Bold Reach vs Smith.ai
Both answer your phone around the clock. Smith.ai sells an AI receptionist and live human receptionists, billed per call. Halo is an AI agent we build for you, at one flat monthly price with unlimited minutes. Here is how they differ, using the prices on Smith.ai's own pages, and when each one is the better buy.
What you get from each
| Bold Reach (Halo) | Smith.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Who answers | An AI voice agent. It says it is an automated assistant and never claims to be a person. | Your choice of their AI Receptionist, live North America-based receptionists, or a hybrid. Their FAQ says the AI can hand a complex call to a live receptionist. |
| Monthly price | After Hours (answers the calls you miss): $245 a month, plus $499 once to build. Full Takeover (answers every call): $445 a month, $649 setup. Unlimited minutes on both. | AI: Free, $0 for 25 calls ($3.00 a call after). Pro, $150 for 75 calls ($2.50 per extra call), or $270 for 150 calls ($2.30 per extra). Enterprise, $500 for 300 calls. Live: Starter $300 for 30 calls, Basic $810 for 90, Pro $2,100 for 300. |
| Billed by | A flat monthly price. Unlimited minutes, no per-call or per-minute charges. | Calls |
| Who sets it up | We do. We write the script around your business, test it, and tune it with you. Live in about a day. | AI Free and Pro: you, with onboarding on Pro. AI Enterprise: their team builds and runs it. The live plans list no setup fees. |
| Booking | Included. Books into your Google, Outlook or Apple calendar. | AI: scheduling included (Calendly and others). Live: $1.50 per booked appointment. |
| Lead details to you | Included. Sent to your phone the moment the call ends. | AI: recording, transcripts and summaries included. Live: SMS or Slack alert $0.50 a call; text or email follow-up to the caller $0.50 a call. |
| Urgent calls | Included. Your rule decides what counts; Halo rings your phone and tells you who is holding. | Live plans include 1 to 10 transfer destinations by plan, more at $15 a month each. |
| Your number | Stays yours. Calls forward to Halo. | A dedicated local or toll-free number, or port your own at no charge (live plans page). |
| Contract | None. Month to month. | Month to month. The AI plans ask for 30 days' notice to cancel. The live plans carry a 30-day money-back guarantee and 10% off for 12 months. |
Prices from smith.ai/pricing (which opens their live receptionist plans) and smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist, checked October 29, 2026. Prices change, so check their page before you decide.
What a month costs at two call volumes
Halo is a flat $245 however many calls it takes. Smith.ai bills per call, so it costs less at low volume and more as calls go up. Call length does not change either price.
| 100 calls a month | 200 calls a month | |
|---|---|---|
| Halo, After Hours | Flat price, unlimited minutes: $245 | Flat price, unlimited minutes: $245 |
| Smith.ai AI, Pro | $150 for 75 calls + (25 × $2.50 = $62.50) = $212.50 | $270 for 150 calls + (50 × $2.30 = $115) = $385 |
| Smith.ai AI, Enterprise | $500 covers 300 calls: $500 | $500 |
| Smith.ai live, Basic | $810 for 90 calls + (10 × $10.50 = $105) = $915 | $810 + (110 × $10.50 = $1,155) = $1,965 |
Read it straight. At 100 calls a month, Smith.ai's self-serve AI Pro plan is $32.50 a month cheaper than Halo, and Halo also has the $499 build. The two meet at about 113 calls: $150 + (38 × $2.50 = $95) = $245. Above that, Halo costs less, and the gap grows with every call: at 200 calls it is $140 a month. Halo also costs less than Enterprise, the Smith.ai plan where their team builds it for you, and than their live receptionists at any volume shown. Smith.ai's 150-call Pro level ($270) and its per-extra-call rate ($2.30) are from the same page. Smith.ai live plans charge $1.50 per booked appointment on top, which is not in the figures above.
Which one to pick
Choose Smith.ai if...
Choose Bold Reach if...
Questions people ask
Is Halo cheaper than Smith.ai?
It depends on volume. At 100 calls a month, Smith.ai's self-serve AI Pro plan works out to $212.50 and Halo to $245, plus Halo's $499 build, so Smith.ai is cheaper. The two meet at about 113 calls. At 200 calls, Halo is still $245 and Smith.ai AI Pro is $385. Against Smith.ai's live receptionists, Halo costs less at both volumes.
Does Halo use real people?
No. Halo is an AI agent and says it is an automated assistant. If you need a person answering, Smith.ai's live receptionists are built for that. For emergencies you define, Halo rings your own phone and hands the caller to you.
Can I keep my phone number?
Yes. Your number stays yours. Calls forward to Halo when you do not pick up, or all the time on Full Takeover.
Is there a contract with either?
Bold Reach is month to month with no contract. Smith.ai's pages say both its AI and live services are month to month, and the AI plans ask for 30 days' notice to cancel.
Are Halo's minutes really unlimited?
Yes. Halo is one flat monthly price with no per-call or per-minute charges. Unlimited covers normal calls for your own business. If usage is ever far beyond a typical business, such as an automated or spam call flood, we contact you before changing anything.
Other comparisons
Hear Halo before you compare anything else. Ring (248) 936-6493.
The demo line is set up for a print shop and answers right now. Or call Jack, a person, on (248) 387-9610, and he will price it for your call volume.