Smith.ai vs PATLive

PATLive sells live receptionists by the minute, and Smith.ai's AI receptionist sells answered calls. Both print a complete rate card, so you can price either one tonight. PATLive's plans run from $99 for 50 minutes to $6,899 for 5,000, with the overage on every tier. Smith.ai's run from a free tier of 25 calls to Enterprise at $500 for 300 to more than 1,000 calls.

The first question is whether you want a person on the line. PATLive's receptionists are people, answering 24/7. Smith.ai's per-call plans are for its AI.

The second is how long your calls run. On PATLive, a four-minute call costs four staffed minutes. On Smith.ai, it's one call whatever the length. Both rate cards were read in September 2026.

Published pricing, side by side

What each vendor prints on its own site. The billing unit decides more of the final bill than the headline price does.

	Smith.ai	PATLive
Billing unit	Per call	Per minute
Entry plan	Free tier at $0 for 25 calls, then $3.00 a call	$49/mo pay as you go with no minutes included, at $2.99 a minute; $99 for 50 minutes
Higher tiers	Pro $150/mo covers 75 to 300 calls at $2.00–$2.17 each; Enterprise $500/mo covers 300 to 1,000+ at $1.60–$1.67	$189 (100 min), $349 (200), $479 (300), $759 (500), $1,499 (1,000), $2,899 (2,000), up to $6,899 (5,000)
Overage rate	Published, and the per-call rate falls as the tier rises	Published on every tier: $2.99 a minute pay as you go, $2.29 on the $99 plan, $1.99 at $349, $1.79 at $759, down to $1.49 at $6,899 (re-read on patlive.com/pricing 2026-09-24)

Read on each vendor's own website in September 2026. Prices move, so check before you buy.

What decides it

The dimensions that change the bill or the service, each as a fact read on the vendor's own site.

	Smith.ai (AI receptionist)	PATLive
Who answers	An AI receptionist you train and test	Live receptionists, 24/7
Billing unit	Per call	Per minute
Lowest plan with usage included	Pro, $150 for 75 to 300 calls	$99 for 50 minutes
Pay as you go	Free tier, 25 calls, then $3.00 a call	$49 a month with no minutes, at $2.99 a minute
Overage on the mid tier	$2.00–$2.17 a call on Pro	$1.99 a minute on the $349 plan
Largest printed plan	Enterprise, $500 for 300 to 1,000+ calls	$6,899 for 5,000 minutes, at $1.49 over

Smith.ai: smith.ai pricing page. PATLive: patlive.com/pricing, re-read 2026-09-24. Both read September 2026.

A contractor's month on both rate cards

Picture a roofing contractor taking 100 calls a month in storm season. Homeowners describe the damage and the address, so calls average three minutes. That's 300 minutes.

On PATLive, 300 minutes is the $479 plan exactly, with no room left for a longer call. On Smith.ai, 100 calls sits inside Pro's range of 75 to 300 at $150.

Double the storm calls and the gap grows. PATLive would need 600 minutes, past the $479 tier and into the $759 plan for 500 plus overage. Smith.ai's count would be 200, still inside Pro.

What PATLive's ladder looks like

PATLive prints eleven tiers. The bottom one is $49 a month with no minutes included, billed at $2.99 a minute. Then $99 buys 50 minutes, $189 buys 100 and $349 buys 200.

Higher up, $479 is 300 minutes, $759 is 500, $1,499 is 1,000 and $2,899 is 2,000. The top printed plan is $6,899 for 5,000. Overage falls as you climb, from $2.29 a minute on the $99 plan to $1.49 at the top.

PATLive builds your script with you, so ask for a copy. It's useful whatever you decide later.

What Smith.ai's per-call plans cover

Smith.ai's AI receptionist has three printed levels. The free tier covers 25 calls, then $3.00 a call. Pro is $150 a month for 75 to 300 calls, at $2.00 to $2.17 each. Enterprise is $500 for 300 to more than 1,000, at $1.60 to $1.67.

You write and test the AI's questions yourself. That's quicker to change than a staffed script, and it means you own the wording from day one.

When a person on the line is the point

Some callers need a human voice: a grieving family calling a funeral home, or an upset client at 2am. If those calls are the core of your phone line, PATLive's staffed model is what you're paying for.

If your calls are mostly bookings, quotes and hours questions, the per-call AI model prices each of them as one call, however long it runs. Listen to a week of your own calls before you decide which kind you have.

Another per-call option, priced lower

Disclosure: GreetKeeper is our product, and this section is the only place it appears. It's an AI receptionist billed per answered call. Starter is $49 a month for 200 calls, then $0.45 a call. Professional is $149 for 750 at $0.35, and Scale is $349 for 2,000 at $0.25.

The 100-call storm month fits inside Starter, and the 200-call month fills it without going over. GreetKeeper books inspections into Google Calendar or Outlook, reads the address and time back first, and texts your on-call person with the details of an urgent call.

When a caller wants a person, GreetKeeper transfers to your team and tries a second number if the first doesn't answer. Calls that arrive together are answered at the same time. Every plan starts with a 14-day free trial, every feature on and no card.

Plan	Monthly	Calls included	After that
StarterFor a single location taking calls one line at a time.	$49	200	$0.45 per call
ProfessionalBooking, routing and transfers included, not an add-on.	$149	750	$0.35 per call
ScaleFor busy phones and longer opening hours.	$349	2,000	$0.25 per call

Questions people ask about this comparison

Is PATLive cheaper than Smith.ai?

For very light use, PATLive's $49 pay-as-you-go plan at $2.99 a minute can be. Once calls run a few minutes, Smith.ai's per-call pricing usually comes out lower: Pro covers 75 to 300 calls for $150, while PATLive's $349 plan covers 200 minutes (September 2026).

What does PATLive charge per minute?

Between $1.49 and $2.99 a minute, by plan. Pay as you go is $2.99 a minute. Overage is $2.29 on the $99 plan, $1.99 at $349, $1.79 at $759 and $1.49 on the $6,899 top tier, per patlive.com/pricing in September 2026.

Does PATLive use real people?

Yes. PATLive sells 24/7 live answering by staffed receptionists, billed by the minute. Smith.ai's per-call plans compared here are for its AI receptionist.

How many minutes does a small business use a month?

Multiply your monthly calls by the average length. A shop with 80 calls at three minutes uses 240 minutes, which falls between PATLive's 200-minute and 300-minute plans. Your phone bill shows both numbers.

Count calls, not minutes

Try GreetKeeper free for 14 days and read the transcript of every storm call.

See it answer a call See pricing