Ruby Receptionists has been the go-to virtual receptionist since 2003. They're the gold standard for human-powered answering services — friendly, professional, and reliable.
But here's the problem: Ruby charges per call, and their pricing starts at $235/month for just 50 receptionist minutes. For busy small businesses, that adds up fast.
Pricing and Demo
Plans start at €99/month
Compare plans right here, then either try the live demo or book a guided walkthrough.
Start a 7-Day Free Trial
Test real calls, keep your local number, and cancel anytime — no setup fee.
Simple, Transparent Pricing
No hidden fees. No contracts. Pay only for what you use. Cancel anytime.
Starter
Basic AI call answering
500 minutes included (~200 calls)
€0.20/min overage
For simple call answering. Add-ons stay flexible, but Growth is better value once you need automation.
- 500 minutes/month (~200 calls)
- 1 parallel call
- 24/7 AI receptionist
- Basic appointment capture
- Emergency flagging
- Calendar integration
- 7-day call recordings
- Email support
Growth
Book, transfer, qualify, automate
1,000 minutes included (~400 calls)
€0.30/min overage
Most teams choose Growth: scheduling workflows, transfer access, and more capacity without Pro pricing.
- 1,000 minutes/month (~400 calls)
- 3 parallel calls
- 24/7 AI receptionist
- AI Schedule workflows
- Custom scripts and call flows
- Human transfer access
- 30-day call recordings
- Priority support
Pro
ScaleHigh-volume and custom operations
2,000 minutes included (~800 calls)
€0.30/min overage
Choose Pro for higher volume, custom voice, priority rollout, and multi-workflow operations.
- 2,000 minutes/month (~800 calls)
- 5 parallel calls
- 24/7 AI receptionist
- Voice cloning & custom scripts
- Human transfer access
- 90-day call recordings
- Early access to features
- Dedicated support and rollout help
Early-stage, pilot-first rollout
VoiceFleet is built for practical evaluation: hear it live, start with a controlled workflow, and keep direct setup support close.
Start with a safe pilot
Use a controlled call flow for missed calls, quote requests, or one booking lane before routing more traffic.
Hear the assistant live
Test a browser demo and review example scripts before deciding whether it fits your front-desk workflow.
Direct setup support
Get hands-on configuration help for greetings, escalation rules, integrations, and call summaries.
Included with Every Plan
All the essentials to get you started right away
VoiceFleet offers a fundamentally different approach: AI-powered call answering that handles unlimited calls for a flat monthly fee — starting at VoiceFleet pricing/month.
Ruby vs VoiceFleet: Side-by-Side
| Feature | Ruby | VoiceFleet |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $235/mo (50 minutes) | €99/mo (unlimited) |
| Billing Model | Per-minute | Flat monthly fee |
| Answer Speed | ~10 seconds (human) | <1 second (AI) |
| 24/7 Availability | Business hours + after-hours add-on | 24/7 included |
| Bilingual | English only | English + Spanish built-in |
| Industry Focus | General (legal-heavy) | Dental, Restaurant, Salon, Trades |
| Appointment Booking | Basic (message taking) | Full booking integration |
| Mobile App | Yes (Ruby app) | Yes (web dashboard) |
| Chat Widget | Yes (Ruby Chat) | Not yet |
| Free Trial | 14 days | Free demo |
The Real Cost of Ruby vs VoiceFleet
Ruby's pricing is based on receptionist minutes, not calls. A 3-minute call uses 3 minutes from your bundle.
Here's what a typical month looks like for a dental practice:
Scenario: 120 calls/month, average 2.5 minutes each = 300 minutes
- Ruby: $1,640/mo (300-minute plan) — plus $9.45/min overage
- VoiceFleet: €299/mo (unlimited calls, unlimited minutes)
Annual savings: over €16,000.
That's a full-time employee's salary saved — by switching from human receptionists to AI.
What Ruby Does Better
Credit where it's due:
- The human touch: Ruby's receptionists are genuinely warm and personable. For professional services where rapport matters (law firms, financial advisors), a human voice can build trust faster.
- Ruby Chat: Their web chat widget is polished and well-integrated. VoiceFleet focuses on phone calls.
- US-based agents: Every Ruby receptionist is based in the US. If "no AI" is a selling point for your clients, Ruby delivers.
- Established brand: 20+ years in business, trusted by 14,000+ companies.
What VoiceFleet Does Better
Unlimited Calls, Fixed Price
Ruby's per-minute billing means busy months hurt. Marketing campaigns that drive calls become expensive. With VoiceFleet, more calls = more value — at the same price.
Instant Pickup
Ruby's human agents answer within ~10 seconds on average. VoiceFleet's AI answers in under 1 second. For missed-call-sensitive businesses (dental emergencies, restaurant reservations), every second matters.
Bilingual by Default
Ruby operates in English only. VoiceFleet handles English and Spanish natively — the AI detects the caller's language and switches automatically. Zero extra cost.
Industry-Specific Intelligence
Ruby takes messages. VoiceFleet understands your business:
- Knows your dental appointment types and durations
- Understands restaurant covers, dietary needs, and table availability
- Books salon services by treatment type and preferred stylist
- Captures trade job details with urgency assessment
No After-Hours Upcharge
Ruby charges extra for after-hours and weekend coverage. VoiceFleet runs 24/7 at the same flat rate — your 2 AM dental emergency caller gets the same professional experience as your 10 AM appointment booker.
Who Should Stay with Ruby
- Law firms with complex intake requirements and high-value clients who expect human interaction
- Businesses receiving fewer than 30 calls/month — Ruby's starter plan may actually be cheaper
- Companies that need web chat + phone in one platform
- Businesses where "we use real humans, not AI" is a competitive advantage
Who Should Switch to VoiceFleet
- Dental clinics — you're getting 80-200 calls/month and paying a fortune for Ruby minutes
- Restaurants — you need instant pickup during rush hours when every missed call is a lost reservation
- Salons and spas — appointment booking needs to be seamless, not just message-taking
- Trades businesses — you're on job sites and can't check voicemails; VoiceFleet books the job for you
- Any business spending over $500/month on Ruby — the savings are immediate
- Bilingual businesses — Ruby can't help here; VoiceFleet can
Making the Switch
Transitioning from Ruby to VoiceFleet is simple:
- Keep Ruby running while you set up VoiceFleet (no downtime)
- Configure your AI receptionist with your business details, services, and preferences
- Test with a few calls to make sure everything sounds right
- Forward your number to VoiceFleet and cancel Ruby
- Save €1,000+ per month from day one
Try VoiceFleet Risk-Free
See why dental clinics, restaurants, and service businesses across Ireland and the UK are switching from traditional answering services to AI.
No contracts. No per-call fees. No setup costs. Just better call handling at a fraction of the price.
