Prices checked October 23, 2026
Zalena vs Smith.ai
Smith.ai is a US answering service that sells an AI Receptionist, live human receptionists, and a mix of the two. This page compares its AI Receptionist plans. Zalena is a Canadian AI receptionist that answers calls, website chat, texts and social messages from one assistant. Here is how they compare, including where Smith.ai is the better choice.
Cost at the same call volume
| A month of | Zalena | Smith.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Answering calls: 75 calls | CA$49 (Answer) | US$150 ≈ CA$210 (Pro, 75 calls) |
| Answering and booking: 250 calls | CA$149 (Book) | US$500 ≈ CA$701 (Pro, 300 calls) |
Assumes calls of about 2 minutes: Zalena charges by the minute, Smith.ai by the call, so longer calls narrow the gap. Published monthly prices, before tax; US dollars converted at 1.4021 (Bank of Canada, October 22, 2026).
Side by side
| Zalena | Smith.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| How it charges | Per minute, in Canadian dollars. Calls from CA$49 a month with 150 minutes; extra minutes CA$0.22 to CA$0.30 each. | Per answered call, in US dollars. Pro starts at US$150 for 75 calls; extra calls cost US$2.17 to US$2.50 each. |
| Free plan | Free plan answers website chat (100 messages a month). Calls start with Answer, or try Book free for 14 days (card needed). | Free plan answers 25 calls a month, then US$3.00 a call. |
| Channels | Phone calls and text messages (SMS) on Answer, Book and Team; website chat on every plan; Instagram, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and email on Book and Team. | Phone calls. Website chat is a separate service. |
| Booking | Into Google Calendar on Book and Team, at times each team member is free. On other plans, booking requests come to you. | AI scheduling through Calendly and other tools, on every plan. |
| A person on the line | Transfers callers who ask for a person to you or your team. | The AI can pass a call to Smith.ai's live receptionists, 24/7. |
| Languages | English, French + 100 more languages, on calls and chat. | A dedicated Spanish line on its live-receptionist plans. French is not listed. |
| Integrations | Google Calendar. | Native integrations including Clio and Zapier; CRM integration. |
| Contract | Month to month; cancel from the dashboard. | Month to month, with 30 days' notice to cancel. |
When Smith.ai is the better fit
- You want real people as a backup: Smith.ai's AI can hand a call to its own live receptionists at any hour. Zalena transfers callers who ask for a person to you or your team.
- You want to try the phone line at no cost: its free plan answers 25 calls a month. Zalena's free plan is website chat; calls start with a paid plan or a trial.
- You run on Clio, or another tool it integrates natively.
- Your callers need Spanish from a live receptionist.
- Your calls run long: it charges per call, so a 10-minute call costs the same as a 1-minute one. Zalena charges by the minute.
Questions
- Is Zalena cheaper than Smith.ai?
- At the call volumes in the examples on this page, yes. Zalena prices by the minute in Canadian dollars; Smith.ai prices by the call in US dollars. The examples show both at the same volume, with the assumptions stated. If your calls are long, the gap narrows.
- Can a real person take over the call?
- With Smith.ai, its own live receptionists can take over. With Zalena, the assistant transfers callers who ask for a person to you or your team.
- Can I switch from Smith.ai to Zalena and keep my number?
- Yes, in either of two ways. Forward your business number to your Zalena number with your phone provider: every call, or only the ones you miss. Or move the number itself to Zalena (number porting), and we handle the transfer with you. Either way, your customers keep calling the number they know.
- Does Zalena speak French?
- Yes. Zalena answers in French and English, and in 100+ other languages, on chat and on calls.
Smith.ai's details are from its own pages, read on October 23, 2026. Plans change; check the current prices with Smith.ai before you decide. Smith.ai is a trademark of its owner, used here only to name the product.
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