Ruby review
The human benchmark: live, friendly receptionists 24/7, with AI tools on the side. It costs what people cost.
Verdict
Ruby is not an AI receptionist, and that is the point: trained people answer, with AI handling transcripts and call flows behind them. It sits in this comparison as the benchmark. If your callers expect a human voice every single time, Ruby delivers; if a $49 to $99 AI plan would do, Ruby costs about seven times more for the same 200 minutes.
The catch
It is the most expensive option here by far: $250 for 50 minutes, $720 for 200.
What it does well
- Real receptionists answer 24/7, holidays included
- Bilingual Spanish call handling
- No activation, onboarding or setup fees
- Real people answer 24/7, holidays included (brand statement)
- No fees for activation, onboarding or setup (brand statement)
- Optional AI features at no extra cost (brand statement)
Who it is for, and who should skip it
Good pick if:
- Firms where every caller must reach a person
- Clinics and offices that need empathy on sensitive calls
- Businesses already budgeting for a part-time receptionist
Skip it if:
- Budget-conscious owners
- High-volume lines
Plans
Ruby's virtual receptionist plans are priced by receptionist minutes: $250 for 50, $395 for 100, $720 for 200 and $1,725 for 500. Ruby says the plans differ only by minutes, with the same features on each, and no fees for activation, onboarding, setup or after-hours coverage. Larger plans are available on request.
What you get
24/7 live answering including holidays, Spanish and bilingual handling, scheduling, outbound call assistance, payment collection, lead qualification and intake, phone service hosting and HIPAA-compliant services, according to Ruby. AI shows up as transcripts, sentiment analysis and assistant-supported call flows, at no extra cost.
Ruby plans and prices
Prices checked on November 11, 2026 on Ruby's pricing page. US dollars, billed monthly.
| Plan | Price | Included | Extra | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 minutes | $250/mo | 50 minutes | See notes | Great for startups |
| 100 minutes | $395/mo | 100 minutes | See notes | One-person businesses |
| 200 minutes | $720/mo | 200 minutes | See notes | Most popular |
| 500 minutes | $1,725/mo | 500 minutes | See notes | Larger businesses |
Live chat and bundled plans priced separately.
Overage: Overage rate not shown on the pricing page.
Specs
- Entry price
- $250/mo
- 200-minute month
- $720
- Included on entry plan
- 50 minutes
- Extra minute
- Not stated
- Calendar booking
- On the entry plan
- Call transfer
- Warm transfer
- Languages
- 2
- Free trial
- Not stated
- Setup
- Set up with you
- Integrations
- Native integrations
- Human backup
- Yes
- HIPAA (brand statement)
- Stated
- Contract
- Monthly plans
- Booking details
- Scheduling by live receptionists
- Transfer details
- Live receptionists answer and route calls
- Languages stated
- Spanish and bilingual call handling, 24/7
- Integration details
- Brand states 5,000+ integrations
- Setup details
- Onboarding and customization with no setup fee (brand statement)
- Compliance
- HIPAA-compliant services (brand statement)
Sources: ruby.com/plans-and-pricing.
How Ruby scores: 7.9/10
Fair in our formula, No. 11 of 12. Each criterion is scored out of 10 from the brand's own pages; a criterion the brand doesn't state scores 2/10.
| Criterion | Weight | Score /10 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of a 200-minute month | 25% | 1.5 |
| Entry price | 10% | 2.3 |
| Price of an extra minute | 10% | 2.0 (not stated) |
| Appointment booking | 12% | 10.0 |
| Call transfer | 10% | 10.0 |
| Languages | 8% | 5.0 |
| Free trial or free plan | 8% | 2.0 (not stated) |
| Setup effort | 10% | 7.0 |
| Integrations | 7% | 10.0 |
Also ranked in: Best AI receptionist for small business (No. 10 of 11), Best AI answering service (No. 10 of 12), Best AI receptionist for a medical or dental office (No. 7 of 8), Best AI receptionist for plumbers, HVAC and home services (No. 8 of 9), Best AI receptionist for law firms (No. 5 of 7).
Compare with rivals
The closest alternatives on price for a 200-minute month:
Sameday AI
Busy HVAC, plumbing and roofing shops that live in ServiceTitan
$449/mo for 500 minutes
Checked Nov 11, 2026
Smith.ai
Firms that want a live North America-based receptionist behind the AI
Free plan (25 calls); paid from $150/mo for 75 calls
Checked Nov 11, 2026
Head-to-heads: Smith.ai vs Ruby, Ruby vs Sameday AI. Or build your own in the comparison tool.
