The short version
| AI receptionist | Live answering service | |
|---|---|---|
| Who answers | An AI voice that knows what you taught it | A person at the service |
| Pick-up | Right away, every call | Depends on the service and plan |
| Hours | 24/7 | Often 24/7 (Ruby answers around the clock) |
| How it’s billed | A plan plus usage, often by the minute | Per minute or per call |
| Starting price (Oct 2026) | 2Line.AI: $19.99 a month plus credits | Ruby: $250 a month for 50 minutes. Smith.ai live: $300 a month for 30 calls |
| Booking | Yes, into your hours | Often yes; Smith.ai’s live plans charge $1.50 a booking |
| Best at | Routine questions, taking details, booking | Judgment, empathy and sensitive calls |
Cost
Live services charge for people’s time. As of October 2026, Ruby’s plans start at $250 a month for 50 minutes, about $5 a minute, and Smith.ai’s live receptionists start at $300 a month for 30 calls, with $11.50 for each extra call.
AI receptionists start far lower and charge for the minutes they actually talk. With 2Line.AI the plan is $19.99 a month, and Mia uses 48 credits a minute from when she picks up, about $0.72 a minute at the 4,000-credit pack price. Missed calls and ring time are free.
Our guide to answering service costs walks through a full worked example with these prices.
Hours and pick-up speed
An AI receptionist answers on the first ring, nights and weekends included. Live services can be 24/7 too; Ruby, for example, answers around the clock. The real difference is what that coverage costs each month.
What callers experience
A good AI receptionist greets callers in your business name, answers common questions from what you taught it, takes details and books. Mia introduces herself by name and doesn’t pretend to be you.
People are still better at unusual, emotional or legal calls: an upset customer, a tricky intake, someone who needs reassurance more than a time slot.
Booking and follow-up
Both can book appointments. An AI receptionist can also send the follow-up automatically. After a call with Mia, the caller gets one text about what happens next, bookings get a confirmation and a reminder they can answer with C to confirm or R to reschedule, and you get a written slip with an AI summary.
Handing calls to a person
The worry with AI is the call that needs you. Look for a receptionist that can hand urgent calls over. Mia can pass an urgent call straight to you, and while she’s talking you can tap Hand to me to take it yourself.
Which calls suit each
| Type of call | Better fit |
|---|---|
| “Do you do this, how much, when can you come?” | AI receptionist |
| Booking, rescheduling and reminders | AI receptionist |
| After-hours calls you’ll return in the morning | AI receptionist |
| Upset or emotional callers | A live person |
| Legal or medical intake that needs judgment | A live person |
| Urgent jobs you want to take yourself | An AI that hands the call to you |
How to decide
- Open last month’s call log and count the calls you missed or couldn’t take.
- Sort them: routine questions and bookings, or calls that needed judgment?
- Estimate how long they ran. Short calls favor per-minute pricing; long ones favor per-call.
- Price both options for that month, including any overage.
- Call your own number as a customer and listen to what callers would hear.
If most of your calls are “Can you do X, how much, when can you come?”, an AI receptionist fits. If most calls need judgment or empathy, consider a human service, or an AI that hands those calls to you.
Sources (checked October 2026): Ruby plans and pricing (ruby.com); Smith.ai receptionist pricing (smith.ai).