Smith.ai vs Ruby: cost at your call volume
For: Law, insurance and real-estate offices weighing a per-call AI receptionist against a per-minute human service. At 100 calls a month of 2.5 minutes each, Smith.ai costs $212.50/mo and Ruby costs $1,725/mo on their cheapest fitting plans.
Both vendors' prices read on their own sites on Sep 23, 2026. Not financial advice.
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Which is cheaper, by volume
With 2.5-minute calls and every call answered: from 1 to 200 calls a month, Smith.ai costs less; from 201 to 500 calls a month, one of them doesn't publish a price for that volume.
| Calls/mo | Smith.ai plan | Smith.ai | Ruby plan | Ruby |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Free | $0/mo | 100 minutes | $395/mo |
| 50 | Free | $75/mo | 200 minutes | $720/mo |
| 100 | Pro (75 calls) | $212.50/mo | 500 minutes | $1,725/mo |
| 150 | Pro (150 calls) | $270/mo | 500 minutes | $1,725/mo |
| 200 | Pro (150 calls) | $385/mo | 500 minutes | $1,725/mo |
| 300 | Enterprise (300 calls) | $500/mo | 500 minutes | $1,725+ (contact vendor) |
| 400 | Enterprise (300 calls) | $717/mo | 500 minutes | $1,725+ (contact vendor) |
Longer calls raise minute-billed prices only; a different average changes where the lines cross. The calculator redraws this for your numbers.
Differences that change the bill
- Smith.ai bills by calls and Ruby by minutes, so longer calls raise Ruby's bill but not Smith.ai's.
- Smith.ai publishes its overage: $3.00, $2.50, $2.30, $2.17, $2.10 per call, depending on the plan.
- Ruby does not publish a rate for usage beyond a plan, so past its largest fitting plan the only honest answer is "contact vendor".
- Smith.ai: “If something complex comes up, the call can be transferred to a live North America-based receptionist — any time, day or night”
Side by side
| Fact | Smith.ai | Ruby |
|---|---|---|
| Type | AI receptionist | Live (human) receptionists |
| Billed by | Calls | Minutes |
| Plans | Free: $0/mo, 25 calls Pro (75 calls): $150/mo, 75 calls Pro (150 calls): $270/mo (computed), 150 calls Enterprise (300 calls): $500/mo, 300 calls Enterprise (500 calls): $800/mo (computed), 500 calls | 50 minutes: $250/mo, 50 min 100 minutes: $395/mo, 100 min 200 minutes: $720/mo, 200 min 500 minutes: $1,725/mo, 500 min |
| Beyond the plan | $3.00 per call; $2.50 per call; $2.30 per call; $2.17 per call; $2.10 per call | Not published (contact vendor) |
| Spanish | Not stated on vendor page | Yes |
| Books appointments | Yes | Yes |
| Live transfer | Yes | Yes |
| Recording | Recording, transcription & summaries are listed; the page does not say whether recording can be switched off | Not mentioned on the pricing page |
| Trial or free plan | Free plan: 25 calls a month, then $3.00 per call; Not stated | Not stated |
| Requires | Nothing else | Nothing else |
| Checked | Sep 23, 2026 | Sep 23, 2026 |