Smith.ai vs Rosie: Pricing, Features and Which to Pick
Per call billing with a free plan, live backup and CRM depth, against the most minutes per dollar in AI reception.
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
Rosie is the better pick for most local and home service businesses: 1,000 minutes cost $149, English and Spanish are included, and 200 typical calls cost less than half of Smith.ai's $385. Smith.ai wins when you need a free start, booking on the entry plan, a live human backup, or native Clio, HubSpot and Salesforce.
Side by side
| Spec | Smith.ai | Rosie |
|---|---|---|
| BestBots Score | 4.4 | 4.1 |
| Starting price | $0 per month | $49 per month |
| Pricing model | per call | per minute bundle |
| Free trial | Free plan with 25 calls per month | 7 days, no credit card |
| Minutes or calls included | 25 calls free; 75 to 500 calls on paid tiers | 250, 1,000 or 2,000 minutes |
| Overage | $2.10 to $3.00 per extra call depending on tier | Not published |
| Appointment booking | Yes, AI scheduling with Calendly and other calendars on all plans | Google Calendar and Calendly on Scale and up; text booking links on Professional |
| Live agent backup | Yes, North America based receptionists as a per call add on | No staffed agents; warm and live transfers to your team on Scale and up |
| Languages | English and Spanish | English and Spanish |
| Setup time | About 15 minutes, per Smith.ai | Trains from your website and Google Business Profile, then you review |
| Call recording | Recording, transcripts and summaries on all plans | Yes, recording, transcript and AI summary for every call |
| CRM integrations | Clio Grow, Clio Manage, HubSpot, Salesforce, plus Zapier and Make | Zapier (1,000+ apps) |
The short answer
- Pick Rosie if your calls are routine, you want the lowest published cost per minute, and Google Calendar, Calendly and Zapier cover your stack.
- Pick Smith.ai if each call is high value, you need a human safety net, you run Clio, HubSpot or Salesforce, or you want to try an AI receptionist free on real calls first.
Pricing
All prices as listed in October 2026, per month.
| Smith.ai | Rosie | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing unit | Answered call, any length | Minute |
| Free option | 25 calls a month | 7 day trial, no credit card |
| Entry plan | $150 for 75 calls | $49 for 250 minutes |
| Mid plan | $270 for 150 calls, $500 for 300 | $149 for 1,000 minutes |
| Top published plan | $800 for 500 calls | $299 for 2,000 minutes |
| Overage | $2.10 to $3.00 per call | Not published |
| Annual | Month to month; six month plans non refundable | 2 months free yearly |
| Booking on entry paid plan | Yes | Text links only |
Bills at the same volume, assuming 3 minute calls for Rosie:
| Calls a month | Minutes | Smith.ai | Rosie |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 75 | $0 | $49 |
| 100 | 300 | $212.50 | $149 |
| 200 | 600 | about $385 | $149 |
| 500 | 1,500 | $800 | $299 |
Long calls narrow the gap but rarely close it: at 8 minutes a call, 100 calls are 800 minutes, still $149 on Rosie against $212.50 on Smith.ai. See Smith.ai pricing and Rosie pricing, or model your own call length in the calculator.
Models and features
| Smith.ai | Rosie | |
|---|---|---|
| Answering | AI 24/7 | AI 24/7, simultaneous calls |
| Human backup | Live receptionists, per call add on | No; warm and live transfers to your team on Scale |
| Booking | AI scheduling on every plan | Google Calendar, Calendly on Scale and Growth |
| Languages | English, Spanish | English, Spanish |
| Native integrations | Clio Grow, Clio Manage, HubSpot, Salesforce, Calendly | Google Calendar, Calendly |
| Automation | Zapier, Make | Zapier |
| Setup | About 15 minutes, Quality Studio simulated calls | Trains from website and Google Business Profile |
| Voices | 12+ | 10+ |
| Apps | Web dashboard | Native iOS and Android apps |
| Extras | Lead qualification, spam not billed | Website chat widget, spam detection; website texting $50 add on |
| Ratings | Trustpilot 4.3 from 375 | App Store 3.5 from 11 |
Head to head scenarios
Home service company with short booking calls
Winner: Rosie. 1,000 minutes for $149 with booking, transfers and Spanish covers about 330 three minute calls. Smith.ai would charge about $565 for the same 330 calls (Pro 300 plus 30 at $2.17).
Law firm on Clio
Winner: Smith.ai. Native Clio Grow and Clio Manage, intake calls that run long under per call billing, and a human to take distressed callers.
Solo operator with under 25 calls a month
Winner: Smith.ai. The free plan covers it at $0, with booking. Rosie's cheapest plan is $49 and does not book directly.
After hours and overflow only
Winner: Rosie. Conditional forwarding sends only missed calls, and $49 for 250 minutes covers most after hours traffic. Its mobile apps let you follow calls from your phone.
Busy season you cannot predict
Winner: Smith.ai. Every overage rate is published, so a spike has a known cost. Rosie publishes none.
Sales team on HubSpot or Salesforce
Winner: Smith.ai. Calls log natively. Rosie needs Zapier for any CRM.
Before you choose
- Pull last month's call log. Total minutes divided by total calls tells you whether per call (Smith.ai) or per minute (Rosie) billing suits you. At full use, Rosie's Scale plan works out cheaper per call than any Smith.ai tier unless calls average more than about 10 minutes.
- Count the calls that need a person. If more than a few a week need judgment, Smith.ai's live backup is worth pricing out in writing.
- Test on real calls. Run Smith.ai's free plan or Rosie's 7 day trial on after hours calls only, and read every transcript.
- Ask Rosie for its overage rate before a busy season.
Privacy
Smith.ai mentions encrypted storage for calls and filters spam against 20 million+ known numbers; it does not detail HIPAA or SOC 2 on the pages we opened. Rosie does not mention SOC 2, HIPAA or data retention on its homepage or pricing page. Neither publishes a training opt out on the pages we read. Both record every call. Medical and legal offices should get written answers on retention, training use and a BAA from either before going live.
Verdict
Rosie wins on value for routine calls, by a wide margin at every volume above 25 calls, and matches Smith.ai on English and Spanish. Smith.ai wins on everything around the call: a free plan, booking on every tier, published overage, a human backup, native legal and CRM integrations and a much larger review record. Pick Rosie for a home service or local business that wants the most coverage for the least money. Pick Smith.ai if one lost call costs real money. More options: Rosie alternatives and Smith.ai alternatives.
Frequently asked questions
Is Rosie cheaper than Smith.ai?
Yes at almost any volume. 200 calls averaging 3 minutes cost $149 on Rosie Scale and about $385 on Smith.ai. Smith.ai is only cheaper below 25 calls a month, where its free plan costs nothing.
Which one books appointments on the cheapest plan?
Smith.ai, which includes AI scheduling on every plan including Free. Rosie's $49 plan only texts a booking link; direct booking into Google Calendar or Calendly starts on the $149 Scale plan.
Do both speak Spanish?
Yes. Both handle English and Spanish on every plan.
Does Rosie have live receptionists?
No. Rosie transfers calls to your own team, with warm, live and on Growth waterfall transfers. Smith.ai can escalate to its live North America based receptionists as a per call add on.
What happens if I go over my plan?
Smith.ai publishes overage at $2.10 to $3.00 per call. Rosie does not publish a rate for extra minutes, so ask in writing or size up.
Which has better reviews?
Smith.ai has 4.3 on Trustpilot from 375 reviews. Rosie has 3.5 on the App Store from 11 ratings and no Trustpilot reviews, so its record is too thin to compare.