Decision guide
Both technologies move heat the same way. The difference is in the delivery system — and the right choice depends entirely on your home\'s current setup. This guide walks through the decision in plain English.
| Factor | Ducted (central) | Ductless (mini-split) |
|---|---|---|
| Installed cost (national avg) | $14,000–$18,000 | $3,500–$15,000 (1-4 heads) |
| Installed cost (Ontario) | $5,000–$9,000 | $3,500–$12,000 |
| Install time | 1-2 days | 1 day (single) / 2-3 days (multi) |
| Existing ducts required | Yes (or expensive to retrofit) | No |
| Per-room control | One thermostat (whole-home) | One thermostat per indoor head |
| Visible indoor units | None (uses vents) | 1 wall-mounted head per zone |
| Duct losses | 10-30% (sealing reduces this) | 0% (no ducts) |
| Cooling included | Yes (replaces AC condenser) | Yes (each head heats + cools) |
| Best Canadian rebate tier | Standard rebate amounts | Multi-zone qualifies for highest rebate tiers in Maritimes |
| Aesthetic impact | Invisible | Indoor heads visible (white/off-white) |
| Sound levels | Air handler in basement/closet (quiet) | Indoor head 19-30 dBA (whisper quiet) |
You can mix both — a ducted central heat pump for the main floor plus ductless heads for awkward rooms (finished basement, garage office, third-floor bedroom). This is common in older Canadian homes that have partial ductwork. Total install cost typically lands at $18,000-$25,000, and the operating economics are excellent because each zone is sized appropriately.
A good installer will recommend hybrid only when it makes sense. If they push hybrid as the default, get a second opinion — it\'s often more system than you need.
In the Maritimes (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, Newfoundland), the Oil-to-Heat-Pump Affordability Program funds ductless multi-zone systems specifically — because most oil-heated Maritime homes don\'t have ductwork. If you\'re in the Maritimes and currently use oil, ductless is the default answer regardless of preference. The economics and rebate stack don\'t support ducted retrofits in these provinces unless you\'ve already added ductwork for another reason.
Tell us about your home. A licensed installer in your province responds within 24 hours with an itemized written quote, including all federal and provincial rebate calculations.
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A ductless heat pump (also called a mini-split) is a heat pump system without any ductwork. Instead of pushing conditioned air through a network of metal ducts to floor vents, it uses small wall-mounted indoor units (called "heads") that blow directly into the room. Each head is connected to an outdoor compressor via small refrigerant lines threaded through the wall. Single-zone systems have one indoor head paired with one outdoor unit; multi-zone systems have 2-8 indoor heads sharing a single outdoor unit. Ideal for homes that don't already have ductwork, or for adding heating/cooling to specific rooms.
A ducted heat pump (also called central heat pump) replaces a traditional central furnace + AC system, using your home's existing forced-air ductwork to distribute conditioned air. The indoor unit (air handler) sits in a basement, attic, or utility room and connects to your existing trunk-and-branch duct network. From the floor-vent perspective inside the home, a ducted heat pump looks and feels identical to a gas furnace — the difference is what's in the basement and the outdoor compressor unit. Best fit for homes with existing forced-air duct systems.
Neither is universally better. Ducted is better if you already have forced-air ducts (most homes built post-1970 in Ontario and the prairies) — install cost is lower, aesthetics are invisible, and you get whole-home distribution. Ductless is better if you don't have ducts (most older homes, Maritimes, BC heritage stock) — adding ductwork retrofit-style is expensive and disruptive. Ductless also wins for zoned control (different temperature per room) and for additions or basements that the existing ducts don't reach.
On paper, no — ductless usually wins. Modern ductless systems achieve higher SEER and HSPF ratings because they have no duct losses, which typically run 10-30% of conditioned air in a typical ducted system. In practice, a brand-new ducted install with properly sealed, insulated ducts can match a ductless system's real-world efficiency. The bigger efficiency factor in Canada is cold-climate certification (ENERGY STAR CCHP, HSPF Region IV 10+) — both ducted and ductless can meet this and both qualify for the Greener Homes Loan.
For a single-zone install, yes — ductless single-zone runs $3,500-$6,000 vs $14,000-$18,000 nationally for a ducted retrofit ($5,000-$9,000 in Ontario). For whole-home coverage with a 3-4 head multi-zone ductless system, cost is $10,000-$15,000 — comparable to a ducted system. Ductless wins decisively on cost only when there is no existing ductwork to leverage; in homes with good existing ducts, ducted is usually the more economical choice.
From inside the home, a ducted heat pump is essentially invisible — the indoor unit (air handler) sits where your existing furnace did, the existing floor vents remain unchanged, and there's nothing on the walls. The visible piece is the outdoor unit: a rectangular box roughly 3 ft × 3 ft × 1 ft mounted on a concrete pad or wall bracket on the side of the house. The unit is similar in size and appearance to a traditional central AC condenser. Cold-climate units have larger heat exchangers and sit slightly taller than equivalent-capacity AC condensers.
Yes, and it's a common upgrade. Adding a single ductless head to an awkward room (basement office, garage, sunroom, addition) costs $3,500-$5,000 and gives you independent control of that space without modifying your existing ducted system. Common scenarios: cooling a sun-baked addition that the central system never quite reaches, heating a basement office that the ducted system underdelivers, adding zone control to a primary bedroom for sleep-temperature preferences.
Subjective, but modern units are slimmer than a flat-screen TV (about 8 inches deep) and come in white or off-white. Most homeowners mount them above eye level so they're unobtrusive. If aesthetics are a hard constraint, ask about "concealed-duct" or "cassette" mini-splits — they install in ceilings or short ductwork and look like flush ceiling vents. Concealed-duct units cost 30-50% more than wall-mounted equivalents but eliminate the visible head entirely.
