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Intry vs Sameday AI
SMS-based AI dispatch versus voice AI for trade contractors. Two fundamentally different approaches to the same problem — here is how they compare on price, triage depth, and dispatch quality.
Last updated: February 2026
Why are contractors comparing these two?
Both Intry and Sameday AI solve the same core problem: trade contractors lose revenue when customer calls go unanswered. But they attack it from opposite directions. Sameday AI picks up the phone with a voice AI agent that sounds like a human receptionist. Intry catches the missed call and immediately opens an SMS triage conversation. Voice answering services capture a name and callback number. SMS-based dispatch captures the full diagnostic picture — what's wrong, how long it's been happening, what's been tried, plus photos of the problem. Your tech arrives knowing what to bring instead of discovering it on-site. For shops that already run ServiceTitan, Sameday writes directly into the dispatch board. Intry connects via Zapier, API, and webhooks while generating richer pre-arrival data for technicians through structured dispatch briefs. The right choice depends on your call volume, tech stack, and how much pre-dispatch intel you need.
How does pricing compare at different volumes?
Sameday AI starts at $449/month for 500 minutes, with additional per-minute charges above that cap. For a 3-truck electrical shop handling 60-80 customer interactions monthly, that base plan covers usage comfortably. Intry starts with a 7-week free trial (full features, no credit card), then flat monthly pricing with no per-interaction caps. At lower volumes, Intry costs significantly less. At very high volumes (500+ simultaneous calls), Sameday's per-minute model can become more efficient because voice AI handles concurrent calls that would require sequential SMS threads. The key cost difference is predictability: Intry bills flat, Sameday bills by the minute.
Which delivers better information to the technician?
This is where the channel difference creates a real capability gap. Sameday AI captures qualifying details during a voice call (name, address, problem description) and creates a call summary. Intry's AI dispatcher Emily runs a multi-turn SMS triage that asks 5-8 diagnostic questions adapted to the specific trade and problem type. The output is a structured dispatch brief with priority level, likely equipment needed, safety flags, and diagnostic findings. Techs using Intry briefs consistently report arriving better prepared. The tradeoff is time: SMS triage takes 3-10 minutes while Sameday captures info during a 1-2 minute phone call.
What about emergency detection?
Both platforms detect emergencies, but with different mechanisms. Sameday AI detects urgent situations during voice calls and can transfer to a live number. Intry uses a dual-layer system: an LLM-driven signal analysis combined with a deterministic backstop that catches emergencies even if the AI misses them. Intry also classifies emergency severity (911-level vs urgent-but-not-dangerous) and includes safety instructions in the dispatch brief. For trade contractors, emergency handling is non-negotiable. Both platforms cover it, but Intry's fail-safe design provides an extra layer of reliability when the stakes are highest.
Feature-by-feature comparison
| Feature | Intry | Sameday AI |
|---|---|---|
| Primary channel | SMS-based (customers share details, photos, and videos they wouldn't on a phone call) | Voice AI |
| Photo / video uploads | ✓ | ✗ |
| Diagnostic triage depth | Multi-turn structured Q&A (5-8 questions) | Voice-based qualifying |
| Dispatch briefs | Structured: priority, equipment, safety flags | Call summary |
| Commercial / residential detection | Auto-detects from conversation | ✗ |
| Emergency detection | Multi-signal (LLM + deterministic backstop) | Voice-based detection |
| Starting price | Free for 7 weeks, then flat monthly | $449/mo (500 min) |
| Free trial | 7 weeks, full features | Demo only |
| Contract required | ✗ | ✓ |
| Per-interaction cost model | Flat monthly | Per-minute blocks |
| Trade-specific triage | Electrical, plumbing, HVAC protocols | Configurable scripts |
| Triage scope | Any job — unlimited categories across 3 trades | Configurable scripts |
| Request type classification | 5 types (repair, install, maintenance, inspection, consultation) | ✗ |
| Setup time | 15 minutes | 15-30 minutes (per Sameday); longer with ServiceTitan config |
| 24/7 availability | ✓ | ✓ |
| ServiceTitan integration | Zapier + API + webhooks | Native dispatch board write |
| Voice answering | ✗ | ✓ |
| Outbound campaigns | ✗ | ✓ |
Where Intry wins
Diagnostic triage depth
Multi-turn structured Q&A adapted to the trade and problem type. Techs arrive knowing what they are walking into, not just that "someone called about a problem."
Visual context before arrival
Customers send photos and videos of the problem — a sparking panel, a leaking pipe, a tripped breaker. Your tech sees what they're walking into before they leave the shop.
Flat, predictable pricing
Free for 7 weeks, then flat monthly pricing with no contract. No per-minute billing surprises. The same price whether you handle 50 or 500 interactions per month.
Structured dispatch briefs
Every job produces a brief with priority, equipment list, safety flags, and diagnostic findings. Not a transcription summary -- actionable intel for the field.
15-minute self-serve setup
No implementation project. No ServiceTitan configuration required. Sign up, configure your services, and start receiving triage data the same day.
Automatic property type detection
Emily detects residential vs commercial from conversation signals — business names, facility types, multi-tenant language. Commercial jobs get adapted triage: unit counts, facility access, business-hour constraints. No dropdown. No asking.
3-layer address verification
Emily collects addresses conversationally, validates against geocoding databases, then applies a structural gate before dispatch. Techs never roll to a bad address.
Conversational awareness
Emily tracks context across the full conversation — what the customer already said, what was asked but not answered, what concerns need acknowledgment. Customers never repeat themselves.
Where Sameday AI wins
- Live voice answering -- Sameday picks up the phone on the first ring. No delay between the ring and a live voice response. For shops where every unanswered call is a lost job, this matters — though voice calls can't capture photos or run multi-turn diagnostic questions the way SMS can.
- Deep ServiceTitan integration -- Native dispatch board write access means Sameday can book jobs directly into your existing workflow without manual transfer.
- Voice cloning -- Sameday can match your brand voice, making the AI feel like an extension of your team rather than a generic answering service.
- Outbound campaigns (V4) -- Sameday can proactively call leads and follow up on estimates. Intry does not do outbound sales calls.
- Simultaneous call handling -- Voice AI handles dozens of concurrent calls. Intry handles unlimited concurrent SMS conversations — each customer gets their own independent triage thread — but voice AI picks up instantly while SMS follows the missed call.
The verdict
If you run a high-volume shop with ServiceTitan and need every call answered live, Sameday AI is the stronger fit. If you are a 1-15 truck operation that wants deeper job intelligence, structured dispatch briefs, and predictable pricing without a contract, Intry delivers more value per dollar. Many contractors find that the SMS channel produces better diagnostic data than a voice call ever could, because customers type detailed descriptions they would not say aloud. They can also send photos and videos — a sparking panel, a leaking pipe — giving the tech visual context before arrival. One prevented return trip per month — because your tech arrived with the right parts and full diagnostic context — saves $800-$1,200. That's the ROI of dispatch intelligence.
Frequently asked questions
How does the cost of Intry compare to Sameday AI?
Intry starts with a 7-week free trial and then flat monthly pricing with no per-interaction caps. Sameday AI starts at $449/mo for 500 minutes, with overage charges beyond that. Intry's flat model means your cost stays the same whether you handle 50 or 500 interactions. Sameday's per-minute pricing makes more sense at very high call volumes where costs amortize across hundreds of simultaneous calls.
Which is better for a shop with 1-5 trucks?
Intry works well at any scale, including small shops. The 15-minute setup, 7-week free trial, and no-contract pricing mean you can test it without risk. Sameday AI claims quick setup on its own, but getting full value requires ServiceTitan integration, which adds configuration time. If you already run ServiceTitan and take 500+ calls per month, Sameday may justify its price.
Does Intry handle phone calls?
Intry is SMS-based — when a customer calls and you miss it, Intry sends an immediate text that starts a diagnostic triage conversation. Customers share details, photos, and videos they wouldn't on a phone call, which produces richer dispatch intelligence. If live voice answering on every call is critical for your business, Sameday AI or a human answering service is a better fit.
How do the ServiceTitan integrations compare?
Sameday AI has a deep native integration with ServiceTitan, including direct write access to the dispatch board. Intry connects to ServiceTitan and other FSM platforms via Zapier, API, and webhooks -- supporting job creation, scheduling workflows, and data sync across thousands of tools. Sameday's advantage is native dispatch board access without middleware. Intry's advantage is platform flexibility -- it works with ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, Jobber, and any other tool in the Zapier ecosystem.
Can I use both Intry and Sameday AI together?
Yes. Some contractors use Sameday AI for live voice answering during business hours and Intry for after-hours missed-call text-back and diagnostic triage. The systems handle different channels (voice vs SMS) and do not conflict. This combined approach is more expensive but covers both real-time calls and text-based triage.
What about voice quality and the 'robotic voice' problem?
Sameday AI has invested heavily in voice quality, including voice cloning technology that matches your brand tone. Their V4 release significantly improved natural conversation flow. That said, some customers still detect AI voices and hang up. Intry sidesteps this entirely by using SMS, where there is no voice to sound robotic. The tradeoff is that Intry cannot intercept calls in real time.
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