Smith.ai puts live people (and AI) on your calls and bills per call. Edge is a done-for-you AI receptionist at a flat monthly price. Here's the honest difference for contractors.
Smith.ai is a premium human-plus-AI answering service. Real people are great on a complicated call, but their plans run $292 to $975 a month and bill per call, so the cost climbs the busier you get. Edge is a done-for-you AI receptionist at a flat $200/mo with no per-call fees.
Want live people for complex calls and have the budget? Smith.ai. Want every call answered and booked at a flat price with no meter running? Edge.
| Edge Solutions | Smith.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Who answers | AI built for your business | Live people (+ AI option) |
| Pricing | $200/mo flat | $292–$975/mo (human) · ~$95 (AI) |
| Per-call fees | None | ~$10 per call over your plan |
| Cost as you get busier | Stays flat | Climbs with call volume |
| Setup | Done for you, ~2 weeks | Done for you (managed) |
| 24/7 coverage | Yes | Yes |
| Books jobs & routes emergencies | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Flat-price coverage that scales | Live people, bigger budgets |
Smith.ai pricing as of May 2026, from smith.ai and published 2026 pricing summaries. Plans change; check theirs for the latest.
Working right now: a real contractor went live with our receptionist and it caught 17 calls in the first 48 hours, including one after hours and one hang-up that got an instant text back. The owner answered none of them and kept every lead.
For most contractors, yes. Smith.ai's human plans run $292–$975/mo and bill roughly $10 per call over your plan, so the cost grows as you get busier. Edge is a flat $200/mo with no per-call fees, plus a one-time $800 build. Smith.ai's AI tier starts around $95/mo but it's more self-serve and call-limited.
For the routine calls that are most of your volume, a well-built AI answers instantly 24/7 and books the job. People have an edge on rare, complicated calls. Edge handles the routine and routes anything unusual or urgent to your phone, at a flat price.
Smith.ai is mainly live people billed per call. Edge is a done-for-you AI built around your business at a flat monthly price that answers, qualifies, and books every call without a meter running.
Hear the receptionist answer a live call, then tell us about your business. Most basic builds go live in about two weeks.
$800 setup · $200/mo · custom setups quoted before any charge