Smith.ai AI Receptionist vs Upfirst

Side-by-side from the Top 11 ranking of RingCentral vs Nextiva vs Upfirst: 11 Best AI Receptionists for Small Business 2026. Last verified October 6, 2026.

The short answer

Upfirst ranks higher on Top 11 (#3 vs #5) for Owners of United States small businesses, roughly 1 to 50 people, who miss calls while they work and want an AI receptionist that books the appointment and logs the caller, not one that only takes a message.. Books into six named calendars, bills per call, and starts at $24.95. No named CRM.

At a glance

Smith.ai AI ReceptionistUpfirst
Top 11 rank#5 / RingCentral vs Nextiva vs Upfirst: 11 Best AI Receptionists for Small Business 2026#3 / RingCentral vs Nextiva vs Upfirst: 11 Best AI Receptionists for Small Business 2026
Score (out of 9.4)88.4
Best forProfessional firms that want AI with human receptionists behind itSmall offices that want booking into Acuity, Square or Clio from $24.95
Pricing$$ (free for 25 calls a month, then $3 a call; Pro $150 a month at $2 a call; Enterprise $500 a month)$ ($24.95 a month for 30 calls up to $299 for 600, or 20 percent less annually; 14 day trial with no card)
HQ—Miami, Florida
Founded——

Smith.ai AI Receptionist

AI first with human receptionists behind it, native Clio, HubSpot and Salesforce, and 25 free calls.

smith.ai/ai-receptionist

See full entry in RingCentral vs Nextiva vs Upfirst: 11 Best AI Receptionists for Small Business 2026

Methodology and scoring weights live at /methodology. No vendor pays for placement — see about.