Ruby is a polished live receptionist service, and its prices reflect that.
On October 27, 2026, its pricing page listed $395 a month for 100 receptionist minutes. If that number is why you are looking, the useful question is not "who else answers phones" but "what would my volume cost elsewhere."
This guide answers that with eight alternatives: four live-answering services and four AI receptionists. Every price below was read from the vendor's own pricing page on October 27, 2026. Taxes, fees and promotions can change the final bill.
Key Takeaways
- Ruby today: $250 for 50 minutes, $395 for 100, $720 for 200 and $1,725 for 500 receptionist minutes per month.
- Cheapest live alternative at 100 minutes: PATLive at $189, then Posh at $215.
- Cheapest AI options at 100 minutes: Dialzara Lite at about $48 and Rosie at $49 for 250 minutes.
- Hybrid middle ground: Abby Connect counts AI minutes at half an Abby minute, so 100 AI minutes fit its $164 plan.
- Pick by call type: keep live people for sensitive or high-value calls; AI handles routine intake and booking for a fraction of the cost.
How much does Ruby cost in 2026?
Short answer: Ruby's receptionist plans start at $250 a month for 50 minutes and reach $1,725 for 500 minutes. Chat plans start at $143 for 10 chats.
| Ruby plan | Monthly price | Effective cost per minute |
|---|---|---|
| 50 minutes | $250 | $5.00 |
| 100 minutes | $395 | $3.95 |
| 200 minutes | $720 | $3.60 |
| 500 minutes | $1,725 | $3.45 |
Ruby includes live receptionists with AI enhancements, 24/7 coverage and bilingual answering. Its chat add-on lists 10 chats for $143, 30 for $335 and 50 for $520.
Why do businesses look for Ruby alternatives?
Short answer: mostly cost per minute at higher volumes, followed by the wish for appointment booking, CRM updates or after-hours coverage at a lower price than live staff.
- Per-minute cost: at $3.45 to $5.00 a minute, busy offices outgrow plans fast.
- Routine calls: hours, directions and "are you open" calls do not need a person.
- Booking and integrations: some teams want calls to land straight in a calendar or CRM.
- Predictability: flat-rate AI plans make budgeting easier.
How We Evaluated
We compared each option on five published factors, then wrote a "best for" verdict. We did not sign up for or run any of these services.
- Price at 100, 200 and 500 minutes, from the vendor's pricing page on October 27, 2026.
- Who answers: live people, AI or both.
- Overage and billing unit: minutes, calls or unique customers.
- Booking and transfer features listed on the plan.
- Trial or guarantee terms.
Cost at Your Volume: Ruby vs 8 Alternatives
This table prices the same monthly volume across every option, assuming calls average about three minutes. Where a plan bills per call or per customer, we converted using that assumption.
| Service | Type | 100 min (~33 calls) | 200 min (~67 calls) | 500 min (~167 calls) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruby | Live | $395 | $720 | $1,725 |
| PATLive | Live | $189 | $349 | $759 |
| Posh | Live | $215 | $420 | $975 |
| Abby Connect (live) | Live | $329 | $599 | $1,380 |
| Abby Connect (AI minutes) | Hybrid | $164 | $329 | Not calculable |
| Smith.ai (human-first) | Live | $334.50 | $725.50 | $1,618.50 |
| Dialzara | AI | $48.20 (Lite) | $96.20 (Lite) or $99 (Pro) | $199 (Plus) |
| Rosie | AI | $49 | $49 | $149 |
| Goodcall | AI | $79 | $79 | $129 |
| My AI Front Desk | AI | $99 | $99 | $174 |
How we calculated the less obvious rows:
- Smith.ai: 30-call plan at $300 plus $11.50 per extra call; at 167 calls, the 90-call plan at $810 plus 77 calls at $10.50.
- Dialzara Lite: $29 for 60 minutes plus $0.48 per extra minute.
- Goodcall: billed by unique customers, not minutes; 167 callers fit Growth at $129.
- My AI Front Desk: $99 for 200 minutes plus $0.25 per extra minute.
- Abby AI: AI minutes count as half; its overage rate was not listed, so the 500-minute figure is left blank.
Real bills vary with call length, repeat callers, taxes and add-ons. Pull last quarter's call log before you decide.
The 8 Ruby Alternatives
1. PATLive: lowest-cost live answering
PATLive lists a pay-as-you-go plan at $49 a month plus $2.99 per minute, and bundles from 50 minutes for $99 to 500 minutes for $759. Overage on the 200-minute plan is $1.99.
Calls are answered by US-based live agents. Taxes and fees are added, and there is a 14-day free trial.
➤ Who it's best for: offices that want people on every call and need the lowest live price per minute.
2. Posh: live receptionists with low entry cost
Posh's pricing, effective January 1, 2026, starts at $65 a month plus $2.30 per minute with no bundle. Bundles run $130 for 50 minutes, $215 for 100, $420 for 200 and $975 for 500.
➤ Who it's best for: small professional offices with light, uneven volume that want live answering without a large commitment.
3. Abby Connect: live plus AI on one plan
Abby lists $164 for 50 minutes, $329 for 100, $599 for 200 and $1,380 for 500. Its AI receptionist minutes count as half an Abby minute, so mixed plans stretch further.
There is no setup fee and a free trial is offered.
➤ Who it's best for: firms that want a human team for important callers and AI for overflow, under one vendor.
4. Smith.ai: per-call pricing with booking add-ons
Smith.ai's human-first receptionists are priced per call: $300 for 30 calls, $810 for 90 and $2,100 for 300, with overage from $11.50 down to $8.50 per call. Appointment booking costs $1.50 more per call.
It offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and 10% off annual billing. Smith.ai also sells AI-first plans, but their prices were not visible on the page we read.
➤ Who it's best for: businesses with long calls, where per-call billing beats per-minute billing.
5. Dialzara: cheapest AI per minute at low volume
Dialzara's AI plans are Lite at $29 for 60 minutes, Pro at $99 for 220, Plus at $199 for 500 and Elite at $349 for 1,000. Overage falls from $0.48 to $0.35 per minute.
Warm transfer and bilingual answering start on Pro. A 7-day trial is listed.
➤ Who it's best for: solo operators and small offices replacing voicemail with an AI that can take messages and transfer.
6. Rosie: most minutes for the money
Rosie lists $49 for 250 minutes, $149 for 1,000 minutes with calendar booking and warm transfer, and $299 for 2,000 minutes. English and Spanish are on every plan, with a 7-day trial.
➤ Who it's best for: home services and local businesses that want bilingual AI answering and booking at a flat price.
7. Goodcall: billed per customer, not per minute
Goodcall charges by unique customers: Starter at $79 for 100, Growth at $129 for 500 and Scale at $299 for 2,000, with overage from 79 cents down to 15 cents. There are no per-minute charges.
➤ Who it's best for: businesses with long or repeat calls from the same customers, where minute billing would be expensive.
8. My AI Front Desk: flat AI plan with 200 minutes
My AI Front Desk lists $99 a month, or $79 billed annually, with 200 voice minutes. Extra minutes cost $0.25.
➤ Who it's best for: small teams that want an AI receptionist with predictable monthly cost and modest volume.
For more AI-first options, see our comparison of virtual receptionist software (https://www.lumay.ai/blogs/10-best-virtual-receptionist-software-platforms) and our AI answering service guide (https://www.lumay.ai/blogs/best-ai-answering-service-for-businesses).
Should you choose live, AI or hybrid answering?
Short answer: choose live if most calls are sensitive, emotional or high value; AI if most are routine intake and scheduling; hybrid if you have both and want to cut cost without losing the human touch.
| Your situation | Best fit | Examples from this list |
|---|---|---|
| Legal intake, medical, distressed callers | Live | PATLive, Posh, Smith.ai |
| Mostly hours, pricing, booking calls | AI | Rosie, Dialzara, Goodcall, My AI Front Desk |
| Mix of VIP and routine callers | Hybrid | Abby Connect, or AI with transfer to staff |
| Spanish-speaking callers | Bilingual plans | Ruby, Rosie, Dialzara Pro |
Spanish matters for many US businesses; our guide to bilingual AI receptionists (https://www.lumay.ai/blogs/best-bilingual-ai-receptionists-english-spanish) compares that feature in depth.
Switching from Ruby: A Checklist
➤ Check your Ruby contract for notice periods and the date your current billing cycle ends.
➤ Export call logs to measure average call length, peak hours and repeat callers.
➤ List the call types: new leads, existing clients, vendors, spam.
➤ Write the scripts and FAQs your new provider or AI will need.
➤ Decide which calls must always reach a person, and set transfer rules.
➤ Run the new service on overflow or after-hours lines for two weeks before moving the main number.
➤ Confirm call forwarding or number porting steps with your phone carrier.
➤ Review recordings in week one and adjust scripts.
Our own product: LuMay Voxentis Voice Agent
Disclosure: LuMay publishes this blog. Voxentis is our product, so it is not part of the comparison above.
Voxentis is an AI voice agent with inbound routing that passes call context on transfer and answers in multiple languages. Its pricing page lists a 14-day free trial with no card and a Basic plan at $249 a month for 500 minutes, with $0.23 overage.
Sources: https://www.lumay.ai/ai-products/voice-agent and https://www.lumay.ai/ai-products/voice-agent/pricing
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: How much is Ruby Receptionists per month?
A: On October 27, 2026, Ruby listed $250 for 50 minutes, $395 for 100, $720 for 200 and $1,725 for 500 receptionist minutes.
Q2: What is the cheapest alternative to Ruby?
A: For live answering, PATLive at $189 for 100 minutes. For AI, Dialzara Lite at $29 or Rosie at $49 for 250 minutes.
Q3: Is there a Ruby alternative with live people and AI?
A: Abby Connect offers both, and its AI minutes count as half an Abby minute. Smith.ai also sells human-first and AI-first plans.
Q4: Which Ruby alternative charges per call instead of per minute?
A: Smith.ai's human-first plans are priced per call, starting at $300 for 30 calls. Goodcall bills per unique customer.
Q5: Can an AI receptionist replace Ruby completely?
A: For routine calls, often yes. For sensitive or high-value conversations, many businesses keep a live service or transfer to staff.
Q6: Which alternatives answer in Spanish?
A: Ruby offers bilingual answering. Rosie includes English and Spanish on every plan, and Dialzara adds bilingual answering from its Pro plan.
Q7: Do these services offer free trials?
A: PATLive lists 14 days, Dialzara and Rosie 7 days, and Abby a free trial. Smith.ai offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Q8: How do I estimate my monthly minutes?
A: Multiply last month's answered calls by average call length, then add 10 to 20 percent for growth and spam.
Q9: Are taxes and fees included in these prices?
A: Not always. PATLive, for example, states that taxes and fees are extra. Ask each provider for a full quote.
Q10: Can I keep my phone number when I switch?
A: Usually yes, by forwarding calls or porting the number. Confirm the steps with your carrier and the new provider.
Q11: Did you trial these services?
A: No. We compared published prices and features on October 27, 2026. Use free trials before you commit.
Q12: Why is LuMay Voxentis not in the comparison?
A: LuMay publishes this blog, so we kept our own product out of the comparison and described it in a disclosed box.
Sources
- https://www.ruby.com/plans-and-pricing/
- https://www.patlive.com/pricing/
- https://www.posh.com/pricing
- https://www.abby.com/pricing/
- https://smith.ai/pricing/receptionists
- https://dialzara.com/pricing
- https://heyrosie.com/pricing
- https://www.goodcall.com/pricing
- https://www.myaifrontdesk.com/pricing
- https://www.lumay.ai/ai-products/voice-agent/pricing
