Ruby: live human receptionists as the benchmark

Contents

1. What Ruby does
2. Published evidence
3. Strengths and limits
4. Pricing
5. Questions to ask Ruby
6. Sources

Type	Human virtual receptionists
Pricing	Published
Website	ruby.com

Ruby answers calls with people. It uses AI behind the scenes, for transcripts and AI-assisted call flows, but the person speaking with the caller is always a trained human receptionist⁠1Virtual receptionists and live chat for businessesRuby.

Best for: Companies whose callers expect a trained person on every call, such as law firms and high-value service businesses.

Not the right fit for: High-volume, routine call handling where per-minute human pricing becomes expensive.

What Ruby does

Ruby's receptionists answer calls 24/7, capture leads, answer common questions, schedule appointments and connect callers according to the company's preferences. It also offers managed live chat on the company's website⁠1Virtual receptionists and live chat for businessesRuby. Every plan includes the same features, such as custom greetings, local and toll-free numbers, calling and texting from the business number, voicemail and chat transcripts and a shared dashboard; bilingual answering and HIPAA-compliant service are available⁠2Plans and pricingRuby.

Ruby says it charges no fees for activation, onboarding, setup, customization or after-hours coverage, and has no long-term contracts⁠21Plans and pricingRubyVirtual receptionists and live chat for businessesRuby.

Published evidence

The pages we read describe the service and pricing rather than measured customer results.

Strengths and limits

Strengths

• The benchmark for human answering: trained receptionists on every call, at any hour.
• No setup, onboarding or after-hours fees, and no long-term contracts.
• HIPAA-compliant service and bilingual answering available.

Limits

• Priced by receptionist minutes, so cost rises directly with call volume and length.
• Not an AI receptionist; AI supports the receptionists rather than answering.
• Larger plans beyond 500 minutes are not listed.

Choose another option if: Most of your calls are routine questions, bookings or status checks that an AI receptionist handles at a lower cost per call.

Pricing

Published: $250 a month for 50 minutes, $395 for 100, $720 for 200 and $1,725 for 500.

Questions to ask Ruby

• What does a plan above 500 minutes cost?
• How are minutes counted: from answer to hang-up, including transfers?
• Which of our tools can receptionists update directly?
• What do callers hear when all receptionists are busy?

See how Ruby compares with the other options in the main guide.

Sources

1. Virtual receptionists and live chat for businesses. Ruby. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
2. Plans and pricing. Ruby. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.

Further reading

• Buyer's guide · Updated quarterlyThe best AI phone receptionists in 2026An analysis of nine ways to answer a company's phones with AI, from ready-made receptionists to human services and voice-agent platforms, judged on what happens to the call after it ends.
• Guide · CostAI vs human receptionist: what each really costs in 2026Pricing units in this market (salaries, minutes, calls, unique callers, platforms) make options hard to compare. This guide puts them on the same footing.
• Guide · Receptionist and CRMHow to connect an AI receptionist to your CRM and calendarAn AI receptionist that answers well but leaves the CRM untouched has moved the typing from the phone to the inbox. This is how the integrations differ, and how to test them.