Best AI Receptionist for Florida Contractors: Marblism, Smith.ai and Ruby Compared
If you run a roofing, plumbing, HVAC, electrical or other trade business in Florida, the phone rings while you're on a job. Here is what three receptionist services say they do and charge, taken only from their own websites.
Try Marblism Disclosure: Igor Ganapolsky is a Marblism partner and earns a referral commission if you sign up through this link. It doesn't change the price you pay.| Marblism (Rachel) | Smith.ai AI Receptionist | Ruby | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who answers | AI (source Disclosure: Igor Ganapolsky is a Marblism partner and may earn a referral commission.) | AI first, can transfer to a live North America-based receptionist (source) | Live human receptionists; optional AI enhancements (source) |
| Price | $24/mo billed yearly, or $44/mo billed monthly (source Disclosure: Igor Ganapolsky is a Marblism partner and may earn a referral commission., as of Oct 12, 2026). Includes 50 monthly hours of AI work shared across all 7 of Marblism's AI employees. | Free: $0/mo for 25 calls, then $3.00 per call (source, as of Oct 12, 2026) Pro: $150/mo for 75 calls ($2.00 per call), extra calls $2.50 each (source, as of Oct 12, 2026) Enterprise: $500/mo for 300 calls ($1.67 per call) (source, as of Oct 12, 2026) | $250/mo for 50 minutes, $395/mo for 100 minutes, $720/mo for 200 minutes, $1,725/mo for 500 minutes (source, as of Oct 12, 2026) |
| How you're billed | Flat plan; Marblism's pricing page doesn't say how many calls the 50 hours cover (source Disclosure: Igor Ganapolsky is a Marblism partner and may earn a referral commission.) | Per call (source) | Per receptionist minute (source) |
| 24/7 answering | Yes (source Disclosure: Igor Ganapolsky is a Marblism partner and may earn a referral commission.) | Yes (source) | Yes, including after hours, weekends and holidays (source) |
| Booking | Google or Outlook calendar (source Disclosure: Igor Ganapolsky is a Marblism partner and may earn a referral commission.) | AI scheduling (Calendly and more) (source) | Scheduling (source) |
| Urgent calls | Transfers to your cell or office line and texts you the caller's details (source Disclosure: Igor Ganapolsky is a Marblism partner and may earn a referral commission.) | Call routing; transfer to a live agent (source) | Flexible call forwarding (source) |
| Spanish | Detects the caller's language, including Spanish (source Disclosure: Igor Ganapolsky is a Marblism partner and may earn a referral commission.) | Not stated on the pricing page | 24/7 Spanish and bilingual call handling available (source) |
| Contract | Cancel anytime (source Disclosure: Igor Ganapolsky is a Marblism partner and may earn a referral commission.) | Month to month, 30 days' notice to cancel (source) | Not stated on the pricing page |
| Free trial or tier | Not stated on the pricing page | Free plan with 25 calls a month (source) | Not stated on the pricing page |
Where each one wins
- Smith.ai wins if you want a human backup: its AI can hand a hard call to a live receptionist, and you can try it on the free plan before paying (source).
- Ruby wins if you want every call answered by a live person, with Spanish and bilingual answering, and no setup or onboarding fees (source).
- Marblism wins on flat price: the plan includes Rachel plus six other AI employees for email, social media, lead generation and more (source Disclosure: Igor Ganapolsky is a Marblism partner and may earn a referral commission.). The trade-off is that it's AI only, with no human receptionist backup listed.
What to check before you pick one
- Call it yourself after hours and ask about an emergency job. Does it book you, or transfer the call?
- Ask how urgent calls reach you, and test the transfer to your cell.
- If your customers speak Spanish, test a call in Spanish.
- Florida law generally requires all parties' consent to record a call (Fla. Stat. § 934.03), so ask how the service tells callers they're being recorded.
See it live, free
Join the free webinar Fewer Missed Calls, Faster Follow-Up: AI Workers in Practice on Thursday, Oct 22, 2026, 1:00–2:00 PM ET.
Frequently asked questions
Which of these services uses live people?
Ruby uses live human receptionists (source). Smith.ai's AI Receptionist answers first and can transfer to a live receptionist (source). Marblism's Rachel is an AI receptionist (source Disclosure: Igor Ganapolsky is a Marblism partner and may earn a referral commission.).
Which one has a free option?
Smith.ai lists a free plan with 25 calls a month (source). The Marblism and Ruby pricing pages don't list a free plan.
Can these services book jobs on my calendar?
Marblism says Rachel books into Google or Outlook calendars (source Disclosure: Igor Ganapolsky is a Marblism partner and may earn a referral commission.). Smith.ai lists AI scheduling with Calendly and more (source). Ruby lists scheduling (source).
See Marblism's AI receptionist Disclosure: Igor Ganapolsky is a Marblism partner and earns a referral commission if you sign up through this link. It doesn't change the price you pay.