If you're asking "how much does Ruby answering service cost," Ruby's public virtual receptionist plans list $250/mo for 50 receptionist minutes, $395/mo for 100, $720/mo for 200, and $1,725/mo for 500. OnCrew starts at $49/mo for contractor-trained AI answering with 100 included calls.
Ruby answering service cost in 2026 starts at $250 per month for 50 receptionist minutes on Ruby's public virtual receptionist pricing page. Ruby also lists $395 per month for 100 minutes, $720 per month for 200 minutes, and $1,725 per month for 500 minutes, per ruby.com/plans-and-pricing, checked October 2, 2026. OnCrew, the contractor-specific AI alternative, starts at $49 per month for 100 included calls, $149 for 400, and $349 for 1,000, with $0.99 per-call overage.
Ruby answering service costs $250 per month for the 50-minute public virtual receptionist plan, $395 for 100 minutes, $720 for 200 minutes, and $1,725 for 500 minutes. That is live-human receptionist time, not an included-call pool. OnCrew costs $49 per month for 100 included AI calls, $149 for 400, and $349 for 1,000. Use your average call length to compare Ruby's minute plans against OnCrew's call-based plans.
Ruby publishes the monthly rate for each minute bundle but does not print a per-minute rate for minute 51 on the plans page, so the number that decides a busy month is the one you have to ask for. Live chat on its own is $143 a month for 10 chats, $335 for 30 and $520 for 50; added to a receptionist plan it is $115, $268 and $416.
Billed per receptionist minute
| Plan | Included | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 50 minutes | 50 minutes | $250/mo |
| 100 minutes | 100 minutes | $395/mo |
| 200 minutes | 200 minutes | $720/mo |
| 500 minutes | 500 minutes | $1,725/mo |
Read from ruby.com/plans-and-pricing on October 2, 2026. Check it before you sign anything: vendors change plans and this page is a snapshot.
Billed per answered call
| Plan | Included | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | 100 calls | $49/mo |
| Pro | 400 calls | $149/mo |
| Multi-Truck | 1,000 calls | $349/mo |
A call is a call whether it lasts 40 seconds or 6 minutes, and 2am costs the same as 2pm. OnCrew is young: a handful of contractors pay for it today, so treat this as a small company that publishes its numbers rather than a large one.
| Feature | OnCrew | Ruby |
|---|---|---|
| Starting public planruby.com/plans-and-pricing, checked October 2, 2026 | $49/mo · 100 included AI calls | $250/mo · 50 receptionist minutes |
| Mid-volume public planruby.com/plans-and-pricing, checked October 2, 2026 | $149/mo · 400 included AI calls (Pro) | $720/mo · 200 receptionist minutes |
| Large public planruby.com/plans-and-pricing, checked October 2, 2026 | $349/mo · 1,000 included AI calls | $1,725/mo · 500 receptionist minutes |
| Billing unit | Included calls, then $0.99/call overage | Receptionist minutes per month |
| AI or human | AI (Retell voice engine) | Live humans |
| Trade-specific intake | Yes | No |
| Emergency triage workflow | Yes | Scripted live intake |
| Configured team handoff | Yes | Transfers, messages, and scheduling |
| 24/7 availability | Yes | Yes |
| Live human warm transfer | No live operators. With live transfer on, Sarah can connect callers to your own team | Yes |
| Texts to the caller | SMS Follow-Ups setting, on for new accounts: one confirmation after a call and one text-back after a silent hang-up, from OnCrew's texting number; no text conversation | Not verified |
| Spanish-speaking callersruby.com/plans-and-pricing, checked October 3, 2026 | English, plus Spanish (Latin American) you switch on in your dashboard at no extra charge; summaries stay in English | 24/7 Spanish and bilingual call handling available |
| Setup time | Under 48 hours | Not verified |
| Holiday / after-hours coverage | No surcharge in OnCrew plans | Public page says included with no hidden coverage fees |
| Annual published price at mid tier($720 − $149) × 12 = $6,852 published-price delta | $1,788/yr (OnCrew Pro) | $8,640/yr (Ruby 200-minute plan) |
Rows with no Ruby value are terms we have not verified. Check ruby.com/plans-and-pricing, or ask Ruby for them in writing, before you compare.
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Ruby is one of the best human-receptionist services in the country. We say that up-front because pretending otherwise wouldn't help you choose well. The real question for a contractor isn't "is Ruby good?"; it's "does Ruby answer calls the way your callers actually behave at 2 AM with a burst pipe or a no-heat call." This section walks through the honest comparison.
Ruby wins on (a) warmth and rapport because a live human is still a live human, (b) outbound calling on the receptionist's behalf, (c) brand polish that suits concierge and luxury service businesses, and (d) a mature live-receptionist integration catalog. OnCrew wins on (a) trade-specific intake trained on HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing patterns, (b) configured on-call team handoffs, (c) parallel AI answering during call spikes, and (d) lower published monthly pricing with included calls instead of receptionist-minute pools. Both can support transcripts, appointment booking, 24/7 coverage, and custom intake.
Choose Ruby if any of these apply: (1) warmth on every call is non-negotiable for your brand (luxury home services, concierge maintenance, white-glove remodel), (2) your call volume is low enough that the premium pricing doesn't accumulate, (3) you do not run an emergency-dispatch business model at all (think high-end design-build, where calls are appointment-only), or (4) you specifically need outbound calling on the receptionist's behalf. For a contractor with real emergency-call volume and a working-class margin profile, OnCrew is the stronger fit. We're giving you both sides because that's how you actually choose well.
Ruby's public 2026 virtual receptionist pricing is $250 per month for 50 receptionist minutes, $395 per month for 100 minutes, $720 per month for 200 minutes, and $1,725 per month for 500 minutes (source: ruby.com/plans-and-pricing, checked October 2, 2026). OnCrew is $49/month for 100 included AI calls (Starter), $149/month for 400 calls (Pro), and $349/month for 1,000 calls (Multi-Truck), with $0.99/call overage. The units are not one-to-one: Ruby sells live receptionist minutes, while OnCrew sells contractor AI call handling. Still, the published monthly gap is clear: Ruby's 200-minute plan is $720 per month versus OnCrew Pro at $149/month, a $6,852 annual published-price difference before you factor in call-length mix.
(1) Sign up for the OnCrew 14-day free trial at oncrew.ai (no credit card required to start). (2) Add conditional forwarding on your existing carrier; start with after-hours only if you want to keep Ruby for daytime calls during the cutover. (3) Configure your trade intake, after-hours rate, and emergency policy in the OnCrew dashboard. (4) Connect Google Calendar (one-click OAuth) and, if you run Housecall Pro on its MAX plan, connect it from Integrations in the OnCrew dashboard; for Jobber or ServiceTitan, connect the webhook export yourself with Zapier or our team sets it up with you. (5) Run both services in parallel for 2-3 days, compare recordings, then cancel Ruby once you're confident. Total elapsed time for most contractors: under 48 hours. Ruby is month-to-month so there's no contract to break.
Ruby's public virtual receptionist plans list $250/mo for 50 receptionist minutes, $395/mo for 100, $720/mo for 200, and $1,725/mo for 500 (ruby.com/plans-and-pricing, checked October 2, 2026). Contractors should map those minutes against real call length before buying.
Ruby's team is polished and human. OnCrew is configured around contractor call patterns such as no-heat, burst pipe, sparking panel, roof leak, active leak, routine estimate, and after-hours handoff rules.
Long after-hours calls consume receptionist minutes quickly. OnCrew prices around included AI calls instead, so a detailed emergency intake does not turn into a longer live-receptionist minute count.
Ruby's public plans are based on receptionist minutes. OnCrew's public plans are based on included AI calls, so compare using your real call length and volume.
Entry public plan
$201/mo apart
Start Starter trial100-minute Ruby plan
$246/mo apart
Start Pro trial200-minute Ruby plan
$571/mo apart
Start Pro trial500-minute Ruby plan
$1,376/mo apart
Start Multi-Truck trialRuby pricing source: public virtual receptionist plans at ruby.com/plans-and-pricing, checked October 2, 2026. Ruby units are receptionist minutes; OnCrew units are included AI calls. Validate final quotes, overage terms, and workflow fit before switching.
Ruby answering service cost depends on receptionist minutes. Ruby's public virtual receptionist plans list $250 per month for 50 receptionist minutes, $395 per month for 100 minutes, $720 per month for 200 minutes, and $1,725 per month for 500 minutes (ruby.com/plans-and-pricing, checked October 2, 2026). OnCrew starts at $49 per month for 100 included contractor AI calls, then $149 for 400 and $349 for 1,000.
Usually, yes for contractor call-answering volume. Ruby's published entry virtual receptionist plan is $250 per month for 50 receptionist minutes, while OnCrew Starter is $49/month for 100 included contractor AI calls. The units are different, so compare with your average call length, but the public monthly price difference is large.
OnCrew matches many core call-handling needs for contractors: 24/7 pickup, transcripts, appointment booking, custom intake, and team handoff. Ruby is still stronger when a polished live human voice is the top brand requirement. OnCrew is stronger when the buyer needs lower monthly cost, parallel AI call handling, trade-specific intake, and configured emergency handoff logic.
Ruby receptionists can follow a custom script, take messages, schedule, and transfer calls. OnCrew is configured specifically for contractor intake patterns such as no-heat, burst pipe, sparking panel, active leak, roof leak, and routine estimate calls, then sends the configured handoff to the on-call team.
For many home-service contractors, yes. Ruby provides excellent live receptionists, but its public plans are priced by receptionist minutes. OnCrew is priced around included AI calls and contractor workflows. If warm human rapport is more important than cost and trade-specific automation, Ruby can be the better fit. If missed calls, after-hours intake, and margin matter more, OnCrew is usually the better fit.
Ruby's public virtual receptionist plans list $250 per month for 50 receptionist minutes, $395 per month for 100 minutes, $720 per month for 200 minutes, and $1,725 per month for 500 minutes (ruby.com/plans-and-pricing, checked October 2, 2026). OnCrew is $49/month for 100 included AI calls, $149/month for 400, and $349/month for 1,000, with $0.99 per-call overage.
Ruby's public pricing page says 24/7 live answering includes after-hours, weekends, and holidays, and says there are no hidden fees for activation, onboarding, setup, customization, or coverage during certain periods. The main cost driver is the receptionist-minute plan size, so long calls and higher call volume can require a larger monthly plan.
Ruby advertises live receptionist call handling, scheduling, intake, transfer, outbound assistance, and integrations. It does not position the public virtual receptionist plan as a contractor-specific emergency triage and technician-dispatch automation system. If dispatch automation matters, test that workflow directly before choosing any provider.
Choose Ruby if a warm live human voice is non-negotiable, your buyers expect concierge-style reception, you need outbound receptionist assistance, or you want a mature live-human front-office brand experience. Choose OnCrew if you want contractor-specific intake, lower published monthly pricing, and included-call AI coverage for emergency and after-hours workflows.
Most contractors can test OnCrew in under 48 hours. Start a 14-day free trial, set conditional forwarding from your existing line, configure the trade intake and emergency policy, connect Google Calendar (and Housecall Pro from Integrations in the OnCrew dashboard if you run it on its MAX plan; Jobber and ServiceTitan go through the webhook export, which you connect yourself with Zapier or our team sets up with you), and compare test-call transcripts before moving traffic.
Ruby has a mature integration catalog for live receptionist workflows. OnCrew connects to Housecall Pro from Integrations in the OnCrew dashboard on a Housecall Pro MAX plan, so every real call lands there with the call summary, callback number and service address, plus Google Calendar appointment handoff. Jobber, ServiceTitan and other tools get every real call through a webhook export that carries the same call record to Zapier, Make or a custom endpoint, which you connect yourself with Zapier or our team sets up with you. QuickBooks is not integrated. We do not claim parity with Ruby's catalog; use the demo to verify the exact connector you need before switching.
No. OnCrew's published pricing is the same for after-hours, weekend, and holiday calls: $49/month for 100 included calls, $149 for 400, and $349 for 1,000, with $0.99 per call over the included quota. Ruby also says coverage during certain periods does not carry hidden fees, but Ruby plans are built around receptionist minutes rather than included AI calls.
OnCrew uses the Retell AI voice engine with low latency and natural cadence. Ruby's live human receptionists may still feel warmer for high-touch brands. The practical trade-off is cost and workflow: Ruby sells live receptionist minutes, while OnCrew sells contractor-trained AI call handling with configured intake and handoffs.
Ruby Receptionist pricing in 2026 publicly lists four virtual receptionist plan examples: $250 per month for 50 receptionist minutes, $395 per month for 100 minutes, $720 per month for 200 minutes, and $1,725 per month for 500 minutes (ruby.com/plans-and-pricing, checked October 2, 2026). Larger plans are available through sales.
For a small business, Ruby answering service cost starts at $250 per month for 50 receptionist minutes on the public virtual receptionist pricing page. The 100-minute plan is $395 per month and the 200-minute plan is $720 per month. Actual fit depends on how many calls you get and how long those calls last.
Yes. OnCrew is a contractor-specific alternative to Ruby Receptionists with published plans at $49/month for 100 included AI calls, $149/month for 400, and $349/month for 1,000. It is built for HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, and similar contractor intake rather than general live reception.
Ruby is a premium live-receptionist provider. Its public virtual receptionist plans run $250 to $1,725 per month depending on receptionist minutes. Some live answering services price by minutes too; AI answering services often price by included calls or usage. Contractors should compare plan unit, call length, overage terms, 24/7 coverage, intake quality, and handoff workflow, not just the headline monthly price.
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Abe
Founder, OnCrew · Los Angeles, CA
“I built OnCrew after watching my brother’s plumbing crew miss two urgent jobs in one night because their answering service kept callers on hold. Setting up your line takes about 10 minutes on your own. If you get stuck, reply to any OnCrew email and I’ll walk you through it. I won’t hand you off to a sales rep, and I read every refund request myself.”
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