Smith.ai puts live people on your phone with AI behind them. SvarKlar gives you one AI employee, set up and run for you by its founder. Here is how they differ on price, channels, and fit, with every claim linked to its source.
By SvarKlar on July 20, 2026, updated October 31, 2026, for owners of service firms
What Smith.ai plans cost
Prices as of October 2026. Live plans are billed per call, not per minute.
Plan
Included
Price a month
Each extra call
Live Starter
30 calls
$300
$11.50
Live Basic
90 calls
$810
$10.50
Live Pro
300 calls
$2,100
$8.50
AI Free
25 calls
$0
$3.00
AI Pro
75 calls
$150
$2.50
AI Enterprise
300 calls
$500
$2.17
Sources: Smith.ai live plans and Smith.ai AI plans. Live plans also list an Enterprise plan with custom pricing. Add-ons on live plans: appointment booking $1.50 per call, and SMS or Slack notifications $0.50 per call plus $0.25 per extra ping. Larger AI tiers (150 and 300 calls on Pro, 500 on Enterprise) lower the per-call rate.
Example, not a quote: a month with 38 calls on Live Starter costs $300 plus 8 extra calls at $11.50, which is $392. Adding booking on all 38 calls adds $57, which is $449. The same 38 calls on AI Pro cost $150, because 75 calls are included.
Smith.ai alternatives
Ruby: live receptionist plans run $250 a month for 50 minutes up to $1,725 for 500. Fits shops whose callers expect a human answer.
RingCentral: its AI Receptionist is $49 a month standalone or $39 a month on top of RingEX, with 100 minutes included. Fits shops that want to keep or choose their own phone system.
SvarKlar: $295 a month, setup free, cancel any time. Fits shops that want one founder running it for them.
Side by side
What you are comparing
SvarKlar
Smith.ai
What it is
An AI receptionist, run by its founder, that answers your calls and messages.
Separate live-human and AI-first receptionist plans for business calls. Smith.ai AI plans
Published pricing
$295 a month. Setup free. Cancel any time.
As of October 2026, live plans: $300 a month for 30 calls, $810 for 90, $2,100 for 300, with extra calls at $11.50, $10.50 and $8.50. Smith.ai live plans
AI receptionist pricing
The AI replies are part of the $295 a month.
As of October 2026: Free $0 for 25 calls, Pro $150 for 75, Enterprise $500 for 300. Extra calls cost $3.00 on Free, $2.50 on Pro, $2.17 on Enterprise. Smith.ai AI plans
Live plans offer appointment booking for $1.50 per call. Smith.ai live plans
Contracts and fees
Month to month, setup free, leave any time.
Live plans are month to month with no setup fee; cancelling bills through the current cycle, and 12 months paid up front is 10% off. AI plans need 30 days' notice. Smith.ai live plansSmith.ai AI plans
Trial and cancelling
A person checks every reply until it gets them right. Getting it to answer right is included in the price.
No free trial is listed; the Free AI plan is the nearest. 30-day money-back for new clients on live plans, capped at $1,000, overage excluded. Smith.ai guarantee terms
Integrations
None claimed. SvarKlar does not sync with your CRM.
Frederik is one founder and takes only work he can support. Each customer deals with him directly.
Smith.ai offers staffed, around-the-clock receptionist plans. Smith.ai live plans
Built for
US service businesses: trades, home services, local firms.
Businesses that rely on phone leads, including law firms and other service firms. Smith.ai live plans
Prices and features checked October 2026. We checked key public details; plans and order terms can differ.
Smith.ai: live staff or AI-first calls
Smith.ai has live receptionist plans with North American staff (Smith.ai live plans). It also has AI plans, where AI answers first (Smith.ai AI plans).
Live plans buy calls in monthly blocks and have no setup fee (Smith.ai live plans). New clients can claim a 30-day money-back guarantee, capped at $1,000, with overage excluded (Smith.ai guarantee terms).
Smith.ai Enterprise setup and Frederik's role
Smith.ai's AI Enterprise plan includes full-service setup, custom AI prompting, custom integrations and a dedicated success manager (Smith.ai AI plans). SvarKlar includes setup and ongoing work, done by Frederik, who speaks with you directly. Compare who handles a problem after launch. If the category is new to you, start with what an AI receptionist is.
Smith.ai's call allowance and extra-call charges
Live plans have fixed monthly prices for included calls, and extra calls cost $8.50 to $11.50 each (Smith.ai live plans). A quiet month still costs the plan's monthly price, so compare the allowance with your usual volume.
The AI plans cost less per call and ask for 30 days' notice to cancel (Smith.ai AI plans).
Our take, and yes, we are the ones selling it: if you want every call answered without paying per call, one monthly price may suit your shop better.
Smith.ai puts a human or AI voice on the line, each with a stated call allowance. SvarKlar answers calls with AI, texts back callers it misses and replies to written leads. Choose by your callers' needs and the channels you want covered.
Smith.ai is a trademark of its owner. SvarKlar is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by Smith.ai. See more pages like this on the comparisons hub.
Next step
A call is a short look at your inbound together: what slips today, and which of these two actually fixes it. If Smith.ai is the better fit for your shop, Frederik will say so.
