Side by side (checked 30 Oct 2026)
KaiCalls
- ✓ $2 for your first week for eligible new subscribers
- ✓ Kai Backup $10/mo (~20 calls, 48 min, $0.50/call)
- ✓ Kai Line $79/mo (~170 calls, 408 min, $0.46/call)
- ✓ Kai Office $349/mo (~800 calls, 1,920 min, 3 office lines, $0.44/call)
- ✓ Calendar booking on every plan & no per-minute overage
- — AI-only (live transfers to your team; no staffed human tier)
Smith.ai (AI & Human)
- ✓ Permanently Free AI plan for 25 calls/mo (card required; $3.00/call overage can be switched off)
- ✓ AI Scheduling included on AI Receptionist plans ($150/mo for 75 calls; $500/mo for 300 calls)
- ✓ Live human Virtual Receptionists available ($300/mo for 30 calls to $2,100/mo for 300 calls)
- — Paid AI plans cost $1.67 to $2.00 per included call ($2.17–$3.00/call overage)
- — Human plans charge $1.50 per booked appointment and $8.50–$11.50 per extra call
Every published Smith.ai & KaiCalls plan compared (checked 30 Oct 2026)
| Vendor & Plan | Type | Monthly Price | Included Calls / Min | Over the Allowance | Per Included Call | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KaiCalls — Kai Backup | AI | $10/mo ($2 first wk) | ~20 calls (48 min) | No per-minute overage | $0.50 | Included |
| KaiCalls — Kai Line | AI | $79/mo ($2 first wk) | ~170 calls (408 min) | No per-minute overage | $0.46 | Included |
| KaiCalls — Kai Office | AI | $349/mo ($2 first wk) | ~800 calls (1,920 min, 3 lines) | No per-minute overage | $0.44 | Included |
| Smith.ai AI — Free | AI | $0/mo | 25 calls | $3.00/call (can switch off) | $0.00 | AI scheduling included |
| Smith.ai AI — Pro 75 | AI | $150/mo | 75 calls | $2.50/call | $2.00 | AI scheduling included |
| Smith.ai AI — Pro 150 | AI | $270/mo | 150 calls | $2.30/call | $1.80 | AI scheduling included |
| Smith.ai AI — Enterprise 300 | AI | $500/mo | 300 calls | $2.17/call | $1.67 | AI scheduling included |
| Smith.ai AI — Enterprise 500 | AI | $800/mo | 500 calls | $2.10/call | $1.60 | AI scheduling included |
| Smith.ai Human — Starter | Human | $300/mo | 30 calls | $11.50/call | $10.00 | +$1.50/booking |
| Smith.ai Human — Basic | Human | $810/mo | 90 calls | $10.50/call | $9.00 | +$1.50/booking |
| Smith.ai Human — Pro | Human | $2,100/mo | 300 calls | $8.50/call | $7.00 | +$1.50/booking |
Sources: smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist, smith.ai/pricing/receptionists, and kaicalls.com/pricing, all checked 30 Oct 2026 with monthly billing selected. Compare all 11 vendors in our 2026 AI receptionist cost guide.
Scored comparison (30 Oct 2026)
Using the five objective scoring rules from our 10-service scored comparison (calls per dollar, overage protection, booking included, flat per-call billing, and human fallback), here is how KaiCalls and Smith.ai's AI and Human plans score:
| Service (plan) | Calls per $ | Overage | Booking | Flat per call | Human fallback | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KaiCalls (Kai Backup, $10, ~20 calls) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9/10 |
| KaiCalls (Kai Line, $79, ~170 calls) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9/10 |
| Smith.ai AI Receptionist (Free, $0, 25 calls) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7/10 |
| Smith.ai AI Receptionist (Pro, $150, 75 calls) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5/10 |
| Smith.ai Virtual Receptionists (Starter, $300, 30 human calls) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5/10 |
Why Smith.ai AI Pro ($150/mo) scores 5/10: at $2.00 per included call ($150 / 75 calls) it exceeds the $1.00/call threshold for Calls per $, and its $2.50/call overage exceeds the $1.00/call threshold for Overage. Smith.ai's Free 25-call AI tier scores 7/10 because the first 25 calls are $0, while extra calls are $3.00/call.
What the same call volume costs
Because both KaiCalls and Smith.ai price by the call rather than by the minute, comparing monthly cost at your actual call volume is straightforward:
- At 20 calls/month: Smith.ai AI Free is $0/mo (up to 25 calls); KaiCalls Kai Backup is $10/mo ($2 first week); Smith.ai Human Starter is $300/mo.
- At 100 calls/month: KaiCalls Kai Line is $79/mo (covers ~170 calls); Smith.ai AI Pro 75 + 25 extra calls is $212.50/mo; Smith.ai Human Basic + 10 extra calls is $915/mo.
- At 170 calls/month: KaiCalls Kai Line is $79/mo (~170 calls); Smith.ai AI Pro 150 + 20 extra calls is $316/mo; Smith.ai Human Basic + 80 extra calls is $1,650/mo.
- At 500 calls/month: KaiCalls Kai Office is $349/mo (~800 calls, 3 office lines); Smith.ai AI Enterprise 500 is $800/mo.
How does KaiCalls compare with Smith.ai and CallRail?
Ready to try it on your own number? Compare KaiCalls plans
Where Smith.ai beats KaiCalls
- A permanently free 25-call AI plan. If you get 25 or fewer calls a month and switch off overages, Smith.ai's Free AI Receptionist plan costs $0/month (card required at signup).
- Live human Virtual Receptionists. Smith.ai offers live North America-based receptionists ($300 to $2,100/mo) and can escalate calls from AI to its own human staff. KaiCalls is AI-only and transfers calls to your own team.
- Deep law-firm and enterprise integrations. Smith.ai is built around legal intake, conflict checks, and enterprise CRM workflows.
Where KaiCalls beats Smith.ai
- Cost per call past 25 calls ($0.44–$0.50 vs. $1.60–$2.00). Once you pass 25 calls a month, Smith.ai's paid AI plans cost 3.5x to 4.3x more per included call than KaiCalls ($150 for 75 calls vs. $79 for ~170 calls on Kai Line).
- No per-call or per-minute overage spikes. Smith.ai bills $2.10 to $3.00 per extra AI call and $8.50 to $11.50 per extra human call. KaiCalls has no per-minute overage.
- Start for $2 for your first week, then $10/month. Test live calls on your existing number with conditional call forwarding.
Want to see what unanswered calls are costing your business first? Run our missed call cost calculator or the AI receptionist ROI calculator.