Ruby Receptionist Pricing: US Costs and an AI Alternative

Prices checked 9 October 2026. US comparison; amounts below are in US dollars.

Looking for Ruby Receptionist in Australia? rubyreceptionist.com.au publishes its own Australian plans. The US$250 starting price below belongs to Ruby at ruby.com; it is not a quote for the Australian site. Infercall also has Australian plans with Australian-dollar prices and allowances.

Ruby's live receptionist service starts at US$250 a month for 50 minutes. Its other published monthly plans are US$395 for 100 minutes, US$720 for 200 minutes and US$1,725 for 500 minutes. Infercall's US Standard plan is US$49 a month for 500 minutes, handled by an AI receptionist rather than a staffed answering service.

The price difference is substantial. The useful question is whether your calls need a human receptionist, or whether routine questions, qualification and appointment booking can be handled without one.

Ruby answering service cost: US plans and extra minutes

Ruby prices its live receptionist plans by included minutes. The effective rates below divide the monthly plan price by the full allowance: they are not overage rates, and you pay the subscription even if you use fewer minutes.

Sources: Ruby's published plans and pricing and Ruby's billing-plan guide. The guide also lists intermediate and larger plans, including a 350-minute tier.

Ruby says its receptionist plans include 24/7 live answering, scheduling, lead qualification and intake, bilingual English/Spanish call handling, and outbound call assistance. It also advertises optional AI enhancements at no extra cost. It is not simply a message-taking service, and it is not accurate to describe it as limited to office hours.

What would 50 calls a month cost?

If 50 calls use 150 billable receptionist minutes, Ruby's 100-minute plan costs US$620: US$395 plus 50 extra minutes at US$4.50. The 200-minute plan costs US$720, so buying the larger allowance would cost more for that workload. Ruby's guide recommends the 100-minute tier for 77–172 minutes.

Those 150 minutes fit within Infercall's US Standard allowance of 500 minutes for US$49. This compares the two specified plans at the same minute total, not the same service: Ruby supplies live receptionists; Infercall uses AI. Your invoice depends on actual billable usage and any additional services.

Are setup and after-hours answering extra?

Ruby's pricing page says there are no activation, onboarding, setup, customisation or time-of-day coverage fees. Its published receptionist plans include 24/7 answering. Minutes beyond the allowance are still chargeable, so included overnight cover does not mean unlimited calls.

What does Infercall cost in the US?

Infercall's US monthly plans include Starter at US$5 for 50 minutes, Standard at US$49 for 500 minutes, and Business at US$149 for 1,750 minutes. These are US allowances, not Australian allowances. Each includes one phone number; additional numbers and usage beyond your included minutes cost extra.

See Infercall plans for your country.

Infercall answers inbound calls from your business information, resolves common enquiries, asks qualifying questions and books suitable appointments with a supported calendar connected. You decide which calls should reach you instead. Call recordings and transcripts let you review what happened.

For US Standard, US$49 divided by 500 included minutes is US$0.098 per minute if the full allowance is used. That is a subscription comparison, not a claim that an AI receptionist and a human receptionist provide identical service.

Is Infercall the right Ruby receptionist alternative?

Choose Ruby when the human interaction is part of what you are buying. Sensitive intake, complicated conversations or callers who specifically need a person can justify paying for staffed reception. Confirm any compliance requirements directly with the provider.

Choose Infercall when the recurring work is clear: explain your services, check whether an enquiry fits, arrange a suitable appointment and pass exceptions to you. You can keep working without making every caller wait for a callback.

If you are also considering Smith.ai, compare its AI and human-first plans separately. They are different buying decisions.

How to compare the cost for your business

Use a recent month of calls rather than a vendor's example business. Record the number of answered calls, total minutes, typical questions, appointment requests and calls that needed a person. Then price the same workload with each service, including any add-ons and extra usage.

Test the outcome as well as the greeting. Can it explain a service correctly? Decline an unsuitable request? Book an available appointment? Reach the right person when necessary? A cheaper answer that leaves you doing the work later is not the saving you wanted.

Common questions

Does Ruby charge extra for after-hours answering?

Ruby's pricing page says 24/7 coverage is included, including weekends and holidays. It says there are no additional fees for coverage during particular periods. Ask how your chosen plan handles minutes beyond its allowance.

Is Infercall a live receptionist service?

No. Infercall is an AI receptionist for inbound calls. It handles questions, qualification and supported bookings, with transfers to the people you nominate. It does not supply a separate staffed receptionist team.

Can I keep my business number?

Yes. You can forward calls from your existing number to your Infercall number. Your phone provider determines which all-call, unanswered, busy or after-hours forwarding options are available. See the forwarding guide.

How do I hear Infercall for my business?

Start with your website. Review your business information and hear how your receptionist handles it. A paid plan and the applicable phone-number requirements are needed before connecting business calls. Exploring your receptionist is not a free business-calling trial.

Give the job your attention. We'll take the call.

Infercall handles the questions and suitable bookings that would otherwise interrupt your day. Start with your website, then choose the connections and call-handling rules that fit your business.

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