Smith.ai vs. Retell AI

For growing businesses drowning in calls and losing revenue to missed opportunities, an AI voice agent offers a clear solution. While AI's power is undeniable, many professionals shy away from the perceived complexity of integrating an AI answering solution. The truth is, deploying AI call handling shouldn't require an engineering degree. Many platforms offer impressive flexibility, but they often leave you to figure out the complexities of implementation on your own. 

Your business needs an AI-led, human-backed solution that's already built for you, easily customized to your unique workflow, and backed by experts dedicated to your success.

Let's compare AI Receptionist from Smith.ai with Retell AI's voice agent platform to understand why Smith.ai delivers the powerful, adaptable AI call handling you need — without the hassle.

Features that both solutions offer

• 24/7 call handling: Never miss a call, regardless of time or day.
• Lead qualification: Maximize revenue by qualifying high-value opportunities.
• Appointment scheduling: Convert callers into booked appointments instantly.
• Call routing & transfers: Direct calls to the right team member or department.
• Multilingual call support: Serve English and Spanish-speaking callers seamlessly.
• FAQ handling: Provide instant answers to common questions.
• Recording & transcription: Capture every detail for reference and insights.
• Concurrent call answering: Handle multiple conversations simultaneously.
• AI voice customization: Select the voice that best represents your brand.
• Reporting & analytics: Track performance and optimize call outcomes.

What sets Smith.ai apart

While both solutions offer strong AI voice capabilities, AI Receptionist from Smith.ai is the stronger partner for ambitious businesses that demand results. Smith.ai stands out with its 24/7 human backup, done-for-you implementation, phased deployment, automatic spam blocking, and a decade-long track record of excellence.

Human-backed AI coverage

AI Receptionist delivers a seamless blend of AI efficiency and professional human support, providing an exceptional call experience across every scenario. While our AI handles calls with ease, our trained human receptionists are available 24/7 to step in as needed — especially for scenarios when callers simply prefer speaking with a person. This hybrid approach ensures no caller is left frustrated and no opportunity is lost.

Retell AI offers 100% AI-only voice agents, with no human escalation path beyond transferring to your internal team. If your team is unavailable or overwhelmed, callers who resist AI interaction or have complex needs are left hanging — potentially costing you valuable leads and damaging customer relationships.

Done-for-you implementation

You're running a business, not an engineering lab. With Smith.ai, most businesses that have simple call scenarios have their AI Receptionist up and running within hours — with zero developer required. For more complex workflows or call scenarios, our world-class customer success team handles implementation. We design custom call playbooks, configuring AI Receptionist to fit your unique needs. If you have complicated call workflows or complex, multi-location operations, we help you customize AI Receptionist to best suit your business needs. 

Retell AI mostly positions implementation as a build-it-yourself project. Their sign-up process pushes you toward self-setup with your own developers or contracting with their developer partners, no matter what your business needs — an approach that's not user-friendly (and likely not cost-effective for growing businesses either). White-glove service is exclusive to clients on their enterprise plan. Everyone else who needs assistance with their complex needs is likely left to do it themselves.

Strategic, supported deployment

For businesses with high call volumes and complex use cases, we don't just flip a switch and walk away. Smith.ai employs a crawl-walk-run approach, designing your solution, testing it carefully, and refining as we go. Our dedicated teams work closely with you throughout the entire process, ensuring smooth transitions and optimal outcomes. This strategic implementation minimizes disruption while maximizing your success from day one.

Retell AI emphasizes a similar "Build, Test, Deploy, Monitor" framework — but their messaging makes it clear that you're responsible for execution and testing. There's minimal mention of their involvement in designing, refining, or supporting your implementation journey, leaving you to handle the heavy lifting.

Built-in spam protection

Smith.ai automatically blocks over 20 million known spam numbers before they ever reach your phone line, and we provide advanced blocking features, allowing you to maintain full control over who gets through. This keeps your team (and us!) focused on real opportunities, not robocalls.

Retell AI does not offer built-in spam filtering. According to their documentation, you can implement your own spam blocking using webhooks; however, it requires manual developer configuration. Unless you're an enterprise client with access to white-glove support, you're left to figure it out on your own or with the help of your developers (if you have any).

Proven reputation & support

Since 2015, Smith.ai has assisted thousands of businesses in handling over 20 million calls. AI Receptionist is built by pioneering leaders in AI-powered customer engagement, and our service earns hundreds of five-star reviews across Trustpilot, Clutch, and G2. But what clients rave about most? Our support. We're built for growing, forward-thinking businesses looking for true partnership — and that's precisely what we deliver.

Retell AI launched in 2023. While they have over 500 reviews on G2, fewer than 15 mention the company’s customer service or support. Their Trustpilot rating sits at 3.9 compared to Smith.ai's 4.6. The message is clear: their platform may be powerful, but when you need help, you're largely on your own.

The smart choice: Smith.ai

For growth-minded business owners who value a human-in-the-loop approach, done-for-you implementation, deployment collaboration, built-in spam blocking, and a proven track record for delivering exceptional results, AI Receptionist is the superior choice for your AI customer engagement partner over Retell AI.