In Canada in 2026, an AI receptionist costs about C$60 to C$400 a month for most small businesses. A live answering service runs about C$200 to C$1,500+ a month, and an in-house receptionist about C$2,800 to C$5,000 a month. The AI option is the only one of the three that answers every call 24/7 at a flat price.
Prices for AI receptionists are all over the place online, and many guides quote US dollars. Below are real published plans (checked in October 2026), what each type of front desk really costs a Canadian business, the hidden fees to watch, and a calculator to estimate your own number.
The 3 ways to answer your phone, and what each costs
Ranges from published Canadian pricing guides and provider pages, October 2026 (Polaris Voice, Posh). Your quote depends on call volume and features.
Real published prices (October 2026)
| Provider | Type | Entry plan | What's included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polaris Voice | AI receptionist | C$99/mo | 150 minutes, then C$0.75/min. Higher plans C$199 (500 min) and C$299 (1,500 min). |
| Goodcall | AI receptionist | US$79/mo | 100 unique callers, then US$0.79 each. Billed in US dollars, so the CAD cost moves with the exchange rate. |
| Posh | Live receptionists | C$130/mo | 50 minutes, then C$2.20/min. C$215 for 100 minutes, C$420 for 200 minutes. |
| In-house hire | Employee | C$2,800+/mo | One person, business hours, plus benefits, training and cover for time off. |
Prices as published on each provider's site in October 2026. Always confirm the current price before you sign.
Estimate your monthly cost
Hidden costs to ask about before you sign
- US-dollar billing. A "$99" plan billed in USD costs noticeably more in CAD, plus card foreign-exchange fees.
- Per-minute rounding. Some services round every call up to the next minute or set a minimum billed length.
- Setup or onboarding fees. Some providers charge C$100 to C$500+ to get started.
- Extras billed separately: after-hours, bilingual (English and French), SMS notifications, calendar or CRM integration.
- Annual contracts with early-termination fees, common with traditional answering services.
The number that matters more than the price
The real cost is the calls you miss. If one new client is worth C$500 to your business and you miss just two calls a week that would have booked, that is about C$4,000 a month walking to a competitor who picked up. Against that, a C$99 to C$299 plan is small. This is why we tell clients to compare the price to their missed-call cost, not to zero.
Want to see what this looks like in practice? Read missed-call text-back vs. an answering service or our guide for accountants and bookkeepers.
Not just a phone bot. A front desk that books the work.
LeverageFirst sets up the AI receptionist and everything around it: missed-call text-back, follow-up that runs until the lead replies, one inbox for texts, emails and DMs, and review requests. Built for Canadian service businesses, scoped to how you actually work.
The takeaway
For most Canadian small businesses, a month of AI receptionist costs about the same as one or two days of a full-time receptionist, and it never misses a call. Pick a plan priced in CAD, check the per-minute fine print, and measure it against what a missed call costs you.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an AI receptionist cost in Canada?
Most Canadian small businesses pay about C$60 to C$400 a month for an AI receptionist in 2026, usually as a flat monthly plan with included minutes. For example, Polaris Voice publishes plans at C$99, C$199 and C$299 a month.
Is an AI receptionist cheaper than an answering service?
Usually yes. Live answering services in Canada typically cost C$200 to C$1,500+ a month and bill per minute (about C$0.75 to C$2.30). AI receptionists are usually flat-rate and answer 24/7 without after-hours surcharges.
How much does a human receptionist cost in Canada?
A full-time receptionist earns about C$35,000 to C$50,000 a year. With employer costs and benefits, that is roughly C$2,800 to C$5,000 a month, for business hours only.
What hidden fees do AI receptionist services charge?
Watch for US-dollar billing and foreign-exchange fees, per-minute rounding, setup fees, separate charges for SMS, bilingual support or CRM integration, and annual contracts with cancellation fees.
How much does LeverageFirst charge for an AI receptionist?
LeverageFirst scopes each setup to the business on a free 20 to 30 minute call, because call volume and workflows differ. Every build is live in 7 days or the first month is free, with a 30-day money-back guarantee and a price lock.