Cost comparison
AI receptionist vs answering service: what a minute really costs
Traditional answering services publish their pricing openly, which makes this the easiest comparison in the category to do honestly. The headline monthly figures look reasonable. Divided by the minutes they include, they are the most expensive way to answer a phone that is still in common use.
That does not make them the wrong choice for everyone. It makes them a specific choice, for calls where a human is genuinely required.
| Plan | Monthly cost | Included minutes | Effective cost per minute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruby Starter | $250 | 50 | $5.00 |
| Ruby Basic | $395 | 100 | $3.95 |
| Ruby Standard | $720 | 200 | $3.60 |
| Ruby Professional | $1,725 | 500 | $3.45 |
| Centricall Starter | $49 | 50 | $0.98 |
| Centricall Growth | $149 | 120 | $1.24 |
| Centricall Professional | $299 | 300 | $1.00 |
The honest case for a live answering service
A person handles ambiguity, distress and unusual requests better than any current voice agent, and for some businesses that is the whole job. A law firm taking intake on a serious matter, or a practice where the first call is emotionally loaded, may reasonably decide a human should always answer. Ruby also states there are no additional fees for activation, onboarding, setup or customisation, which is genuinely simpler than assembling a platform.
Where the model breaks down
Message-taking is the constraint, not the price. An answering service takes a name and number, and the work still exists when your office opens. The overflow problem is also structural: when your call volume spikes, so does everyone else's on the same service, and the queue is exactly what you were paying to avoid.
- The booking is still unbooked when the message reaches you
- Simultaneous calls queue rather than all being answered
- Included minutes run out, and overage is where the real bill appears
How to decide without a spreadsheet
Look at the last hundred calls your business received. Count how many were routine enough that a well-briefed new starter could have resolved them: hours, directions, booking, rescheduling, a status question. That proportion is the part a voice agent should take. Whatever is left is the case for a human, and it is usually far smaller than the price you are paying for humans to answer everything.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Ruby answering service cost?
- Ruby publishes virtual receptionist plans at $250 per month for 50 minutes, $395 for 100 minutes, $720 for 200 minutes and $1,725 for 500 minutes. That works out at $5.00 down to $3.45 per minute. It states no additional fees for activation, onboarding, setup or customisation. Verified August 12, 2026.
Is an AI receptionist cheaper than an answering service?
- On published rates, substantially. Ruby's entry plan works out at $5.00 per included minute; Centricall's published plans work out between $0.98 and $1.24. Compare on cost per included minute rather than headline monthly price, because the included allowances differ by an order of magnitude. Verified August 12, 2026.
How does an AI receptionist compare to hiring a receptionist?
- United States Bureau of Labor Statistics data puts median receptionist pay at $37,230 a year as of May 2024, before employment costs, cover for leave and the fact that one person answers one call at a time and goes home at night. The comparison that matters is not salary against subscription, it is total coverage: an agent answers every call at once, at every hour.
What can an answering service do that an AI receptionist cannot?
- Handle genuine ambiguity, distress and unusual requests with judgment. That is a real advantage on a minority of calls and the reason most sensible deployments keep a path to a person rather than removing one.
Can I use both?
- Many businesses do, and it is often the right answer. The agent takes the routine volume and the overflow, and anything it is not confident about, or any caller who asks, goes to a person. You pay human rates only for the calls that need a human.
What should I actually compare when evaluating providers?
- Cost per included minute, what happens on overage, whether the provider completes the task or only takes a message, how simultaneous calls are handled, and whether outcomes reach your calendar and CRM without anyone retyping them. Headline monthly price answers none of those.
Sources
- Ruby — https://www.ruby.com/pricing/ · verified August 12, 2026
- Centricall — /pricing · verified August 12, 2026
Competitor pricing changes frequently. Every figure above was read from the vendor’s own published page on the date shown. Verify before quoting a client. Product names are the trademarks of their respective owners and are used here for identification only.
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