Title: Ruby Receptionist Alternatives (2026): Prices | Keres AI
URL: https://www.keresai.com/ruby-alternative
Updated: 2026-10-12
Description: Eight Ruby Receptionists alternatives side by side: live, AI or hybrid answering, how each one bills, and the lowest published price, plus where Keres AI fits.
Source: https://www.keresai.com/ruby-alternative (HTML). This is a Markdown copy of the page's main content for AI agents and LLM tools.

---

# Ruby alternatives, compared

The best Ruby alternatives in 2026 are Smith.ai, PATLive, Abby Connect, Goodcall, Rosie, Dialzara, Upfirst, My AI Front Desk and Remi by Keres AI, depending on whether you want live receptionists, AI or both, and whether you would rather pay per call, per minute or per caller.

Written by Keres AI, which sells Remi, one of the options below. Prices checked on October 11, 2026 on each vendor’s own pricing page. Updated October 12, 2026. [How we check and correct prices](https://www.keresai.com/editorial-policy).

## How do the Ruby alternatives differ?

Ruby answers calls with live, US-based receptionists on monthly plans with included minutes. If you are weighing alternatives, the choice comes down to people, AI or both, and how you want to be billed. Of the alternatives, PATLive uses live receptionists; Smith.ai and Abby Connect mix people and AI; Goodcall, Rosie, Dialzara, Upfirst and My AI Front Desk answer with AI. They also bill differently: per call, per minute, per caller or with included minutes.

Keres AI is a Ruby alternative for local service businesses that want calls answered by AI and booked during the call, instead of handled by a live receptionist. Its AI receptionist, Remi, answers in two rings, 24/7, and books into Google Calendar, HubSpot or ServiceTitan. Keres AI charges a monthly rate with included minutes, then per minute, with no per-call fees, on a month-to-month plan.

## How much does Ruby cost?

Ruby's lowest published plan is **$250 a month for 50 receptionist minutes**, per [ruby.com/pricing](https://www.ruby.com/pricing/) on October 11, 2026. Every plan is answered by live receptionists, and the pricing page says Ruby charges no activation, onboarding or setup fees. We did not find a rate for minutes past the plan on that page, so ask Ruby before you sign. At an average of three minutes a call, 50 minutes covers about 16 calls a month.

## 8 Ruby alternatives, plus Keres AI

| Option | Who answers | How it bills | Lowest published plan | Best for |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Keres AI (Remi)](https://www.keresai.com/agents/inbound) *(that’s us)* | AI | One monthly rate with included minutes, then per minute; no per-call fees. | Quoted to your call volume; month-to-month. | Local service businesses that want calls booked into Google Calendar, HubSpot or ServiceTitan, and their website and Google profile run by the same team. |
| [Smith.ai](https://smith.ai) | Hybrid | Per call: plans include a set number of calls, then a per-call rate. | Human receptionists from $300/mo for 30 calls ($11.50 per extra call). AI receptionist has a free tier of 25 calls/mo, then $3 per call. | Firms that want AI with live human receptionists available on the same line. |
| [PATLive](https://www.patlive.com) | Human | Per minute, with monthly plans that include minutes. | $99/mo for 50 minutes ($2.29 per extra minute); pay-as-you-go at $2.99/min. | Businesses that want US-based live receptionists with bilingual answering included. |
| [Abby Connect](https://www.abby.com) | Hybrid | Monthly plans with included minutes; AI-answered minutes count as half. | $165/mo for 50 minutes of human answering (or 100 of AI). | Businesses that want a dedicated receptionist team, with AI for routine calls. |
| [Goodcall](https://www.goodcall.com) | AI | Per unique caller each month; no per-minute charges. | $79/mo for 100 unique callers (79¢ per extra caller). | Small businesses that want a self-serve AI agent billed by caller rather than by minute. |
| [Rosie](https://heyrosie.com) | AI | Monthly plans with included minutes. | $49/mo for 250 minutes. | Solo owners and small service businesses that want low-cost AI answering in English and Spanish. |
| [Dialzara](https://www.dialzara.com) | AI | Monthly plans with included minutes, then per minute. | $29/mo for 60 minutes ($0.48 per extra minute). | Small businesses with light call volume that want the lowest entry price. |
| [Upfirst](https://www.upfirst.ai) | AI | Monthly plans with included calls, then per call. | $24.95/mo for 30 calls ($1.50 per extra call). | Small businesses that want an inexpensive AI receptionist in many languages. |
| [My AI Front Desk](https://www.myaifrontdesk.com) | AI | Monthly plan with included voice minutes, texts and chats; overage from a credit pool. | $99/mo for 200 voice minutes plus text and chat. | Owners who want phone, text and website chat answered by one AI. |

Prices are each vendor’s lowest published plan, taken from its own pricing page on October 11, 2026. They change; check the linked page before you buy. Sources: [Smith.ai](https://smith.ai/pricing) · [PATLive](https://www.patlive.com/pricing/) · [Abby Connect](https://www.abby.com/pricing/) · [Goodcall](https://www.goodcall.com/pricing) · [Rosie](https://heyrosie.com/pricing) · [Dialzara](https://www.dialzara.com/pricing) · [Upfirst](https://www.upfirst.ai/pricing) · [My AI Front Desk](https://www.myaifrontdesk.com/pricing).

## How did we compare these Ruby alternatives?

Keres AI compared 8 Ruby alternatives on four points: who answers (AI, people or both), how each one bills (per minute, per call or per caller), its lowest published plan, and who the vendor says it is for. Every figure comes from the vendor’s own pricing or product page, checked on October 11, 2026, and the table links each source. Where a vendor publishes no price or no overage rate, the page says so instead of estimating one. This is a comparison of published information, not a test of call quality, and there is no overall score; each pick below is matched to a need. Keres AI wrote this page and sells Remi, which sits in the same table under the same rules, labelled “that’s us”. Prices change, so check the linked page before you buy.

## Why do businesses look for Ruby alternatives?

- **More calls than the plan covers.** With 50 minutes included, a busy month can run past the plan, so owners compare larger minute plans or per-call and per-caller billing.
- **A lower entry price.** AI receptionists publish plans from $24.95 a month. Live plans start higher because a person answers.
- **The appointment booked on the call.** Some owners want the job on the calendar when the caller hangs up, not a message to return.
- **One team for the rest of the front door.** Some want the website and Google Business Profile run by the same vendor that answers the phone.

## Ruby vs an AI receptionist: what changes?

- **Who answers.** Ruby's receptionists are people. An AI receptionist answers with a voice model that follows your script. People bring judgment to unusual calls; AI follows your script the same way on every call.
- **How you pay.** Ruby counts receptionist minutes inside a monthly plan. AI receptionists bill by minute, call or caller, from lower entry prices (see the table).
- **After hours.** Ruby lists 24/7 live answering, including nights, weekends and holidays, so coverage alone is not a reason to switch.
- **Booking.** Ask whether the appointment is booked into your calendar during the call or passed to you as a message. Keres AI books into Google Calendar, HubSpot or ServiceTitan during the call.

## Which Ruby alternative suits a law firm?

Law firms comparing Ruby usually care most about intake and their case-management system. From the table: Smith.ai and Abby Connect both name Clio among the integrations on their own sites; PATLive offers live US-based receptionists by the minute; and Upfirst names Clio and starts at $24.95 a month for 30 calls. AnsweringLegal answers only for law firms but does not publish prices; see [AnsweringLegal alternatives](https://www.keresai.com/answering-legal-alternative). Keres AI has no Clio or Lawmatics integration today; Remi books into Google Calendar or HubSpot, and Zapier can pass the intake to other tools. More on [Keres AI for law firms](https://www.keresai.com/industries/law-firms).

## Which Ruby alternative is best for your business?

Each pick below comes from the table above: what the vendor says it is for, how it bills and its lowest published plan.

- **Live receptionists at a lower entry price:** PATLive ($99/mo for 50 minutes, bilingual answering included)
- **AI with live receptionists on the same line:** Smith.ai (human plans from $300/mo for 30 calls; AI free tier of 25 calls)
- **A dedicated receptionist team plus AI for routine calls:** Abby Connect ($165/mo for 50 human minutes)
- **The lowest AI entry price:** Upfirst ($24.95/mo for 30 calls) or Dialzara ($29/mo for 60 minutes)
- **Billing by caller:** Goodcall ($79/mo for 100 unique callers)
- **Phone, text and website chat from one AI:** My AI Front Desk ($99/mo for 200 voice minutes)
- **Website, Google profile and AI receptionist from one team:** [Keres AI](https://www.keresai.com/agents/inbound) (Remi quoted to your call volume)

## When Keres AI is not the right choice

- **A person on every call is the point.** If your callers expect a human, a live service such as PATLive, Abby Connect or Ruby itself is the better fit. Remi is AI.
- **You want the cheapest plan and will configure it yourself.** Upfirst and Dialzara publish plans under $30 a month.
- **You need a BAA.** Keres AI is not HIPAA or SOC 2 certified and does not sign BAAs.

## How do I switch from Ruby to Keres AI?

Send us the call instructions Ruby’s receptionists use and a few recent call summaries, so Remi’s script matches what your callers are used to hearing.

1. Forward your number to Remi, or port it to Keres AI.
2. On a 30-minute call, share your current script and escalation rules.
3. Connect your calendar so Remi books into it.
4. Place test calls yourself and adjust anything that sounds wrong.
5. Go live once it answers the way you would; the timing is agreed on your first call.

Remi is quoted to your call volume: a monthly rate with included minutes, then per minute, month-to-month. See [pricing](https://www.keresai.com/pricing) or [hear Remi answer a call](https://www.keresai.com/hear-it).

## Ruby alternative — FAQ

### Is Keres AI a good Ruby alternative?

It suits businesses that want calls answered and booked by AI at any hour. If you want a live person to answer every call, Ruby or another live service suits you better.

### Will an AI receptionist sound as friendly as Ruby's receptionists?

Remi uses a natural-sounding voice and a script written with you, in your business’s tone. It is still AI: callers who want a person are transferred or texted to your team under the rules you set. [Hear Remi answer a call](https://www.keresai.com/hear-it).

### Does Keres AI cover after-hours and weekends?

Yes. Remi answers 24/7, including nights, weekends and holidays, with no after-hours surcharge.

## More AI receptionist comparisons

- [Best AI receptionists for small businesses (2026)](https://www.keresai.com/best-ai-receptionist)
- [How much does an AI receptionist cost?](https://www.keresai.com/ai-receptionist-cost)
- [Smith.ai alternatives](https://www.keresai.com/smith-ai-alternative)
- [Goodcall alternatives](https://www.keresai.com/goodcall-alternative)
- [Rosie alternatives](https://www.keresai.com/rosie-alternative)
- [AnsweringLegal alternatives](https://www.keresai.com/answering-legal-alternative)
- [All comparisons](https://www.keresai.com/compare)
- [Hear Remi answer a call](https://www.keresai.com/hear-it)