How does Ruby pricing work and how does it compare to MPG Solutions?

Ruby uses per-minute billing in flat monthly tiers: $245 USD for 50 minutes, $385 for 100 minutes, $705 for 200 minutes, and $1,695 for 500 minutes. Overage rates are not published on the plans page. MPG Solutions uses flat Canadian pricing at $297-$397 per month with no per-minute or per-call surcharges, plus a one-time setup fee. For low-volume businesses (under 100 minutes/month) Ruby is roughly comparable; for any business with meaningful call volume MPG's flat model is significantly cheaper and more predictable.

What does MPG Solutions do better than Ruby?

Three things. Canadian-built with PIPEDA-aware data handling and bilingual English-French support — Ruby publishes neither. Flat predictable pricing with no per-minute meter, which suits trades and service businesses with bursty after-hours volume. 24/7 coverage at the same price — Ruby's after-hours coverage costs more, and AI-only coverage scales without staff cost.

When should I choose a human receptionist over AI?

When the cost of a confused caller outweighs the cost of a human. Examples: a personal-injury law intake where every caller is in distress and the consultation fee makes one bad call worth $5,000+; a high-touch concierge or wealth-management practice; a clinical practice handling sensitive disclosures. For volume-driven service trades — plumbing, HVAC, salons, dental booking — AI handles the structured part of the call as well as a human and at a fraction of the cost.

Alternatives · Ruby Receptionists

Ruby Receptionists vs MPG Solutions: human-first vs AI-first for service businesses

Q: Is Ruby Receptionists available in Canada?

Ruby accepts Canadian customers and can route Canadian phone numbers. As of 2026 Ruby does not publicly claim PIPEDA compliance, Canadian data residency, or French language support on its plans page. Its agents are based in Portland, Oregon and Kansas City, Missouri. Canadian customers who need French call handling or Canadian data residency should ask Ruby directly before signing.

Q: Are Ruby's receptionists real humans?

Yes. Ruby is human-only — there is no AI receptionist option. Calls are answered by Ruby's North America-based team. This is Ruby's signature differentiator: every caller speaks to a real person. MPG Solutions is the opposite — AI-first, with structured fallback to voicemail or escalation when needed. The choice between them is a fundamental choice of philosophy, not just price.

Q: What does Ruby do better than MPG Solutions?

Three things. First, the warmth and judgment of a real human on every call — no AI yet matches a great receptionist on rapport, recovery from confusion, or reading emotional context. Second, 20+ years of brand and operational maturity, which means low onboarding risk and strong reviews. Third, integrations with HubSpot, Salesforce, and Clio with depth that's hard for newer vendors to match.

By Zephan Amponsah, founder of MPG Solutions · Last updated May 12, 2026 · 7 min read

TL;DR. Ruby Receptionists is a human-only service starting at $245 USD/month for 50 minutes, scaling to $1,695/month for 500 minutes. Twenty years in market, US agents only, no AI. MPG Solutions is Canadian AI-first at flat $297-$397/month with no per-minute meter, PIPEDA-aware, bilingual EN/FR. Pick Ruby if every call must hit a real human and per-minute math works for you. Pick MPG if you want flat pricing, Canadian compliance, and 24/7 coverage at the same cost.

Who is Ruby Receptionists

Ruby is one of the original virtual receptionist services. Founded in 2003 in Portland, Oregon, Ruby now operates from Portland and Kansas City with hundreds of US-based agents handling calls and chats for thousands of small and mid-size businesses. Ruby is the brand for "real humans answer your phone." There is no AI receptionist option.

Ruby's strengths: 20+ years of operational depth, a strong reputation in legal and professional services, mature CRM integrations (HubSpot, Salesforce, Clio), and the genuine warmth that a human receptionist brings to every call. Its limitations from a Canadian perspective: it's US-headquartered, US-staffed, and does not publicly advertise PIPEDA compliance, Canadian data residency, or French support. Per-minute billing also makes it expensive for businesses with high call volume.

Who is MPG Solutions

MPG Solutions is a Canadian AI-first receptionist service built specifically for service businesses — plumbing, HVAC, electrical, dental, salons, and similar verticals. Founded in 2026 and based in Edmonton, Alberta. MPG uses flat monthly pricing ($297-$397 CAD), one-time setup, PIPEDA-aware data handling, and bilingual English-French call handling.

MPG is much newer than Ruby and that's worth being honest about. Ruby has 20 years of reviews and customer history. MPG has founding-member clients and a focus on managed setup with direct founder access. The trade-off is real: Ruby has proof, MPG has Canadian fit and AI-economics.

Pricing compared (2026)

Ruby's plans page (verified 2026-05-12):

50 minutes/month: $245 USD ($4.90/min)
100 minutes/month: $385 USD ($3.85/min)
200 minutes/month: $705 USD ($3.53/min)
500 minutes/month: $1,695 USD ($3.39/min)
Overage rate: not published on the plans page — ask Ruby directly before signing.

MPG Solutions:

$297 CAD/month flat (founding-member tier) or $397 CAD/month flat (standard) — no per-minute, no per-call.
$500 setup fee founding-member; $2,000 setup fee standard.
24/7 coverage included at all tiers.

Worked example: a busy HVAC shop running ~300 minutes/month of after-hours calls. On Ruby's 500-minute plan that's $1,695 USD/month (~$2,300 CAD). On MPG's standard plan that's $397 CAD/month, plus the one-time setup. The MPG plan is roughly 80% cheaper at this volume — but you're getting AI, not a human.

Human vs AI: the real trade-off

This is the heart of the comparison. Most other dimensions are downstream of this one decision.

What humans do better. Read emotional context. Recover from confusion. Improvise outside the script. Build rapport in 90 seconds. Match warmth to the caller's mood. For practices where every caller is in distress (personal-injury law, mental health intake, urgent medical) or where consultation fees are high enough that one bad call costs $5,000, a human is worth it.

What AI does better. Show up at 2 a.m. with no fatigue. Handle 20 simultaneous callers without queuing. Cost the same per call whether you have 30 or 3,000. Speak the same script every time without drift. For volume-heavy service trades — plumbing dispatch, HVAC triage, salon booking, dental confirmations — AI handles the structured 80% of calls as well as a human, and the price difference is enormous.

Modern AI receptionists are not the IVR phone trees of 2010. They're conversational, they confirm details, they handle interruptions. They're not yet at human-warmth parity. They probably never will be, and that's fine — they're solving a different problem.

Compliance and data residency

Ruby is US-based and US-staffed. Its plans page makes no public claim about PIPEDA compliance, Canadian data residency, or French language support. Calls are presumably handled in US-based systems under US law. For most Canadian small businesses that's an acceptable risk; for healthcare practices, law firms with Quebec offices, or businesses subject to Alberta PIPA or BC PIPA, it's a question worth asking directly.

MPG Solutions is Canadian-built. Data handling is designed around PIPEDA from the start, and we publish our privacy policy plainly. French-language call handling is in-scope for Canadian clients who need it. None of this is automatic differentiation — every Canadian business should still verify what data goes where — but it's a much shorter conversation when the vendor is set up for Canada from day one.

Setup and onboarding

Ruby: self-serve onboarding, configure call flows in their dashboard, integrate with your CRM. Most clients are live within a few business days. Strong documentation and a mature support team.

MPG Solutions: managed setup. A 15-minute discovery call, we build your AI receptionist from your inputs, run test calls together, port or forward your number. Most setups go live in 1-2 days. The trade-off is less DIY control upfront, more done-for-you and direct founder access.

Integrations

Ruby integrates natively with HubSpot, Salesforce, Clio (legal), and offers Zapier for everything else. Its CRM integrations are deep and have been refined for years.

MPG offers Google Calendar, calendar-create webhooks, SMS handoff, and Zapier-based integration for most CRMs. Native two-way ServiceTitan or Housecall Pro sync is available on request and worth demoing the exact flow before signing.

3 honest reasons to choose Ruby

You want a real human on every call, no exceptions. Ruby is the original brand for this and they're very good at it.
You're in a high-touch professional services category — personal-injury law, wealth management, premium concierge — where one warm conversation is worth thousands of dollars.
You value 20+ years of brand maturity. Ruby has a deep review base, established CRM integrations, and a track record that makes vendor risk near-zero.

3 honest reasons to choose MPG Solutions

You're a Canadian service business and PIPEDA, French, or data residency matters. Ruby publishes none of these.
Your call volume is high enough that per-minute math hurts. At 200+ minutes/month the flat MPG price is dramatically cheaper.
You want 24/7 coverage at the same price. AI doesn't sleep. Human after-hours coverage is more expensive on Ruby — AI coverage scales without staff cost.

Verdict by buyer type

Personal-injury or family law in the US: Ruby. Human warmth on first contact is worth the per-minute price.
Plumbing, HVAC, electrical in Canada: MPG Solutions. AI handles dispatch triage well, flat pricing fits surge volume, PIPEDA is a real concern.
Dental, medical, or therapy practice in Canada: MPG. AI is good at booking and confirmations; PIPEDA is non-negotiable.
Bilingual EN/FR Quebec or Ottawa business: MPG. Ruby publishes neither French nor PIPEDA.
US small law firm wanting strong CRM integration: Ruby. Mature Clio integration is hard to beat.
Solo operator under 50 minutes/month who tries it once a quarter: Ruby's smallest plan or MPG's founding-member tier are both fine. Try the one whose vibe fits your practice.

Thinking about an AI receptionist for your Canadian service business?

MPG Solutions is taking founding-member clients at discounted pricing. 15-minute discovery call, managed setup, flat monthly.

Join the founding-member waitlist →

Frequently asked questions

Is Ruby Receptionists available in Canada?

Yes, Ruby accepts Canadian customers, but its plans page makes no PIPEDA, Canadian data residency, or French language claim. Agents are based in Portland and Kansas City. Ask directly before signing if these matter.

How does Ruby pricing work?

Per-minute, in flat monthly tiers: $245/$385/$705/$1,695 USD for 50/100/200/500 minutes per month. Overages are not published on the plans page.

Are Ruby's receptionists real humans?

Yes, every call is answered by a real US-based human. Ruby does not offer an AI receptionist.

What does Ruby do better than MPG Solutions?

Real human warmth on every call, 20+ years of brand and operational maturity, deeper native CRM integrations (HubSpot, Salesforce, Clio).

What does MPG do better than Ruby?

Canadian-built PIPEDA-aware data handling, bilingual EN/FR, flat monthly pricing with no meter, and 24/7 coverage at the same price.

When should I choose human over AI?

When the cost of a confused caller is high — personal-injury law, urgent medical, premium concierge. For volume-driven service trades, AI handles the structured part of the call as well as a human at a fraction of the cost.