Ilona AI is built for owners who want more than a generic answering service. We build a custom AI voice agent around your calls, policies, handoffs, lead fields, and follow-up process, then keep improving it after real conversations reveal edge cases.
Smith.ai is a strong fit if you want an established receptionist platform with AI and human receptionist options. Ilona AI is different: we are a service company building a SaaS-backed voice agent that gets tuned around the way your business actually works.
This comparison focuses on small business phone answering and AI receptionist use cases. Smith.ai also offers human receptionist services, while Ilona AI focuses on custom AI voice agents and ongoing implementation support.
| Category | Ilona AI | Smith.ai AI Receptionist |
|---|---|---|
| Core offer | Custom AI voice agent built around your exact call flow, lead capture process, routing rules, and business policies. | AI receptionist plans for answering calls, capturing information, and handling common receptionist workflows. |
| Starting price | $199/month for Starter AI Receptionist, plus a $299 setup fee. | $95/month for Starter AI Receptionist. |
| Included usage | 500 AI minutes on Starter, 1,500 on Growth, and 3,000 on Complete. | 50 calls on Starter, 150 calls on Basic, and 500 calls on Pro. |
| Higher tiers | Growth is $499/month. Complete is $999/month. Both include more AI minutes, deeper routing, SMS, and workflow support. | Basic is $270/month. Pro is $800/month. Plans scale by included call bundle. |
| Usage model | Minute-based. Starter overage is $0.40/min, Growth is $0.35/min, and Complete is $0.30/min. | Call-bundle based. Public overages are $2.40/call on Starter, $2.30/call on Basic, and $2.10/call on Pro. |
| Setup approach | Service-led setup with onboarding, prompt buildout, launch QA, and continued optimization from real calls. | Productized receptionist setup through Smith.ai's platform and published plan structure. |
| Included features | Custom onboarding, lead capture, call recordings and transcripts, usage reporting, customer portal, launch QA, and tier-based workflow support. | 24/7 live agents on standby, lead qualification, English and Spanish support, CRM integrations, setup, spam blocking, call summaries and insights, live support, recordings, and transcripts. |
| Lead management | Structured leads can appear inside the Ilona customer portal, with call summaries, transcripts, recordings, and optional Google Sheets logging. | Lead capture and receptionist workflows are part of the Smith.ai receptionist offering. |
| Appointment handling | Available by tier and workflow complexity, including simple live calendar booking when rules are clean. | Supports appointment-related receptionist workflows depending on setup and plan. |
| Best for | Local businesses that want a tailored AI voice agent and a team that will keep refining it. | Teams that want an established receptionist vendor with AI and human receptionist service options. |
The pricing models are not one-to-one. Ilona AI prices around included AI minutes and a custom build. Smith.ai's AI Receptionist plans publish monthly call bundles.
$299 setup fee on all tiers. Monthly retainer starts after setup is complete and the agent is approved for launch.
Smith.ai also offers human virtual receptionist services separately. Review their live pricing page before buying.
A good voice agent does more than pick up the phone. It should know what your business does, what information matters, what counts as urgent, when to transfer, when to collect a lead, and how to summarize the call so your team knows exactly what to do next.
Not always. Smith.ai's AI Receptionist Starter plan is lower at $95/month for 50 calls. Ilona AI starts at $199/month plus setup, but includes 500 AI minutes and a custom build. If you have meaningful call volume or need a tailored workflow, the comparison should be based on usage and outcome, not just the lowest monthly entry price.
Yes. Ilona AI can answer during business hours, after hours, weekends, and holidays. The exact logic depends on your call flow, transfer rules, and what should happen when the owner or team is unavailable.
Yes, appointment handling and live calendar booking are available depending on the tier and complexity of your booking rules. We prefer to test booking flows carefully before launch so the agent does not create messy calendar problems.
No. Your customers interact with your branded phone experience. The Ilona customer portal gives you access to calls, leads, recordings, transcripts, and usage without exposing the underlying tools.
Smith.ai is a trademark of its owner. This independent comparison uses publicly available pricing and feature information reviewed on July 19, 2026. Always confirm live pricing before purchasing because vendor pricing can change.
Tell us what your callers ask, what needs to be captured, and what should happen after the call. We will map the voice agent that fits your business.