Build approach
A do-it-yourself builder subscription, a template customised by a freelancer, and a fully custom site from an agency sit at very different price points. The more bespoke the design, the higher the upfront cost.
Guide · Canadian small business
How much does a small business website cost in Canada?
There's no single price. The total depends on how the site is built, what it needs to do, and the ongoing costs that follow launch. Here are the factors that drive the number — and how to plan for them financially.
Key pricing factors
Size and content
The number of pages, who writes the copy, and whether you need professional photography all add time. Bilingual (English/French) content roughly doubles the writing and review work.
Features
Online booking, payments, e-commerce, client portals and integrations with your accounting or CRM software each add development and testing effort.
Recurring costs
Budget for domain renewal, hosting, builder or plugin subscriptions, security certificates and email. These are ongoing monthly or yearly expenses, not one-time costs.
Maintenance and updates
Security patches, content changes and backups require either your time or a support plan. Many small businesses underestimate this line.
Marketing and SEO
Search optimisation, local listings and paid ads help people find you. These are often separate, ongoing budgets on top of the build.
Accessibility and compliance
Ontario businesses may have AODA web accessibility obligations, and all Canadian sites collecting personal data should consider PIPEDA privacy requirements.
Budgeting and accounting for your website
- Separate one-time and recurring costs. Plan the build as a project budget and the subscriptions as monthly overhead. Our Financial Planning & Analysis service helps you forecast both against cash flow.
- Track every invoice and subscription. Clean records make it easy to see what the site really costs each year. That's the core of our Bookkeeping & Accounting support.
- Know the tax treatment. Website costs are generally deductible business expenses, but the CRA may treat some development costs as capital rather than immediately deductible, and HST applies to many purchases. Our Tax & Compliance team can confirm how yours should be recorded.
- Nonprofits: grant-funded website projects often need restricted-fund tracking and reporting — see our Nonprofit Financial Services.
This guide is general information, not tax advice. Prices vary widely by provider and region.
Plan it properly