Ruby is one of the best-known live virtual receptionist services in the US, and unlike a lot of its competitors it publishes its prices. That makes the headline easy to find. What’s harder is working out what you’ll actually pay, because Ruby bills by the receptionist minute and the way a minute is counted matters as much as the plan price.
A disclosure before the numbers: we make Ansdale, an AI receptionist that costs a lot less than Ruby. Ruby is a human service and Ansdale isn’t, so they’re not the same product, and there are businesses where Ruby is clearly the better choice. Every Ruby price and policy below comes from ruby.com, checked on 19 October 2026.
How much does Ruby cost?
| Receptionist minutes per month | Monthly price | Works out per included minute |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | $250 | $5.00 |
| 100 | $395 | $3.95 |
| 200 | $720 | $3.60 |
| 500 | $1,725 | $3.45 |
Ruby says the plans differ only in minutes; features are the same on all of them. It says there are no extra fees for activation, onboarding, setup, customization or coverage at particular times, so nights, weekends and holidays don’t cost more. Optional AI features are included at no extra cost. Larger plans are available through sales. There’s no long-term contract; a cancellation takes effect at the end of the current monthly billing period.
How does Ruby count a minute?
This is the part most pricing roundups skip. According to Ruby’s FAQ:
- Calls are billed in 60-second increments and rounded up. A 70-second call counts as two minutes.
- The clock starts when a receptionist takes the call and stops when they transfer it to you, send it to voicemail or the call ends.
- Hold time counts. So does the time a receptionist spends finishing your notes after the caller hangs up.
- Your talk time after a transfer doesn’t count. Once the call is put through to you, Ruby’s meter stops.
- Going over is billed at your plan’s overage rate. Ruby’s pricing page doesn’t list those rates, so ask for them in writing. The app alerts you at 85% and 100% of your minutes.
Rounding and after-call notes are normal in this industry, not a Ruby trick. But they mean your billed minutes will run higher than your phone’s call log suggests. If your log says calls average two and a half minutes, budget for three or more.
What would a contractor actually pay?
Two made-up but realistic examples. Swap in your own numbers.
- A one-truck plumber sending 40 calls a month to Ruby, each billing about 3 minutes once rounding and notes are added: 120 minutes. That’s over the 100-minute plan ($395 plus 20 minutes of overage at whatever your rate is) or comfortably inside the 200-minute plan at $720.
- A three-truck HVAC shop in July sending 150 calls a month at 3 minutes each: 450 minutes, so the 500-minute plan at $1,725. A heat wave that adds 50 calls pushes it past 500.
That second example is where per-minute billing hurts trades. Your busiest weeks, after a storm or in a heat wave, are exactly when the bill jumps. Ask Ruby what the overage rate would be on the plan you’re considering and run your worst month, not your average one.
What do you get for the money?
Real people, which is the whole point. Ruby lists 24/7 live answering including after hours, weekends and holidays, Spanish and bilingual call handling, scheduling, lead qualification and intake, payment collection, outbound calls, call forwarding and AI-generated transcripts. A trained receptionist is good with exactly the callers software struggles with: the homeowner who’s upset, the elderly customer who wants to chat, the caller whose problem doesn’t fit any script.
When is Ruby worth it, and when isn’t it?
Ruby makes sense when calls are worth a lot and come in at a manageable pace, when your callers expect a human, or when you simply don’t want AI talking to your customers. Law firms, financial advisors and high-end remodelers fit that well.
It’s a harder sell for a busy trade business with lots of short calls, price shoppers and storm-driven spikes. $250 buys 50 minutes, which a single busy week can use up. If the budget is under $250 a month, Ruby isn’t an option at all.
What are the cheaper alternatives to Ruby?
| Service | Type | Entry price (checked 19 Oct 2026) | How usage is counted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruby | Live | $250/mo for 50 minutes | Receptionist minutes |
| Smith.ai receptionists | Live | $300/mo for 30 calls, then $11.50 a call | Calls |
| AnswerConnect | Live | No published prices; quote after you share your details | Minutes, per its own cost guide |
| Smith.ai AI receptionist | AI with live backup options | Free for 25 calls; Pro from $150/mo for 75 calls | Calls |
| Upfirst | AI | $24.95/mo for 30 calls | Calls |
| Rosie | AI | $49/mo for 250 minutes | Minutes |
| Ansdale (ours) | AI | $49/mo for 100 minutes, booking included | AI call minutes |
If you want a human, Smith.ai’s live receptionists are the closest like-for-like, and the choice comes down to whether your calls are short and frequent (Ruby’s minutes win) or long and occasional (Smith.ai’s per-call pricing wins). If an AI is acceptable for most calls, the entry price drops to somewhere between a fifth and a tenth of Ruby’s. Ansdale, ours, is $49, $99 or $199 a month for 100, 250 or 500 AI call minutes, books jobs into your calendar on every plan and flags emergencies to your phone. It won’t be as warm as a good Ruby receptionist with a distressed caller, and we’d rather you know that going in.
For the wider picture, our virtual receptionist pricing guide compares per-minute, per-call and flat pricing, answering service vs virtual receptionist explains the difference between the two, and the automated answering service guide covers the AI side.
Questions people ask
How much does Ruby Receptionist cost per month?
On 19 October 2026 Ruby listed $250 a month for 50 receptionist minutes, $395 for 100, $720 for 200 and $1,725 for 500, with larger plans through sales. Features are the same on every plan.
How does Ruby bill minutes?
Ruby bills in 60-second increments and rounds up. The clock includes hold time and the receptionist’s after-call notes, and stops once a call is transferred to you or sent to voicemail. Minutes over your plan are billed at your plan’s overage rate.
Does Ruby charge extra for after-hours calls?
No. Ruby says there are no extra fees for coverage at particular times, so nights, weekends and holidays come out of the same minutes at the same price.
What is a cheaper alternative to Ruby?
For a human service, Smith.ai’s live receptionists start at $300 a month for 30 calls. AI receptionists cost much less: Upfirst starts at $24.95 for 30 calls, Rosie at $49 for 250 minutes, and Ansdale, which is ours, at $49 for 100 minutes with booking included.
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