Short answer: Smith.ai and Ruby cost the most and blend AI with people. PATLive is a mid-priced live service. CallNET is the lowest-priced of the four per included minute ($0.995 on its Business plan) and answers only with live people in the United States.
All prices below are from each company’s own pricing page, checked November 7, 2026. We are CallNET, so read this as a comparison by one of the four, and check every competitor’s page yourself before you decide.
Side by side
| Ruby | Smith.ai | PATLive | CallNET | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who answers | Live people; optional AI enhancements on all plans | AI receptionist plans and live-agent plans | Live answering service | Live people in the US; no AI |
| Billed by | Minute | Call | Minute | Minute |
| Entry plan | $250 for 50 min | $300 for 30 calls (live agents) | $99 for 50 min | $75 for 50 min |
| Largest published plan | $1,725 for 500 min | $2,100 for 300 calls | $6,899 for 5,000 min | $999 for 1,000 min |
| Effective rate | $5.00 to $3.45 a minute | $10 to $7 a call | $1.98 to $1.38 a minute | $1.50 to $0.995 a minute |
| Cost of 200 minutes | About $700 to $1,000 | Depends on call count | About $300 to $400 | $219 (Business, 220 min) |
Ruby
Ruby is a premium live receptionist service. Its published plans run from $250 for 50 minutes to $1,725 for 500 minutes, $5.00 down to $3.45 per included minute, with optional AI enhancements on every plan. It suits businesses that want a polished front-desk experience and expect fewer calls.
Smith.ai
Smith.ai sells both AI receptionists and live human agents. Live-agent plans are priced per call: $300 for 30 calls to $2,100 for 300 calls, or $10 down to $7 a call. Per-call pricing works well when calls are long, such as detailed intake. It gets expensive when you get lots of short calls.
PATLive
PATLive publishes per-minute plans from $99 for 50 minutes ($1.98 a minute) to $6,899 for 5,000 minutes ($1.38 a minute). It’s the closest of the three to a traditional answering service on price.
CallNET
CallNET is a family-owned answering service in Wilmington, North Carolina, since 1987. Plans run from $75 for 50 minutes to $999 for 1,000 minutes, billed every 28 days. Our Business plan includes 220 minutes for $219, or $0.995 a minute. There is a one-time $50 setup fee and a refundable deposit. Every call is answered by a trained person in the United States. We don’t use AI to answer calls. See all plans.
How to compare them fairly
- Convert to the same unit. Divide plan price by included minutes. For per-call plans, multiply your monthly call count by the per-call rate.
- Count bills per year. A monthly plan bills 12 times a year. A plan billed every 28 days, like ours, bills 13 times. Multiply by the right number when you compare annual cost.
- Check overage. The rate for minutes beyond your plan is often higher than the included rate.
- Ask what’s extra. Setup, holidays, transfers, appointment booking, Spanish and encrypted messaging are priced differently by each provider.
- Decide how you feel about AI. If you want a person on every call, ask each provider in writing whether AI ever answers or screens your callers.
Which one fits
- Fewest, highest-value calls and a polished experience: Ruby.
- Long intake calls, or you want AI and people on one bill: Smith.ai.
- A large published per-minute plan: PATLive.
- Live US people on every call at the lowest per-minute price of the four: CallNET.
Still deciding between people and software? Read answering service vs. AI receptionist and our 2026 answering service price comparison.
Questions people ask
Which is cheaper, Ruby or Smith.ai?
It depends on your calls. Ruby charges $3.45 to $5.00 per included minute; Smith.ai charges $7 to $10 per call on live-agent plans (published prices, November 7, 2026). Short, frequent calls tend to favor per-minute plans; long, infrequent calls favor per-call plans.
Is PATLive cheaper than Ruby?
Yes, per minute. PATLive’s published plans run $1.38 to $1.98 per included minute, against Ruby’s $3.45 to $5.00 (November 7, 2026).
Do Ruby and Smith.ai use AI?
Smith.ai sells AI receptionists alongside live agents. Ruby offers optional AI enhancements on all plans. Ask any provider in writing whether AI answers or screens your calls.
Does CallNET use AI to answer calls?
No. Every call is answered live by a trained representative in the United States.
What is the cheapest of Ruby, Smith.ai, PATLive and CallNET?
CallNET’s Business plan, $219 for 220 minutes every 28 days ($0.995 a minute), is the lowest published rate per included minute of the four (November 7, 2026).