How much does an AI receptionist cost in Canada?

An AI receptionist for a Canadian small business usually costs somewhere between $50 and $300 a month to run, plus a one-time setup. The monthly cost depends mostly on how many calls you get and how long they last. The setup depends on how much it needs to know about your business and which tools it has to connect to, such as your calendar or booking system.

This guide explains where the money goes, how it compares with a person or an answering service, and how to work out whether it pays for itself. Prices change often, so treat the numbers below as a guide from late 2026 and check current rates before you sign anything.

What does an AI receptionist actually do?

An AI receptionist answers your business phone with a natural voice, at any hour. It answers common questions about your services, prices, hours and service area, books appointments into your calendar, and sends you a summary of every call. When a caller needs a person, it transfers the call or texts you their details.

That is different from a voicemail or an answering service, which take a message for you to return later. We compare the two in detail in AI receptionist or answering service.

What does it cost each month?

The monthly cost is mainly the phone line and the call minutes. Ready-made AI receptionist products sold in Canada mostly fall between about $50 and $300 a month for a small business, and some charge per call or per minute instead of a flat fee.

Watch for the extras. Some plans charge more for calendar booking, text messages, call transfers or a second language. Others limit how many minutes are included and charge for each minute above that. Ask for the total for a typical month, not just the starting price.

What does the setup cost?

Some products can be switched on yourself in an afternoon. You type in your business details, choose a voice and forward your number. That works well for simple businesses with predictable questions.

A custom setup costs more up front because someone writes the instructions properly and connects your tools. That usually covers:

• Your services, prices, service area and the questions customers ask, written in your words.
• Rules for which calls must always come to you, such as emergencies or unhappy customers.
• A connection to your real calendar or booking system, so it only offers times you are free.
• Texts back for missed calls, confirmations and reminders.
• Testing with real example calls before it goes live.

At Hexio Labs, projects start from $500 CAD, and the setup gets a fixed price in writing after a free call. The monthly running costs are listed separately, so you know both numbers before anything starts.

How does it compare with a person or an answering service?

Here is a rough comparison for a small business in BC.

The receptionist figure comes from Job Bank's median wage for receptionists in British Columbia. Answering service and AI prices come from published Canadian plans and vary a lot between providers.

A person is still the right choice for some calls: upset customers, complicated quotes and anything sensitive. Many businesses use both, with the AI answering routine and after-hours calls and a person handling the rest.

Does it pay for itself?

Work it out from the calls you miss today. A simple way:

1. Count how many calls you miss in a typical week. Your phone's call log shows this.
2. Estimate how many of those were new customers rather than spam or existing clients.
3. Multiply by how often a new caller usually becomes a paying job, and by what an average job is worth.

For example, a trades business that misses 10 calls a week, where 4 are new customers and 1 in 4 of those would have booked a $600 job, is losing about one job a week. That is roughly $2,400 a month in missed work against a running cost of a few hundred dollars. Most callers who reach voicemail simply call the next business, which we explain in missed calls are costing you jobs.

If you rarely miss calls, or your calls are mostly complex conversations, an AI receptionist may not be worth it yet. A text back for missed calls might be all you need.

Questions to ask before you choose one

• What will a normal month cost in total? Include minutes, texts, bookings and transfers.
• Can it book into my actual calendar? If not, you will still be returning calls.
• What happens when it does not know the answer? It should hand over, not guess.
• Can I keep my phone number? You should be able to forward your existing number.
• Where are call recordings and summaries stored, and for how long? You need a clear answer for your own privacy obligations.
• Who changes the answers when my prices or hours change? Someone has to keep it up to date.

How to get a price

If you want to know what an AI receptionist would cost for your business, book a free call. We look at how many calls you get, which ones you miss and what the receptionist would need to know, then send a written plan with the setup price and the expected monthly cost. You can see what is included on our AI receptionist page.