An alternative to Ruby for booking jobs while you work.
Published by Penny · Updated · Sources and corrections
A roof-leak inquiry needs the location of the water and an inspection time. Penny collects those details and books under your rules. Ruby offers live receptionists with scheduling too; compare their approach, included minutes, and total cost below.
14 days of Pro included. No credit card.
The useful question is what happens to your customer’s request. Can the receptionist collect the details your team needs, book an allowed appointment, and reach you when the call needs a person? Ruby and Penny both offer more than message-taking.
Penny’s trade reference gives her a starting point. A roofing caller can describe where the leak appears and when it started; Penny records those observations and follows your inspection and quoting rules. Your team decides what work is needed.
Human receptionists and AI answering, each with a minute allowance.
Ruby’s published plans begin at $250/mo · 50 min and $395/mo · 100 min, checked 2026-09-07. Its price page lists scheduling and 24/7 coverage across the receptionist plans. Ask Ruby for the overage rate in the quote you receive.
Penny starts at $29/month billed annually or $35 month to month, with 100 included minutes. Google Calendar and Outlook booking are included from Starter. Extra minutes cost $0.29 on that plan.
Penny’s lower starting subscription makes her worth a trial. Add extra-minute charges to both services at your usual talk time and busiest month before choosing.
Compare what your subscription buys.
Ruby’s figures and listed features come from its linked price page. Penny’s annual and monthly billing options are labeled separately.
| Penny (AI) | Ruby (live receptionists) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who answers | AI receptionist with your trade and business instructions | Live receptionists |
| Entry plan | $29/mo billed annually or $35 monthly; 100 min | $250/mo · 50 min |
| Next plan | $99/mo billed annually or $119 monthly; 375 min | $395/mo · 100 min |
| Extra usage | $0.24–$0.29/minute beyond the allowance, depending on plan | Ask Ruby for the plan’s rate |
| 24/7 | Every phone plan; no after-hours surcharge | Included across receptionist plans |
| Appointment scheduling | Google Calendar or Outlook booking from Starter | Included as an available feature across receptionist plans |
| English and Spanish | Every phone plan; follows language changes during a call | Bilingual call handling available |
| Setup fee | None; 14-day Pro trial without a card | No activation, onboarding, or setup fee listed |
| Your call rules | Trade reference plus website information, appointment rules, and quoting limits | Personalized call handling and intake |
Ruby pricing, $250/mo · 50 min to $395/mo · 100 min, from Ruby plans and pricing, as of 2026-09-07. Penny: the free plan is website chat, 100 conversations a month, and phone plans run $29–$249/mo billed annually, with included minutes and $0.24–$0.29/minute overage (see the full cost breakdown). Providers change pricing without notice; spot a stale number and we will fix it.
What to test before choosing Penny.
A burst of calls uses more minutes with either service. Add the expected overage to each subscription and include the features your office needs. This gives you a budget tied to your call records.
Try a roof-leak request that needs an inspection before a quote. Penny should record the location and reported damage, follow your safety rules, and leave the scope and price for your team to confirm.
Ask for a permitted visit, then open the calendar. Confirm the time, time zone, address, and appointment type. Both services offer scheduling; the test is whether the setup fits your business.
Penny offers a single transfer destination on Starter, with warm transfers and on-call rotation on Pro and higher. Let the destination go unanswered once and check the message and notification your team receives.
See what Penny does between the first ring and the summary email on the AI answering service page, compare every option on the compare hub, or read what she costs in the answering service cost guide.
Choose Ruby when a human receptionist is part of the service you want.
A live receptionist may be the right choice for callers who need an extended conversation with a person. Ruby also lists payment collection, so include that requirement if your front desk needs it.
Penny suits routine inbound calls you want handled by AI, with permitted appointments booked while you work. Check the trade intake, calendar, and handoff during the trial, then choose a plan using your monthly minutes.
Call Penny and try it
The live demo uses Summit Heating, a fictional HVAC business. Listen to her intake here; test your own trade’s rules in your Penny account. The industry transcripts are scripted examples.
(630) 297-4128- Ask the shared HVAC demo for an appointment and listen for confirmation.
- Describe a no-cool call and hear which details Penny records.
- Use your own trial account for roofing, plumbing, and other trade-specific tests.
Free website chat. Phone answering from $29 a month.
Every paid plan comes with trade knowledge, your intake questions, and calendar booking. Bigger plans add minutes, on-call dispatch, integrations, texting, and reporting.
Billed annually, ~17% less than month to month.
100 phone minutes a month · $348 billed annually
- Everything in Free
- Live talk time on the phone, counted per second. Screened spam never counts, and the clock stops when a person picks up a transfer.100 phone minutes a monthLive talk time on the phone, counted per second. Screened spam never counts, and the clock stops when a person picks up a transfer.
- The flat per-minute rate for talk time past your plan. No per-call fee and no rounding up.$0.29/min after thatThe flat per-minute rate for talk time past your plan. No per-call fee and no rounding up.
- The chat widget on your site with no conversation cap and no “answered by Penny” mark.Unlimited website chat without the Penny markThe chat widget on your site with no conversation cap and no “answered by Penny” mark.
- Penny checks open slots and your booking rules before adding an appointment to Google Calendar or Outlook during a call or chat.Calendar booking in Google or Outlook, on phone and chatPenny checks open slots and your booking rules before adding an appointment to Google Calendar or Outlook during a call or chat.
- Edit your trade’s emergency rules in plain English. Penny attempts a transfer to the number you choose and follows your fallback if nobody answers.Your trade’s emergency rules and a transfer numberEdit your trade’s emergency rules in plain English. Penny attempts a transfer to the number you choose and follows your fallback if nobody answers.
- Review call details and available transcripts, then send supported call, lead, and appointment data through Zapier or signed webhooks.Call log with transcripts; Zapier and webhooksReview call details and available transcripts, then send supported call, lead, and appointment data through Zapier or signed webhooks.
375 phone minutes a month · $1,188 billed annually
- Everything in Starter
- Live talk time on the phone, counted per second. Screened spam never counts, and the clock stops when a person picks up a transfer.375 phone minutes a monthLive talk time on the phone, counted per second. Screened spam never counts, and the clock stops when a person picks up a transfer.
- The flat per-minute rate for talk time past your plan. No per-call fee and no rounding up.$0.27/min after thatThe flat per-minute rate for talk time past your plan. No per-call fee and no rounding up.
- Set who is on call by day and hour. Penny attempts the transfer and tells the receiving person who is calling after they answer. Your fallback rules apply if nobody picks up.On-call schedule and dispatch; warm transferSet who is on call by day and hour. Penny attempts the transfer and tells the receiving person who is calling after they answer. Your fallback rules apply if nobody picks up.
- Send intake records to Jobber, Housecall Pro, or ServiceTitan for your office to review and schedule. HubSpot and Salesforce connect through Zapier or signed webhooks.Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, HubSpot, SalesforceSend intake records to Jobber, Housecall Pro, or ServiceTitan for your office to review and schedule. HubSpot and Salesforce connect through Zapier or signed webhooks.
- Callers get a text confirming the booking, a missed call gets a text back, and a caller can text a photo of the problem for the ticket.Text confirmations, missed-call text-back, photo-by-textCallers get a text confirming the booking, a missed call gets a text back, and a caller can text a photo of the problem for the ticket.
- Several numbers or locations under one account, each with its own greeting, hours, and routing, plus call flows written for how your office works.Multiple numbers and locations; custom workflowsSeveral numbers or locations under one account, each with its own greeting, hours, and routing, plus call flows written for how your office works.
1050 phone minutes a month · $2,988 billed annually
- Everything in Pro
- Live talk time on the phone, counted per second. Screened spam never counts, and the clock stops when a person picks up a transfer.1050 phone minutes a monthLive talk time on the phone, counted per second. Screened spam never counts, and the clock stops when a person picks up a transfer.
- The flat per-minute rate for talk time past your plan. No per-call fee and no rounding up.$0.24/min after thatThe flat per-minute rate for talk time past your plan. No per-call fee and no rounding up.
- Call volume, outcomes, leads, and bookings over time, with a read API and export for your own reporting.Analytics and reporting; API and exportCall volume, outcomes, leads, and bookings over time, with a read API and export for your own reporting.
- Transcripts that keep protected health information to a minimum, retention controls you set, and a BAA on request.Compliance mode (PHI-minimized, retention, BAA)Transcripts that keep protected health information to a minimum, retention controls you set, and a BAA on request.
- Front-of-the-line support and a guided setup session that tunes Penny to how your office runs.Priority support and guided setupFront-of-the-line support and a guided setup session that tunes Penny to how your office runs.
14 days of Pro included. No credit card.
Chat on your website. 100 conversations a month.
- One visitor session counts as one conversation, however long it runs. The count resets every month.100 chat conversations a monthOne visitor session counts as one conversation, however long it runs. The count resets every month.
- The free widget carries a small “answered by Penny” mark. Starter removes it.A small “answered by Penny” mark on the widgetThe free widget carries a small “answered by Penny” mark. Starter removes it.
- A visitor asks for a time, Penny takes the request, and you confirm it from the email. Live booking onto your calendar begins on Starter.Appointment requests you confirmA visitor asks for a time, Penny takes the request, and you confirm it from the email. Live booking onto your calendar begins on Starter.
- Penny notices the caller’s or visitor’s language and switches, mid-conversation if needed, at no extra charge.English and SpanishPenny notices the caller’s or visitor’s language and switches, mid-conversation if needed, at no extra charge.
- Penny reads your site for services, hours, and service area, and starts with a working reference on your line of work.Answers from your website and your trade’s knowledgePenny reads your site for services, hours, and service area, and starts with a working reference on your line of work.
- The details each visitor shares, their question, and the outcome, in your inbox as the conversation ends.Lead capture, with an email after every conversationThe details each visitor shares, their question, and the outcome, in your inbox as the conversation ends.
Phone answering, live booking, and call transfers begin on Starter.
Try Penny freeFrom $3,000 a year, with custom volume and a named account team.
- Everything in Business
- Minutes sized to your call volume, on a contract you negotiate with the account team.Custom phone volumeMinutes sized to your call volume, on a contract you negotiate with the account team.
- The flat per-minute rate for talk time past your plan. No per-call fee and no rounding up.$0.21/min after that, the lowest rateThe flat per-minute rate for talk time past your plan. No per-call fee and no rounding up.
- Chat on your site with no conversation cap and no mark.Unlimited website chatChat on your site with no conversation cap and no mark.
- A named team that knows your setup, with contractual response times.A dedicated account team and SLAsA named team that knows your setup, with contractual response times.
- Connectors built for your systems and a hands-on onboarding for your team.Custom integrations and onboardingConnectors built for your systems and a hands-on onboarding for your team.
Billed annually on a custom contract.
Talk to usNo setup fee. Keep your number and cancel from billing. Enterprise uses a custom annual contract.
What to check before leaving Ruby.
Compare the calls as well as the bill. Start with Penny’s shared HVAC demo.
Penny is an option if you want AI handling routine calls and booking appointments with your business rules. If a live person must answer every call, compare human receptionist services. The cost guide shows the billing models and published plan prices.
Penny on the calls your trade gets.
Penny asks whether the furnace starts and quits or never starts at all, then puts the caller’s answer on the service ticket.
Penny records the property, unit, and access instructions together, so the maintenance coordinator can act on the request.
A slow-drain request includes which fixture is affected and whether other drains are backing up, so your plumber can prepare for the visit.
Browse every trade on the industries pages.
Give Penny a call before you forward yours.
Try the HVAC demo, then set up Penny for your business. Your account includes 14 days of Pro; Free keeps your website chat after the trial.
14 days of Pro included. No credit card.