Ruby vs Smith.ai:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Smith.ai had more branded searches than Ruby among virtual receptionist services worldwide. Smith.ai had about 5,400 branded searches, while Ruby had 2,030. Smith.ai made up 32.5% of all virtual receptionist service searches we track, and Ruby accounted for 12.2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about virtual receptionist services, Ruby and Smith.ai each appeared in four of the five answers. Smith.ai was mentioned before Ruby in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Smith.ai, about 3 searches for every 1 for Ruby
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 4 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Smith.ai, named ahead of Ruby in every answer
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Top virtual receptionist services in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Ruby and Smith.ai were each mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Smith.ai was listed before Ruby in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Smith.ai1st
Ruby2nd
Abby Connect3rd
AnswerConnect4th
PATLive5th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- AnswerConnect4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Smith.ai4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Ruby4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Abby Connect4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- PATLive1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about virtual receptionist services
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which virtual receptionist service should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best virtual receptionist services?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best virtual receptionist service for answering business calls?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“virtual receptionist services”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“call answering service”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Ruby or Smith.ai more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Ruby and Smith.ai by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all five virtual receptionist services we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Smith.ai, Ruby. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | AnswerConnect | Smith.ai | Ruby | Abby Connect | PATLive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 30.3% | 37.1% | 14.3% | 7.3% | 11% |
| Nov 2025 | 29.2% | 43.8% | 12.9% | 5.4% | 8.7% |
| Dec 2025 | 28.8% | 43.2% | 14.1% | 5.3% | 8.5% |
| Jan 2026 | 30.5% | 37.4% | 15.1% | 6% | 11.1% |
| Feb 2026 | 32% | 39.3% | 14.6% | 6.3% | 7.8% |
| Mar 2026 | 30.3% | 37.2% | 19.1% | 7.4% | 6% |
| Apr 2026 | 33.4% | 33.4% | 18.5% | 6.6% | 8.1% |
| May 2026 | 30.9% | 37.8% | 16.5% | 7.4% | 7.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 32.9% | 40.2% | 13% | 7.9% | 6.1% |
| Jul 2026 | 32.3% | 39.5% | 12.7% | 7.8% | 7.8% |
| Aug 2026 | 31.7% | 38.8% | 12.5% | 9.4% | 7.6% |
| Sep 2026 | 39.7% | 32.5% | 12.2% | 9.6% | 6% |
How has the Ruby and Smith.ai comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Smith.ai was ahead of Ruby in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ruby’s share of searches among virtual receptionist services worldwide moved from 14.3% to 12.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 3.1K to 2K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Smith.ai’s share of searches among virtual receptionist services worldwide moved from 37.1% to 32.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 8.1K to 5.4K.
How did search popularity change for virtual receptionist services worldwide in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, AnswerConnect overtook Smith.ai to become the leader among virtual receptionist services worldwide, with 39.7% of the searches.
In September 2026, Smith.ai lost share of searches among virtual receptionist services worldwide, from 38.8% to 32.5%.
Ruby’s share of searches among virtual receptionist services worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 13% to 12.2% in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Ruby’s and Smith.ai’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among virtual receptionist services
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