Frontly vs Smith.ai
Compare two approaches to business calls: Frontly's configurable AI reception and outbound campaigns, and Smith.ai's AI, hybrid and live receptionist services.
The short answer
Should I choose Frontly or Smith.ai?
Both offer AI answering, appointment scheduling and configurable call handling. Smith.ai also offers live receptionist services and human backup. Frontly suits a business that wants to manage reception in a visual workflow builder, serve callers in more than 40 languages and run AI outbound campaigns. Choose by the calls, language needs and staff handover the business requires.
- Manage call questions and handover rules in a visual workflow builder
- Serve callers in more than 40 languages
- Run AI follow-up campaigns alongside inbound reception
- Call records hosted in the US, EU or UK
CAPABILITY
Built for how your business runs
Published capabilities checked on 2 November 2026. A feature not listed on the cited page is not proof that Smith.ai cannot provide it.
| What your front desk needs | Frontly | Smith.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Answers every call 24/7, holidays included | Yes | Yes |
| Full conversations in 40+ languages on one number | Yes | English and Spanish |
| Visual workflow builder you edit yourself, no code | Yes | Self-configuration and custom call flows |
| Books the appointment during the call | Yes | Yes |
| Warm transfer to your team with a spoken briefing | Yes | Call routing and live-agent backup |
| Own-cloud or on-premise deployment | Enterprise | Not listed on cited page |
Swipe the table to see the Smith.ai column.
Who takes the handover
| Feature | Frontly | Smith.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Calls needing a person | Transfers to nominated staff | Live receptionist services available |
| AI call handling | Customer-configured workflows | Configurable call flows and testing |
Swipe to compare Frontly with Smith.ai.
DEEP DIVE
Key Differences Explained
Choose who handles the difficult calls
Frontly transfers to the staff or phone destinations the business nominates. Smith.ai offers its own live receptionists. That distinction matters if the team needs relief from calls that still require a person.
Compare a real reception task
Use the same scenario with both: a service question, an appointment request and a caller asking for staff. Check the conversation, booking destination and handover, rather than assuming either product only takes messages.
Include follow-up in the decision
Frontly runs AI campaigns from customer-loaded lists. Smith.ai also offers outbound work through its live receptionists. Compare the required process, reporting and ownership before choosing.
INDUSTRY FIT
Is Frontly right for your industry?
AI intake reception for law firms needs new-inquiry intake and a clear handover when a caller needs legal judgment.
AI receptionist for accounting practices needs routine questions answered while staff focus on client work and filing deadlines.
AI reception for medical practices needs appointment requests captured and clinical questions directed to practice staff.
AI receptionist for dental practices needs appointment inquiries handled while reception helps patients at the desk.
AI receptionist for real estate agents needs buyer and seller inquiries captured while agents are at inspections.
AI reception for healthcare clinics needs routine reception covered while practitioners are with clients.
AI receptionist for vet clinics needs appointment requests captured and urgent concerns directed to clinic staff.
AI phone screening for recruitment needs candidate details captured and screening questions answered consistently.
AI receptionist for training providers needs course questions answered and prospective students directed to the next step.
HVAC answering service needs service inquiries captured and urgent requests routed during seasonal peaks.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Smith.ai publishes AI, hybrid and live receptionist services. Frontly answers with AI and can transfer calls to nominated staff.
Yes. Customize questions, knowledge and handover rules in the visual workflow builder, then test the changes.
Yes. Its live receptionist service publishes outbound calls. Frontly runs AI outbound campaigns from customer-loaded lists.
Smith.ai publishes English and Spanish. Frontly supports more than 40 languages, with coverage varying by language. Test the languages and scenarios callers will use.
Forwarding is one option. Confirm the number arrangement and test call routing before changing the existing service.
HEAR IT FOR YOURSELF
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Choose the reception service that fits
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