Smith.ai AI Receptionist vs Podium
Short answer: Same preliminary score. BAA not confirmed for Smith.ai AI Receptionist, so it can't be a top pick for patient data. Both are Level 1 desk reviews from public sources; accuracy is untested for both. Scores are out of 85 (tested so far); hands-on accuracy testing (15 pts) pending.
| Criterion | Smith.ai AI Receptionist | Podium |
|---|---|---|
| Category | AI receptionist | Patient messaging / scheduling |
| Preliminary score | 33/85 | 33/85 |
| BAA | Not HIPAA-compliant “Smith.ai is not HIPAA-compliant and cannot handle protected health information (PHI) in regulated healthcare environments” | BAA stated “If Client is a Covered Entity or Business Associate, as defined in HIPAA, Podium and Client agree to the terms of Podium’s BAA” |
| Pricing as shown | Free $0 (25 calls/mo, $3.00/call after); Pro $150/mo (75 calls, $2.00/call); Enterprise from $500/mo (300 calls) [1]. | No figures shown on the pricing page when we checked [1] (unverified). |
| HIPAA / BAA availability (20) | 0 Vendor states it is not HIPAA-compliant [2]. | 16 Terms incorporate a BAA for covered entities [2]. Plan restrictions unverified. |
| Integrations (dental PMS / EHR) (25) | 5 Calendly, Clio, Zapier and '7,000+' integrations via automation [1][2]. No dental PMS listed. | 5 '200+ integrations' claimed [1]. Dental PMS integrations not confirmed. |
| Pricing transparency (12) | 12 All tiers and per-call rates published [1]. | 2 No numbers shown. |
| Accuracy / output quality (15) | 0 Not tested yet. Accuracy needs a Level-3 hands-on test with synthetic data. 0/15 until then. | 0 Not tested yet. Accuracy needs a Level-3 hands-on test with synthetic data. 0/15 until then. |
| Setup effort (8) | 6 Self-setup with 'Quality Studio - test before going live' [1]. | 4 'Step-by-Step Onboarding' [1]. |
| Support (8) | 5 'Live phone, email & chat support' on Pro [1]. | 3 'customer support is included in every plan' [1]. |
| Contract terms (7) | 4 Receptionist pricing FAQ: 'Smith is a month-to-month service' with a 30-day money-back guarantee [3]. Whether this also applies to AI plans isn't stated explicitly (unverified). | 1 Terms not reviewed for length or renewal (unverified). |
| Specialty fit (dental) (5) | 1 General SMB, not healthcare-specific. | 2 General multi-industry. The dental page was thin when fetched. |
| Last checked | 2026-10-14 | 2026-10-14 |
Source numbers like [2] refer to each tool's own source list on its review page.
Every Thursday: dental AI price and HIPAA changes, 5 minutes.
Double opt-in. Unsubscribe in one click.