Smith.ai vs. LEX Reception

Why law firms choose Smith.ai over Lex Reception

Lex Reception is legal-only, and that focus is real. They also commit to staying entirely human, citing research that clients want to reach a person rather than a bot. Smith.ai has no argument with that. A trained North America-based receptionist answers every Smith.ai call too.

Start with the fact that you can't find out what it costs. Lex publishes no rates on its own site. Every quote runs through a sales call, and the third-party figures in circulation disagree with each other by $50 to $100 a month per tier. Once you're in, billing is per minute, rounded up to the next full minute, with a 30-call monthly allowance for short spam calls and full billing after that. And the entry plan leaves out appointment scheduling and email/SMS alerts; both start at the middle tier. The cheapest way into Lex is the version that doesn't book the consult.

Smith.ai runs the whole intake path on every plan. A Smith.ai receptionist answers, screens against your qualification criteria, logs the matter to your practice management system and books the consultation. Then the retainer goes out. If a firm later wants AI for overflow or after-hours, it's available as an add-on, and entirely optional.

On integrations, Lex covers nine legal platforms. Smith.ai connects with 7,000+. That gap decides whether an intake lands in your system of record or sits in someone else's inbox, and it bites hardest for firms running anything outside the standard legal stack.

Frequently asked questions

Do both answer with real people?

Yes. Lex pledges to use real people in client-facing interactions, and Smith.ai answers every call with a trained North America-based receptionist. Smith.ai also offers an AI Receptionist as an optional add-on for firms that want overflow or after-hours coverage. Nothing switches on unless a firm asks for it.

How much does Lex Reception cost compared to Smith.ai?

Lex doesn't publish its rates. Their pricing runs through a sales call, and third-party listings disagree about the tiers. What's consistent across sources is the structure: per minute, rounded up to the next full minute. Smith.ai publishes everything — $300/month for 30 calls, $7–$10 per call, $8.50–$11.50 overage. Which is cheaper depends entirely on how long your calls run, and legal intake calls run long.

Does Lex Reception include appointment scheduling?

Not on the entry plan. Scheduling and email/SMS alerts begin at their Best Value tier. Smith.ai includes scheduling on every plan.

Which integrates better with legal software?

Lex lists nine legal platforms including Clio, MyCase, Filevine, Smokeball and CASEpeer. Smith.ai integrates with those and 7,000+ more.

Can either send a retainer agreement?

Smith.ai can — retainer send and e-signature are part of the service as of July 2026. Lex doesn't offer this.