Receptiva vs. Smith.ai for personal-injury firms
Updated June 2026
Both Receptiva and Smith.ai make sure your firm's phone gets answered — the difference is focus. Smith.ai is a strong, general-purpose virtual receptionist and answering service that blends human agents with AI and bills per call, used across many industries. Receptiva is narrower on purpose: an AI receptionist and intake specialist built specifically for personal-injury firms, billed at a flat monthly rate.
TL;DR
- Choose Smith.ai if you want a proven, multi-industry receptionist with human agents and are comfortable with per-call pricing.
- Choose Receptiva if you run a PI firm, take Spanish-speaking calls, want a deep legal intake written straight into Clio, and prefer one predictable flat rate.
Side by side
| Receptiva | Smith.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Built specifically for personal-injury intake | Yes — built and used by a PI firm | No — general-purpose receptionist |
| Pricing model | Flat monthly rate; $0.99/min only on overage | Per-call / per-plan pricing |
| Who answers | AI agent, 24/7 | Human agents blended with AI |
| Bilingual (Spanish-first) | Yes — full intake in Spanish | Spanish available, limited |
| Depth of legal intake | Full PI intake: injury, treatment, fault, insurance, conflicts | Configurable, generally lighter |
| Writes structured matter into Clio | Yes — matter, contact, recording, summary in seconds | Basic CRM / lead logging |
| Time to go live | Days — forward your existing line | Days, with onboarding |
| Contract | Month-to-month, cancel anytime | Plan-based |
When Smith.ai is the better fit
If your firm spans multiple practice areas or you specifically want human receptionists in the loop on every call, Smith.ai's established, general-purpose service is a great choice. Its per-call model can also suit firms with low, predictable call volume.
When Receptiva is the better fit
If you're a personal-injury firm, a missed or shallow intake is a five-figure problem. Receptiva runs your real PI intake — injury, treatment, fault, insurance — screens spam, checks conflicts, warm-transfers hot leads, and drops a structured matter, recording, and summary into Clio in seconds. It's Spanish-first, flat-rate, and month-to-month.
FAQ
Is Receptiva a Smith.ai alternative for law firms?
Yes. Smith.ai is an excellent general-purpose virtual receptionist that blends human agents with AI and bills per call. Receptiva is a purpose-built AI receptionist and intake specialist for personal-injury firms: it runs a full PI intake in English and Spanish, writes a structured matter into Clio, and bills a flat monthly rate instead of per call.
How is the pricing different from Smith.ai?
Smith.ai generally charges per call or per plan, so cost scales with call volume. Receptiva is flat-rate and month-to-month, with included minutes per plan and a simple $0.99/min only if you go over — so a busy week doesn't produce a surprise invoice.
Does Receptiva handle Spanish-speaking callers?
Yes — Receptiva is Spanish-first by design. Spanish-speaking callers get a complete intake in Spanish and a route to a Spanish-speaking attorney, rather than a limited menu.