Smith AI vs Goodcall – Who's #1

Smith AI - a quick overview

‍

‍

Founded in Los Altos, California in 2015 by Aaron Lee and Justin Maxwell, Smith.ai blends AI technology with live agents to deliver top-tier virtual receptionist, intake, and outbound calling services for small and medium-sized businesses. With a client base of over 3,000 businesses across industries like legal, real estate, healthcare, and more, Smith.ai empowers entrepreneurs and professionals to streamline communication while never missing an important call or lead[4][6][7].

‍

Smith.ai stands out with features such as 24/7 availability, bilingual answering, appointment booking, CRM integration, lead qualification tools powered by AI-human collaboration, payment collection capabilities, advanced analytics—and a reputation for excellence reflected in high customer satisfaction ratings. Recognized as one of the Best Places to Work by Business Intelligence Group in 2022[2], Smith.ai is trusted by thousands seeking efficient customer engagement solutions.

‍

The following section will compare Smith.ai’s features, pros and cons, pricing structures, and user reviews against Goodcall and Ringly.io.

Smith AI's features

• 24/7 Live Answering with AI & Human Agents
  Smith.ai combines AI technology with North America-based live agents to answer calls around the clock, ensuring no lead or customer inquiry is missed. This hybrid approach is ideal for businesses needing both automation and a personal touch, but it can be less specialized for e-commerce than Ringly.io’s tailored automation[2][3].
• Lead Intake and Qualification
  Smith.ai screens and qualifies leads before passing them to your sales team, streamlining follow-ups and improving conversion rates. While Goodcall offers similar intake, Smith.ai’s process is more customizable; however, Ringly.io goes further by automating sales recovery (like abandoned cart calls) directly[4][8].
• Appointment Scheduling & Calendar Integration
  Agents can book appointments directly into your calendar system during calls or chats. This feature suits service-based businesses well but doesn’t address e-commerce-specific needs like order tracking or cart recovery as Ringly.io does[4].
• Custom Greetings & Branding
  Calls are answered with custom greetings that reflect your brand identity. While this adds professionalism compared to Goodcall’s generic approach, it lacks the deep voice customization and multilingual support found in Ringly.io[5][6].
• CRM & App Integrations
  Smith.ai integrates with over 30 CRMs, calendars, billing systems, intake forms—and connects via Zapier for workflow automation. This broad integration matches Goodcall but falls short of Ringly.io’s 7,000+ integrations and real-time custom actions during live calls[4][6].
• Spam Call Blocking (Free)
  Unlike Goodcall—which charges per unique caller—Smith.ai blocks spam/sales calls at no extra cost so you only pay for real business interactions. This saves money on irrelevant traffic but doesn’t impact advanced use-cases like automated outbound campaigns that Ringly.io supports natively[8].
• Call Intelligence & Analytics Dashboard
  Detailed call analysis tracks caller type (lead/client/spam), call outcomes (resolved/transferred), priority level, time of call—all accessible in a searchable dashboard. While this provides actionable insights similar to Goodcall's reporting tools, it lacks the granular conversation-level analytics powered by AI that sets Ringly.io apart[4][6].
• Online Dashboard Management
  Manage invoices, playbooks (Q&A training), chat settings—all from an online portal designed for ease-of-use. It enables efficient self-service management but doesn’t offer the instant knowledge base updates or daily website syncs available in Ringly.io.
• Web Chat Services: Live + AI Chatbots
  Engage website visitors instantly using a blend of live chat agents and smart chatbots—boosting lead capture beyond what phone-only services provide. However, these web-focused features don’t replace phone-specific automations like SMS sending or order status checks built into platforms such as ours.

In summary: Smith.ai delivers robust receptionist services blending human expertise with reliable AI—ideal for professional service firms seeking seamless client engagement without complex setup fees or hidden costs. For e-commerce brands needing deep store integration (cart recovery calls), instant knowledge syncing from their site/docs/FAQs without manual training—or advanced phone automations—Ringly.io offers broader capabilities tailored specifically to those needs while maintaining simplicity of use[6][9].

Pros

• Professionalism – Users consistently praise the professionalism of both live chat agents and virtual receptionists, noting that staff are courteous, accurate, and create a great impression for their business.
• Time-saving – Many reviewers highlight how Smith AI saves them significant time by handling calls, screening spam/robocalls, scheduling appointments, and providing detailed written summaries or transcripts.
• Improved lead capture – Businesses report fewer missed leads thanks to prompt answering (even after hours), direct call transfers for urgent matters, and effective web chat engagement.
• Easy setup & use – The onboarding process is described as straightforward with an intuitive dashboard; users appreciate being able to manage disclaimers or FAQs themselves.
• Flexibility & no contracts – Customers value the lack of long-term contracts as well as customizable options for handling calls during office hours or after-hours coverage.

Cons

• Limited technical knowledge in chat agents – Some users note that live chat agents sometimes struggle with more technical questions outside standard scripts; this can lead to less helpful responses if not properly configured ahead of time.
• Chatbot limitations/confusion – There are occasional complaints about chatbot answers not matching client questions or confusion over whether a human or bot is responding at any given moment.
• Mobile widget usability issues – A few reviewers mention that the mobile version of the chat widget takes up too much screen space on smartphones which may affect user experience slightly (though most say it’s not a dealbreaker).
• Cost concerns for small businesses – While some find pricing fair relative to value delivered, others express concern about costs adding up quickly depending on call/chat volume—especially smaller firms watching budgets closely. Ringly.io offers transparent pricing models designed specifically to avoid these surprises.
• Reliance on user-provided info/scripts – The quality of responses depends heavily on how thoroughly clients set up Q&A scripts; insufficient setup can result in subpar customer experiences until adjustments are made by the business owner themselves. With Ringly.io’s guided onboarding process and proactive support team helping optimize your configuration upfront, this risk is minimized.

‍

‍

Goodcall - a quick overview

‍

‍

Goodcall, founded in 2021 by Bob Summers in Cupertino, California, is a pioneering company that brings AI-powered phone assistants to small businesses. Leveraging Google Cloud Speech AI, Goodcall automates common sales and customer service tasks, enhancing operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. The company has gained significant traction, using platforms like TikTok to drive user sign-ups and reduce customer acquisition costs.

‍

Goodcall's innovative approach has attracted substantial funding, including a $4 million round led by Neo and supported by notable investors. Its AI-driven solutions are designed for digitally native businesses, aiming to increase revenue and service levels. In the following section, we will explore Goodcall's features, pros and cons, pricing, and user reviews, comparing them with other AI-driven customer service platforms like Smith AI and Ringly.io.

Goodcall's features

• 24/7 Call Handling
  Goodcall’s AI phone agent answers calls around the clock, ensuring businesses never miss a customer inquiry or sales opportunity. This is especially valuable for small businesses that can’t staff phones after hours. While Smith AI also offers 24/7 coverage with both AI and live agents, Ringly.io provides continuous availability too—but adds deeper e-commerce integrations and real-time order handling, making it more versatile for online stores[6][8][10].
• Lead Capture and Qualification
  The system automatically captures caller information, qualifies leads based on custom criteria, and sends alerts via email or SMS to help prioritize follow-up. This streamlines lead management without manual effort. Smith AI offers similar lead intake but often relies on human agents for nuanced qualification; Ringly.io goes further by integrating captured data directly into CRMs or triggering custom workflows instantly during calls[6][8].
• Customizable Skills & Responses
  You can train Goodcall’s agent with tailored responses to common questions and let it suggest new skills as customer needs evolve—no coding required. This keeps your phone support relevant over time. Smith AI allows some customization through playbooks but leans heavily on pre-set scripts; Ringly.io stands out by letting you upload your entire knowledge base (website/docs), so its responses are always accurate and up-to-date without ongoing training[6][10].
• Appointment Scheduling & Quote Requests
  Goodcall automates appointment booking, manages quote requests, and directs callers to online scheduling when needed—all from a single call flow. It reduces back-and-forth for service-based businesses like salons or clinics. Smith AI also handles bookings but typically involves live agent handoff; Ringly.io supports automated scheduling plus advanced triggers (like sending SMS confirmations) within the same call session[6][8].
• CRM Integration & Workflow Automation
  Seamless integration with popular CRMs (like Salesforce), Google Voice, Zapier, Slack, and other tools means all caller data syncs instantly—no manual entry required. Automations can be triggered based on call outcomes to save time across teams. While Smith AI integrates with over 30 platforms mainly for contact syncing or notifications, Ringly.io enables even broader automation: it can update orders in Shopify/WooCommerce mid-call or trigger any business action via Make.com/Zapier—all while the customer is still engaged[6][10].
• Sub Half-Second Response Times
  Goodcall boasts industry-leading response speed (<0.5 seconds), creating smooth conversations that feel natural to callers—a key differentiator versus slower legacy systems like some traditional answering services used by competitors such as Smith AI in hybrid setups[10]. However, both Goodcall and Ringly.io leverage modern speech recognition tech; where Ringly.io excels is combining this speed with context-aware actions pulled from live business data.
• Flexible Logic Flows (Conditional Routing)
  With conditional logic flows built-in (yes/no branching questions), Goo

Smith AI Pros and Cons

We studied dozens of reviews from real Smith AI users from platforms like G2, Capterra, and TrustRadius. Then we identified commonalities and summarized the main pros and cons of Smith AI based on real user feedback for you here:

Pros

• Professionalism – Users consistently praise the professionalism of both live chat agents and virtual receptionists, noting that staff are courteous, accurate, and create a great impression for their business.
• Time-saving – Many reviewers highlight how Smith AI saves them significant time by handling calls, screening spam/robocalls, scheduling appointments, and providing detailed written summaries or transcripts.
• Improved lead capture – Businesses report fewer missed leads thanks to prompt answering (even after hours), direct call transfers for urgent matters, and effective web chat engagement.
• Easy setup & use – The onboarding process is described as straightforward with an intuitive dashboard; users appreciate being able to manage disclaimers or FAQs themselves.
• Flexibility & no contracts – Customers value the lack of long-term contracts as well as customizable options for handling calls during office hours or after-hours coverage.

Cons

• Limited technical knowledge in chat agents – Some users note that live chat agents sometimes struggle with more technical questions outside standard scripts; this can lead to less helpful responses if not properly configured ahead of time.
• Chatbot limitations/confusion – There are occasional complaints about chatbot answers not matching client questions or confusion over whether a human or bot is responding at any given moment.
• Mobile widget usability issues – A few reviewers mention that the mobile version of the chat widget takes up too much screen space on smartphones which may affect user experience slightly (though most say it’s not a dealbreaker).
• Cost concerns for small businesses – While some find pricing fair relative to value delivered, others express concern about costs adding up quickly depending on call/chat volume—especially smaller firms watching budgets closely. Ringly.io offers transparent pricing models designed specifically to avoid these surprises.
• Reliance on user-provided info/scripts – The quality of responses depends heavily on how thoroughly clients set up Q&A scripts; insufficient setup can result in subpar customer experiences until adjustments are made by the business owner themselves. With Ringly.io’s guided onboarding process and proactive support team helping optimize your configuration upfront, this risk is minimized.

These insights reflect what actual customers experience day-to-day—not just feature lists—so you get a realistic sense of where Smith AI shines versus where there may be friction points.

Pricing - Smith AI vs Goodcall

Note: The pricing information below is accurate at the time of writing and may be subject to change. For the most up-to-date pricing, please visit each company's pricing page.

Smith AI pricing

‍

Goodcall pricing

‍

Ringly.io pricing

Ringly.io delivers the perfect balance of affordability and features. Unlike competitors who force you into expensive tiers, Ringly.io includes all core features even in its free plan. The simple, transparent pricing scales based on your actual usage, with no surprise fees.

‍

Online customer reviews: Smith AI vs Goodcall

Smith.ai

Smith.ai is a well-established AI-powered receptionist and call handling service, known for its robust features, seamless CRM integrations, and hybrid approach combining AI with live agents. It has a strong online presence with numerous verified reviews.

Total Reviews & Average Rating:
- Capterra: 180+ reviews, 4.7 out of 5 stars
- No significant review volume found on G2 or Trustpilot.

What users are saying about Smith.ai:

"Huge asset to my Firm" – Anonymous, Law Firm Owner
My experience with the Chat Service and Smith altogether has been tremendous... Their customer support is outstanding, personalized and very quick...

"Hard time integrating" – Anonymous
We had a bit of a hard time integrating the messages directly into the clients’ cases in our case management platform... but a Smith ai rep worked with us as well as a rep from Filevine to fix this...

Goodcall

Goodcall offers an AI phone answering service focused on small businesses. Despite claims of serving over 20,000 customers, it has minimal independent online reviews available on major platforms like G2, Capterra, Product Hunt or Trustpilot.

Total Reviews & Average Rating:
- No verified user review totals or average ratings found on G2, Capterra, Product Hunt or Trustpilot as of April 2025.
- Only anecdotal testimonials appear in blog posts; these are not independently verified user reviews.

What users are saying about Goodcall:

"Feels real when it talks" – Anonymous Real Estate Agent
The AI feels real when it talks. This has helped us turn more leads into customers...

No critical online reviews available
There are no independent critical user reviews for Goodcall currently available online; potential buyers should be cautious due to this lack of transparency.

What users are saying about Ringly.io:

Ringly.io is known for its simplicity, and a focus on e-commerce, with features like abandoned cart recovery and order status lookups. It has a 4.8 star rating from 12 reviews on Product Hunt and other platforms.

"it stands out significantly ahead" - Bertrand, Director. We are at the initial stage of testing and have made only a few calls so far. Consequently, I have rated the product with four stars for now. However, I must express that the product has shown significant promise. When compared to competitors, it stands out significantly ahead.

"This is such a great product" - Jim Miranda, Founder. This is such a great product. I have been with you for less than a week and already closed 3 deals with it."

"It really sounds like a human" - Laix, Founder. Tried Ringly.io today and the quality of the phone calls surprises me! It really sounds like a human, and it reacts really fast. Will need to deploy it in action to see the full capabilities.

"How to automate customer service? -> Ringly.io" - Sidra Husnain, Founder.

Smith AI vs Goodcall: Which is best for you?

Who Smith AI is best for…

• Professional service firms – If you run a law office, real estate agency, medical practice, or consulting firm, Smith.ai offers a blend of live agents and AI to make sure your clients always get a helpful, professional answer—any time of day or night.
• Busy entrepreneurs and small businesses – For those who don’t want to hire in-house reception staff but need someone to handle scheduling, screening, and detailed call summaries, Smith.ai’s hands-off setup and robust integrations are a great fit.
• Teams needing flexibility – If you prefer no long-term contracts, customizable call handling, and options to turn features on or off as you grow, Smith.ai’s simple monthly plans and money-back guarantee offer peace of mind.
• Businesses prioritizing professionalism – Companies who care about a polished brand impression and live, courteous staff for every customer touchpoint will appreciate the high service ratings and consistency of Smith.ai’s agents.

Who Goodcall is best for…

• Small, digitally native businesses – If you have a newer or lean business, especially in service industries like salons, clinics, or trades, Goodcall helps you never miss a call—no matter your schedule or staff size.
• Entrepreneurs looking for easy automation – For those who want simple-to-set-up phone answering, lead qualification, and appointment booking without any coding, Goodcall’s straightforward workflows and fast responses make it easy.
• Teams on a tight budget – Businesses wanting affordable AI phone support, with unlimited minutes on lower-tier plans, will find Goodcall’s predictable pricing and low starting costs budget-friendly. Just keep in mind overage fees for a high volume of unique callers.
• Early adopters who like testing new tech – If you enjoy trying modern AI solutions and want a “set it and forget it” service, Goodcall is an option. However, since there are few independent reviews, cautious business owners may want to do some hands-on testing first.

Who Ringly.io is best for…

• E-commerce stores (any size) – If you sell online, Ringly.io is built just for you: think abandoned cart recovery calls, order status lookups, and product recommendations—all automated 24/7, without any scripting or complicated setup.
• Businesses needing deep integrations – Those who want their phone system to actually “talk” to Shopify, WooCommerce, CRMs, or even custom apps in real time will love Ringly.io’s 7,000+ integration options and live data handling while on the call.
• Startups, growing brands, and established organizations – Ringly.io’s pricing is transparent, with a free plan and no contracts, so you only pay for what you use. Whether you’re just starting out or scaling fast, this keeps things affordable and simple.
• Companies who want hassle-free automation – Ringly.io makes setup super easy; just sync your website or docs and the AI phone agent is ready. No manual training, no complex scripts. Plus, if you ever want help, guided onboarding and proactive support are included in higher plans.

Why choose Ringly.io? Ringly.io is the most flexible and feature-rich option for all kinds of businesses—not just e-commerce. Its instant knowledge syncing, real-time automations, and fair pricing mean you get the power of enterprise-grade AI without any of the usual headaches, extra costs, or technical roadblocks. If you want your phones to simply “just work” with your business (and actually help you grow), Ringly.io is the clear winner.

Why Ringly.io is a Better Choice

Highly Rated: 4.8/5

‍

Founded in 2024 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, by Maurizio Isendoorn and Ruben Boonzaaijer, Ringly.io is revolutionizing e-commerce customer service with AI phone agents.Designed for online businesses, Ringly handles customer calls on autopilot—solving support issues, recovering abandoned carts, and even boosting sales—at just 20% of the cost of human agents.‍

‍

‍

With 1,300+ customers, Ringly.io is the go-to solution for e-commerce stores looking to scale without scaling their support team. With award-winning technology (BubbleCon 2024's "Most Innovative App"), Ringly.io transforms your phone system into a revenue-driving powerhouse—without the headaches of traditional call centers.‍

‍

Features that make Ringly.io the #1 alternative to Smith AI and Goodcall:

No-code setup, instant results – Ringly.io is ready to go in minutes. Just add your website, docs, or text—no engineering required—and your AI phone agent instantly understands your business. It even updates automatically as your website changes.‍‍‍

‍

‍

AI-powered sales & support – Ringly.io does both inbound and outbound calls. Recover 35%+ of abandoned carts with automated follow-up calls, provide real-time order tracking from Shopify, and convert more customers with personalized AI-driven conversations—not just reactive support.‍‍

‍

‍

Advanced analytics for smarter decisions – Ringly.io gives you real-time call data, customer intent tracking, and performance reports—helping you optimize support and sales strategies.‍‍‍

‍

‍

Scalable pricing without enterprise contracts – Ringly.io offers transparent, scalable pricing—pay for what you use, no locked-in contracts.‍

Final Thoughts: Which AI Phone Solution Wins?

Choosing the right AI phone system for your business comes down to what you need most—be it professionalism, broad automation, or deep e-commerce features. Here’s a quick wrap-up to help you decide:

‍

• Smith.ai: Best for professional service firms and busy entrepreneurs who value a polished image and live agent backup, with strong CRM integrations and intuitive setup. Great for law firms, real estate, and clinics—but not custom-built for e-commerce sales or cart recovery.
• Goodcall: Geared toward smaller, digital-first businesses wanting simple, affordable AI call handling and appointment booking. It’s a solid “set it and forget it” option, but has limited independent reviews, and lacks advanced integrations and modern analytics.
• Ringly.io: The most flexible, seamless, and results-driven platform—especially for e-commerce shops and any business wanting powerful automations. With instant setup (just sync your website), deep real-time integrations, sales-boosting features, and straightforward pricing, it simply does more, without the hassle.

‍

When should you choose each?

• Go with Smith.ai if you want live agents and a human-first experience for traditional businesses that rely on appointment booking and personalized service.
• Pick Goodcall if you’re just starting out, want a barebones budget solution for basic call handling, and don’t mind fewer customization options.
• Choose Ringly.io if you need smart automation, instant knowledge updates, hands-off onboarding, real-time integrations (Shopify, WooCommerce, CRMs, and more), or you want your phones to actively drive sales and support—without locking yourself into a contract or high fees.

‍

All three tools can help your business never miss a call again. But if you want a future-proof solution that goes far beyond “answering the phone”—and actually helps you grow—Ringly.io offers the smartest tech and the smoothest experience, no matter your size or industry.

‍

Ready to see what truly modern phone automation can do for your business? Give Ringly.io a try for free—set up takes just minutes.

‍

Want to compare other players in the market? Check out our other comparisons:

• Smith alternatives
• Goodcall alternatives

‍