Ruby is a live virtual receptionist service, and the closest alternatives differ mainly in how they charge, by the minute, by the call, or by a monthly bundle. Smith.ai, Abby Connect, and Moneypenny are the strongest choices for firms that want a mix of human answering and AI answering in one account. ReceptionHQ, PATLive, and Davinci Virtual have the lowest entry prices in this list, from $25, $49, and $129 per month, before usage charges.
We compared 8 options for ruby receptionist alternatives. Each profile below lists the price, free plan, pros and cons as published by the company.
On this page
Ruby receptionist alternatives: comparison table
Swipe the table sideways on a phone to see every column.
| # | Name | Best for | Starting price | Free plan / trial | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smith.ai | Law firms and service firms that want per-call billing | $300 per month for 30 calls | Yes | Visit |
| 2 | AnswerConnect | Small businesses that want 24/7 human answering by the minute | $350 per month for 200 minutes | No | Visit |
| 3 | PATLive | Small businesses that want a low entry point and a trial | $49 per month pay as you go | Free trial (14 days) | Visit |
| 4 | Abby Connect | Firms that want human and AI answering in one plan | $164 per month for 50 Abby Minutes | Free trial | Visit |
| 5 | Nexa | Healthcare, legal, and home services firms that need intake | quote only | No | Visit |
| 6 | Moneypenny | Professional firms that want a named team and no feature tiers | $165 per month for 50 minutes | No | Visit |
| 7 | Davinci Virtual | Remote firms that want a virtual office address with answering | $129 per month for 50 minutes | No | Visit |
| 8 | ReceptionHQ | Solo operators and micro businesses on a tight budget | $25 per month | Free trial (7 days) | Visit |
The 8 best ruby receptionist alternatives, in detail
Smith.ai
Best for: Law firms and service firms that want per-call billing
Smith.ai is the closest match to Ruby for firms that want a person to answer every call. Its human plans start at $300 per month for 30 calls, with $810 for 90 calls and $2,100 for 300 calls, and overage of $11.50, $10.50, and $8.50 per call. The page also lists a 30-day money-back guarantee, lead screening, new client intake, a dedicated phone number, and live staffing around the clock.
- That per-call model suits firms with long calls, because the charge does not rise with call length.
- Smith.ai also sells a separate AI Receptionist, with a free plan for 25 calls per month and monthly plans from $150 for 75 calls.
- That gives a low-cost route for after-hours cover.
- The trade-off is the add-on list, because booking, recording, SMS alerts, Spanish answering, and payment acceptance each carry extra charges.
Pros
- 24/7 live North America based receptionists
- No charge for spam calls when Caller ID is passed
- No setup fees on human receptionist plans
Cons
- Appointment booking costs $1.50 per call as an add-on
- Human plans cost $10 per included call at entry level
AnswerConnect
Best for: Small businesses that want 24/7 human answering by the minute
AnswerConnect answers with human receptionists around the clock and charges by the minute rather than by the call. Its three smallest plans are $350 for 200 minutes, $395 for 300 minutes, and $575 for 400 minutes, with overage of $2.50 per minute on Entry and $1.85 on Growth and Standard. The first 30 interactions under 30 seconds in a billing cycle are not charged, and other interactions are rounded up to the next whole minute.
- AnswerConnect also includes live chat on Growth and Standard, plus CRM integrations and a desktop and mobile app.
- The main limits are the setup fee and the lack of a free plan.
- Entry and Standard add a one-time $49.99 setup fee, while Growth has no setup fee, and there is a 90-day minimum term.
Pros
- 24/7 live answering by human receptionists
- Bilingual Spanish support included at every tier
- CRM integrations and custom scripting
Cons
- Entry and Standard plans add a $49.99 setup fee
- Minutes round up to whole minutes, so short calls can use a full minute
PATLive
Best for: Small businesses that want a low entry point and a trial
PATLive has answered calls for small businesses since 1990, and it is one of the longest-running live answering services in this list. Its pay-as-you-go plan is $49 per month, at $2.99 per minute, and its minute bundles start at $99 for 50 minutes, $189 for 100 minutes, and $349 for 200 minutes. Every plan includes call screening and transfer, message taking, lead collection, appointment scheduling, order processing, FAQ handling, and emergency dispatch, with no extra charge for overnight, weekend, or holiday calls.
- PATLive bills only the time a receptionist is on the phone, with the first minute in full and then in 6-second steps.
- That is fairer than a service that rounds every call up to a whole minute.
- The 14-day free trial lets you hear how the team handles your callers first.
- The limits are the high pay-as-you-go rate and the $20 per month charge for Spanish bilingual answering.
Pros
- 14-day free trial on all plans
- No contracts, with 24/7 live answering
- Free business phone system features with all live services
Cons
- Pay-as-you-go plan includes no minutes and charges $2.99 per minute
- Spanish bilingual answering is a $20 per month add-on
Abby Connect
Best for: Firms that want human and AI answering in one plan
Abby Connect is a strong Ruby alternative for firms that want one plan for both human and AI answering. Its plans are $164 per month for 50 Abby Minutes, $329 for 100, $599 for 200, and $1,380 for 500, with Enterprise plans on request. One Abby Minute covers one minute with a human receptionist or two minutes with the AI Receptionist, so the same plan stretches twice as far when AI handles the call.
- There is no setup fee, and every plan includes a free trial, 24/7 cover, and month-to-month billing.
- Abby also includes a dedicated team based in Las Vegas, caller insights through a portal and app, the AbbyGO app, bilingual support, encrypted call re
- The main limit is the entry cost per human minute, so a firm with many long intake calls will move through the bundle quickly.
Pros
- AI minute counts as half an Abby Minute
- No setup fee, with a free trial on every plan
- Dedicated US-based team that learns your business
Cons
- Human minutes cost about $3.29 at entry level, so long calls use the bundle fast
- HIPAA options cover human answering only
Nexa
Best for: Healthcare, legal, and home services firms that need intake
Nexa is a live virtual receptionist service that focuses on healthcare, legal, real estate, home services, and retail. Its three published plan sizes are Nexa 100, Nexa 300, and Nexa 500, with 100, 300, and 500 voice minutes. Every plan includes 24/7 call answering, a live virtual receptionist, a local and toll-free number, custom scripting, appointment scheduling, lead qualification, and a client portal with analytics.
- The Nexa 500 plan adds CRM integration.
- The main drawback is price transparency.
- Nexa publishes no dollar figures, so you cannot compare it with Ruby, Smith.ai, or Abby Connect without a quote.
- Its page also notes a setup fee, but it does not publish the amount.
Pros
- Nexa 100, 300, and 500 plans include 100, 300, and 500 voice minutes
- 24/7 answering with bilingual support
- CRM integration on the Nexa 500 plan
Cons
- No prices are published, so you must request a quote to compare
- Setup fee amount is not published
Moneypenny
Best for: Professional firms that want a named team and no feature tiers
Moneypenny is a long-established answering service from the UK that now serves US firms, and it is built around a small named team that learns your business and recognises repeat callers. Its live plans are $165 per month for 50 minutes, $265 for 100 minutes, $422 for 200 minutes, and $985 for 500 minutes, with extra minutes at $2.85, $2.65, $2.39, and $2.09. Every live plan includes 24/7 service, bilingual answering, warm call transfer, CRM integrations, a mobile app and dashboard, and a free forwarding number, with no feature tiers and no upsells.
- Moneypenny also sells AI plans at $99 per month for 50 calls, $199 for 100 calls, $435 for 250 calls, and $775 for 500 calls, with extra calls at $2.3
- Every AI plan includes 24/7 service, a reporting dashboard, and human escalation.
- The limits are the small entry bundle and the lack of a published free trial.
Pros
- Live plans include bilingual answering, warm transfer, and CRM integrations
- AI plans start at $99 for 50 calls with human escalation
- No contract, with 30 days notice to cancel
Cons
- No free trial is published
- Entry live plan covers only 50 minutes, with extra minutes at $2.85 each
Davinci Virtual
Best for: Remote firms that want a virtual office address with answering
Davinci Virtual is different from the other services here, because it pairs live call answering with virtual office addresses, mail handling, and meeting room access in more than 5,000 locations. Its receptionist plans are Business 50 at $129 per month for 50 live minutes, Business 100 at $239 for 100 minutes, Premium 50 at $249 for 50 minutes, and Premium 100 at $319 for 100 minutes. Business plans include two phone numbers, live answering, call forwarding and screening, voicemail management, call routing, unlimited long distance, and online fax.
- The trade-offs are hours and setup.
- Live receptionists answer on weekdays from 8am to 8pm Eastern, and only automated features run around the clock.
- There is also a $95 one-time setup fee, and its pages list no free trial and no plan larger than 100 minutes.
Pros
- Business 50 includes two phone numbers, call screening, forwarding, and voicemail
- Virtual office addresses and meeting rooms can be added
- Live minutes are counted by the second
Cons
- Live receptionists answer weekdays 8am to 8pm Eastern, with an automated attendant after hours
- $95 one-time setup fee for live receptionist services
ReceptionHQ
Best for: Solo operators and micro businesses on a tight budget
ReceptionHQ is the lowest entry price in this list, and it is built for solo operators, freelancers, and micro businesses that miss calls while they are out on a job. Its MessageExpress plan starts at $25 per month, plus $1.99 per answered call, for professional message taking for one person or team. ReceptionistPlus starts at $40 per month, with call transfers and messaging for multiple staff, and MyAssistant and MyDiary start at $50 per month, for lead capture and appointment scheduling.
- Plans are month to month, with no minimum term and no cancellation fees.
- ReceptionHQ also offers a 7-day free trial with no credit card required, based on its ReceptionistPlus service, with message taking, call transfers, a
- On per-minute plans, it charges for the exact seconds used, so a 61-second call is billed as 1 minute and 1 second.
- MessageExpress takes messages only, so you need ReceptionistPlus from $40 per month for transfers.
Pros
- 7-day free trial with no credit card required
- Per-minute plans bill by exact seconds, not rounded up minutes
- No long-term contracts and no cancellation fees
Cons
- $25 MessageExpress plan is message taking only, transfers need ReceptionistPlus from $40
- Prices are plus relevant sales tax
How we chose
We compared live and AI virtual receptionist services that a US small business can buy as a replacement for Ruby. We read each vendor pricing page on 12 November 2026, or a dated pricing comparison that cited that page, and we used only the figures the vendor published. We favoured services with a clear billing unit, published overage rates, and a stated trial or contract term, because those items decide the real cost. We left out services that hid all prices behind a sales call, except Nexa, which is a major name in healthcare and legal intake and is included here as quote only. We did not place test calls, and we do not claim hands-on testing.
What to check before you buy
Ask for the full cost at your volume, not only the entry price. Convert every plan to a cost per minute or per call at 50, 100, and 200 calls, using your average call length, and add setup fees, overage, tax, and any add-ons for booking, Spanish answering, or recording. Check the rounding rule, because a service that rounds each call up to a whole minute can cost far more than one that bills by the second. Check the hours, because some services use an automated attendant after hours while others staff a person around the clock. Check the script, intake questions, transfer list, and message delivery method before you go live, and run the free trial with real calls if one is offered.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Ruby receptionist alternative?
The best choice depends on how you are charged and who answers. Smith.ai is the closest match for per-call billing with human receptionists, Abby Connect is the best mix of human and AI answering in one plan, and Moneypenny suits professional firms that want a named team. For a low budget, ReceptionHQ and PATLive are the cheapest entry points.
How much does a Ruby receptionist alternative cost?
Entry prices in this list run from $25 per month at ReceptionHQ, plus $1.99 per call, to $350 per month at AnswerConnect for 200 minutes. Most live plans sit between $129 and $300 per month for 50 minutes or 30 calls. The real bill depends on overage, rounding, setup fees, tax, and add-ons, so model the total at 50, 100, and 200 calls first.
Is there a free Ruby receptionist alternative?
Smith.ai has a free AI Receptionist plan for 25 calls per month, with extra calls at $3 each. PATLive, Abby Connect, and ReceptionHQ offer free trials of 14 days, a trial on every plan, and 7 days. No live human service in this list offers a free plan, so a trial is the usual way to test call quality before you commit.
Do these alternatives answer calls 24/7?
Smith.ai, AnswerConnect, PATLive, Abby Connect, Nexa, and Moneypenny all list 24/7 live answering, and ReceptionHQ lists 24/7 availability. Davinci Virtual is the exception, with live receptionists on weekdays from 8am to 8pm Eastern and an automated attendant after hours. Check the exact hours for your time zone before you buy.
Which Ruby alternative is best for law firms?
Smith.ai and Abby Connect are the strongest fits for law firms, because both handle intake, lead qualification, and appointment booking, and Smith.ai adds conflict checks as a per-call add-on. Nexa is also built for legal intake, with custom scripting and client intake on its larger plans.
Should I choose per-minute or per-call billing?
Choose per-call billing if your calls are long or vary a lot in length, because the charge stays flat for each call. Choose per-minute billing if your calls are short and consistent, because you only pay for the time used. Check the rounding rule too, because plans that round up to a whole minute can cost more at the same volume.
Sources
- https://smith.ai/
- https://smith.ai/pricing
- https://www.answerconnect.com/
- https://www.patlive.com/
- https://www.patlive.com/pricing
- https://www.abby.com/
- https://www.abby.com/pricing
- https://www.nexa.com/
- https://www.nexa.com/pricing
- https://www.moneypenny.com/us/
- https://moneypenny.com/us/pricing
- https://www.davincivirtual.com/
- https://www.receptionhq.com/
- https://www.receptionhq.com/pricing/
Prices and features were read on each company’s own website in November 2026. They change often, so confirm the current offer on the official site before you sign up or buy.