The short answer
Smith.ai publishes AI plans from $0 for 25 calls per month, with Pro starting at $150 for 75 calls and Enterprise at $500 for 300 calls. AI scheduling is included; human-first receptionist plans have separate prices and add-ons.
Ruby provides live human receptionists, with plans starting at $250 per month for 50 minutes. Appointment scheduling and call routing are available. Longer calls use more of your included minute allowance.
If what you actually want is a receptionist that books the appointment on the call, at a flat rate that does not climb every time your phone rings, neither one is built that way. That is where a custom AI receptionist fits. Hear one trained on your own website in about a minute, no signup.
Smith.ai vs Ruby, Side by Side
| Smith.ai | Ruby | |
|---|---|---|
| Who answers | AI receptionist, with an optional human answering tier | Live human receptionists (not AI) |
| Billing model | Call allowance plus overages | Per receptionist-minute |
| Published pricing | $0 AI (25 calls); Pro $150/mo (75 calls) | Starts around $250/mo, higher tiers to about $1,725/mo |
| Appointment booking | AI scheduling included; human-plan booking is an add-on | Appointment scheduling available |
| Call transfers | Yes | Yes |
| Contract | Month to month, no long-term contract | Tiered monthly plans |
| Best for | Lower-volume businesses that want the option of a human on the line without committing to all-human staffing | Firms that want a real person with genuine empathy on every call and take a low volume of calls |
US monthly prices checked October 18, 2026 against provider-published plans. Smith.ai meters calls; Ruby meters receptionist minutes. Confirm allowances, overages, and supported calendars. This is an Everyday Software vendor comparison, not an independent product test.
Who Each One Is Genuinely Best For
Choose Smith.ai if...
- •You want AI speed on the phones with the option of a human tier for the calls that need one.
- •Your call volume is on the lower side, so per-call billing stays manageable.
- •You value month-to-month flexibility over a long-term commitment.
- •You can choose a published AI plan whose call allowance fits your business.
Choose Ruby if...
- •You want a real person, with genuine empathy, answering every single call.
- •Your callers are often in sensitive situations where a human voice matters most.
- •You take a low volume of calls, so per-minute billing does not run away from you.
- •You want human answering with scheduling and routing, and have confirmed your calendar is supported.
Check how your plan counts usage
Ruby bills by receptionist minutes, while Smith.ai AI plans use call allowances. Ask each provider how it handles spam, hold time, transfers, and billing increments on your selected plan. A sample invoice based on your actual call pattern is more useful than the headline monthly price alone.
Where a flat-rate custom AI receptionist beats both
Both Smith.ai and Ruby are good at what they are built for, and for some businesses one of them is the right call. But they share two traits worth naming plainly: they bill by the call or by the minute, so your cost rises exactly when you get busier, and neither is really built to close the loop by booking the appointment during the call.
Everyday Software builds a custom AI receptionist trained on your specific business, your services, hours, pricing, and booking rules. It connects to your real calendar and CRM, so it books the appointment on the call instead of taking a message, and it warm-transfers to your team for the calls that genuinely need a human. It is a custom flat monthly rate, quoted to your call volume, with no per-call or per-minute fees, so a busy month does not punish you with overages. And it is done for you, set up and maintained by a dedicated team rather than a dashboard you babysit.
Prefer to talk it through first? Call the demo line at (815) 889-0566 and hear one answer the way it would for your business.
Frequently Asked Questions
Keep comparing
Weighing one of these two on its own? Read our Smith.ai alternatives and Ruby Receptionists alternatives breakdowns, or see the full field in our guide to the best AI receptionists for small business.
Skip the guessing, hear one for yourself
Hear a custom AI receptionist trained on your own website, then decide. No signup, no per-call surprises.