At a glance
Side by side.
| Feature | Smith.ai | Blumeo. |
|---|---|---|
| Who answers | An AI receptionist, live receptionists, or a hybrid, depending on the plan | AI receptionist (it tells callers it's automated), with emergencies and anything it can't handle passed to you |
| Starting price | AI: $0 (25 calls) or $150/month (Pro). Live: $300/month (Starter) | $197/month (Starter) |
| Included each month | AI Pro: 75 calls. Live Starter: 30 calls | 100 calls and 500 texts on Starter; spam, wrong numbers and hang-ups aren't counted |
| Past the allowance | AI Pro: $2.50 a call. Live Starter: $11.50 a call | $1 a call |
| Setup fee | None on live plans; not stated for AI plans | None |
| Contract | Month-to-month, with 30 days' notice to cancel | None, cancel any time |
| Free trial | A free AI plan (25 calls); a money-back guarantee on live plans | 7 days |
| Hours | 24/7 | 24/7 |
| Spanish | AI: English and Spanish. Live: $1.00 a call for a dedicated Spanish line | Yes |
| Books appointments | Yes. Integrations include ServiceTitan, Jobber and Housecall Pro; live plans charge $1.50 a call to book | Yes, into Google Calendar |
| Emergencies | Warm transfers; live receptionists can coordinate emergency dispatch | Passed to your on-call phone |
| Texts back missed callers | Live plans: text and email follow-up at $0.50 a call. AI plans: not stated | Yes, within a minute, on every plan |
Smith.ai's details come from its own website, checked on November 12, 2026. Prices and plans change, so check Smith.ai's site before you decide. Blumeo wrote this page.
Which one fits
Who should pick which.
Smith.ai is the better pick if
- You want a real person to answer some or all of your calls, and you're happy to pay per call for it.
- You get only a handful of calls a month and the free AI plan covers them.
- You need a deep ServiceTitan setup with their team configuring it.
Blumeo is the better pick if
- You want one monthly price with booking, Spanish and missed-call text-back included rather than added per call.
- You're a small HVAC, plumbing, electrical or roofing crew and want a receptionist built only for the trades.
- You want the same plan to ask for Google reviews and chase open estimates (Pro and up).
- You'd rather try it on your own business in 30 seconds than book a consultation.
Questions
Blumeo vs Smith.ai: what owners ask.
Is Blumeo cheaper than Smith.ai?
It depends on your call volume and what you need. Smith.ai's AI Pro plan is $150 a month for 75 calls and $2.50 for each extra call; Blumeo Starter is $197 a month for 100 calls and $1 for each extra call, with booking, Spanish and missed-call text-back included. Smith.ai's live receptionists start at $300 a month for 30 calls. Check Smith.ai's pricing page for its current numbers.
Does Blumeo have live receptionists like Smith.ai?
No. Blumeo is an AI receptionist, and it tells callers so. Emergencies and anything it can't handle go straight to your phone with the caller's details. If you want a person on every call, a live service like Smith.ai's Virtual Receptionists is the better fit.
Can I try Blumeo before switching from Smith.ai?
Search for your business on blumeo.ai and Blumeo builds a receptionist from your Google listing in about 30 seconds. You can talk to it before you sign up, then forward only the calls you miss to start.
More comparisons
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- Best electrical answering services
- Best roofing answering services
- AI receptionist vs answering service vs voicemail
Sources, checked November 12, 2026
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