Smith.ai charges $7–$12 per answered call on top of their $292/mo base price. One busy month and you're looking at a $600+ bill. BookedUp is $49/mo flat — forever.
✓ 7-day free trial · ✓ No credit card required · ✓ No contracts
Smith.ai is a solid human-staffed answering service — but it's built for law firms and agencies with large budgets. If you're a service business (plumbing, HVAC, salons, contractors) who just needs missed calls handled, automated booking, and follow-ups without a surprise bill, BookedUp is the faster, cheaper, smarter choice.
Also compare BookedUp against:
Every feature that matters to a service business owner.
| Feature | BookedUp | Smith.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Base Price | $49–$99/mo | $292–$600+/mo |
| Per-Call Fees | ✓ None — ever | ✗ $7–$12 per call HIDDEN COST |
| Setup Fee | ✓ Free | ✗ $300–$500 one-time |
| Contract Required | ✓ No — month-to-month | ✗ Annual contract required |
| Missed Call Text-Back | ✓ Instant, automated (24/7) | ✗ Not available |
| Online Booking Built-In | ✓ Included | ✗ Not included |
| Appointment Reminders | ✓ Automated | ✗ Not available |
| Follow-Up Messages | ✓ Automated | ✗ Not available |
| Technology | ✓ 100% AI | Mostly human agents |
| Response Speed | ✓ Under 60 seconds | Minutes (human response time) |
| 24/7 Coverage | ✓ Always on | Limited after-hours coverage |
| Setup Time | ✓ 5 minutes | ✗ 1–2 week onboarding |
| Free Trial | ✓ 7 days, no card required | ✗ No free trial |
| Predictable Monthly Bill | ✓ 100% predictable | ✗ Spikes every busy month |
Start your free 7-day trial. No credit card. No contracts. Full features.
Start Free Trial — No Card Needed →Real complaints we hear from business owners who switched.
Smith.ai's base plan includes just 20–30 calls. After that, you pay $7–$12 per call. A plumber with a busy week can rack up $300+ in overage charges without warning — on top of their $292/mo base.
Most Smith.ai plans require an annual commitment. If your business slows down, if you're unhappy, or if you find something better — you're still paying. Canceling early means losing months of fees.
Smith.ai isn't plug-and-play. You need to train human agents on your business, write scripts, wait for setup. Leads you're missing right now don't wait for onboarding to complete.
Smith.ai answers calls — that's it. There's no built-in booking, no appointment reminders, no follow-up texts. You still need separate tools (and separate bills) for all of that.
Scenario: Small service business with 60 inbound calls/month.
All included in your flat monthly price.
Every missed call triggers an automated text within 60 seconds, 24/7. Smith.ai doesn't offer this at all.
Customers can book appointments directly from the text-back. No Calendly needed. No extra monthly fee.
Appointment reminders sent automatically. Reduce no-shows by up to 40% — included in your plan.
$49 or $99/mo. Doesn't matter if you get 20 calls or 200. Your bill never changes.
No onboarding calls. No scripts to write. Sign up and you're capturing leads today, not in two weeks.
No annual contract. No cancellation fee. We earn your business month after month — or you leave.
7-day free trial. No credit card required. Full features from day one.