Answering service comparison
Four ways to get your phone answered, priced from each company's public pricing page on November 9, 2026. Rosie is the cheapest AI per minute and speaks Spanish. Smith.ai sells both AI and live receptionists. Ruby is staffed by people and bills by the minute. Aplos is a managed AI front desk for one location, set up and monitored by us, starting with 14 days free. Each one is the right answer for someone.
Aplos AI · Atlanta, Georgia · last checked 2026-11-09
The short version
Entry plans as listed on each company's own pricing page. We copied the numbers, not the marketing. If a page did not state something, the table says so.
| Rosie | Smith.ai (AI) | Smith.ai (human) | Ruby (human) | Aplos | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who answers | AI | AI, with transfer to a live North America-based receptionist | Live receptionists | Live receptionists | AI, with transfer to your own on-call number |
| Entry price | $49/month | $0 (Free, 25 calls) | $300/month | $250/month | $199/month + $349 launch |
| What the entry price includes | 250 minutes | 25 calls, then $3.00 a call | 30 calls, then $11.50 a call | 50 receptionist minutes | 300 inbound AI minutes, 250 text segments |
| Next tiers | $149 (1,000 min), $299 (2,000 min) | Pro $150 (75 calls), $270 (150), $500 (300); Enterprise from $500 | $810 (90 calls), $2,100 (300 calls) | $395 (100 min), $720 (200 min), $1,725 (500 min) | Revenue Desk $399/month + $699 launch |
| Billing unit | Minutes | Calls | Calls | Minutes | Minutes, fixed allowance |
| Over the allowance | Not stated on the page | $2.17 to $3.00 a call, by plan | $8.50 to $11.50 a call, by plan | Not stated on the page | Approved fallback takes over; extra usage agreed first, no automatic overage bill |
| Books appointments | Scale plan and up | AI scheduling listed on all plans, including Free | Add-on, $1.50 a call | Not compared here | Revenue Desk only, after a tested booking connection |
| Spanish | English and Spanish on every call | Not stated on the page | Dedicated Spanish line add-on, $1.00 a call | Not compared here | No. English only today |
| Setup fee | Not stated; 7-day free trial | Not stated | No setup fees | No setup or onboarding fees | $349 launch, charged on day 15 after 14 days free; cancel before then and pay nothing |
| Contract | Monthly or annual (2 months free) | Not compared here | Month to month; 10% off for 12 months; 30-day money-back guarantee up to $1,000 | Not compared here | Month to month |
All competitor figures are from the public pages listed at the bottom of this page, checked November 9, 2026. Prices change. Check the source before you buy. "Not compared here" means we did not find it stated on the pricing page and did not want to guess.
Fair picks
We sell one of these, so read this part with that in mind. We tried to be fair anyway.
If you want an AI answering your phone this week for as little as possible, and you are happy to set it up yourself, Rosie's $49 plan with 250 minutes is hard to beat on price. It also handles Spanish on every call, which we do not.
Smith.ai has a free AI tier with 25 calls a month and a path to a live receptionist when the AI gets stuck. If you want AI with humans behind it from one vendor, that is a real advantage.
Live receptionists from $300 a month for 30 calls. Per-call billing is easy to predict if your calls run long. Add-ons cover booking, Spanish and intake.
Live receptionists from $250 a month for 50 minutes. If your callers expect a person every time, or your calls are short, a staffed service is the honest recommendation.
We write the rules with you, test your real call types before launch, and monitor after. Safety and urgent calls run on fixed rules before the AI is asked anything. One location, one number, $199 a month.
We are new. One paying client so far, for a website and lead dashboard, not phone answering. No managed-plan customers yet and no reviews. English only. Front Desk does not book appointments on its own.
Worked example
An estimate, not a quote. We assumed 100 calls a month averaging 3 minutes each, so 300 minutes, and no add-ons.
| Option | Plan that fits | Estimated monthly cost | How we got it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosie | Scale (1,000 minutes) | $149 | 300 minutes is over Professional's 250. The page does not state overage terms, so we used the next plan. |
| Smith.ai AI | Pro, 150 calls | $270 | Listed price for the 150-call tier. |
| Smith.ai human | Basic (90 calls) + 10 extra | $915 | $810 plus 10 calls at $10.50. |
| Ruby | 500 minutes | $1,725 | 300 minutes is over the 200-minute plan. Overage terms are not on the page, so we used the next plan. |
| Aplos | Front Desk | $199 (+ $349 launch once) | 300 inbound AI minutes are included. At the allowance the approved fallback takes over. |
Your mix will differ. Long calls favor per-call billing. Many short calls favor per-minute billing. Spam handling, transfers and add-ons change the math, and each vendor treats them differently.
What the table cannot show
Call our line at (470) 971-3769 and try to trip it up. Then call the others. That will tell you more than this page.
Sources, checked November 9, 2026
Questions
On list price for an AI, Rosie's Professional plan at $49 a month for 250 minutes, as of November 9, 2026. Smith.ai's AI has a free tier with 25 calls a month. For live people, Ruby starts at $250 a month for 50 minutes and Smith.ai at $300 a month for 30 calls.
Usually, yes, on list price. Front Desk is $199 a month plus a $349 launch fee for 300 AI minutes. Human services we checked start at $250 to $300 a month for 50 minutes or 30 calls. A person is still the better pick when callers need one every time.
You might not. Pay more only if you want the setup, testing and monitoring done for you, fixed safety rules before the AI, and 14 days free before any fee. If you would rather set it up yourself, Rosie is cheaper.
No. We have no reviews and no managed-plan customers yet. That is why we publish our test approach instead of testimonials.
No. Nobody paid for placement and we have no affiliate links. Prices come from each company's public pricing page.
Next step
Book a free 30-minute call. We look at how your calls come in today and send you a written automation plan for free, whether or not you buy. Or call our AI first at (470) 971-3769. It will tell you it is an AI.