Table of Contents
- How Much Does a Website Cost in Canada?
- What Makes One Website Cost More Than Another?
- What Does a Website Cost Per Month or Per Year?
- Is a Cheap Website a Bad Deal?
- What Should You Ask Before Accepting a Quote?
- How Can You Spend Less Without Cutting Corners?
- How Do I Price Websites?
- Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Does a Website Cost in Canada?
A simple small business website usually costs $1,500 to $8,000 with a freelancer or small studio. A small agency might charge up to about $15,000, a large agency often charges $15,000 or more, and online stores usually start around $10,000 when they’re custom-built.
Here’s what Canadian web studios publish:
| Option | What it usually costs | Source |
|---|---|---|
| DIY builder (Wix, Squarespace, Shopify) | $200 to $500 a year, plus 20 to 40 hours of your time | OxOne, Calgary |
| Freelancer, 5-page site | $1,500 to $5,000 | OxOne, Calgary |
| Small agency | $3,000 to $15,000 | OxOne, Calgary |
| Typical small business site | $3,000 to $8,000 | Impeka, Ottawa |
| 5-page site, Toronto | CAD 5,000 to 8,500 | Kolonell |
| 20-page site, Toronto | CAD 16,000 to 29,000 | Kolonell |
| Mid-sized corporate site | $8,000 to $25,000 | Impeka, Ottawa |
| Large agency | $15,000 to $50,000 or more | OxOne, Calgary |
| Online store | $10,000 to $60,000 or more | Impeka, Ottawa |
One caution: every source here sells websites, so read these as market signals, not as an independent survey. That includes this article, because I sell websites too.
What Makes One Website Cost More Than Another?
Two quotes can be thousands apart because they aren’t quoting the same thing. These are the main reasons:
- Number of pages: Kolonell’s Toronto grid goes from CAD 5,000 to 8,500 at five pages to CAD 8,500 to 16,000 at ten.
- Custom design: The same grid adds CAD 2,800 to 7,000 for a fully custom design over a template.
- Writing: OxOne lists $150 to $400 per page for content. If you write your own, that cost disappears.
- Booking tools: Kolonell adds CAD 2,800 to 5,600 for a booking module.
- Selling online: OxOne adds $1,500 to $3,000 for a basic shop with under 50 products.
- A second language: A bilingual site means translation and twice the content to manage.
- Accessibility: If your business has to meet AODA website rules, that work should be in the quote from the start.
What Does a Website Cost Per Month or Per Year?
The build is only part of the cost. Plan for these running costs too:
| Item | Typical cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Domain name | $15 to $30 a year | OxOne |
| A .ca domain | $10 to $20 a year | Netclues |
| Basic hosting | $5 to $15 a month | OxOne |
| Managed hosting | $20 to $60 a month | OxOne |
| Outsourced maintenance | $50 to $200 a month | OxOne |
| Hosting and maintenance together | CAD 1,300 to 3,400 a year | Kolonell |
If someone quotes you a low build price with no mention of these, ask about them before you sign.
Is a Cheap Website a Bad Deal?
Not always. If you only need a simple page with your hours and phone number, a DIY builder is fine, and you should save your money.
The risk is paying for a site that needs replacing soon. Kolonell’s three-year example shows a CAD 700 site costing CAD 13,800 once hosting, maintenance, SEO and an early redesign are added, against CAD 9,900 for a site built properly at CAD 6,500. Those are the studio’s own illustrative numbers, but the point stands: compare what you’ll pay over three years, not just on day one.
What Should You Ask Before Accepting a Quote?
- Who owns the website, the domain and the content once it’s paid for?
- What’s included: writing, photos, search setup and redirects from your old site?
- What will hosting cost after the first year, and whose name is on the account?
- How many rounds of changes are included?
- Who fixes things after launch, and what does that cost?
- Does the price include GST or HST?
- Can you see a design before you commit?
A good provider will answer all of these without hesitating.
How Can You Spend Less Without Cutting Corners?
- Write the first draft yourself. You know your customers better than any copywriter does.
- Start with five good pages. Home, services, about, reviews and contact are enough for most small businesses.
- Use real photos. A phone in good light beats stock photos of strangers.
- Build in phases. Launch the basics, see what customers ask for, then add to it.
- Skip features you won’t use. Every extra feature costs money to build and to maintain.
How Do I Price Websites?
I’m a senior developer based in Accra, Ghana, and I work remotely during Canadian business hours. I don’t have a Toronto office, so you don’t pay for one.
My websites start from CA$3,500 for up to five pages, and bigger sites cost more. You get a fixed written quote before any work starts, and a free preview of your new homepage before you pay anything. If you’d like to see what’s possible, send me your current site.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a small business website cost per month in Canada?
Most small business sites cost about $50 to $200 a month to run once hosting, security and maintenance are included, according to a guide cited by Impeka. You can pay less if you look after the site yourself.
How much does it cost to build a website in Canada?
Expect about $1,500 to $5,000 for a five-page site from a freelancer, and $3,000 to $15,000 from a small agency. A large agency usually starts around $15,000.
Is Wix cheaper than hiring a developer?
At the start, yes. A DIY builder costs about $200 to $500 a year, but it also takes 20 to 40 hours of your own time, and your own results depend on your design and writing skills.
How much does a website redesign cost?
Usually close to the price of a new site, because most of the work gets redone. It can cost less if your text and photos are still good.
Can I get a government grant for a website?
Sometimes, but programs open and close often. Check with your province and your local economic development office before you plan around one.