Pricing & buying
How much does a website cost for a small business in Canada?
Most small-business websites in Canada cost somewhere between $0 (a DIY builder you build yourself) and $15,000+ (a full custom agency build) — with the real number driven less by "how good" the site is and more by who's doing the work and how they're structured to bill you.
What actually drives the price
Three things move the number more than anything else: whether the site is custom-built or assembled from a template, whether you're paying once or every month, and how much overhead the person or company building it has to cover.
A template site is cheaper because nobody's designing it from scratch. A monthly plan is cheaper upfront but adds up over years. And a big agency with a large team, an office, and a sales process has to charge more just to cover its own costs — regardless of how long your specific site actually takes to build.
Typical price ranges
These are general Canadian market ranges, not quotes from any specific company — actual pricing varies by scope and region.
| Option | Typical cost | What you're trading off |
|---|---|---|
| DIY builder (Wix, Squarespace, etc.) | $0–$50/month | Your own time, a template look, an ongoing subscription forever |
| Freelancer | $500–$3,000 | Quality varies widely; timelines can slip |
| Small agency | $3,000–$10,000+ | More process and polish, but slower and pricier |
| Flat-fee studio (e.g. Launch72) | $499 one-time | Faster, custom, but a narrower initial scope than a full agency engagement |
The hidden costs that add up
The sticker price is rarely the whole story. Watch for these before you commit to anything:
- Monthly platform or hosting fees that continue for as long as the site exists
- Premium themes or plugins billed separately from the "free" builder
- Maintenance retainers — some agencies require an ongoing monthly contract just to keep the site running
- Redesign costs when a template no longer fits as the business grows
- Domain renewal (~$15/year) — this one's unavoidable no matter who builds the site
Ask upfront: "What does this cost me in year two, if I never touch it again?" That question exposes almost every hidden fee.
The flat-fee alternative
Launch72 builds a custom small-business website — not a template — for a flat $499 CAD, one time, live in 72 hours. Hosting is free for life on Cloudflare; the only recurring cost is the domain itself. It sits between a DIY builder and a full agency: custom design and copy, without agency overhead or a monthly bill.
FAQ
Related questions
Are there any monthly fees?
None from us. Hosting is free for life on Cloudflare. Your only recurring cost is your domain (~$15/yr). Optional services like SEO or social management are monthly only if you choose them.
What's included in the $499?
A complete custom site: design, conversion copy written from your business, mobile optimization, local SEO foundation, a contact/booking setup, a free text wordmark, launch on your domain, and free hosting for life. You own the code when it's done.