Damaruka and Smith.ai, compared
Smith.ai sells two things: an AI receptionist from $150 a month for 75 calls, with a free plan of 25 calls, and live human receptionists from $300 a month for 30 calls. Damaruka is an AI receptionist from $19 a month for 150 minutes. Smith.ai is the better fit if you want a person to answer or calls put through to your team; Damaruka costs less and answers, books and takes messages on every call.
Smith.ai's prices and features read from its own pages on 17 October 2026. They change; the sources are at the end.
Side by side
- What answers
- DamarukaAn AI receptionist; no human staffSmith.aiTwo products: an AI receptionist, and live human receptionists
- Lowest paid plan
- Damaruka$19 a month (Solo, 150 minutes)Smith.aiAI: $150 a month (75 calls). People: $300 a month (30 calls)
- Free way to try
- Damaruka30 free minutes of test calls, no cardSmith.aiAn AI plan with 25 calls a month, free
- What you pay for
- DamarukaPer minuteSmith.aiPer call
- Past your plan
- Damaruka$0.08 a minute, only if you turn it on; otherwise Damaruka takes messagesSmith.aiAI: $2.10 to $3.00 a call. People: $8.50 to $11.50 a call
- Puts calls through
- DamarukaNot yetSmith.aiYes, warm transfers
- Live people
- DamarukaNoSmith.aiYes, as a plan or a handoff from the AI
- HIPAA
- DamarukaNo claimSmith.aiIts medical page says it is not HIPAA compliant
- Languages
- DamarukaEnglish in the US; Hindi and English in IndiaSmith.aiEnglish and Spanish
- Hours
- DamarukaEvery hour of the daySmith.ai24/7
- Connects to
- DamarukaGoogle Calendar; email after every call; Zapier, Slack, HubSpot and webhooks; Clio Grow for law firmsSmith.aiSalesforce, HubSpot, Clio, Calendly; thousands of apps through Zapier and Make
| Detail | Damaruka | Smith.ai |
|---|---|---|
| What answers | An AI receptionist; no human staff | Two products: an AI receptionist, and live human receptionists |
| Lowest paid plan | $19 a month (Solo, 150 minutes) | AI: $150 a month (75 calls). People: $300 a month (30 calls) |
| Free way to try | 30 free minutes of test calls, no card | An AI plan with 25 calls a month, free |
| What you pay for | Per minute | Per call |
| Past your plan | $0.08 a minute, only if you turn it on; otherwise Damaruka takes messages | AI: $2.10 to $3.00 a call. People: $8.50 to $11.50 a call |
| Puts calls through | Not yet | Yes, warm transfers |
| Live people | No | Yes, as a plan or a handoff from the AI |
| HIPAA | No claim | Its medical page says it is not HIPAA compliant |
| Languages | English in the US; Hindi and English in India | English and Spanish |
| Hours | Every hour of the day | 24/7 |
| Connects to | Google Calendar; email after every call; Zapier, Slack, HubSpot and webhooks; Clio Grow for law firms | Salesforce, HubSpot, Clio, Calendly; thousands of apps through Zapier and Make |
The plans
Damaruka
- Solo
- $19 a month
- 150 minutes, 1 phone number
- Team
- $49 a month
- 500 minutes, 2 phone numbers
- Office
- $129 a month
- 1,500 minutes, 5 phone numbers
Smith.ai
- AI Free
- $0 a month
- 25 calls; $3.00 for each call after
- AI Pro
- $150 a month
- 75 calls; $2.50 for each call after
- AI Enterprise
- $500 a month
- 300 calls; $2.17 for each call after
- People, Starter
- $300 a month
- 30 calls; $11.50 for each call after
- People, Basic
- $810 a month
- 90 calls; $10.50 for each call after
- People, Pro
- $2,100 a month
- 300 calls; $8.50 for each call after
Where Smith.ai is better, and how they differ
Where Smith.ai is better
- Live human receptionists in North America, around the clock, as a plan or a handoff from the AI.
- Warm call transfers to your team.
- Spanish on every AI plan; Damaruka speaks English in the US.
- Named CRM integrations (Salesforce, HubSpot, Clio) and thousands of apps through Zapier and Make.
- Payment collection and legal intake add-ons on the human plans.
- A free AI plan of 25 calls a month with no end date.
- Spam calls are filtered out before they count.
How they differ
- Smith.ai bills each call; Damaruka bills minutes. A short call costs the same as a long one at Smith.ai.
- Smith.ai's lowest paid plan is $150 (AI) or $300 (people); Damaruka's is $19.
- Neither claims HIPAA: Smith.ai's own medical page says it is not HIPAA compliant.
Sources
- 1Smith.ai, AI receptionist pricing, read 17 October 2026
- 2Smith.ai, receptionist pricing, read 17 October 2026
- 3Smith.ai, AI receptionist, read 17 October 2026
- 4Smith.ai, medical answering service, read 17 October 2026