Pricing guide
What does a marketing agency retainer cost in Canada?
6 min readUpdated September 2026
A retainer buys a share of a team's month, not a fixed list of deliverables. The important question is not the rate — it is what share of hours you get and who spends them.
Ranges below reflect what independent Canadian studios on creativeMRKT typically quote. Every brief is different — post yours and you'll get real numbers from real studios, free.
Typical monthly retainers
Excluding your ad spend, which is paid to the platforms separately.
| Level | Typical monthly | What it usually covers |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $1,500 – $3,000 | One channel, reporting, light content |
| Growth | $3,000 – $8,000 | Paid media, email, landing pages, monthly strategy |
| Full service | $8,000 – $20,000 | Multi-channel, creative production, dedicated team |
| Project sprint | $5,000 – $25,000 one-off | Campaign launch, rebrand rollout, site launch support |
How media spend is handled
Most Canadian agencies bill management separately from the ads themselves — either a flat fee or 10–20% of spend. Ask which model applies before signing: a percentage model quietly rewards spending more.
Knowing whether it's working
- Agree two or three metrics tied to revenue before month one, not impressions.
- Expect a learning period of 60–90 days on paid channels.
- Ask for the account to be in your own ad and analytics accounts, so history stays with you.
- Review at month three and month six; renew deliberately, not by default.
Frequently asked
- Retainer or project?
- Project work suits a defined launch. A retainer suits ongoing demand generation, where the value comes from steady iteration rather than a single delivery.
- What contract length is normal?
- Three to six months is typical, because paid channels need time to learn. Avoid twelve-month lock-ins with no exit clause.
Every creative on creativeMRKT — freelancer, studio or agency — is personally vetted.
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