Three kinds of receptionist service
Human receptionist services such as Smith.ai and Ruby put a trained person on the line and bill by the call or the minute. They are the most familiar option and the most expensive per conversation. Volume is the constraint: every plan has a call or minute allowance, and busy months cost more.
Self-serve AI phone agents such as Goodcall and Dialzara give you software to build your own agent. Entry prices are low, and the trade is your time: you write the flows, connect the tools, and maintain the agent as your business changes. Most cover inbound calls, with texts, chat and outbound sold as add-ons.
Managed AI agents, which is what SentraVoice is, sit between the two on price and above both on scope. Our team builds the agent around your intake process, connects your calendar or CRM, and keeps tuning it. One plan covers calls, SMS, email and social DMs, inbound and outbound, with Do Not Call compliance automated. Clients are usually live within 24 hours on their existing number.
The right choice depends on your call volume, whether your callers must hear a human, how many channels you need covered, and whether anyone on your team has time to run software. The pages below put the numbers side by side for each vendor.
Comparisons
Smith.ai alternative: SentraVoice vs Smith.ai
Comparing SentraVoice and Smith.ai in 2026: per-call versus per-minute pricing, AI versus human receptionists, channels covered, and which fits a law firm, home services company or clinic.
Read the comparison vs RubyRuby receptionist alternative: SentraVoice vs Ruby
SentraVoice vs Ruby Receptionists: per-minute human answering from $250 for 50 minutes versus AI agents from $299 for 100 minutes with SMS, email and outbound included.
Read the comparison vs GoodcallGoodcall alternative: SentraVoice vs Goodcall
Goodcall is a self-serve AI phone agent from $79 per agent. SentraVoice is a managed multi-channel agent service from $299. Compare pricing, unique-caller caps, channels and setup for service businesses.
Read the comparison vs DialzaraDialzara alternative: SentraVoice vs Dialzara
Dialzara starts at $29 for 60 minutes of self-serve AI answering. SentraVoice starts at $299 with agents built for you, SMS and email included, and outbound available. Compare plans, overage and fit.
Read the comparisonWhat you get with SentraVoice
- Built for you, not by you. We configure every agent with your business name, tone, intake questions and scheduling rules, then keep tuning it after launch. There is no prompt builder to learn.
- Your existing number. Calls forward from the line your customers already know. Always on, overflow only, or after hours only.
- Every channel. Voice, SMS, email and social DMs, inbound and outbound, from one platform and one plan.
- Qualification and booking, not message taking. The agent asks your intake questions, offers only the calendar slots you marked open, and books the appointment on the call.
- A record of every interaction. SMS and email summary within seconds of hang-up, plus the recording and transcript in your dashboard.
- Live within 24 hours. No setup fees, month to month, cancel anytime.
SentraVoice plans
| SentraVoice plan | Monthly | Minutes | Messages | Lines | Branded agents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter Inbound | $299 | 100 | 500 | 1 | 3 |
| Starter Outbound | $499 | 100 | 500 | 1 | 4 |
| Professional | $899 | 500 | 1,000 | 2 | 4 |
| Enterprise | $3,500 | 3,500 | 10,000 | 2 | 7 |
Every plan includes call recording and transcription, SMS and email summaries, and at least one CRM or calendar integration. Extra minutes, messages and lines are available as add-ons. Full detail on the pricing page.