Gwen vs Smith.ai
Smith.ai sells two different products: an AI Receptionist priced per call, and Virtual Receptionists, where people answer your calls. Here is how both compare with Gwen, using only what Smith.ai publishes on its own pricing pages.
Side by side
Smith.ai facts come from Smith.ai's own pages, checked November 1, 2026. Prices change; check their site before you decide.
| Gwen | Smith.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $297 a month, one plan | AI Receptionist: Free plan at $0 a month (25 calls, then $3.00 a call), Pro from $150 a month (75 calls), Enterprise from $500 a month. Virtual Receptionists: $300 a month for 30 calls, $810 for 90 calls, $2,100 for 300 calls |
| Who answers | AI | AI Receptionist (AI, with a paid human backup option) or Virtual Receptionists (people) |
| How you're billed | One monthly price | Per call. Extra AI calls cost $2.17 to $3.00 each depending on the plan; extra human calls cost $8.50 to $11.50 each |
| Setup fee | None | Virtual Receptionists: no setup fees. AI Receptionist: no setup fee is listed |
| Contract | No contract. Cancel anytime; service runs to the end of the month you paid for. | Month to month. The AI Receptionist page says cancellation needs 30 days' notice |
| Try before you pay | Free, private demo trained on your own website | AI: the Free plan. Virtual Receptionists: a 30-day money-back guarantee for new clients |
| Spanish | Yes, English and Spanish | AI: English and Spanish. Virtual Receptionists: a dedicated Spanish line is a $1.00 a call add-on |
| Booking | Takes the request and a preferred time, emailed to you to confirm | AI: scheduling through Calendly and other calendars. Virtual Receptionists: appointment booking is a $1.50 a call add-on |
| Home service trades | Built for home service trades, with emergency rules per trade | Lists home services as one of many industries |
When Smith.ai is the better choice
- You want a person, not an AI, to answer some or all calls. Smith.ai's Virtual Receptionists are live people.
- You want appointments booked straight into your calendar or details written into a CRM such as HubSpot or Salesforce.
- You get very few calls. The AI Receptionist's Free plan covers 25 real calls a month at no monthly charge.
When Gwen is the better choice
- You want one monthly price instead of a per-call bill that changes with your busy season.
- You run a home service business and want a receptionist whose emergency steps are written for your trade.
- You want to try it as your own company first: we build the demo from your website before you pay anything.
What Gwen does on every call
Gwen tells every caller she is an AI and that the call is recorded. She answers from your own website, gives basic safety steps on emergencies (leave the home, call 911 or the utility, shut off the water, or switch off a breaker when it's safe) and never coaches a repair. Every request is emailed to you with the full conversation. See Gwen for plumbers, HVAC, roofers and electricians.
Sources: Smith.ai, AI Receptionist pricing, AI Receptionist, Virtual Receptionists pricing. Checked November 1, 2026. Gwen is not affiliated with Smith.ai. Product names belong to their owners.
See Gwen answer as your company before you decide
Send us your website and we'll build a free, private demo trained on your own pages. Try it like a customer would and compare it with anything else on your list.
$297 a month, no setup fee, cancel anytime.