PhoneFlow vs Smith.ai

Two AI Solutions, Different Approaches

Smith.ai offers both AI receptionists (starting at $95/month) and human receptionists (starting at $292.50/month). Their AI handles initial screening, with human agents available for escalation. It's a solid hybrid approach.

PhoneFlow is built differently. We're not a platform with features to configure or a hybrid service to manage. We're a complete business solution with practical reception experience in mind. Features that work the way real businesses need them to work, not the way a product manager imagined they should.

The real question isn't "AI vs human." It's: do you want a platform to manage, or a solution that just works?

Cost Reality Check

Smith.ai's AI pricing looks simple at first: $95/month. But that's only for 50 calls.

Assuming average 3-minute calls:

• Smith.ai $95/month: 50 calls = 150 minutes of coverage
• PhoneFlow for 150 minutes: $37.50/month (150 × $0.25)

Now flip it around. What does $95 get you with PhoneFlow?

• PhoneFlow $95/month: 380 minutes = 6.33 hours of talk time
• Smith.ai for 380 minutes: ~127 calls = $270/month (150-call plan)

Usage-based pricing isn't inherently better or worse than flat-rate. But when you do the math, PhoneFlow's $0.25/minute becomes significantly more cost-effective as your call volume increases.

Where Smith.ai Excels

Smith.ai has built a solid offering with real strengths:

• Hybrid flexibility: Choose AI-only, human-only, or blended based on your needs
• Human escalation: About 20% of their AI calls route to human agents when needed
• Integration library: 7,000+ integrations including major CRMs and legal software
• Established reputation: 5,000+ business clients, 20M+ calls handled
• Flat-rate pricing: Predictable monthly costs for budgeting, if you stay within call limits

Where PhoneFlow Excels

PhoneFlow is built for businesses who need a working system, not another platform:

• Real business controls: Staff directory protection with per-user information sharing settings. Server-side enforcement means the AI literally cannot be tricked into revealing protected info.
• Tenant defaults + per-user overrides: Set company-wide policies, let individuals customize. Real organizational control, not just checkboxes.
• Extension support: Actual phone system integration with extension-based transfers and routing.
• Built by practitioners: Designed by people who've missed calls on job sites, not product managers who've never worked a phone. Features work the way you'd expect them to.
• 90-second setup: Working AI receptionist, not a project to configure.

The Real Difference

Both Smith.ai and PhoneFlow offer AI receptionists. Both can answer calls, take messages, and book appointments. The comparison table features look similar.

But try to set up staff directory protection where the AI can share names but not personal phone numbers, with certain team members able to override that policy. Or tenant-wide transfer confirmation that individual users can customize. Or extension-based routing that actually works like a phone system.

That's where the difference shows up. Not in marketing checkboxes, but in whether the features work the way a business actually needs them to work.

Who Should Choose Smith.ai

Businesses who want the option of human escalation for complex calls, or who prefer a hybrid AI/human approach. Their 7,000+ integrations and established track record are genuine strengths.

Who Should Choose PhoneFlow

Businesses who need a working phone system, not a platform to manage. Companies with real organizational structure (multiple users, different permission needs, extension-based routing). Anyone who's frustrated that AI "features" never work the way you'd expect them to.

Pricing information as of December 2025. Features, pricing, and availability are subject to change. Please verify current rates directly with each provider.