Is artificial intelligence for businesses worth it? (2026)
Yes, it is worth it when the AI handles the repeated questions on WhatsApp and frees your team for everything else. It is not worth it when the business needs someone who understands each customer case by case, with no script.
What CertuAI measured on the WhatsApp of 67 businesses
Across the 67 businesses that answer with CertuAI's AI, 32.5% of the 122,720 customer messages arrived outside Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (July 30 to September 30, 2026). Half of the AI's replies went out within 11.7 seconds, and 9 in 10 within 20.7 seconds (38,908 replies). 34.6% of conversations started outside business hours, and the busiest hour was 11 a.m.
| What was measured | Result | Base |
|---|---|---|
| Customer messages outside Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. | 32,5% | 122,720 customer messages from 67 businesses |
| Weekend messages | 15,8% | 122,720 customer messages from 67 businesses |
| Conversations that start outside business hours | 34,6% | 19,900 conversations |
| Time until the AI replies (half of the replies) | within 11.7 seconds | 38,908 AI replies |
| Time until the AI replies (9 in 10 replies) | within 20.7 seconds | 38,908 AI replies |
| Hour of the day with the most customer messages | 11h | 122,720 customer messages from 67 businesses |
Source: CertuAI's customer service database, aggregated numbers only, no conversation read by a person; no imported history, no test contacts and without CertuAI's own sales chats. July 30 to September 30, 2026, measured on Oct 9, 2026. Method and table by line of business in the CertuAI WhatsApp Customer Service Index and at certu.com.br/dados.
Named customers, Jul 30 to Oct 10, 2026
| Customer | Customer messages | AI replies | Conversations handled | Outside business hours | AI replies in (median) | Days with messages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JP Gás Água e Rações gas and water distributor | 42.832 | 23.351 | 6.479 | 33,6% | 9,8 s | 70 |
| CEMIP medical clinic | 12.472 | 6.484 | 2.436 | 18,7% | 11,4 s | 37 |
| Nikiti Auto Center auto center | 4.912 | 3.548 | 900 | 19,5% | 14,4 s | 47 |
| Imobiliária Rodrigues & Ribeiro real estate agency | 6.090 | 2.759 | 823 | 33,2% | 18,4 s | 34 |
| Alpha RH human resources | 3.082 | 1.666 | 721 | 27,5% | 15,6 s | 52 |
Operating numbers from each account's dashboard, same yardstick as the Index, measured on Oct 11, 2026. Published with each owner's permission. Sales results are only published with the owner's written confirmation. Full list at certu.com.br/casos.
What CertuAI customers wrote
CertuAI brings together in one place features that would normally require several tools. Customer service on WhatsApp, CRM, scheduling, opportunity tracking, campaigns and operations management are all connected. Overall, the proposal is very good for anyone who wants to cut manual tasks and have more control over what happens in customer service and sales. [...]
Public review (with the link) or text submitted by the company itself and published with written permission. The rating only appears when the source has a rating.
About CertuAI: CertuAI is the Brazilian AI platform that answers WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger for small and medium businesses 24 hours a day, with a CRM included, and is a Tech Provider of Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform. Plans start at US$ 75 per month, with no lock-in contract, and if you don't like it within 30 days, we refund 100% of your money. Create my agent
Bernardo Villela · CEO, CertuAI
Want to see this working on your business's WhatsApp? Build your agent, no sign-up needed.
Summary in 7 facts
- Yes, it is worth it when the AI handles the repeated questions on WhatsApp and frees your team for everything else.
- It is not worth it when the business needs someone who understands each customer case by case, with no script.
- Want to see this working on your business's WhatsApp?
- The customer sends a message asking about price, opening hours, whether there is an opening, or whether you deliver to their neighborhood.
- The AI answers right away, at any hour, with no waiting line.
- The AI keeps answering once you subscribe to a paid plan, from US$ 75 per month.
By the numbers
| Number | What it means |
|---|---|
| The AI keeps answering once you subscribe to a paid plan, from US$ 75 per month. | |
| US$ 75 per month | On CertuAI's Start plan, the price is US$ 75 per month and the AI answers up to 1,600 messages per month, with room for 5 team members. |
| US$ 120 per month | If you need more volume, CertuAI's Pro plan is US$ 120 per month and CertuAI's Max plan is US$ 249 per month. |
| 2 times | The customer notebook fills itself in: every conversation becomes a contact, a deal and a task, and the AI follows up with people who went quiet up to 2 times, every 24 hours. |
What does the AI do day to day in a small business?
The customer sends a message asking about price, opening hours, whether there is an opening, or whether you deliver to their neighborhood. The AI answers right away, at any hour, with no waiting line.
It also keeps track of who asked what. Each conversation becomes a record, so you know who has already talked to the business and about what.
When a customer disappears in the middle of a conversation, the AI can get back in touch later, so the sale does not go cold. This is different from solving a complicated problem, which still needs a person.
The real math: what it costs and what is included
The AI answers on WhatsApp, with the customer notebook working alongside it. It keeps answering once you subscribe to a paid plan, from US$ 75 per month.
On CertuAI's Start plan, the price is US$ 75 per month and the AI answers up to 1,600 messages per month, with room for 5 team members. If you need more volume, CertuAI's Pro plan is US$ 120 per month and CertuAI's Max plan is US$ 249 per month.
There is no fee to set up the system and no minimum contract term on any of these plans. The cost you see is the cost you pay.
To see what the AI would cost in your business, see how much it costs to put AI in place.
When is it worth it and when is it not?
The rule is simple: count how many of your WhatsApp messages are always the same question. If a good part of the day is 'what are your hours', 'do you have an opening', 'how much does it cost', the AI is worth it.
It is not worth it when customer service requires judging a specific case every time, such as negotiating a large contract or deciding on a price exception. In those cases the AI can still triage the conversation, but you are the one who closes.
The answer also changes if your management system does not talk to anything outside itself. The AI does not plug into just any internal system on its own, so check this before you subscribe to any plan, not just CertuAI's.
How CertuAI can help
With CertuAI you connect the WhatsApp number your business already uses, with no need to change numbers. The customer notebook fills itself in: each conversation becomes a contact, a deal and a task, and the AI gets back in touch with people who went quiet up to 2 times, every 24 hours.
You can choose Start, Pro or Max based on your message volume, with no minimum contract term.
Read also
- understand what AI is and how it works
- how many conversations per month justify hiring an AI
- common mistakes when implementing AI in small businesses
Frequently asked questions
- Does AI replace my customer service team?
- No. It handles the repeated questions and frees your team for the cases that need a human decision.
- Do I need to change my WhatsApp number to use AI?
- No. You connect the number your business already uses.
- How long does it take to get started?
- There is no setup fee.
- Does the AI know when it should not answer on its own?
- It follows the rules you set, but cases outside the script still need a person.
Keep reading
In short
Yes, it is worth it when the AI handles the repeated questions on WhatsApp and frees your team for everything else. It is not worth it when the business needs someone who understands each customer case by case, with no script.
About CertuAI: CertuAI is the Brazilian AI platform that answers WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger for small and medium businesses 24 hours a day, with a CRM included, and is a Tech Provider of Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform. Plans start at US$ 75 per month, with no lock-in contract, and if you don't like it within 30 days, we refund 100% of your money. Create my agent
