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Smith.ai AI Receptionist vs Ruby

AI receptionist that answers 24/7, qualifies leads and can hand complex calls to Smith.ai's live North America-based receptionists. Live virtual receptionist service (100% live, personalized communication) with optional AI enhancements, plus managed website chat.

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	Smith.ai AI Receptionist	Ruby
Type	AI + human option	Live humans
Starting price	$0/mo Free plan (25 calls/mo, then $3.00/call); Pro from $150/mo (75 calls)	$250/mo for 50 receptionist minutes
Billing	per call	per minute (bundles)
Plans	Free: $0/mo, 25 calls/mo, $3.00 per extra call Pro: $150/mo for 75 calls ($2.00/call); 150 and 300 call tiers available Enterprise: $500/mo for 300 calls ($1.67/call); larger tiers and custom plans	50 minutes: $250/mo 100 minutes: $395/mo 200 minutes: $720/mo 500 minutes: $1,725/mo Chat-only plans from $143/mo (10 chats); chat bundled with a receptionist plan from $115 (10 chats)
Free plan / trial	Free plan (25 calls/mo)	Not stated on pricing page
Contract	Month-to-month; 30 days' notice to cancel	Not stated on pricing page
Key features	24/7 AI call answering Live human receptionist backup (transfer) Recording, transcription & summaries Lead qualification & call routing AI scheduling (Calendly & more) Spam call filtering (known spammers not billed)	24/7 live answering incl. nights, weekends, holidays 24/7 Spanish and bilingual call handling available Scheduling, intake & lead qualification Payment collection Outbound call assistance HIPAA-compliant services available Robocall filtering
Integrations	Clio, Zapier, Calendly	Not listed on pricing page
Languages	Not stated on pricing page	English; Spanish/bilingual available
Worth knowing	Every answered call counts toward your quota by default (up to 10% can be removed as spam each cycle).	Billed by receptionist minutes; human service costs more per minute than AI-only tools.
Source (checked)	https://smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist(2026-10-17)	https://www.ruby.com/pricing/(2026-10-17)

Consider Smith.ai AI Receptionist if…

Businesses that want AI first with the option of a live human taking over complex calls; law firms and lead-driven service businesses.

Visit Smith.ai

Consider Ruby if…

Businesses that want every caller to reach a live person and have budget for per-minute human answering.

Visit Ruby

We haven't run live call tests; this comparison only restates what each vendor publishes. No ratings.

FAQ

Which is cheaper, Smith.ai AI Receptionist or Ruby?

Smith.ai AI Receptionist starts at $0/mo Free plan (25 calls/mo, then $3.00/call); Pro from $150/mo (75 calls) (per call); Ruby starts at $250/mo for 50 receptionist minutes (per minute (bundles)). Because they bill differently, the cheaper one depends on your call volume and call length.

Do Smith.ai AI Receptionist and Ruby offer free trials?

Smith.ai AI Receptionist: Free plan (25 calls/mo). Ruby: Not stated on pricing page.

Who is each one for?

Smith.ai AI Receptionist: Businesses that want AI first with the option of a live human taking over complex calls; law firms and lead-driven service businesses. Ruby: Businesses that want every caller to reach a live person and have budget for per-minute human answering.