendor claim: 5 missed calls/week × 40% close rate × $350 avg job. Change the numbers to match your shop.
Shops that want AI answering with live-human fallback for complex calls
Estimate, not a vendor claim: 5 missed calls/week × 40% close rate × $350 avg job. Change the numbers to match your shop.
Side-by-side
| PATLive | Smith.ai AI Receptionist | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Live answering service | AI + live backup |
| Lowest listed plan | Pay as you go: $49/mo | Free: $0/mo |
| Highest listed plan | 500 minutes: $759/mo | Enterprise: $500/mo |
| Plans listed | 4 | 3 |
| Billing | — | Per call |
| Free trial | — | Free plan (25 calls/mo) |
| Contract | — | Month-to-month, 30 days' notice |
| After hours | — | 24/7 AI + live human backup |
| Integrations | — | Calendly, Clio, Zapier |
| Best for | — | Shops that want AI answering with live-human fallback for complex calls |
| Price verified | 2026-10-13 | 2026-10-13 |
Choose PATLive if… / Choose Smith.ai AI Receptionist if…
- + Publishes its prices openly
- + Free trial or free tier available
- + Human receptionists answer calls
- + Publishes its prices openly
- + Try before you buy: Free plan (25 calls/mo)
- + No long-term contract required (per vendor)
- + Billed per call, so long calls don't cost more
- • Watch: Minute-based billing: estimate your talk time
Based on each vendor's published pricing and documentation.
Full plan lists for PATLive and Smith.ai AI ReceptionistRead more ▾
PATLive plans
| Plan | List price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pay as you go | $49/mo | No included minutes; $2.99/min |
| 100 minutes | $189/mo | |
| 200 minutes | $349/mo | |
| 500 minutes | $759/mo |
Source: https://www.patlive.com/pricing/ · verified on 2026-10-13. Prices in USD as listed by the vendor; taxes, setup fees and usage overages may apply.
Smith.ai AI Receptionist plans
| Plan | List price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo | 25 calls/mo, $3.00 per extra call |
| Pro | $150/mo | 75 calls/mo (~$2.00/call) |
| Enterprise | $500/mo | 300 calls/mo (~$1.67/call) |
Source: https://smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist · verified on 2026-10-13. Prices in USD as listed by the vendor; taxes, setup fees and usage overages may apply.
FAQ
Is PATLive cheaper than Smith.ai AI Receptionist?
By listed starting price, Smith.ai AI Receptionist is cheaper (From $49/mo vs From $0/mo, verified 2026-10-13). The total depends on your users, calls or minutes.
Which has a free trial?
PATLive: not stated on vendor site. Smith.ai AI Receptionist: Free plan (25 calls/mo).
Do I need a contract?
PATLive: ask vendor. Smith.ai AI Receptionist: Month-to-month, 30 days' notice.
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