How much does an AI receptionist cost in Québec?

The same typical month — 100 calls of 3 minutes — costs from $99 to $199 CAD with the vendors that publish their prices in Canadian dollars and whose page allows the calculation (prices read on September 25, 2026, setup fees excluded). Vendor-by-vendor details are in the Zen Solutions comparison.

Can an AI receptionist speak Québec French?

Yes, several do, but quality varies from one vendor to another. Test it with your own expressions and accent, from a noisy place, and check that the agent follows a caller who switches languages mid-sentence.

Is it legal to have an AI answer your phone in Québec?

Yes. What the agent collects (name, number, reason, recording) is protected by Québec’s private-sector privacy act as amended by Law 25: inform the person at collection, a written contract with the vendor, a privacy impact assessment before communicating the information outside Québec. This is not legal advice.

What is the difference with a telephone answering service?

An answering service with live operators gives you a human voice and usually bills per minute or per call. An AI receptionist answers with the information you give it, without keeping anyone waiting even when several people call at once, and can write straight into your calendar. Both can transfer a call.

Do I keep my phone number?

Yes. Either you forward calls from your current line to the agent (when you do not answer, or all the time), or you port the number to the vendor. Ask which one they offer and how long the port takes.

Buyer’s guides · updated October 1, 2026

AI receptionist in Québec: 2026 buyer’s guide

An AI receptionist answers your business line when nobody is free: it answers common questions with your information, books appointments in your calendar, takes messages and transfers the call to a person when it should. There is no single “best” AI receptionist for every small business: the right one speaks natural French and English to your customers, writes in your calendar, hands you the call when it matters and complies with Québec’s Law 25. Published prices (read on September 25, 2026) range from plans of a few dozen dollars a month to managed services of a few thousand, and only compare once you work out a typical month. The safest way to choose: call each vendor’s demo line with a real question from your customers.

Published by Zen Solutions (Laval), which sells one of these services. We rank nobody here: prices come from the vendors’ own pages, rules from the text of the law, with the links. Spotted an error? Write to info@zen-solutions.net.

What it does, and what it does not

It does:

answer in French and English when you can’t — during an appointment, in the evening, on weekends;
answer common questions (hours, address, services, prices) with the information you give it;
book, move or cancel an appointment in your calendar;
take a complete message — name, number, reason — and send it to you by text or email;
transfer the call to a person: an emergency, an important customer, a delicate request;
send a confirmation text or a link after the call.

It does not:

guess what you have not taught it — when it does not know, it takes a message or transfers;
replace your judgment: a complaint, a dispute or a delicate case should be transferred to you;
give medical or legal advice, or a firm quote that needs a visit.

What it costs in 2026

Vendors bill per minute or per call, with or without setup fees, in Canadian or US dollars. So the entry price says little. Here is the same typical month — 100 calls of 3 minutes — on the cheapest plan that covers it, overage included, setup fees excluded, in alphabetical order:

Agent IA Vocal: 314.20 USD
Aria: 189.00 CAD
BaronTEL: $69.95 (currency not stated)
Dialbox: 129.00 CAD
Jodie: 99.00 CAD
Nexia: 197.00 CAD
Polaris Voice: 199.00 CAD
RoehAI: 124.00 USD
Zen Solutions: 119.89 CAD

Prices read on each vendor’s page on September 25, 2026. Vendors whose page does not allow the calculation (quoted, overage not stated) are left out. Details and links: our comparison.

Watch for: the currency; setup fees; uncapped overage; annual contracts; what is counted (a hang-up, a spam call); what is included (texts, transfers, calendar).

8 criteria to compare

Your customers’ French. Accents, expressions, the caller who switches from English to French mid-sentence. In Québec, consumers have the right to be informed and served in French (Charter of the French language, s. 5).
Transfer to a person. To whom, in which cases, and what happens if nobody answers: a message, a text so you call back?
Your calendar. Does it write straight into your calendar (Google, Outlook or your software), or into a separate one you will have to copy over?
What you get after the call. A readable summary — who, what, when — by text or email, and the conversation history.
Law 25. Where data is processed and stored, the written contract, how long it is kept, notice of an incident. See our Law 25 guide.
Your number. Forwarding from your current line or porting the number: your customers should not have to learn a new number.
Commitment. Trial, refund, contract length, notice to stop.
A public demo line. A vendor who lets you call it before you sign.

Questions to ask before you sign

What does a month like mine cost (number of calls, average length), tax and overage included?
What is counted: the minute, the call, a hang-up, a spam call?
Who configures the agent, with what information, and how long does it take?
What does the agent do when it does not know the answer?
Where are recordings and transcripts stored, and for how long?
Can I export my data and keep my number if I leave?
Who do I reach when something is wrong — and in French?
Can I try it on my own business before I pay?

How to test one in 10 minutes

Call the demo line from a noisy place: the car, the street.
Ask a question that is not in a script, the way a customer would.
Switch languages mid-sentence.
Ask for an appointment, then change your mind about the time.
Ask to speak to someone.
Look at what the business receives after the call: is the summary right and complete?

Note the delay before each answer, whether the agent talks over you, and whether it repeats your name and number correctly.

Where Zen Solutions stands

We sell this service, so we do not rank ourselves. The facts: Zen Solutions is a Québec company based in Laval; the agent is configured for your business by a person. $99.98 + tax a month, or $999.98 + tax a year from month two, with $20 of AI + SMS usage included every month (about 150 minutes of calls), then $0.133 per call minute and $0.036 per text. Setup and training free, no commitment, and 30 days to be sure: first month refunded if it isn’t right. Free 7-day trial, no credit card. Our agent answers at 438 544-5191 — call it the way you would call the others.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an AI receptionist cost in Québec?: The same typical month — 100 calls of 3 minutes — costs from $99 to $199 CAD with the vendors that publish their prices in Canadian dollars and whose page allows the calculation (prices read on September 25, 2026, setup fees excluded). Vendor-by-vendor details are in the Zen Solutions comparison.
Can an AI receptionist speak Québec French?: Yes, several do, but quality varies from one vendor to another. Test it with your own expressions and accent, from a noisy place, and check that the agent follows a caller who switches languages mid-sentence.
Is it legal to have an AI answer your phone in Québec?: Yes. What the agent collects (name, number, reason, recording) is protected by Québec’s private-sector privacy act as amended by Law 25: inform the person at collection, a written contract with the vendor, a privacy impact assessment before communicating the information outside Québec. This is not legal advice.
What is the difference with a telephone answering service?: An answering service with live operators gives you a human voice and usually bills per minute or per call. An AI receptionist answers with the information you give it, without keeping anyone waiting even when several people call at once, and can write straight into your calendar. Both can transfer a call.
Do I keep my phone number?: Yes. Either you forward calls from your current line to the agent (when you do not answer, or all the time), or you port the number to the vendor. Ask which one they offer and how long the port takes.

Sources

Checked on October 1, 2026. This guide summarizes public rules and prices; it is not legal advice.