The best Ruby Receptionists alternatives, human and AI
Cheaper live receptionists, hybrid AI-and-human services, and AI receptionists: Ruby alternatives, each priced at 50 and 200 calls a month.
At a glance
| Service | Billing | Included | Try it free | Books appointments | Transfers live calls | Texts callers | Human backup | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruby | $250/mo | Per minute | 50 min | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Abby Connect | $164/mo | Per minute | 50 min | Free trial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Smith.ai | $150/mo | Per call | 75 calls | Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| AnswerConnect | $350/mo | Per minute | 200 min | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Upfirst | $24.95/mo | Per call | 30 calls | Free trial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not stated | |
| NextPhone | $199/mo | Flat rate | Unlimited | Free trial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not stated |
Ruby puts a live US receptionist on every call, 24/7, and it does that well. It’s also one of the most expensive ways to get your phone answered. Plans run from $250 a month for 50 minutes to $1,725 for 500, about $5.00 down to $3.45 a minute (Ruby pricing). Minutes round up to the next full minute, hold time and after-call work count, and the overage rate isn’t published.
Most people searching for Ruby alternatives want one of two things: the same human service for less, or to let AI handle the routine calls and keep people for the rest. This list covers both.
What each option costs
We priced two businesses, both with calls of about 3 minutes: a small office with 50 calls a month (150 minutes) and a busier one with 200 (600 minutes). Ruby and AnswerConnect also bill after-call work, so their real figures run higher.
| 50 calls | 200 calls | Who answers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruby | $720 | $1,725 plus overage | People |
| Abby Connect, all human | about $494 | about $1,656 | People |
| Abby Connect, all AI | about $246 | about $899 | AI |
| Smith.ai live receptionists | $530 | about $1,965 | People |
| Smith.ai AI receptionist | $75 | $385 | AI, with people behind it |
| AnswerConnect | $350 plus $49.99 setup | about $888 | People |
| Upfirst | $54.95 | $159.95 | AI |
| NextPhone | $199 | $199 | AI |
Ruby’s 50-call figure uses the 200-minute plan, since 150 minutes plus rounding and after-call work would overflow the 100-minute plan at an unknown overage rate. Smith.ai and Upfirst bill per call, not per minute, so their prices don’t change with call length. Smith.ai’s 50-call AI figure is its free plan (25 calls) with overage turned on for 25 more at $3 each.
The alternatives
1. Abby Connect is the closest match to Ruby, for less. Its human receptionists are US-based, working from its office in Las Vegas, and its human minutes cost $2.76 to $3.29 against Ruby’s $3.45 to $5.00 (Abby Connect pricing). The same plan also includes an AI receptionist, and an AI minute uses half a plan minute, so you can send routine calls to the AI and keep people for the ones that matter. It has a free trial, no setup fee and Spanish, and Abby Connect offers HIPAA compliance for human answering only, not its AI. Ruby has no trial, only a 21-day money-back guarantee.
2. Smith.ai changes the billing model in your favor if your calls run long. Its live North America-based receptionists are priced per call: $300 for 30 calls on Starter, down to $7 a call on the $2,100 Pro plan (Smith.ai receptionist pricing). At Ruby’s rates, any call over about two minutes of billed time costs more than that. Its AI receptionist costs far less ($385 for 200 calls) and can hand a caller to the live team, with no fee when the AI starts the handoff (Smith.ai AI pricing). Two catches: booking, recording and Spanish cost extra per call on the human plans, and Smith.ai says it isn’t HIPAA-compliant and can’t handle calls involving protected health information, while Ruby offers HIPAA-compliant service with a signed BAA at no extra cost.
3. AnswerConnect is the cheapest way to keep a person on every call. It pledges to keep every interaction human and sells no AI receptionist. Its plans start at $350 for 200 minutes, about $1.75 a minute, and extra minutes cost $1.75 to $2.50 depending on the plan, all published (AnswerConnect plans). Like Ruby, minutes include after-call work and round up, and plans are month to month. Unlike Ruby, there’s a $49.99 setup fee on the Entry and Standard plans and Spanish costs extra. Neither offers a free trial.
4. Upfirst is for businesses ready to let AI take every call. It costs a fraction of Ruby: $59.95 a month for 90 calls or $159.95 for 300, with every feature on every plan (Upfirst pricing). It books into Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, Acuity, Square or Clio Manage, warm-transfers to your team and texts callers. Spam and calls under 15 seconds aren’t counted, which beats Ruby’s full-minute rounding on short calls. Try it for 14 days (up to 100 calls) with no credit card. Upfirst signs a BAA for HIPAA only on its custom Enterprise plan, so a medical office leaving Ruby would need that tier.
5. NextPhone is the flat-price AI option: $199 a month on Pro for unlimited inbound calls, with no per-minute or overage fees (NextPhone pricing). Ruby’s integration list leans toward law firms, and NextPhone covers much of the same ground (Clio, MyCase, Lawmatics, PracticePanther) from its $299 Growth plan. It answers in 14 languages. It doesn’t sign BAAs, so medical offices should look elsewhere.
Should you leave Ruby?
Keep a person on the line if your callers are stressed, the stakes per call are high, or you need someone to use judgment. In that case, Abby Connect gives you the same kind of service for less and lets you add AI for overflow; AnswerConnect is cheaper still if you can live with its setup fee and extras.
If most of your calls are routine (hours, prices, booking), an AI receptionist answers them for a tenth of Ruby’s bill. Our AI receptionist vs answering service guide walks through that decision, and the best AI answering services ranks the AI side. For a head-to-head on the two human services, see Smith.ai vs Ruby or our Ruby review.
Alternatives
Our pick
$164/mo
A hybrid answering service: an AI receptionist and US-based live receptionists on one plan, from $164 a month. AI minutes count half.
Visit Abby ConnectStrengths
- AI and live US-based receptionists on one plan, chosen per call type, with warm transfer to a person on the same call
- AI minutes count half, so a plan covers up to twice as many minutes when the AI answers
- Published prices, a free trial, no setup fee and month-to-month terms
- AI answers in English and Spanish, detecting the caller's language, and books into Google Calendar, Calendly and Acuity
- Transcripts, AI summaries, sentiment scores and recordings for every call in the app and portal
Weaknesses
- Even all-AI answering costs about $1.38 to $1.65 a minute, well above most AI-only receptionists
- Usage is billed by the minute, so long calls eat the plan quickly
- HIPAA compliance is offered only for human answering, not the AI
- Trial length isn't published, and human receptionists book appointments only through Calendly
$150/mo
AI receptionist billed per call, with a free 25-call plan, plus live North America-based receptionists from $300 a month.
Visit Smith.aiStrengths
- Free AI plan with 25 real calls a month, not a time-limited trial
- AI can hand a call to Smith.ai's live North America-based receptionists, with no fee when the AI starts the escalation
- Bills per call, not per minute, with every price and overage rate published
- Test the AI with simulated calls in Quality Studio before it answers real callers
- Month to month, no setup fee, and a dedicated number included or keep your own
Weaknesses
- Not HIPAA-compliant: it can't handle calls involving protected health information
- Extra AI calls cost more than included ones ($2.17 to $3.00 each)
- Live receptionist plans are expensive, from $300 for 30 calls, and booking, recording and Spanish cost extra per call
- Cancelling the AI Receptionist needs 30 days' notice
- Hybrid AI-plus-human pricing needs a consultation
$350/mo
A 24/7 live answering service that pledges people, not bots: no AI receptionist. Plans from $350 a month for 200 minutes; no free trial.
Visit AnswerConnectStrengths
- Every call is answered by a live person 24/7, a policy it promises not to replace with bots
- Growth plan works out to about $1.32 a minute, well below Ruby's published rates
- Business phone number included, or port your own
- App with receptionist messages, call recordings, and calling and texting from your business number
- Long list of CRM and practice-software integrations plus Zapier
Weaknesses
- Its main pricing link asks for your name, email and phone before showing plans
- No AI option at any price, so no cheap overflow or after-hours AI answering
- Minutes include after-call work and are rounded up, and Entry and Standard carry a $49.99 setup fee
- No free trial, and Spanish answering costs extra
$24.95/mo
An AI receptionist that answers calls and texts 24/7, books appointments and blocks spam, from $24.95 a month for 30 calls.
Visit UpfirstStrengths
- Cheap entry point: $24.95 a month for 30 calls, or $20 billed annually
- Every feature on every plan, including booking, warm transfers, texting, recordings and 35+ languages
- Spam, robocalls and calls under 15 seconds don't count toward your calls
- 14-day trial (up to 100 calls) with no credit card, and month-to-month plans
- Books into Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, Acuity, Square and Clio Manage, with Zapier and Make for the rest
Weaknesses
- Small plans fill up fast: 30 calls on Starter, then $1.50 per extra call
- No refund if you prepay a year and cancel
- BAAs for compliance are only on the custom Enterprise plan
- No native mobile app; the web app can be saved to a phone's home screen
- Each extra agent, for another location or business line, adds $9.95 a month
$199/mo
An AI receptionist for law firms and service businesses with unlimited calls at a flat $199 a month, no per-minute fees and a 7-day free trial.
Visit NextPhoneStrengths
- Flat $199 a month for unlimited inbound calls, with no per-minute charges, overage fees or setup fee
- Self-serve signup with a 7-day free trial, month-to-month with no contract
- Answers in 14 languages, switching when the caller does, with 30 voices to choose from
- Books into Google, Outlook, Calendly, Acuity, Cal.com and OnceHub and texts the caller a confirmation
- Says it never trains AI on your calls and has opted out of training with every AI provider it uses
Weaknesses
- Doesn't sign BAAs, and its terms forbid use with protected health information
- Hasn't completed a SOC 2 audit of its own
- CRM updates and Zapier, Make and API access start at the $299 Growth plan
- 2-way texting and calling from your business number need the $599 Scale plan
- No toll-free numbers
Features
| Ruby | Abby Connect | Smith.ai | AnswerConnect | Upfirst | NextPhone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $250/mo | $164/mo | $150/mo | $350/mo | $24.95/mo | $199/mo |
| Billing | Per minute | Per minute | Per call | Per minute | Per call | Flat rate |
| Free plan | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Free trial | No | Free trial on every plan; length not stated | No | No | 14 days or 100 calls, whichever comes first, plus 25 texts; no credit card | 7 days, cancel before it ends and you aren't charged |
| Month to month | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Setup fee | None | None | None | $49.99 | Not stated | None |
| Phone number included | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Keep your number | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Transfers live calls | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Books appointments | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Texts callers | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Call summaries | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Call recording | Not stated | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Outbound calls | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not stated | Not stated |
| Spam filtering | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Human backup | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not stated | Not stated |
| HIPAA | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Languages | English, Spanish | English, Spanish | English, Spanish | English, Spanish | English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Korean, Russian, Vietnamese | English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Arabic, Hindi, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese |
| Calendars | Calendly, Google Calendar | Google Calendar, Calendly, Acuity Scheduling, Microsoft Outlook | Calendly, Acuity Scheduling, Appointy, Harmonizely | Setmore, Outlook | Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, Acuity Scheduling, Square, Clio Manage | Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, Calendly, Acuity Scheduling, Cal.com, OnceHub |
| Integrations | Clio, Grasshopper, HubSpot, Salesforce, Keap, Zoho, Follow Up Boss, JobNimbus, MyCase, Filevine, Rocket Matter, Law Ruler, Lawmatics, Google Voice, Nextiva, Slack, Microsoft Teams, FieldPulse, Zendesk, monday.com, Zapier | Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho CRM, Pipedrive, ActiveCampaign, Mailchimp, QuickBooks, Square, Zendesk, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Sheets, Google Drive, Google Contacts, Notion, Airtable, Asana, monday.com, Trello | Salesforce, HubSpot, Clio Grow, Clio Manage, MyCase, CallRail, Zapier, Make | Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, Pipedrive, Keap, Copper, Less Annoying CRM, ServiceMinder, Clio, Clio Grow, PracticePanther, ConnectWise, Workiz, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zendesk, Freshdesk, Google Sheets, Zapier | Zapier, Make, Clio, Custom API actions, MCP server | Clio Manage, Clio Grow, MyCase, Lawmatics, PracticePanther, HubSpot, Salesforce, GoHighLevel, Jobber, ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, Zapier, Make, Slack, Webhooks |
| Industries | Legal, Home services, Healthcare, Financial services, Business services, Small business | Legal, Home services, HVAC, Plumbing, Business services, Financial services, Healthcare, Beauty and wellness, Dental, Chiropractic, Accounting, Real estate, Property management | Law firms, Home services, Software and SaaS, Marketing agencies, General contractors, Finance, Hiring and staffing, Insurance | Healthcare, Legal, Real estate, Finance and insurance, E-commerce, Service providers, Marketing and media, Tech and manufacturing | Real estate, Law firms, Property management, Chiropractors, Contractors, Emergency restoration, Financial services, Franchises, HVAC, Insurance, Landscaping, Pest control, Plumbing, Restaurants, Salons, Towing, Veterinary | Legal, Financial services, Professional services, Real estate, Construction and trades, Home services, Beauty and personal care, Wellness and fitness, Food and dining, Automotive |
Sources
Ruby
- Ruby plans and pricingChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Ruby: AI at Ruby (Call Nav, transcripts, sentiment analysis, robocall filtering)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- Ruby FAQs (billing increments, overage, contracts, HIPAA, bilingual, numbers)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- Ruby: Get started (21-day money-back guarantee)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- Ruby integrationsChecked Nov 8, 2026
Abby Connect
- Abby Connect pricing (plans, Abby Minutes, overage)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- Abby Connect: AI ReceptionistChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Abby Connect homepage (human, AI or both)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- Abby Connect FAQChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Abby Connect: Outbound callsChecked Nov 8, 2026
- AbbyGo on the App StoreChecked Nov 8, 2026
- AbbyGo on Google PlayChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Abby Connect: Abby vs Conversational ("Included with Abby": Abby hosts your business number)Checked Nov 8, 2026
Smith.ai
- Smith.ai AI Receptionist pricingChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Smith.ai Virtual Receptionists pricingChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Smith.ai Hybrid pricingChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Smith.ai AI ReceptionistChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Smith.ai Virtual Receptionists (FAQ on HIPAA, outbound calls, keeping your number)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- Smith.ai bilingual answeringChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Smith.ai integrationsChecked Nov 8, 2026
AnswerConnect
- AnswerConnect homepage (how minutes are counted, people not bots)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- AnswerConnect: Pledge People, Not BotsChecked Nov 8, 2026
- AnswerConnect: Plans & Pricing (contact form)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- AnswerConnect: Choose your plan (all plan prices, setup fees, overage, no contract)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- AnswerConnect: Call routing and transfer (monthly rolling contracts)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- AnswerConnect: Bilingual answering serviceChecked Nov 8, 2026
- AnswerConnect: Business phone numberChecked Nov 8, 2026
- AnswerConnect: Medical office answering service (HIPAA option)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- AnswerConnect appChecked Nov 8, 2026
- AnswerConnect integrationsChecked Nov 8, 2026
- AnswerConnect: Legal answering service FAQ (no trial period for new clients)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- AnswerConnect Help Center: Email outbound callingChecked Nov 8, 2026
- AnswerConnect Help Center: Outbound call listsChecked Nov 8, 2026
- AnswerConnect Help Center: Blocking unwanted or spam callersChecked Nov 8, 2026
Upfirst
- Upfirst homepageChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Upfirst pricing and FAQsChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Upfirst Help Center: pricing FAQsChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Upfirst integrationsChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Upfirst documentation: MCP server and custom actionsChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Upfirst privacy policyChecked Nov 8, 2026
- Upfirst Help Center: adding Upfirst to your phone's home screenChecked Nov 8, 2026
NextPhone
- NextPhone homepageChecked Nov 8, 2026
- NextPhone pricing and FAQChecked Nov 8, 2026
- NextPhone security (AI training, SOC 2, BAAs)Checked Nov 8, 2026
- NextPhone industriesChecked Nov 8, 2026
- NextPhone: AI Receptionist on the App StoreChecked Nov 8, 2026