Infercall vs Ruby and Smith.ai
Choose the service that handles the work—not just the greeting. A caller may need a price, an answer, an appointment or a person. The right choice depends on which of those conversations you want taken off your plate.
Infercall answers routine questions, qualifies enquiries and books suitable appointments through supported connections while you work. Ruby supplies live receptionists. Smith.ai offers separate human-first and AI-first services. Here is how they differ.
Hear your Infercall receptionist
Smith.ai vs Ruby: what is the difference?
Ruby's US receptionist service bills by the minute; Smith.ai's human-first service bills by the call. Both advertise 24/7 answering, lead qualification and appointment handling. Ruby includes scheduling in its published plans. Smith.ai lists booking as an extra charge on its human-first plans; its separate AI plans include AI scheduling.
US plans checked 9 October 2026. The table uses US dollars. For Infercall in Australia or the UK, use the regional pricing page. Ruby Receptionist at rubyreceptionist.com.au publishes its own Australian plans; the Ruby figures here are from ruby.com.
| Service | Who answers? | Example monthly plan | Included usage | Extra usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruby, US | Live receptionist | US$250 | 50 minutes | US$5.40 per minute on this tier |
| Smith.ai human-first Starter | Live receptionist | US$300 | 30 calls | US$11.50 per call |
| Smith.ai AI Free | AI receptionist, with live-agent escalation advertised | US$0 | 25 calls | US$3 per call |
| Smith.ai AI Pro, entry volume | AI receptionist, with live-agent escalation advertised | US$150 | 75 calls | US$2.50 per call |
| Infercall US Standard | AI receptionist; transfers to your nominated people | US$49 | 500 minutes | Additional prepaid minute blocks |
Sources: Ruby plans, Ruby extra-minute rates, Smith.ai human-first plans, Smith.ai AI plans and Infercall plans.
A long intake conversation uses more of a minute allowance, but only one call from a call allowance. Lots of short enquiries can favour the opposite model. Include the actions you need: Smith.ai's human-first service lists appointment booking at US$1.50 per call and recording/transcription at US$0.25 per call. Those charges are not the feature prices for its AI service.
A worked example: 50 calls using 150 minutes
For 50 billable calls using 150 billable receptionist minutes in a month:
- Ruby's 100-minute plan: US$620. US$395 subscription plus 50 extra minutes at US$4.50.
- Smith.ai human-first Starter: US$530 before add-ons. US$300 subscription plus 20 extra calls at US$11.50.
- Smith.ai AI Free: US$75 before any separately charged services. Its 25 included calls plus 25 at US$3. If you need Pro's additional support and features, the 75-call Pro plan is US$150.
- Infercall US Standard: US$49. The 150 minutes fit inside its 500-minute allowance.
This example holds call count and billable minutes fixed; it is not a prediction of your bill. Transfers, rounding and other billable activity can change usage, and the services do not supply the same kind of receptionist.
What happens when a caller needs more than a message?
| Caller needs | Ruby | Smith.ai | Infercall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Answers and qualification | Personalised call handling, lead qualification and intake advertised | Qualification and intake advertised; AI and human-first options | Uses your business information and qualifying questions |
| An appointment | Scheduling included in published plans | Booking available; human-first add-on and AI scheduling are separate | Google Calendar can create an appointment; Calendly provides a scheduling link |
| A person to handle the conversation | Live receptionists answer | Human-first receptionists, or live-agent escalation from AI | Transfers to the people you nominate; no separate staffed receptionist team |
| Help outside business hours | 24/7 live answering advertised | 24/7 human-first and AI answering advertised | Can handle inbound calls around the clock |
| Outbound calls made on your behalf | Outbound assistance advertised | Outbound receptionist services advertised | Inbound voice calls only |
For Infercall, check the connection you use before choosing how bookings should work. Creating an appointment during the call and sending a scheduling link are different outcomes.
Which service fits your business?
Choose Ruby when live reception and a minute-based plan suit the work. Scheduling, intake and other included services may make its higher subscription worthwhile. It is more than a message-taking service.
Choose Smith.ai human-first when you want staffed reception with per-call billing. Longer intake conversations can make that charging model useful. Add the booking, notification and other services your workflow needs to the comparison.
Consider Smith.ai AI for light usage or its advertised live-agent escalation. Its free call allowance deserves a place in a small-business shortlist. Confirm the escalation terms for the plan you choose.
Choose Infercall when routine enquiries and suitable bookings should happen without interrupting your day. You control the business information, qualifying questions and calls that should reach you. Hear it use your information before connecting your business calls.
Keep voicemail when taking a message later is enough. It costs little to maintain, but it does not answer the question or arrange an appointment for the caller. If those are the jobs you want done, compare a service that does them.
Read the detailed comparisons
- Ruby receptionist pricing and an Infercall alternative
- Smith.ai's AI and human-first plans compared with Infercall
- Johnni and Infercall for Australian businesses
Common questions
Is Infercall a human receptionist service?
No. Infercall uses AI to handle inbound calls. You can choose when it should transfer a call to you or your team; it does not supply a separate team of human receptionists.
Can I keep my existing business number?
Yes. Forward your current number to your Infercall number. Your phone provider determines which forwarding options are available. See the call-forwarding guide.
Can I hear it before connecting business calls?
Yes. Start with your website, review your business information and hear your receptionist handle an enquiry. Connecting business calls requires a paid plan and the applicable phone-number requirements.
Give the job your attention. We'll take the call.
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