What does a website cost in Canada?
Two quotes for "a website" can differ by a factor of ten and both be honest. The gap is almost always scope: how many unique page designs, how much content someone has to write, and whether anything needs to be built rather than configured.
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 budgets by site type
Working ranges for a Canadian studio building on a modern stack, including design, build and launch.
| Site type | Typical range | What's usually included |
|---|---|---|
| One-page / landing site | $1,500 – $4,000 | Single layout, copy polish, form, analytics |
| Small business site (5–10 pages) | $4,000 – $12,000 | Custom design, CMS, SEO basics, launch |
| Content or marketing site (15+ pages) | $12,000 – $30,000 | Design system, templates, blog, integrations |
| E-commerce (Shopify or similar) | $8,000 – $35,000 | Theme customization, product setup, payments, shipping |
| Custom web application | $30,000 – $150,000+ | Accounts, database, custom logic, ongoing sprints |
What actually moves the price
- Number of unique page designs — templates are cheap to repeat, new layouts are not.
- Who writes the copy. Studio-written content typically adds $150–$400 per page.
- Photography and illustration, if you do not already have usable assets.
- Integrations — CRM, booking, inventory, payments — each adds days, not hours.
- Migrations from an old site, especially with hundreds of URLs to redirect.
Ongoing costs after launch
Budget for hosting and a maintenance arrangement. Most Canadian studios charge $75–$400 a month for updates, backups, plugin patching and small content changes; hosting itself is usually $20–$100 a month unless the site is unusually heavy.
Frequently asked
- How long does a website take to build?
- A small business site usually takes 4–8 weeks from kickoff. E-commerce and custom builds run 3–6 months. The single biggest cause of delay is waiting on content from the client.
- Is a template cheaper than a custom design?
- Yes, generally 30–50% less. A well-customized template is a sound choice when your brand is already defined and you need to be live quickly.
- Should I pay monthly or a fixed project fee?
- Fixed fee suits a defined scope with a clear finish line. Monthly suits sites that keep evolving — you keep the same team without renegotiating each change.
Every creative on creativeMRKT — freelancer, studio or agency — is personally vetted.
Post a briefKeep reading
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