Smith.ai vs Goodcall: Pricing, Features and Which to Pick
Per call billing with humans and CRM depth, against per caller billing that is a fraction of the price.
By , research by the BestBots team · Updated Oct 19, 2026
Fact checked against each company's published pricing, documentation and verified user ratings. How we score
Goodcall is the better pick for most English speaking small businesses: about 500 calls a month cost $129 against Smith.ai's $800, and minutes and repeat callers are free. Smith.ai wins for law firms and professional services that need Spanish, live receptionist backup and native Clio, HubSpot or Salesforce sync.
Side by side
| Spec | Smith.ai | Goodcall |
|---|---|---|
| BestBots Score | 4.4 | 3.9 |
| Starting price | $0 per month | $79 per month |
| Pricing model | per call | per unique caller |
| Free trial | Free plan with 25 calls per month | Free demo agent; pay when you connect a number |
| Minutes or calls included | 25 calls free; 75 to 500 calls on paid tiers | 100 to 2,000 unique callers, unlimited minutes |
| Overage | $2.10 to $3.00 per extra call depending on tier | $0.15 to $0.79 per extra unique caller |
| Appointment booking | Yes, AI scheduling with Calendly and other calendars on all plans | Yes, checks your calendar and texts confirmations |
| Live agent backup | Yes, North America based receptionists as a per call add on | No staffed agents; transfers to your team, up to three attempts, then takes a message |
| Languages | English and Spanish | English only ("English, today" per Goodcall) |
| Setup time | About 15 minutes, per Smith.ai | Describe the business to Gabi, review practice calls, then go live; time not published |
| Call recording | Recording, transcripts and summaries on all plans | Yes, every call recorded and transcribed |
| CRM integrations | Clio Grow, Clio Manage, HubSpot, Salesforce, plus Zapier and Make | HighLevel, Google Calendar, Google Sheets, Zapier, plus any API or MCP server as an external tool |
The short answer
- Pick Goodcall if your callers speak English, many call more than once, calls run long, and you can live with HighLevel, Google Calendar, Sheets and Zapier as your integrations.
- Pick Smith.ai if a mishandled call is costly, you need Spanish, a human safety net or native legal and CRM integrations, or you want a stronger verified review record.
Pricing
All prices as listed in October 2026, per month.
| Smith.ai | Goodcall | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing unit | Answered call, any length | Unique caller per month, any number of calls and minutes |
| Free option | 25 calls a month | Free demo agent before connecting a number |
| Entry plan | $150 for 75 calls | $79 for 100 callers (about 150 calls) |
| Mid plan | $270 for 150 calls, $500 for 300 | $129 for 500 callers (about 750 calls) |
| Top published plan | $800 for 500 calls | $299 for 2,000 callers (about 3,000 calls) |
| Overage | $2.10 to $3.00 per call | $0.15 to $0.79 per caller |
| Not billed | Known spam, up to 10% of calls removed per cycle | Spam, wrong numbers, repeat calls |
| Contract | Month to month; six month plans non refundable | Not listed |
Bills at the same call volume. Goodcall uses its own estimate of 1.5 calls per caller.
| Calls a month | Smith.ai | Goodcall |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | $150 plus 25 at $2.50, $212.50 | $79 |
| 200 | about $385 | about $105 |
| 500 | $800 | $129 |
| 1,000 | about $1,850 | about $172 |
Smith.ai costs roughly three to eleven times as much, and the gap widens with volume. Details: Smith.ai pricing and Goodcall pricing. Model your volume in the calculator.
Models and features
| Smith.ai | Goodcall | |
|---|---|---|
| Answering | AI 24/7 | AI 24/7 |
| Human backup | Live North America based receptionists, per call add on | No; transfers to your team, up to three attempts |
| Booking | AI scheduling with Calendly and other calendars | Checks Google Calendar, books, texts confirmations |
| Languages | English, Spanish | English only |
| Native integrations | Clio Grow, Clio Manage, HubSpot, Salesforce, Calendly | HighLevel, Google Calendar, Google Sheets |
| Automation | Zapier, Make; unlimited custom on Enterprise | Zapier, any API or MCP server |
| Recording and transcripts | Every plan | Every call; history 30 days to unlimited by plan |
| Testing | Quality Studio, 50 to 2,000+ simulated calls a month | Gabi practice calls, about 100 to 2,000 test runs |
| Voices | 12+ | 3 |
| Security claims | Encrypted storage | Says SOC 2 and HIPAA compliant |
| Ratings | Trustpilot 4.3 from 375 | Trustpilot 5 reviews, all 1 star |
Head to head scenarios
Plumber or HVAC shop with customers who call back
Winner: Goodcall. A customer who calls for a quote, to book and to check arrival time costs one unit on Goodcall and three calls on Smith.ai. 500 callers cost $129.
Personal injury or family law intake
Winner: Smith.ai. Clio integration, a human backup for distressed callers and Spanish matter more than price when one signed case is worth thousands.
Spanish speaking customers
Winner: Smith.ai. Goodcall answers in English only.
Agency running clients on HighLevel
Winner: Goodcall. HighLevel is native, callers are recognized and updated in the CRM, and Growth's 10 workers and 5 team logins cover several lines.
Testing before you pay
Winner: Smith.ai. Its free plan answers 25 real calls a month. Goodcall's practice calls are useful but simulated.
Vendor track record
Winner: Smith.ai. 375 Trustpilot reviews at 4.3, with replies to nearly all negative ones. Goodcall's small page is unclaimed and entirely about billing complaints, though its Google origin and investors suggest a stable company.
Privacy
Goodcall says it is SOC 2 and HIPAA compliant and commits to telling callers they are speaking with AI and to human review of calls. Smith.ai mentions encrypted storage but does not detail HIPAA or SOC 2 on the pages we opened. Neither publishes a training opt out on the pages we read. Health businesses should request a BAA from either before routing patient calls, and both record every call, so follow your state's consent rules.
Verdict
Goodcall wins on price for nearly every English speaking local business, and its per caller model is fairer for long and repeat calls than Smith.ai's per call billing. Smith.ai wins where the call itself is high stakes: law firms, bilingual offices and professional services that need native CRM sync and a person to fall back on. If your average call is a routine booking, pick Goodcall and keep proof of any cancellation. If a single missed intake costs more than a month of Smith.ai, pick Smith.ai. More options: Goodcall alternatives and Smith.ai alternatives.
Frequently asked questions
Is Goodcall cheaper than Smith.ai?
Yes, by a wide margin. At about 500 calls a month Goodcall Growth costs $129 and Smith.ai Enterprise 500 costs $800. At 200 calls Goodcall is about $105 and Smith.ai about $385.
How do the billing models differ?
Smith.ai bills each answered call, whatever its length. Goodcall bills each unique phone number once a month, so repeat calls from the same customer are free. Neither charges per minute.
Which has a free option?
Smith.ai has a free plan with 25 calls a month on live traffic. Goodcall lets you build a free demo agent and hear practice calls, and billing starts when you connect a number.
Does Goodcall have live receptionists like Smith.ai?
No. Goodcall transfers to your own team, trying up to three people, and takes a message if nobody answers. Smith.ai can escalate to its own live North America based receptionists as a per call add on.
Which is better for Spanish speaking callers?
Smith.ai. It handles English and Spanish on every plan. Goodcall says it answers in English only for now.
Which integrates with more tools?
Smith.ai, with native Clio Grow, Clio Manage, HubSpot, Salesforce and Calendly plus Zapier and Make. Goodcall connects natively to HighLevel, Google Calendar and Google Sheets, plus Zapier and any API or MCP server.