Ruby Receptionists alternative for contractors: Ringback vs Ruby Receptionists
Checked October 9, 2026 on Ruby Receptionists's own site. Prices change, so follow the sources before you buy.
Ruby is a live virtual receptionist service: real people answer your calls 24/7. Ringback is not; it sends a text from your own number to callers you miss. Here is how the two compare for a contractor, and when Ruby is the better buy.
| Ringback | Ruby Receptionists | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $17/month (or $170/year), flat per business | $250/month for 50 receptionist minutes, $395 for 100, $720 for 200, $1,725 for 500 |
| Setup fee | $0 | $0 (no activation, onboarding or setup fees, per Ruby) |
| Trial / terms | 7-day free trial | Not listed on the pricing page |
| Your phone number | Keeps your number as is: an app on the Android phone your business line already rings on sends the text from that number. No forwarding, porting or new number. (With an iPhone: the Mac helper, beta, texts from your iPhone's own number through a Mac that stays on; or unanswered calls are forwarded to a spare Android and the text comes from that phone's number.) | Flexible call forwarding to Ruby, or Ruby can host your local or toll-free number; you can call and text from your business number. |
| Also includes | Online booking page with confirmations and day-before reminders, lead inbox with replies from the dashboard, business-hours and after-hours messages, automatic STOP/START handling. | Live answering 24/7 including nights, weekends and holidays; bilingual answering, scheduling, payment collection, lead intake, voicemail transcription and an app for messages; website chat is priced separately. |
Where Ruby Receptionists is better
- Real people answer your calls live, around the clock.
- Bilingual answering, payment collection and intake scripts.
- Works with any phone, because calls are forwarded to Ruby.
Where Ringback is better
- $17 a month flat. Ruby's smallest plan is $250 a month for 50 receptionist minutes.
- Not metered: no minutes to run out of in a busy month.
- No forwarding: the text goes out from your own number on the phone your business line already rings on.
- Includes an online booking page with reminders.
The catch with Ringback
Ringback runs on an Android phone that your business number rings on (iPhones cannot send texts automatically). With an iPhone and a Mac that stays on, the Ringback Mac helper (beta) texts from your iPhone's own number. Otherwise, if your calls ring only on a desk phone or an iPhone, forward unanswered calls to a spare Android phone running Ringback (see the iPhone guide); texts then come from that phone's number, not your main number. Or choose a tool that works through call forwarding.
Questions
Is Ringback a cheaper Ruby?
Not exactly. Ruby's receptionists answer your calls live; Ringback texts back the calls you miss, for $17 a month. If callers need a person on the phone, Ruby is the better fit; if they mostly need a fast reply and a way to book, text-back costs far less.
How much is Ruby Receptionists?
Per Ruby's pricing page on October 9, 2026: $250 a month for 50 minutes, $395 for 100, $720 for 200 and $1,725 for 500, with no activation, onboarding or setup fees.
Sources: ruby.com/pricing/