Smith.ai vs. Ruby: Virtual Receptionist Comparison 2025 for Law Firms

Your law firm’s phone rings after hours. A potential client is on the line, nervous and in need of help. If no one answers, they’ll move on to the next firm. That single missed call could mean thousands in lost revenue. This is where answering services for lawyers step in. 

The legal receptionist market is growing at a 9.8% annual rate, reaching $9 billion by 2033. When it comes to virtual receptionist comparison, two names stand out: Ruby and Smith.ai. Ruby has been the trusted market leader for years, serving over 14,000 customers who rely on its polished, human-only receptionists. Smith.ai, on the other hand, is trusted by 4000+ businesses. It offers an AI receptionist vs human receptionist hybrid model that’s both affordable and innovative for law firms. 

So, if you’re searching for the best legal answering service, the real question becomes: will your firm stick with the established leader, or embrace the fast-moving AI-enhanced alternative?

Smith.ai 24/7 AI Receptionists & Live Human Agents

Smith.ai provides human-powered virtual receptionists, AI receptionists, outreach campaigns, and AI-powered web chat services to various industries, including law firms. It offers perfect lead qualification, client intake, appointment scheduling & payment collection. Smith.ai uses sophisticated AI techniques to route calls, record and transcribe calls, map caller history, search zip code locations, and increase the efficiency of our receptionists to boost customer service. We integrate with almost every major calendaring software and most CRMs and integration tools such as Zapier & Make, and Open APIs. Their starter plan costs $292.50/month for 30 calls for virtual receptionists and $97.50/month for 30 calls for AI receptionists. Smith.ai offers live-staffed chat solutions with a starting plan that includes 20 chats for $140.

Ruby Virtual Receptionist & Live Chat Solution

Ruby is a service that provides human-powered virtual receptionist support for small businesses. This solution offers live phone answering, call transfers, scheduling, payment processing, new client intake, and lead capture around the clock. In addition, it offers live website chatting to interact with and convert website visitors. This solution is used by various industries such as legal, home service, health services, financial services, and business services. It captures 1.6M+ leads per year, and 1.1M+ conversations are handled every month. It integrates with Zapier, myCase, and Rocket Matter. Ruby’s starter plan is $245/month for 50 minutes for a virtual receptionist and $135 for up to 10 chats.

Smith.ai vs Ruby Features Comparison

The following table outlines a detailed virtual receptionist comparison of Smith.ai vs Ruby.

1. AI Receptionist vs Human Receptionist

Smith.ai

Time and accuracy matter for an answering service for lawyers. It offers AI receptionist and human-powered virtual receptionist services. Smith.ai uses AI to screen calls, filter out spam, and capture key client details instantly. Simple questions like office hours or directions are answered on the spot. When a potential client needs deeper intake, a live receptionist steps in seamlessly. This balance of automation and empathy saves firms money while keeping interactions professional. In the AI receptionist vs human receptionist debate, Smith.ai shows how both can work together.

Ruby

Ruby takes the opposite approach in the AI vs human answering service. Every call is answered by a live, U.S.-based receptionist. For law firms that deal with sensitive issues like personal injury, family law, or criminal defense, this personal touch can build trust quickly. Ruby’s strength lies in delivering consistent, human-first service where tone, empathy, and conversation flow matter most. 

2. Live Chat Services

Smith.ai

Smith.ai's live chat vs virtual receptionist for law firms revolutionizes customer engagement with AI+human hybrid technology, starting at just $140/month for 20 chats. Unlike competitors, Smith.ai offers free spam filtering, ensuring you only pay for relevant business conversations. The AI chatbot ingests your website data to provide accurate, business-specific responses while human agents handle complex inquiries. It delivers the best virtual receptionist service for law firms seeking modern and cost-effective live chat solutions.

Ruby

Ruby's live chat service provides 100% human agents with plans starting at $140/month for 10 chats. Ruby's chat agents handle website lead capture, custom chat box design, and appointment scheduling. 

3. Smith.ai vs Ruby Pricing Comparison: Per-Call vs Per-Minute

Smith.ai:

Smith.ai uses a different approach. Instead of fixed bundles, they follow a per-chat or per-call pricing model. This makes costs flexible and volume-based.

AI Receptionist

Smith.ai’s AI receptionist plans are designed for automated call handling with human backup when needed for law firms.

• Starter Plan: 30 calls for $97.50/month. Extra calls cost $4.25 each.
• Basic Plan: 90 calls for $270/month. Overage is $4.00 per call.
• Pro Plan: 300 calls for $825/month. Overage drops to $3.75 per call.
• Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing. It is built for high-volume needs.

Virtual Receptionist Pricing

Smith.ai also offers the best virtual receptionist services with live agents. This pricing option is more expensive but offers a human-first experience. It is better suited for law firms that want personal interaction on every call.

• Starter Plan: 30 calls for $292.50/month, includes 1 free transfer destination. Overage is $11 per call.
• Basic Plan: 90 calls for $787.50/month, includes 2 free transfer destinations. Overage is $10 per call.
• Pro Plan: 300 calls for $2,025/month, includes 10 free transfer destinations. Overage is $8 per call.

Web Chat

Smith.ai’s web chat plans help capture leads directly from your site. Each chat plan includes custom programming hours and 1 free CRM integration. This makes it easy to connect website chat directly with your systems. 

• À la carte: Pay-as-you-go at $10 per chat.
• Starter Plan: 20 live chats for $140/month. Overage is $7 per chat.
• Basic Plan: 50 live chats for $300/month. Overage is $6 per chat.
• Pro Plan: 120 live chats for $600/month. Overage is $5 per chat.

Ruby:

Ruby follows a flat monthly subscription model. Every Ruby plan includes live, U.S.-based receptionists. Calls are answered by real people only. Firms pay for bundled talk time, with overages billed per minute. Each pricing plan is based on talk time minutes.

Virtual Receptionist Pricing

• Starter Plan: $245/month for 50 minutes per month. It is designed for very small firms with low call volume.
• Grow Plan: $385/month for 100 minutes per month. It can be used when more minutes are needed for busier firms that need steady call coverage.
• Elevate Plan: $705/month for 200 minutes per month. A larger package suited for small-to mid-size law firms.
• Pro Plan: $1,695/month for 500 minutes per month. It is built for high-volume businesses needing full receptionist support.

Live Chat

• 10 Chats per Month – $140/month. It is best for startups testing live chat for the first time. It works well for firms with light website traffic and low chat volume.
• 30 Chats per Month – $330/month. It is designed for solo practices and one-person businesses. It is a good fit for law firms that want consistent lead capture without overpaying for unused chats.
• 50 Chats per Month – $510/month. A strong option for small businesses and growing law firms. It offers the best balance of volume and cost efficiency.

4.  Integrations

In the Smith.ai vs Ruby features comparison, CRM integration virtual receptionist superiority favors Smith.ai, making it the best legal answering service for technology-forward legal practices.

Smith.ai 

Smith.ai integrates with essential legal software, including Clio, Lawmatics, CASEpeer, Assembly Neos, Lawcus, and MyCase. Each integration automatically creates contacts, updates case files, and syncs appointment scheduling directly into your practice management system. The Law Ruler integration exemplifies Smith.ai's answering service for lawyers. It automatically logs all calls with detailed summaries, lead qualification scores, and next-step recommendations. Meanwhile, the Lawmatics partnership enables Smith.ai receptionists to complete intake forms during calls, instantly populating your CRM with qualified prospects.

Ruby

Ruby's Clio integration automatically syncs call messages and voicemails to Clio Manage, allowing attorneys to associate communications with specific matters and contacts. The MyCase partnership enables similar basic message syncing and appointment scheduling functionality. However, this restrictive approach forces law firms to abandon their existing technology stack or manually handle integration gaps through expensive Zapier workarounds.

5. Language Support

Smith.ai and Ruby, virtual receptionist comparison, provide bilingual answering services for lawyers in English and Spanish, but their approaches differ in the AI receptionist vs human receptionist model.

Smith.ai

Smith.ai, AI with human receptionists, delivers fast and reliable bilingual support. Calls are automatically detected and switched between English and Spanish in real time, without pauses or transfers. Every conversation is handled within minutes, supported by call recording and transcription in both languages. With 24/7 coverage and no hidden fees, it offers the best virtual receptionist for law firms.

Ruby 

Ruby provides a 100% human bilingual answering service for lawyers fluent in English and Spanish, available around the clock. They manage calls personally, schedule appointments, transfer calls, and relay messages in English to law firms. While Ruby ensures a warm human touch, Spanish-speaking callers may experience short holds when being transferred to a bilingual agent. This approach suits firms that prioritize personal interaction, though it lacks the instant language detection of AI-powered solutions.

5. Lead Management & Intake

The best virtual receptionist services for law firms depend on more than answering calls. According to Speakeasy Marketing, the average solo attorney or small law firm gains around 4.73 clients per month from their website.

Smith.ai

Smith.ai uses an AI-powered system that qualifies leads with precision, achieving up to 50% conversion rates for law firms. Their virtual receptionists handle full intake with unlimited custom questions, conflict checks, and bilingual support, while AI filters spam and captures urgent details. Seamless integrations with Clio, Lawmatics, CASEpeer, and other platforms ensure data flows instantly into case management.

Ruby

Ruby relies on 100% human receptionists trained in legal intake. They capture lead details, schedule appointments, and sync with Clio, MyCase, and Rocket Matter through limited integrations. Their service includes outbound calling Monday-Friday, 6 am-5 pm PT for appointment confirmations and follow-ups.

6. Law Firm Size

Smith.ai

Smith.ai adapts to law firms of every size with AI-powered efficiency. Solo practitioners benefit from affordable plans starting at $97.50/month, custom intake scripts for practice areas like personal injury or criminal defense, and built-in conflict checking. Medium firms gain advanced CRM integrations with Clio and Lawmatics, department-specific routing, and lead scoring to focus on high-value cases. For large firms, Smith.ai offers enterprise-grade scalability, unlimited call handling, multi-location support, and custom API integrations.

Ruby

Ruby’s model is best suited for small to mid-sized law firms that prioritize human-only interaction. Larger firms may find Ruby restrictive, with no enterprise-level features, limited routing for multiple attorneys, and only standard reporting. 

7. Compliance & Security Features

In the debate over AI vs human answering service, compliance and data security are critical factors. 

Smith.ai

Smith.ai delivers enterprise-grade protection for law firms handling sensitive data. It is fully HIPAA compliant, with encrypted data transmission, secure server storage, and BAAs available for covered entities. For global practices, it also maintains GDPR compliance, ensuring data subject rights and lawful processing documentation. To safeguard attorney-client privilege, staff sign confidentiality agreements, access is role-based, and all transmissions are encrypted with audit trails in place. On top of that, it holds SOC 2 Type II certification, conducts regular audits, and enforces multi-factor authentication. This makes it one of the most secure AI receptionist answering services for lawyers.

Ruby

Ruby provides standard confidentiality protocols but offers limited transparency about its compliance infrastructure. While it claims HIPAA compliance, there is little public documentation of technical safeguards or BAAs. Attorney-client confidentiality is protected through basic agreements and privacy practices, but advanced security features like audit trails or SOC 2 certification are not mentioned. Ruby follows general industry practices, but without third-party certifications or detailed security disclosures.

Which Answering Service for Lawyers Fits Your Law Firm?

The best virtual receptionist service alternatives depend on your budget, law firm size, call volumes, and integration needs. 

Choose Smith.ai If You:

✅ Want predictable per-call pricing without surprise bills

✅ Need extensive CRM/software integrations (5,000+ options)

✅ Prefer AI efficiency with human backup for complex legal intake calls

✅ Want included spam filtering at no extra cost

✅ Need affordable live chat services (79% cheaper)

✅ Want a quick 15-minute setup with immediate results

✅ Need outbound calling campaigns for client follow-ups or lead generation

Choose Ruby If You:

✅ Prefer 100% human interaction with no AI involvement

✅ Want the lowest starting price for basic service

✅ Have very low call volume, where per-minute works better

✅ Value 20+ years of experience and established reputation

✅ Prefer traditional business approach over technology

✅ Need minimal integrations 

✅ Don't mind per-minute billing surprises from long intake calls

Conclusion

Smith.ai and Ruby, virtual receptionist comparison, offer strong solutions for law firms seeking a reliable answering service for lawyers. Ruby provides the reassurance of a 100% human receptionist model, while Smith.ai delivers innovation with its AI-human hybrid approach. Each has clear strengths: Ruby in personal touch and brand recognition, while Smith.ai in affordability and technology.

But if you are looking for the best legal answering service for lawyers, there’s another option worth considering: LegalClerk.ai. Unlike general answering services, we offer AI-powered legal intake, 24/7 availability, seamless integrations with Clio, MyCase, and LawPay, and predictable flat-rate pricing of $400/month. 

Before committing to Ruby or Smith.ai, book a free demo with Legal Clerk and see how it transforms client communication, intake, and scheduling for your practice.

FAQs

Which is better Smith.ai or Ruby?

Smith.ai and Ruby are both excellent virtual reception services. Smith.ai is known for its advanced AI integration and lead management, making it a good option for law firms that require effective follow-up. Ruby is preferred for its human-focused approach, making it ideal for law firms seeking a personal touch in customer interactions.

How much does Smith.ai cost vs Ruby?

The value of Smith.AI is based on a dead model, while Ruby is per minute. Smith.Ai's starting plan is $ 285/month for 30 calls, average $9.50 per call, except for spam and sales calls from invoicing. Ruby's starting plan is $245/month for 50 minutes.

What's the difference between AI and human receptionists?

AI receptionists give lawyers 24/7 coverage, fast call handling, and lower costs. Human receptionists offer empathy, trust, and personal interaction. Many law firms choose a hybrid model for the best balance.

What is the best legal answering service for lawyers in 2025?

The best legal answering service for lawyers in 2025 is LegalClerk.ai. It is built exclusively for law firms, offering 24/7 AI-powered reception, legal-specific intake, and seamless integrations with tools like Clio, MyCase, and LawPay.

‍