Competitor comparison
How Skaala compares to Smith.ai — features, pricing, and where each one fits best.
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The short answer
Skaala and Smith.ai both answer your calls, but in different ways. Smith.ai is a US provider. It pairs an AI receptionist with live human handoff, which is a real strength. Its AI Receptionist plan starts at $95/mo, per smith.ai pricing checked 13 May 2026. Skaala is a fully AI-driven receptionist plus operations platform. It includes booking, CRM, Stripe payments, and calendar sync. Every plan comes with one local phone number per team. The AI speaks English, Swedish, Norwegian, and 70+ other languages. Pick Smith.ai if live human handoff is a must-have. Pick Skaala if you want a lower entry price and bookings and records in one place (payments on Business).
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Skaala | Smith.ai |
|---|---|---|
| AI-telefonsvar / AI call answering | Included | Included |
| Live menneskelig handoff / Human handoff | Not available | Included |
| Lokalt telefonnummer inkludert | 1 per team, alle planer | Se smith.ai |
| Svensk + norsk + engelsk + 70+ språk | Included | Se smith.ai |
| Innebygd booking / Built-in booking | Included | Calendar links + integrations |
| Innebygd CRM / Built-in CRM | Included | CRM integrations |
| Stripe-betalinger / Stripe payments | Business | Se smith.ai |
| Google Calendar + Outlook sync | Included | Se smith.ai |
| Web-widget for nettsted | Included | Se smith.ai |
| GDPR / EU data residency | Included | Se smith.ai |
| Pricing unit / Prisenhet | Per minute included (50 min Essential, 400 min Business) | Per CALL, not per minute (~2/5/15 calls/day DIY tiers, $2.40/call overage) |
| Monthly price (Essential vs. entry plan) | $60/mo (US) / 599 NOK/mnd (NO) | $95/mo DIY Starter (~60 calls/mo) or $500/mo DFY annual |
| Trial / Prøveperiode | 7-day trial (payment method at signup, charged day 8) | No trial — 30-day money-back guarantee up to $1,000 |
| Live human agent escalation | Transfer to your own phone number | $3/call add-on (managed live agents) |
Pricing and what's included
Skaala
$60/moexcl. VAT
$60/mo in the US, £50/mo in the UK, 599 SEK/mo in Sweden and 599 NOK/mo in Norway, excl. VAT
Smith.ai
AI plus human hybrid virtual receptionist (US)
Public pricing snapshot
Sources and full assumptions are listed below.
Sources checked
Last verified: 2026-05-15
Smith.ai prices per CALL, not per minute — that is an important unit difference. DIY monthly plans per smith.ai/pricing/AI Receptionist (verified 15 May 2026): Starter $95/mo (~2 calls/day, $2.40/call overage), Basic $270/mo (~5 calls/day), Pro $800/mo (~15 calls/day). DFY annual plans (Done-For-You): Starter $500/mo billed annually (~10 calls/day, no overage, unused calls roll over), Basic $1,000/mo (~25 calls/day), Pro $2,000/mo (~55 calls/day), Enterprise on quote. Live human-agent escalation is a separate $3/call add-on. Smith.ai does NOT offer a free trial — only a 30-day money-back guarantee up to $1,000. Dedicated phone number included.
Skaala Essential is 599 NOK/mo and Business is 1,499 NOK/mo; in the US, Skaala costs $60/mo and offers a 7-day trial (payment method at signup, not charged until day 8). Both Skaala plans include one local phone number per team.
Where Skaala is a sensible choice
Skaala is fully AI; Smith.ai is hybrid AI + live human handoff. If live handoff is a requirement, Smith.ai is an honest fit. Both are legitimate choices.
Both Skaala plans include one local phone number per team. Smith.ai AI Receptionist is published from $95/mo per smith.ai checked 13 May 2026.
Skaala includes booking and CRM in the base product (Stripe payments on Business). Smith.ai is strong on intake and integrations — we quote their own page rather than characterise them.
Skaala runs English, Swedish, and Norwegian plus 70+ other languages. Smith.ai focuses on English per their own pages.
Deep dive
Smith.ai and Skaala are two different answers to one question: how should a service business answer its calls? Smith.ai is a US provider. It combines an AI receptionist with live human handoff, which is a genuine strength. Skaala is a fully AI-driven receptionist plus integrated operations platform. The AI agent answers, books, updates the CRM, handles Stripe payments, and syncs with Google Calendar and Outlook. It works in English, Swedish, Norwegian, and 70+ other languages. Both are serious choices. The right one depends on what your business actually needs. Last checked 13 May 2026.
Price and inclusions are the most visible difference. Smith.ai publishes AI Receptionist from $95/mo (about two calls per day), then $270/mo and $800/mo, per smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist. Skaala Essential is 599 NOK/mo (50 minutes) and Business is 1,499 NOK/mo. In the US, Skaala costs $60/mo. Both Skaala plans include one local number per team, booking, CRM with contact scoring, calendar sync (Google + Outlook), Zapier (5,000+ apps), a web widget, and a 7-day trial. Stripe payments come with Business.
Who fits Smith.ai better? Businesses that treat live human handoff as a hard requirement. Businesses that want a US-based provider with an established managed-service process. Businesses with budget for the higher entry price. That is an honest strength, not a weakness. Who fits Skaala better? SMBs that want a lower entry price with an included local number. Teams that want booking, CRM, and Stripe payments in one product. Teams that need languages beyond English, and no lock-in. The honest bottom line: test both. Skaala offers a 7-day trial you can cancel at any time, so you can see the result in your own business before deciding.
FAQ
Smith.ai is a US provider that combines an AI receptionist with live human handoff — that is a genuine strength of theirs. Skaala is a fully AI-driven receptionist plus operations platform with booking, CRM, Stripe payments, calendar sync, and one local phone number per team. Facts checked 13 May 2026.
As of 13 May 2026, Smith.ai publishes AI Receptionist from $95/mo, with higher tiers at $270/mo and $800/mo. Skaala Essential is 599 NOK/mo and Business is 1,499 NOK/mo; in the US, Skaala costs $60/mo. Both Skaala plans include one local phone number per team.
Not today. Skaala can transfer calls to your existing phone number based on transfer rules, but we do not operate a managed live-agent service. If live human handoff is a must-have, Smith.ai is honestly a better fit for that specific requirement.
If your operation requires a live agent to take over complex calls from the AI, you value that hybrid model, and you have budget for the higher entry price — Smith.ai is a strong, honest fit.
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AI RECEPTIONIST
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