// handled vs the field
Public prices. Public receipts.
Every row below is cited to the competitor's own site or a regulator. No cherry-picked reviews, no invented differentiators. If a value isn't public, it's marked so.
| Feature | Handled AI voice · single operator | Air AI Franchise reseller model FTC action | Ruby Human receptionists | Smith.ai Human + AI hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $249/mo (Starter) | $25,000+ franchise fee | $399+/mo | $285+/mo |
| Model | AI voice on Vapi · cloned voice or preset · bilingual EN/ES | AI voice · franchise/reseller | Human agents · US-based | Human agents + AI intake |
| Time to live | 48 hours | Not disclosed | Business days | 1–3 business days |
| Refund policy | 30-day money-back on Starter and Pro | No published refund policy | 21-day money-back | 14-day trial |
| Compliance posture | FCC + CA AB 2905 + NY GBL § 396-b disclosure on every call | FTC action filed March 2026 | Standard TCPA / call recording disclosures | Standard TCPA / call recording disclosures |
| Contract | Month-to-month, no franchise | Franchise agreement | Month-to-month | Month-to-month |
| Who it's for | Service businesses replacing a $2,900+/mo human line | Sold via franchise packages | SMBs wanting a human voice | Law firms + solo pros |
// sources · pull it up yourself
- Handled price
- handled.build/pricing · compliance ↗
- Air AI price
- Reported franchise packages, 2025–2026 · compliance ↗
- Ruby price
- ruby.com public pricing 2026
- Smith.ai price
- smith.ai public pricing 2026
// why handled
Handled is not a franchise, not a resold voice, not a call center billing you per minute of a human's day. It's an AI voice receptionist tuned by one operator on his own barbershop's real book. Public price. Public compliance. Public refund policy. 30 days to try it or get your money back on Starter and Pro.