// SMALL BUSINESS
AI Receptionist Cost by Business Size (2026 CAD Pricing)
A five-person plumbing company and a fifty-person multi-location HVAC group do not have the same call volume, and they shouldn't pay the same price for call coverage. Cost only makes sense once you know your size.
Most pricing pages hide the real question
Most pricing pages show one number and leave you guessing whether it fits your business. Buy too little coverage and you miss calls during your busiest hours. Buy too much and you're paying for capacity you'll never use. The right question isn't "what does an AI receptionist cost," it's "what does an AI receptionist cost for a business my size."
What AI receptionist costs look like by business size
Solo operators and small teams (1 to 3 staff, roughly under 150 calls a month) typically need basic call answering and appointment booking without complex routing. Expect to pay $147 CAD per month at this size.
Growing teams (4 to 15 staff, roughly 150 to 500 calls a month) usually need call routing between team members, more detailed booking logic, and integration with a CRM or scheduling tool. Expect to pay $597 CAD per month at this size.
Multi-location businesses (15+ staff across more than one site) need location-specific routing, separate booking calendars per site, and higher call volume support. Pricing here is typically custom and scales with the number of locations and combined call volume.
How Underdog Engine maps to each tier
Underdog Engine's Starter plan at $147 CAD per month is built for the solo and small team tier. Growth at $597 CAD per month covers the growing team tier, with call routing and booking features that scale as your volume increases. Multi-location businesses should talk to us directly so we can scope pricing around actual call volume across sites.
Why sizing your plan correctly matters
- +Pay for the tier that matches your actual call volume, not a one-size number
- +Upgrade only when your business genuinely outgrows a plan
- +Avoid the cost of hiring a second front desk employee just to handle overflow calls
- +Multi-location businesses get one system instead of managing separate phone setups per site
- +No long-term contract locking you into a tier you've outgrown or never needed