Wakeman vs Ruby
An AI built for the trades, or a person on every call: price, emergencies and Jobber, side by side.
Comparison · Specialty Answering Service
Specialty Answering Service vs Wakeman: live operators by the second, or an AI built for the trades
Wakeman is an AI receptionist built only for home-service trades. Specialty Answering Service is a 24/7 live answering service billed by the second or by the call. Plans start at $44 a month, with a 14-day free trial and no card.
- Facts from each company’s own pages
- Checked November 2, 2026
At a glance
| Wakeman | Specialty Answering Service | |
|---|---|---|
| Who answers | An AI, which says so up front | Live operators, 24 hours a day |
| Plans | From $49 a month, 100 minutes | From $44 a month; 100 minutes $159 |
| Dangerous calls | Safety steps, then it tries your on-call phone | Not described on its pricing pages |
| How you start | Free for 14 days or 500 minutes | Free for 14 days, no card |
The full table, and where each fact comes from, is below.
Side by side
| Wakeman | Specialty Answering Service | |
|---|---|---|
| Who answers | An AI, which says so at the start of every call | Live operators, 24 hours a day |
| Plans | Starter $49 (100 min) · Pro $149 (500 min) · Max $399 (1,500 min). Every plan answers day and night; any plan can be set to answer only while you are closed. | By the minute: Economy $44 · 100 min $159 · 220 min $269 · 500 min $649 · 1,000 min $1,199, up to 10,000 min for $10,599 a month. By the call: from $39 a month |
| What is counted | Minutes: each call is rounded up to the next whole minute | The whole call, billed by the second, including hold, transfer and after-call work; or each call, text, email or fax on per-call plans |
| Over your allowance | $0.45 / $0.35 / $0.29 a minute by plan, published, with a monthly spending limit you set | $1.09–$1.54 a minute by plan; $1.09–$1.19 a call |
| Urgent calls | Gas, carbon monoxide, a downed power line, fire or smoke, a medical emergency, a child or pet locked in a car, water near electrics, a structural collapse, major flooding and sewage inside: safety steps, then Wakeman tries your on-call phone during the call. No heat, no cooling or a leak that can’t wait is urgent and texted at once. A safety net, not 911 | Not described on its pricing pages |
| A person when needed | Puts the caller through to your own people: your on-call phone, then the owner’s if nobody picks up. It does this on a dangerous call, a complaint or an angry caller, or when someone asks for a person twice. The AI answers every call; there’s no call center | A person answers every call |
| Software it connects to | Jobber, built in on Pro and Max. Housecall Pro is not generally available yet | Not named on its pricing pages |
| Languages | English | Not published on its pricing pages |
| Built for | Home-service trades only: plumbing, HVAC, electrical, roofing, restoration and their neighbours | Many industries; it has a page for HVAC companies |
| Contract | No setup fee, no minimum term, cancel in the billing portal | Month to month, cancel any time; no setup fees |
| How you start | Free for 14 days or 500 minutes, whichever comes first. You pick a plan at sign-up; nothing is charged until the trial ends, and you can change the plan or cancel before then | Free for 14 days with no credit card |
Where these facts come from · checked November 2, 2026
Checked November 2, 2026. Prices and policies change; the links are the authority, not this page.
- Specialty Answering Service pricing — plans, overage, billing by the second, trial, contract
- Specialty Answering Service rates — per-call plans, what is counted
Which one you need
Choose Wakeman if
- You run a 2–15 truck plumbing, HVAC or electrical shop and want a receptionist built only for the trades.
- A gas smell or water near electrics at 2am should get safety steps written in advance, while Wakeman tries your on-call phone during the call.
- You want the price on the page and a free trial before you pay: 14 days or 500 minutes, $0 today.
- You’re happy for an AI to answer, as long as it says so and puts the caller through to your own on-call phone when they need a person.
Choose Specialty Answering Service if
- Every caller must reach a person, whatever the call. Wakeman is an AI; Specialty Answering Service is live operators.
- Your business isn’t a home-service trade. Wakeman is built only for the trades.
Common questions
Comparing more than two? Every option for contractors, on one page.
How much does Specialty Answering Service cost compared with Wakeman?
Its per-minute plans are $44 a month (Economy), $159 for 100 minutes, $269 for 220 and $649 for 500, up to $10,599 for 10,000, with extra minutes at $1.09–$1.54, billed by the second; per-call plans start at $39 a month (checked November 2, 2026). Wakeman’s plans are Starter $49, Pro $149, Max $399 a month with minutes included, free for 14 days or 500 minutes, with nothing charged until the trial ends.
Does Specialty Answering Service have a free trial?
Yes. Its pricing page offers 14 days free with no credit card; its FAQ also mentions a 200-minute limit. Wakeman is free for 14 days or 500 minutes, with nothing charged until the trial ends.
More comparisons
Wakeman vs AnswerConnect
A 24/7 live answering service priced by quote, next to an AI receptionist for the trades with its price on the page.
Best AI receptionists for contractors
Every option for contractors on one page, with prices from each vendor’s own page.
Somebody’s always awake.
Try it on your own phone tonight. About ten minutes, and $0 today.
Hear it answer