At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 72, based on 10 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[6]
John Bush of AllMusic gave the album 4.5 out of 5 stars, stating that "Wanna Buy a Monkey? doesn't just collect a few of his rarer credits, but fits them into one of the best mix albums of the year."[1] Rob Mitchum of Pitchfork gave the album a 4.0 out of 10, writing: "Part of the problem lies in the musically segregated organization of the album, as the Automator's hip-hop selections are clumped into the front and back, while the indie-friendly picks comprise the creamy center."[9]