Honest comparison
Velogics vs Smith.ai: which fits your front desk?
Two different ways to never miss a lead: a live-staffed receptionist service, or AI agents you run yourself. Here's how they compare on public pricing, features and fit.
Short answer: Smith.ai and Velogics both exist to make sure you never miss a lead, but they are different kinds of product. Smith.ai is a receptionist service: its live-staffed plans, where real people answer, start at $300 USD/mo, and its AI receptionist, with live-agent backup, runs from a free plan to $500 USD/mo. Velogics is AI-first software you run yourself: AI Front Desk answers website chats and forms, books appointments and texts back missed calls for $89/mo CAD, and the AI Receptionist answers the phone for $149/mo CAD, with 300 voice minutes a month. If you want humans on every call and have the budget, Smith.ai fits. If you want software pricing and an AI that also handles your website chat, forms, booking and Google review follow-ups, Velogics fits.
Pricing, side by side
Real public numbers.
Smith.ai figures are as published on smith.ai/pricing when this page was written (2026-09-23). Velogics figures come from our pricing page. Prices change, so check both live pages before you decide.
| Pricing | Velogics | Smith.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Product type | AI agents you run yourself; you can take over any chat, text or email | Live-staffed receptionists, or an AI receptionist with live-agent backup |
| Currency | Canadian dollars (CAD) | US dollars (USD) |
| Entry price | $89 CAD/mo, AI Front Desk | Free AI plan (25 calls/mo); AI Pro $150 USD/mo; live-staffed from $300 USD/mo |
| Voice / call answering | AI Receptionist: $149 CAD/mo with 300 voice minutes a month, added to AI Front Desk | Included in every plan (live agents) |
| What the entry price includes | AI chatbot, smart forms, online booking and missed call text back, with 150 AI conversations a month | 30 calls/mo answered by live agents |
| Mid tier | No tiers: AI employees à la carte, or all seven for $359/mo CAD | $810 USD/mo Basic (90 calls) |
| Top published tier | Add AI employees as you need them, or all seven in the All-in bundle for $359/mo CAD. Custom pricing for multiple locations. | $2,100 USD/mo Pro (300 calls); Enterprise custom |
| Calls beyond the plan | 300 voice minutes a month included; then +100 minutes for $35 CAD, only when you approve it | Live-staffed: $8.50 to $11.50 USD per call. AI plans: $2.10 to $3.00 USD per call |
| Setup fee | $199 CAD one-time for done-for-you setup, free on annual plans | No setup fees |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial on AI Front Desk, when you start it in the app | Free AI plan (25 calls/mo); 30-day money-back guarantee on live-staffed plans (up to $1,000 USD) |
| Billing | Monthly, or annual with 2 months free | Month-to-month; 10% off for annual |
The honest read on price:Smith.ai charges for people's time, which is why its plans are priced by call volume. That's a genuine, higher-touch product. Velogics charges software rates because the AI does the answering: AI Front Desk plus the AI Receptionist comes to $238 CAD/mo, with 300 voice minutes a monthincluded and extra minutes only in packs you approve. Velogics bills in Canadian dollars and Smith.ai quotes US dollars, so convert at today's rate before comparing.
Feature comparison
One AI front office vs a staffed call desk.
Where a Smith.ai capability could not be confirmed on a public page, it is marked conservatively.
| Feature | Velogics | Smith.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Answers inbound phone calls | Yes, with the AI Receptionist | Yes (live agents + AI) |
| Live human agents | No. AI answers; it can put urgent calls through to your own team, and you can take over any chat, text or email | Yes (its core differentiator) |
| Website chat widget | Yes, included in AI Front Desk | Yes (chat plans) |
| Web form instant follow-up | Yes: smart forms reply by text or email in about a minute | Call-backs to web form leads |
| Missed call text back | Yes, included in AI Front Desk | Available |
| Books into your calendar | Yes, with Google Calendar and Outlook sync | Yes |
| CRM sync | Built-in CRM, plus HubSpot and Follow Up Boss sync | Yes (broad) |
| Review follow-up automation | Yes: the AI Reputation Manager, $29/mo CAD | No |
| Outbound (email / voice) | Cold email with AI Prospector; no outbound calling | Outbound call campaigns, priced separately |
| Compliance | Texting consent (TCPA), automatic STOP opt-outs, do-not-contact lists, quiet hours, and your business named with an unsubscribe on every automated message (CASL) | Yes |
| Time to live | Set up with you after a demo | Onboarding-led |
| Country coverage | Canada and the US (built in Ottawa) | US-focused |
When to choose which
Neither is better. They're built for different needs.
Smith.ai buys you people on the phone. Velogics buys you an always-on AI front office at software prices.
Choose Smith.ai if
- You want a real person on every call: complex intake, legal or professional-services conversations, or high-empathy situations where a human judgment call matters.
- Your calls are valuable enough that $300 to $2,100 USD/mo is easily covered by one or two booked jobs.
- You would rather fully outsource the front desk than run software yourself.
Choose Velogics if
- You want a predictable monthly price, with extra minutes only when you approve them.
- You run an appointment-based service business and want one system for website chat, forms, phone, booking, CRM and Google review follow-ups.
- You're comfortable with AI answering first, with anything unusual escalated to you and the option to take over any conversation.
FAQ
Velogics vs Smith.ai, common questions
Is Velogics a Smith.ai alternative?
For answering and booking, yes. Velogics doesn't offer live human answering, so it replaces Smith.ai only if you're comfortable with AI picking up first.
How much does Smith.ai cost?
As of September 2026, Smith.ai's live-staffed plans are $300 USD/mo (Starter, 30 calls), $810 USD/mo (Basic, 90 calls) and $2,100 USD/mo (Pro, 300 calls), with per-call overage of $8.50 to $11.50 USD and no setup fee. Its AI receptionist has a free plan (25 calls a month, then $3.00 USD a call) and paid plans at $150 and $500 USD/mo. Check smith.ai/pricing for current numbers.
Does Velogics use real people?
No. AI agents answer, qualify and book, and anything they can't resolve is escalated to you with a short brief and a suggested reply. If you want to hear what that sounds like, talk to Anna, our own AI receptionist, on our homepage.
Can I switch without changing my business number?
Yes. We set up a phone number for your AI Receptionist, and you forward your existing business line to it instead.
See Velogics on your own business.
Book a demo and we'll show you the AI answering, qualifying and booking your kind of leads.