Compare · prices read 2 September 2026
Smith.ai offers human receptionist services priced by calls. Sureline uses AI agents to handle routine calls and hand the calls that need a person to your own team. Starter includes 10 hours of call time each month for $83.33/month billed annually at $1,000/year, or $100 billed monthly.
Smith.ai's prices are from smith.ai/pricing; Sureline's from the plan pricing. Both change, so the date at the top is part of the claim.
The same month, billed by each
About 60 four-minute calls. The Sureline figure is an annual monthly equivalent; competitor figures use the monthly terms in the cited snapshot. This is a subscription comparison, not an all-in invoice.
Competitor prices are a snapshot from 2 September 2026; check each vendor for current terms. Sureline shows subscription prices, with included call time. Additional services are not included in this comparison.
Criterion by criterion
| Sureline | Smith.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Who answers | An AI agent you built, in a voice you picked | Human receptionists, 24/7 |
| Pricing model | Starter: $83.33/month billed annually at $1,000/year, or $100 billed monthly. Growth: $1,000/month. Scale: $1,500/month. Call time included. | Plans of calls: $300 for 30, $810 for 90, $2,100 for 300 |
| Monthly minimum | $100 monthly, or $1,000 annually | $300 |
| A call past the plan | Contact sales for additional usage terms | $11.50, $10.50 or $8.50 |
| Books appointments | Included | $1.50 a call |
| Transfers a live call | To you or your team, with a whispered summary | To one destination free; more on higher plans |
| Texts the caller | Included, 1.2¢ a text | Text and e-mail follow-up, $0.50 a call |
| Call recording and transcript | Included | $0.25 a call |
| Your phone number | Forwarded, never ported; undo by dialing a code | Forwarded |
| Website and app | Same agent, same voice, no telephone involved | Web chat, staffed |
| Free to start | Limited time 60 day free trial through Oct 15th | 30-day money-back guarantee |
Smith.ai from smith.ai/pricing, read 2 September 2026 · Sureline from sureline.io/pricing and the product
Who should pick which
Pick Smith.ai if your callers must hear a human on every call and your volume is low enough that $300 a month buys peace of mind. Pick Sureline if you want the routine calls handled within your monthly call allowance, and the rare call that needs a person handed to you with a summary.
| Included capacity | Starter | Growth | Scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Published agents | 1 | 3 | 8 |
| Simultaneous calls | 1 | 5 | 10 |
| Call time each month | 10 hours | 120 hours | 200 hours |
| Annual billing | $1,000/year | $10,000/year | $15,000/year |
| Monthly billing | $100/month | $1,000/month | $1,500/month |
FAQ
Yes, if they ask, and the agent says so. It speaks in a natural voice, gives its name and gets on with the job. Most callers care that the water heater visit is booked for 8 a.m., not who booked it.
It hands the call to a person you named, live, with a whispered summary before they pick up, or it books a callback and writes up what happened. It never guesses.
You can route by hours and by rule: Sureline can take nights and weekends on a forwarded line and leave the day to whoever answers it now. Most customers stop paying for the day desk within a month.
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