OPER8 vs Smith.ai
Smith.ai is great at one job: answering the phone. OPER8 runs the rest of the front desk and your marketing, and doesn't pick up live calls.
What Smith.ai is
An answering service: live receptionists, an AI receptionist, or both, who answer your calls 24/7, screen leads and can book appointments.
Their price: Live receptionists: $300 a month for 30 calls, $810 for 90, $2,100 for 300, with a charge for each extra call. AI receptionist: free for 25 calls, then $150 or $500 a month plus per-call charges.
Side by side
| What | OPER8 | Smith.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $797, $1,497 or $2,997 a month, plus $500 setup on monthly plans (none yearly). Month to month. | Live: $300 (30 calls), $810 (90) or $2,100 (300) a month, $8.50 to $11.50 for each extra call. AI: free (25 calls), $150 or $500 a month, plus per call. |
| Who does the work | We do. Your client success lead, a real person, sets it up and checks the work. AI agents do the routine work inside your rules. | Their receptionists or their AI answer your calls |
| Phone calls | No live phone answering. Missed calls get a text back once carriers approve your number | Every call answered live, 24/7 (people, AI or both) |
| Texts, DMs and email | Every text, DM and email answered in your voice, on every plan | Text and email follow-ups after a call, $0.50 a call |
| Booking | Booked, moved and refilled inside your booking app | Appointment booking, $1.50 a call (live plans) |
| Reviews | A review ask after every visit and a reply to every review, on every plan | Not on their pricing page |
| Ads on Google and Meta | Google and Meta ads on Grow and Scale, inside your cap. Ad spend is separate, on your card | Not on their pricing page |
| Contract | Month to month, or yearly. Stop any time | Month to month. 30-day money-back on the live plans |
Smith.ai's details checked Oct 30, 2026 on the pages linked below. Prices change, so check theirs before you decide.
Pick Smith.ai if
- Live phone answering is what you need most: a person picks up every call, day and night.
- You're happy to handle texts, DMs, reviews, rebooking and marketing yourself.
Pick OPER8 if
- Most of your customers text, DM or email, and you need all of it answered and booked.
- You want rebooking, reviews, win-backs and ads run too, not only calls.
- You want one person who knows your business, for a flat monthly fee.
Can you use both?
Yes. Some owners want every call answered live. Smith.ai can take the calls while we run the texts, DMs, email, bookings, reviews and ads.
Book my free 20-min callSee our pricing
Sources
- Smith.ai receptionist pricing, checked Oct 30, 2026
- Smith.ai AI receptionist pricing, checked Oct 30, 2026
- OPER8 pricing
Smith.ai is a trademark of Smith.ai, Inc. OPER8 isn't affiliated with Smith.ai.