Stuck trying to decide between Play AI and Smith AI?
We know how overwhelming it can be—there are so many features, pricing plans that never seem clear, and reviews that make things even more confusing. If you’re tired of wasting time comparing options, you’re in the right place. By the end of this article, you’ll feel sure about your choice and finally put the stress behind you.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
Key features, pros, and cons of Play AI and Smith AI
Pricing plans and what you really get
Real user reviews and feedback
Who each tool is best for—and a BETTER alternative you should know about
Curious to see which one truly wins, and how you could make an even smarter choice? Let’s dive in!
Why Ringly.io is the better choice ; )
Built for e-commerce
With experience in both AI and e-commerce, we set out become the best AI phone agent platform for online stores.
Stupid-simple user interface
Super easy to work with, and you can set up things even if you're not tech savvy. If you create a free account you can see it for yourself though!
Quick and easy setup
Pre-built AI phone agents and will have your online store automated in minutes- not hours.
Play AI vs Smith AI – TL;DR
Product Area
Play AI
Smith AI
Ringly.io
Voice Quality
Top-tier, lifelike voices
Human + AI blend
Very human-like, fast responses
Business Automation
Media-focused, not automation
Human agents, hybrid workflows
Full AI call automation
Integrations/Setup
API, technical setup needed
CRM, calendar, booking tools
No-code, instant from website/docs
Pricing
Expensive, pay by minutes
High, fixed per-call plans
Flexible, usage-based, free option
Best For
Content creation, voiceovers
Service firms, human touch
E-commerce sales, support, SMBs
Customer Reviews
No reviews available
4.7/5, 100+ reviews
4.8/5, glowing new reviews
Unique Feature
Instant voice cloning
24/7 hybrid reception
Cart recovery, agent learns instantly
Play AI - a quick overview
Founded in Palo Alto, California in 2023 by Mahmoud Felfel and Hammad Syed, PlayAI is pioneering the future of conversational AI with its advanced voice agent platform. The company empowers developers and businesses to create real-time, human-like AI voice agents that can handle complex tasks across industries like customer support, healthcare, travel, and marketing. With over 50,000 users already leveraging its technology, PlayAI’s flagship model PlayDialog delivers natural speech with nuanced emotion and context through an intuitive editor or API.
PlayAI targets enterprises seeking seamless voice automation solutions—especially those needing multilingual support and rapid deployment without building custom models from scratch. Key features include generative speech models supporting 30+ languages, instant voice cloning capabilities (with ethical safeguards), easy integration tools like PlayNote for transforming media into audio content, and robust APIs for developers. Backed by $21 million in seed funding from top investors including Kindred Ventures and Y Combinator, PlayAI is recognized as a leader in next-gen AI-powered communication.
In the following section we’ll break down PlayAI’s features, pros/cons, pricing details, and user reviews—comparing them directly with Smith AI and Ringly.io to help you find the best fit for your business needs.
Play AI's Features
Conversational Voices Play AI offers a variety of natural-sounding, conversational voices ideal for entertainment videos, podcasts, and audiobooks. These voices are designed to sound human-like and engaging, making them suitable for content creators who prioritize audio quality. While Smith AI focuses more on live receptionist services and Ringly.io specializes in business-specific phone agents with deep knowledge integration, Play AI is best suited for media production rather than direct customer support or sales automation[1][8].
Explainer Voice This feature provides clear and articulate voice options tailored for explainer videos and educational content. It's perfect for businesses producing training materials or e-learning modules. Unlike Smith AI’s focus on call handling or Ringly.io’s real-time order status updates via phone calls, Play AI excels at delivering polished narration but lacks transactional capabilities[1].
Local Accents & Character Voices Play AI allows users to select from various local accents and character voices—useful for regional marketing campaigns or creative projects like gaming ads. This flexibility helps brands localize their messaging effectively. However, it doesn’t match the business process automations found in Ringly.io (like abandoned cart recovery) or the appointment scheduling of Smith AI[1][8].
Narrative & Children Voices With specialized narrative styles (for documentaries) and child-friendly tones (for kids’ audiobooks), Play AI targets publishers needing diverse voice types across genres. While this breadth is valuable in media production, it doesn’t address operational needs such as CRM integration or smart call transfers that are core strengths of Ringly.io[4][9].
Emotions & Training Voices Play AI can infuse emotion into speech—making it great for imaginative ads—or provide neutral tones suitable for training materials. This emotional range enhances listener engagement but does not offer advanced analytics on caller mood like Ringly.io does after real customer interactions[1][8].
API Access & Enterprise Solutions Developers can integrate PlayDialog models into their own apps via API access—a plus if you want custom voice features embedded elsewhere. For larger organizations needing scalable audio solutions across platforms (e.g., research labs), this is a strong fit; however, unlike Ringly.io’s no-code integrations with CRMs and ticketing tools through Zapier/Make.com, technical expertise is required here[8].
Overall, Play AI stands out as an advanced text-to-speech platform focused on high-quality synthetic voices with broad creative applications—ideal if your main goal is producing lifelike audio content at scale rather than automating business calls or providing actionable insights from conversations as seen with more commerce-focused solutions like ours at Ringly.io[3][9].
Play AI Pros and Cons
Quick and easy to use – Users consistently praise how fast they can convert text to speech with minimal setup or technical know-how.
Wide variety of lifelike voices – Many reviewers highlight the extensive selection of voices, accents, and languages available, which helps create engaging audio content.
Intuitive interface – The platform is described as user-friendly with a straightforward workflow that makes it accessible even for beginners.
Frequent updates – Users appreciate that new voices and languages are added regularly, keeping the tool fresh and relevant.
Responsive customer support (in some cases) – Several users mention positive experiences with individual support agents who were patient and helpful during onboarding or troubleshooting sessions.
Cons
Limited accent authenticity in some regions – For example, Australian users report that advertised "Australian" accents often sound more British or American than genuinely Australian. This makes finding suitable regional voices difficult for certain markets.
Account management issues – Some customers have experienced problems transferring subscriptions between accounts or resetting passwords after purchase. In these cases, customer support was slow to respond or unhelpful in resolving access issues—leading to wasted spend on unusable subscriptions.
Occasional server-side errors – There are reports of temporary outages or glitches affecting service availability; while usually resolved quickly (within 20 minutes), this can disrupt workflows if timing is critical.
Pricing concerns for small-scale users – Several reviewers feel the pricing is steep if you only need occasional voiceover work or have a single large project rather than ongoing needs. This may limit accessibility for freelancers or smaller teams compared to more flexible pricing models offered elsewhere.
Voice inflection limitations with complex text – Some users note that while most output sounds natural, technical terms or complicated sentences sometimes lack proper emphasis or intonation—detracting from overall audio quality in specialized contexts like training materials or e-learning modules.
These insights reflect actual user experiences across multiple review platforms so you can make an informed comparison when considering alternatives like Ringly.io.
Founded in 2015 by Aaron Lee (former Google Video engineer and Home Depot CTO) and Justin Maxwell (ex-Apple/Google design leader), Smith.ai delivers AI-powered voice agents combined with human receptionists to manage customer calls, web chats, and lead intake for small businesses. Trusted by 3,000+ companies across law firms, home services, and SaaS sectors, it offers 24/7 bilingual support with CRM integrations and payment collection tools.
In the following section, we’ll break down Smith.ai’s features like smart call routing and live chat handling alongside pros/cons, pricing tiers starting at $97.50/month, and user reviews—comparing them directly to Play AI and Ringly.io to highlight where each solution excels for different business needs.
Smith AI's features
24/7 Virtual Receptionists Smith AI offers round-the-clock live agents who answer calls, ensuring businesses never miss an opportunity. This is especially valuable for service-based industries like law firms and real estate, where missed calls can mean lost revenue. Unlike Play AI’s focus on automated voice agents and Ringly.io’s fully autonomous phone agent, Smith AI blends human touch with automation—ideal if your business values personal interaction but still wants some efficiency[6].
AI-Powered Assistance Smith AI uses proprietary artificial intelligence to help its live agents handle calls efficiently and accurately. The system can answer common questions, route inquiries, and provide basic information without delay. While Play AI relies solely on synthetic voices for content delivery (great for entertainment or explainer videos), Smith’s hybrid approach is better suited to businesses that want both speed and a human feel. Ringly.io takes this further by letting the agent become an expert instantly using your actual knowledge base—no training required—which means even more accurate answers with less setup[10][6].
Lead Screening and Intake Agents at Smith AI qualify leads based on custom criteria you set, capturing key details before passing them along to your team. This feature helps filter out unqualified prospects so sales teams spend time only on high-value leads—a must-have for busy professionals like attorneys or consultants. Play AI doesn’t offer lead qualification; it focuses more on content creation than customer engagement workflows. Ringly.io also screens callers but does so automatically using up-to-date business data from your website or docs—removing the need for manual input while keeping responses current.
Appointment Booking Smith.ai virtual receptionists schedule appointments directly into your calendar via integrations with popular booking tools—a huge time-saver for small businesses managing lots of client meetings[6]. While Play AI lacks this operational focus (it’s built mainly for generating lifelike voices), Ringly.io automates appointment scheduling as part of broader call workflows that include order status checks and abandoned cart recovery.
Outreach Campaigns Sales-trained agents at Smith.ai conduct outbound calling campaigns to engage leads proactively—a strong fit if you want a mix of cold-calling expertise plus follow-up automation in one package[6]. PlayAI doesn’t support outreach; it specializes in voice generation rather than sales enablement tasks. With Ringly.io, outreach is handled through automated phone call sequences triggered by events like abandoned carts or order updates—delivering higher conversion rates thanks to instant action rather than waiting in a queue.
Website Chat Support Smith.ai provides live-staffed chat widgets powered by generative large language models trained on your website data[10]. This enables fast, natural conversations online—even complex queries get answered accurately because the system pulls from real-time site info (with plans to add CRM integration soon). In contrast, PlayAI has no chat capability—it’s strictly audio-focused—and while Ringly.io specializes in phone interactions first, its deep knowledge base integration ensures ever
Play AI: Pros and Cons
Quick and easy to use – Users consistently praise how fast they can convert text to speech with minimal setup or technical know-how.
Wide variety of lifelike voices – Many reviewers highlight the extensive selection of voices, accents, and languages available, which helps create engaging audio content.
Intuitive interface – The platform is described as user-friendly with a straightforward workflow that makes it accessible even for beginners.
Frequent updates – Users appreciate that new voices and languages are added regularly, keeping the tool fresh and relevant.
Responsive customer support (in some cases) – Several users mention positive experiences with individual support agents who were patient and helpful during onboarding or troubleshooting sessions.
Cons
Limited accent authenticity in some regions – For example, Australian users report that advertised "Australian" accents often sound more British or American than genuinely Australian. This makes finding suitable regional voices difficult for certain markets.
Account management issues – Some customers have experienced problems transferring subscriptions between accounts or resetting passwords after purchase. In these cases, customer support was slow to respond or unhelpful in resolving access issues—leading to wasted spend on unusable subscriptions.
Occasional server-side errors – There are reports of temporary outages or glitches affecting service availability; while usually resolved quickly (within 20 minutes), this can disrupt workflows if timing is critical.
Pricing concerns for small-scale users – Several reviewers feel the pricing is steep if you only need occasional voiceover work or have a single large project rather than ongoing needs. This may limit accessibility for freelancers or smaller teams compared to more flexible pricing models offered elsewhere.
Voice inflection limitations with complex text – Some users note that while most output sounds natural, technical terms or complicated sentences sometimes lack proper emphasis or intonation—detracting from overall audio quality in specialized contexts like training materials or e-learning modules.
These insights reflect actual user experiences across multiple review platforms so you can make an informed comparison when considering alternatives like Ringly.io.
Pricing - Play AI vs Smith AI
Note: The pricing information below is accurate at the time of writing and may be subject to change. For the most up-to-date pricing, please visit each company's pricing page.
Everything in Starter + lower per-chat overage fee ($6/chat)
Pro
$600
120 chats
Everything in Basic + even lower overage fee ($5/chat)
*Exact call volumes for some tiers are not specified on the public site but follow the same structure (higher tier = more included).
Ringly.io pricing
Ringly.io delivers the perfect balance of affordability and features. Unlike competitors who force you into expensive tiers, Ringly.io includes all core features even in its free plan. The simple, transparent pricing scales based on your actual usage, with no surprise fees.
Plan Tiers
Price
Features
Contract Length
Cancellation Fees
Refund Policies
Free
$0
10 call minutes, all core features
No contract
No
110% money-back guarantee
Do It Yourself
$21–$999/month based on minutes
1 phone number, all features included
Monthly
Done With You
$69–$1,179/month based on minutes
3 phone numbers, setup help, faster support
Monthly
Done For You
Custom pricing
Custom setup, premium support
Custom
Online customer reviews: Play AI vs Smith AI
Play AI
There are currently no online reviews available for Play AI on G2, Capterra, Product Hunt, Trustpilot, or other major review platforms. This lack of public feedback means potential buyers should exercise caution and consider reaching out directly to the company for references or case studies before making a decision.
What users are saying about Play AI:
No online reviews available. Potential customers should be careful and seek additional information before purchasing.
Smith AI
Smith.ai has an established reputation with verified user feedback on Capterra and mentions of high ratings on G2 and Clutch. Below is a summary based primarily on Capterra’s data:
Total number of reviews (Capterra): 100+ Average rating (Capterra): 4.7 out of 5 stars
What users are saying about Smith.ai:
"Awesome easy way to capture leads" – Anonymous Reviewer (Small Business Owner) Smith.ai minimizes time spent on tedious phone conversations by capturing pertinent information up front...
"Unclear if it’s a bot or human" – Anonymous Reviewer (Business Owner) There could be better communication about whether a real person is answering or the bot; I’m not sure potential clients know if they have a robot or a person...
Smith.ai stands out for its ease of use, responsive support team, and ability to blend live agents with automation. However, some users wish there was more transparency distinguishing between human agents and bots during interactions—a point that can matter when comparing against competitors who may offer clearer disclosures.
If you need further details from other review sites like G2 or Trustpilot specifically for Smith.ai (or if new Play AI reviews appear), checking those sources regularly is recommended as user sentiment can change over time.
What users are saying about Ringly.io:
Ringly.io is known for its simplicity, and a focus on e-commerce, with features like abandoned cart recovery and order status lookups. It has a 4.8 star rating from 12 reviews on Product Hunt and other platforms.
"it stands out significantly ahead" - Bertrand, Director. We are at the initial stage of testing and have made only a few calls so far. Consequently, I have rated the product with four stars for now. However, I must express that the product has shown significant promise. When compared to competitors, it stands out significantly ahead.
"This is such a great product" - Jim Miranda, Founder. This is such a great product. I have been with you for less than a week and already closed 3 deals with it."
"It really sounds like a human" - Laix, Founder. Tried Ringly.io today and the quality of the phone calls surprises me! It really sounds like a human, and it reacts really fast. Will need to deploy it in action to see the full capabilities.
Content creators & marketers: If you make podcasts, explainer videos, audiobooks, or ads, Play AI’s lifelike voices and many accents are perfect for you. You'll love having quick, easy voiceovers in 30+ languages and being able to clone voices for special projects.
Media & e-learning companies: Play AI is great for businesses focused on narration, training narration, or children’s stories. Its special “explainer” and “narrative” voices help you sound polished and professional.
Developers needing audio APIs: If you want to build custom audio solutions (like smart devices or research tools), Play AI’s API gives you lots of flexibility—even if it does require some technical skill.
Large organizations wanting scalable audio With high-volume plans, Play AI fits companies that need lots of synthetic voice content fast—but not those who need call handling or business automation.
Who Smith AI is best for…
Law firms, agencies, and service providers: If your business can’t miss a call and you care about personal touch, Smith AI’s 24/7 live receptionists with built-in AI can help you book appointments, qualify leads, and route calls—all in English and Spanish.
Busy professionals wanting human + AI Smith AI is perfect for those who want a blend of friendly human agents and automation. If you get lots of calls and need someone to screen, schedule, or handle chats, this hybrid service is ideal.
Companies running outreach campaigns If you want someone to make proactive calls or follow up with leads, Smith AI’s outreach campaigns with sales-trained agents can give you an extra push.
Businesses wanting website chat support Need live chat on your site, plus CRM integration and spam filtering? Smith AI has you covered.
Who Ringly.io is best for…
Online stores & e-commerce businesses: Ringly.io shines if you want to automate phone support for your orders, recover abandoned carts, and give instant answers about products or order status—all without extra staff.
Any business (big or small) aiming for automation With no-code setup, deep integration with your website or docs, and support for unlimited core features—even on the free plan—Ringly.io works for solopreneurs, startups, and larger companies alike.
Teams on a budget needing flexibility Transparent pricing, all features included even on the free plan, and a 110% money-back guarantee mean you never get locked in or hit with surprise fees.
Those who want quick and easy setup Ringly.io doesn’t need you to train a bot or code special flows. Your AI agent instantly learns from your live website or Google Docs, so setup takes minutes, not days.
Why Ringly.io stands out overall: Compared to Play AI and Smith AI, Ringly.io offers the best mix of simple setup, powerful automation, and flexible pricing for any size business. Whether you run a small shop or a growing team, Ringly.io gives you a smart phone agent that helps customers, handles orders, and drives sales— all automatically. No steep learning curve, no hidden costs, just results.
Why Ringly.io is a Better Choice
Highly Rated: 4.8/5
Founded in 2024 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, by Maurizio Isendoorn and Ruben Boonzaaijer, Ringly.io is revolutionizing e-commerce customer service with AI phone agents.Designed for online businesses, Ringly handles customer calls on autopilot—solving support issues, recovering abandoned carts, and even boosting sales—at just 20% of the cost of human agents.
With 1,300+ customers, Ringly.io is the go-to solution for e-commerce stores looking to scale without scaling their support team. With award-winning technology (BubbleCon 2024's "Most Innovative App"), Ringly.io transforms your phone system into a revenue-driving powerhouse—without the headaches of traditional call centers.
Features that make Ringly.io the #1 alternative to Play AI and Smith AI:
No-code setup, instant results – Ringly.io is ready to go in minutes. Just add your website, docs, or text—no engineering required—and your AI phone agent instantly understands your business. It even updates automatically as your website changes.
AI-powered sales & support – Ringly.io does both inbound and outbound calls. Recover 35%+ of abandoned carts with automated follow-up calls, provide real-time order tracking from Shopify, and convert more customers with personalized AI-driven conversations—not just reactive support.
Advanced analytics for smarter decisions – Ringly.io gives you real-time call data, customer intent tracking, and performance reports—helping you optimize support and sales strategies.
Scalable pricing without enterprise contracts – Ringly.io offers transparent, scalable pricing—pay for what you use, no locked-in contracts.
Final Thoughts: Which AI Solution Is Right for You?
Choosing the best AI-powered voice solution comes down to your specific business needs, budget, and how much automation or customization you want. Each product—Play AI, Smith AI, and Ringly.io—brings something unique to the table. Here’s a quick recap to help you decide.
Play AI:
Top pick for content creators, marketers, and anyone needing rapid, lifelike audio in dozens of languages.
Offers a huge range of voices and accents plus flexible API options for custom audio projects.
Best if your main goal is producing polished media or e-learning content—less so if you need business automation or direct customer engagement.
Smith AI:
The go-to for service businesses that need 24/7 live receptionists, appointment setting, and hybrid human + AI support.
Great for law firms, agencies, and professionals where every call matters and a human touch is reassuring.
Ideal when you want lead intake, outreach campaigns, or live chat backup (though pricing can be steep for smaller teams).
Ringly.io:
Stands out for e-commerce and online businesses wanting to automate customer support, recover abandoned carts, and handle phone inquiries—all on autopilot.
No-code setup, instant knowledge from your website or docs, and real-time analytics for smarter decisions.
Transparent, flexible pricing (including a generous free plan), and a 110% money-back guarantee—making AI phone agents accessible to everyone, not just big enterprises.
At the end of the day, Play AI is perfect for top-tier content creation, Smith AI is unbeatable if you depend on high-touch customer calls, and Ringly.io brings the best mix of powerful business automation, unmatched simplicity, and unbeatable value—especially for e-commerce and fast-growing teams.
If you want a solution that grows with your business and lets you put support, sales, and phone automation on true autopilot—without breaking the bank—Ringly.io is a smart choice.
Still uncertain? Try Ringly.io risk-free—see how fast your team can scale!
Want to compare other players in the market? Check out our other comparisons:
