KaiCalls vs Ruby Receptionist: The 2026 Comparison
Ruby Receptionist charges $3.39-$4.90 per minute for human receptionists, with their entry plan starting at $245/month for just 50 minutes. KaiCalls charges a flat monthly rate for AI that answers instantly, never sleeps, and integrates directly with your CRM. See the full comparison below.
Calls Handled
Leads Processed
Time Saved
At a Glance
Ruby Receptionist
- $245/month for only 50 minutes ($4.90/min)
- 30-second billing increments (rounds up)
- Overage fees: $3.50-$4.45 per minute
- Queue limits cause callers to wait
- Generic scripts for all industries
- No outbound calls or follow-up
KaiCalls AI Voice Agent
- From $69.99/mo (Essentials) to $300/mo (500+ min)
- Per-second billing (no rounding penalties)
- Overage: just $0.10-$0.15 per minute
- Unlimited concurrent calls (zero hold times)
- Industry-specific AI training
- Outbound calls + goal-based follow-up
Stop Paying the "Spam Tax"
Ruby charges by the minute for every call, including robocalls, telemarketers, and wrong numbers. KaiCalls filters spam instantly at zero additional cost.
Ruby: The Hidden Cost
- 50 spam calls/day × 2 min each = 100 min/day
- 100 min/day × 7 days = 700 min/week
- 700 min × $3.50 = $2,450/week
- $1,400/month for spam alone
- Based on 30-second billing increments and overage rates
KaiCalls: Zero Spam Cost
- AI detects spam instantly
- Filters robocalls and telemarketers
- No charges for spam calls
- $0 additional for spam filtering
- Spam calls don't count toward your minutes
Overage Comparison: When Busy Seasons Hit
Talk to Kai our AI Voice Agent Now
Click the microphone and have a conversation. This is the same AI voice agent that handles calls 24/7 for businesses. Ruby cannot offer a live demo because their service depends on human availability.
KaiCalls AI Demo
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Live demo using VAPI voice AI with 10 professional voice options
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | Ruby Receptionist | KaiCalls AI |
|---|---|---|
Pricing Model | Per minute ($3.39-$4.90/min) | Flat rate ($69.99-$1,000/mo) |
Starting Price | $245/month (50 minutes only) | $300/month (500 minutes) |
Minutes Included | 50-500 minutes (varies by plan) | 500-4,000 minutes/month |
Concurrent Calls | Queue limits cause hold times | Unlimited (no hold times) |
Response Time | Variable (human pickup) | Under 1 second |
CRM Integration | Basic (emails notes) | Deep (injects data into 40+ CRMs) |
Lead Qualification | Generic scripting | AI-powered scoring |
Knowledge Base | Limited training capacity | Custom business knowledge |
Outbound Calls | Not available | Included (Premium+) |
Instant Callback | Not available | Under 60 seconds |
Calendar Booking | Limited | Native integration |
Live Demo | Not available | Yes (try it now) |
Setup Fees | Often required | None |
Business Impact Analysis
Pricing Model
Ruby charges $3.39-$4.90 per minute depending on plan, with 30-second billing increments (a 10-second call is billed as 30 seconds). A business receiving 50 spam calls daily pays Ruby $1,400/month for useless conversations. KaiCalls filters spam at zero additional cost.
Starting Price
Ruby's entry plan provides just 50 minutes for $245, making the effective rate $4.90/minute. KaiCalls provides 500 minutes for $300 ($0.60/minute) - 8x more value per dollar.
Minutes Included
KaiCalls plans include minutes upfront. Overflow plan includes 500 minutes. Premium includes 1,500 minutes. Enterprise includes 4,000 minutes. Ruby's Pro plan offers 500 minutes for $1,695/month vs KaiCalls Overflow at $300/month.
Concurrent Calls
When three customers call Ruby simultaneously, two go on hold. KaiCalls answers 100 calls at once. Every caller gets an instant answer.
Response Time
Speed to lead determines who wins the job. KaiCalls answers before the first ring completes. Ruby depends on available human agents.
CRM Integration
Ruby emails a message you re-type into your CRM. KaiCalls writes directly to Litify, GoHighLevel, Salesforce, Airtable, and 40+ other platforms.
Pricing Comparison
See how KaiCalls pricing compares for different call volumes
| Plan | Minutes | Ruby Cost | KaiCalls Cost | You Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | 50 minutes | $245/mo ($4.90/min) | $300/mo (500 min) ($0.60/min) | - |
| Grow | 100 minutes | $385/mo ($3.85/min) | $300/mo (500 min) ($0.60/min) | $85/mo |
| Pro | 500 minutes | $1,695/mo ($3.39/min) | $300/mo (Overflow) ($0.60/min) | $1,395/mo (82%) |
| High Volume | 1,500 minutes | $5,085/mo (Pro + overage) | $600/mo (Premium) ($0.40/min) | $4,485/mo (88%) |
| Enterprise | 4,000 minutes | $13,560/mo (Pro + overage) | $1,000/mo (Enterprise) ($0.25/min) | $12,560/mo (93%) |
Ruby Receptionist Plans
- Base: $245/mo for 50 minutes
- Grow: $385/mo for 100 minutes
- Pro: $1,695/mo for 500 minutes
- Overage: $3.50-$4.45 per minute
- 30-second billing increments
KaiCalls Plans
- Essentials: $69.99/mo (entry tier)
- Overflow: $300/mo for 500 minutes
- Premium: $600/mo for 1,500 minutes
- Enterprise: $1,000/mo for 4,000 minutes
- Overage: $0.10-$0.15 per minute
- Per-second billing (no rounding)
Ruby pricing based on their published rates as of 2026. Actual costs may vary based on usage and overage charges.
Common Questions
What are the best Ruby Receptionist alternatives?
KaiCalls is the top Ruby alternative, reducing costs by up to 83% with flat-rate AI pricing starting at just $69.99/month (Essentials) or $300/month for 500 minutes (Overflow). Other alternatives like Smith.ai and PATLive still use human agents with per-minute or per-call pricing, making them nearly as expensive as Ruby. Only KaiCalls combines AI efficiency with flat-rate predictability and deep CRM integration.
Is per-minute or flat-rate pricing better for answering services?
Flat-rate pricing provides predictable monthly billing and protects you during busy seasons. Per-minute services like Ruby ($3.39-$4.90/min) and Smith.ai ($8-$11 per call) lead to expensive surprises when call volume spikes. With KaiCalls flat-rate plans, you know exactly what you'll pay each month, and overage is only $0.10-$0.15/minute vs competitors at $3.50-$11 per call.
What are overage charges and how do they compare?
Overage charges apply when you exceed your plan's included minutes. This is where traditional services become extremely expensive:
- •Ruby Receptionist: $3.50-$4.45 per minute overage
- •Smith.ai: $8-$11 per call overage (costly for short calls)
- •KaiCalls: $0.10-$0.15 per minute overage (96% cheaper)
During busy seasons, competitors can easily double your bill with overage fees. KaiCalls overage stays minimal.
What are the hidden costs of answering services?
Traditional answering services have several hidden costs that can significantly increase your monthly bill:
- •Setup fees: Many services charge $100-$500 to get started (KaiCalls: $0)
- •Holiday surcharges: Extra fees for calls on holidays and weekends (KaiCalls: no surcharges)
- •Rounding policies: Ruby bills in 30-second increments, turning a 10-second call into 30 seconds (KaiCalls: per-second billing)
- •Spam call charges: You pay full price for robocalls and telemarketers ($1,400/month for 50 spam calls daily on Ruby; KaiCalls filters spam at $0)
KaiCalls eliminates these hidden costs with transparent flat-rate pricing and smart spam filtering.
Will callers know they're talking to an AI voice agent?
KaiCalls uses AI voice agents with natural prosody, breath, and tone. The AI voice agent pauses when interrupted and understands conversational cues. In blind tests, 84% of callers did not realize they were speaking to AI. Try the demo above to hear the quality yourself.
Can KaiCalls AI voice agent handle complex conversations like Ruby's human agents?
KaiCalls AI voice agent accesses your custom knowledge base to answer specific questions about your business. For situations requiring human judgment, the AI voice agent transfers calls to your team with full context. Ruby agents follow generic scripts without access to your business-specific information.
How does the 7-day free trial work?
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Questions? Call us at 1 (417) 386-2898