Honest comparison · researched October 2026
A Smith.ai alternative for contractors
Smith.ai sells both human receptionists and an AI receptionist, priced per call. Partner’s receptionist is AI only, priced by the minute, and set up for contractors — the trade questions, the emergencies, and a lead in the app you estimate and invoice from.
Partner: $99/mo for 300 minutes ($0.35/min after), 30-day trial · Smith.ai AI: free for 25 calls, $150/mo for 75 calls, $500 for 300
Smith.ai’s AI receptionist is month-to-month with a 30-day money-back guarantee; extra calls cost more per call than the plan rate. Its human receptionist starts at $300/mo for 30 calls.
Choose Smith.ai if…
- You want the option of a live human taking over — Smith.ai can hand callers to its own agents
- You want to start on a free tier (25 calls a month, $3 a call after)
- You run a law firm or agency on Clio — its native integrations lean that way
Choose Partner’s receptionist if…
- Billed by the minute: $99/mo for 300 minutes, where Smith.ai’s Pro plan is $150 for 75 calls
- Spam and calls under 15 seconds don’t use your minutes
- It asks the questions your trade needs and follows your emergency rules (a leak, no heat in a freeze, a roof a storm left open), set per trade
- Every caller lands in Partner as a lead you can turn into an estimate, a scheduled job and an invoice — the same app, not an export
Set up for your trade: Roofers · Plumbers · HVAC contractors · Electricians · Remodelers
Sources
Competitor figures are from the vendor’s own published pages, checked on the date shown in Sources; plans and prices change, so check the source before you buy. Feature availability may vary by plan. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.