For personal-injury firms choosing who answers the phone
Law firm answering services compared: what each one publishes
What Smith.ai, Ruby, Answering Legal, LEX Reception, PATLive, Alert Communications, Abby Connect and NextPhone publish about price, per-call or per-minute charges, contract, who answers and setup, each fact linked to the page it came from and dated. Intake Gateway’s row is from our own pricing.
Updated
Who each one fits
Price is not the reason to pick us. Smith.ai’s free plan costs less than our $149 a month for a firm with few calls; NextPhone, at $199 a month, costs more.
- Smith.ai (AI Receptionist): A firm that gets few calls a month. Its free plan covers 25 calls a month, then $3.00 a call, so at low volume it costs less than Intake Gateway. It also offers human-first and hybrid answering. Smith.ai alternative for law firms
- Ruby: A business that wants live people on its calls: plans start at $250 a month for 50 minutes. Ruby alternative for law firms
- Answering Legal: A law firm that wants to try the service free first, with no credit card. Answering Legal alternative for law firms
- LEX Reception: A law firm that wants people, not an AI, on its calls: it says it does not use AI in answering phones. LEX Reception alternative for law firms
- PATLive: A firm that wants live people on its calls and pays by the minute: it says it does not use AI to answer calls, and its $49 a month plan has no included minutes, so a firm with few call minutes a month pays less than at Intake Gateway. PATLive alternative for law firms
- Alert Communications: A law firm that wants its answering service to send contracts and retainers too: its pricing page lists “Contract & Retainer Services” beside call and intake services, with no price on the page. Alert Communications alternative for law firms
- Abby Connect: A firm that wants to choose people or an AI call by call: one plan covers both, from $165 a month for 50 Abby Minutes, and an AI minute counts as half an Abby Minute. Abby Connect alternative for law firms
- Posh: Not yet read: every Posh cell below shows “Not published on the page linked” until its pricing page is read. Posh alternative for law firms
- AnswerConnect: Not yet read: every AnswerConnect cell below shows “Not published on the page linked” until its pricing page is read. AnswerConnect alternative for law firms
- Solvea: Not yet read: every Solvea cell below shows “Not published on the page linked” until its pricing page is read. Solvea alternative for law firms
- Dapta: Not yet read: every Dapta cell below shows “Not published on the page linked” until its pricing page is read. Dapta alternative for law firms
- Upfirst: Not yet read: every Upfirst cell below shows “Not published on the page linked” until its pricing page is read. Upfirst alternative for law firms
- Dialzara: Not yet read: every Dialzara cell below shows “Not published on the page linked” until its pricing page is read. Dialzara alternative for law firms
- Lexidesk: Not yet read: every Lexidesk cell below shows “Not published on the page linked” until its pricing page is read. Lexidesk alternative for law firms
- Gabbyville: Not yet read: every Gabbyville cell below shows “Not published on the page linked” until its pricing page is read. Gabbyville alternative for law firms
- Quo (Sona): Not yet read: every Quo (Sona) cell below shows “Not published on the page linked” until its legal answering page is read. Quo (Sona) alternative for law firms
- Trillet: Not yet read: every Trillet cell below shows “Not published on the page linked” until its pricing page is read. Trillet alternative for law firms
- NextPhone: A firm that wants one flat AI price whatever its call count: $199 a month, unlimited calls.
- Intake Gateway: A solo or small personal-injury, workers’ comp, criminal defense or family law firm that cannot afford to miss a call. It is an AI intake agent for personal injury, workers’ comp, criminal defense and family law firms, so it does not fit a firm that wants a person on the phone or intake for other practice areas.
What each one publishes
Each competitor cell links to the vendor page it was read on, with the date.
| Service | Published price | Per-call or per-minute charges | Contract | AI or human | Setup call |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith.ai (AI Receptionist) | Free: $0 a month for 25 calls. Pro: $150 a month for 75 calls ($2.00 a call). Source, read Oct 2, 2026 | Per call: $3.00 a call past the free plan's 25; on paid plans, overage is charged per real call. Source, read Oct 2, 2026 | Month to month, no contract; cancelling needs 30 days' notice. Source, read Oct 2, 2026 | AI first, with human-first and hybrid options. Source, read Oct 2, 2026 | Self-serve sign-up on the Free and Pro plans; Enterprise is “Talk to us”. Source, read Oct 2, 2026 |
| Ruby | $250 a month for 50 minutes, $395 for 100, $720 for 200. Source, read Oct 2, 2026 | Per receptionist minute; minutes past the plan are billed at an overage rate these pages do not publish. Source, read Oct 2, 2026 | No long-term contract; cancel by phone or email. Source, read Oct 2, 2026 | Live people. Source, read Oct 2, 2026 | Self-serve: a Sign up button on each plan, with demos also offered; no fee for activation, onboarding or setup. Source, read Oct 2, 2026 |
| Answering Legal | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 2, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 2, 2026 | Trial: “no commitments” and “No credit card required”; contract length not stated. Source, read Oct 2, 2026 | Not stated by the vendor on the pages read; a customer testimonial mentions “a live operator”. Source, read Oct 2, 2026 | Not stated: the pages offer both “Try for free” and “Schedule a call”. Source, read Oct 2, 2026 |
| LEX Reception | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 7, 2026 | Per minute, rounded up to the next minute; minutes past the plan are charged per minute, at a rate this page does not publish. Source, read Oct 2, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 2, 2026 | Live receptionists; it says it does “not use AI in answering phones”. Source, read Oct 2, 2026 | Not self-serve on its plans page: plans and prices come after a phone-number form (“See dedicated LEX plans”) or a call. Source, read Oct 7, 2026 |
| PATLive | $49 a month with no included minutes (pay as you go); $99 a month for 50 minutes, up to $6,899 for 5,000. Plus taxes and fees. Source, read Oct 7, 2026 | Per receptionist minute: $2.99 a minute on pay as you go; past a plan's minutes, $2.29 down to $1.49 a minute. No charge for after-call notes or wrap-up. Source, read Oct 7, 2026 | No contracts; cancel anytime, by phone or online. Source, read Oct 7, 2026 | Live people; it says it “does not use AI to answer calls”. Source, read Oct 7, 2026 | Self-serve: “Start free trial” on each plan, free for 14 days; “Speak with Sales” is also offered. Source, read Oct 7, 2026 |
| Alert Communications | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 7, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 7, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 7, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 7, 2026 | Not self-serve on its pricing page: each service’s “get started” opens its contact page; “Contact us to learn more”. Its services: call answering, intake, and “Contract & Retainer Services”. Source, read Oct 7, 2026 |
| Abby Connect | $165 a month for 50 Abby Minutes, $329 for 100, $599 for 200, $1,380 for 500; Enterprise plans are custom. Source, read Oct 7, 2026 | Per Abby Minute: a human minute is 1 Abby Minute, an AI minute half of one; minutes past the plan are billed at the plan’s Abby Minute rate, which this page does not publish in dollars. Source, read Oct 7, 2026 | Month to month; “No long-term commitment required”. Source, read Oct 7, 2026 | Live people, AI, or a mix of both chosen per call type. Source, read Oct 7, 2026 | Self-serve: “Start free trial” on each plan, a free trial on every plan (length not stated) and no setup fee; Enterprise is “Contact us”. Source, read Oct 7, 2026 |
| Posh | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 |
| AnswerConnect | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 |
| Solvea | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 |
| Dapta | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 |
| Upfirst | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 |
| Dialzara | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 9, 2026 |
| Lexidesk | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 10, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 10, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 10, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 10, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 10, 2026 |
| Gabbyville | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 10, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 10, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 10, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 10, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 10, 2026 |
| Quo (Sona) | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 10, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 10, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 10, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 10, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 10, 2026 |
| Trillet | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 10, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 10, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 10, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 10, 2026 | Not published on the page linked Source, read Oct 10, 2026 |
| NextPhone | $199 a month, flat, with unlimited calls. Source, read Oct 2, 2026 | None: no per-minute charges and no per-call fees. Source, read Oct 2, 2026 | “Cancel anytime”. Source, read Oct 2, 2026 | AI. Source, read Oct 2, 2026 | Self-serve: “Get Started Free”, with a 7-day free trial; a call or demo can also be booked. Source, read Oct 2, 2026 |
| Intake Gateway | $149 a month. Our pricing | None: every answered call is included, and fair use is a guide of up to 100 answered calls a month for one firm’s own line, not a cap. Our pricing | Month to month, no setup fee; cancel any time. Our pricing | AI. Our pricing | No: self-serve. There is no sales or setup call. Our pricing |
Prices in US dollars a month, as each vendor publishes them, read on the vendor’s own page linked beside each fact on the date shown. “Not published on the page linked” means that page did not state it; the vendor may state it elsewhere. “Not confirmed” means the fact is past its monthly re-read. We re-read every source monthly and correct or remove a fact we can no longer confirm. A vendor who finds a fact out of date can write to contact@intakegateway.com.
Names are their owners’ trademarks; no affiliation.
What the table does not show
Intake Gateway answers your line when you can’t and runs a personal-injury intake.
- The questions that matter for what happened: a crash, a fall, a dog bite, a work injury, a product.
- Urgent cases can be offered a live transfer to you, in the hours you allow.
- The conflict check against your Clio, if you connect it.
- In English, and in Spanish if you switch it on.
- The intake in your inbox after the call; the recording and transcript stay behind your sign-in.
One plan, $149 a month, every answered call included. First month free: a 30-day free trial, every answered call included, one trial per firm. Card on file, nothing charged before day 31.
The personal injury intake questions it asks, by kind of case
First month free, then $149 a month
- Confirm your email: we send a link that signs you in, no password.
- Set up your agent: tell us about your firm, then call your number and hear it.
- Forward your calls to your number and add a card at checkout; the first month is free.