Pricing guide · Canada · 2026
How much does a website cost in Canada?
Honest numbers for a small business in 2026: what builders charge in Canadian dollars, what a domain costs, the fees people forget, and how it adds up over two years. We run a web studio, so we have an interest. That is why every number here links to its source.
Written by ShowFirst · Figures checked September 23, 2026
The three ways to get a website
Build it yourself on a website builder. Squarespace, Wix and similar platforms charge a monthly subscription and give you templates to fill in. Lowest cash cost to start, highest cost in your own time.
Hire a freelancer or studio for a custom site. Priced per project, and the range is wide because scope is wide. Ask what is included: domain setup, online payments, content, and how long updates are covered.
A fixed-price studio. What we do: one flat price, a free demo before you decide, and a fixed list of what is included.
What builders charge in Canada
Squarespace publishes Canadian prices. On annual billing, per month:
| Squarespace plan | Per month (CAD, annual) | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | CA$21 | Simple sites; 2% fee on store sales |
| Core | CA$32 | Most small businesses; no store transaction fee |
| Plus | CA$46 | Lower payment processing rates |
| Advanced | CA$109 | Larger online stores |
Card payments on Squarespace's Basic and Core plans cost 2.9% plus CA$0.30 per transaction. Wix sells comparable tiers; its payment-enabled plans start at the Core level. Check the plan page for today's Canadian price before you commit.
The costs people forget
- Domain renewal. A .ca domain usually costs about $11 to $22 a year depending on the registrar. Builders often include it free for year one only.
- Payment processing. A percentage plus a fixed fee on every card sale, whichever platform you use.
- Apps and extras. Booking, reviews, forms and email marketing are often paid add-ons.
- Professional email. An address at your own domain is a separate subscription unless your plan includes it.
- Your time. Choosing a template, writing, sourcing photos, fixing the mobile layout, updating hours. For most owners this is the biggest cost and the one that never shows up on an invoice.
Two years, side by side
Before tax, excluding payment processing fees, which apply either way.
| Squarespace Core, DIY | ShowFirst | |
|---|---|---|
| Up front | CA$384 (year one, annual, domain included) | $0 until you approve the demo, then $1,000, plus your own domain |
| Year two | CA$384 plus domain renewal | Domain renewal only (you own it) |
| Two-year cash total | About CA$780 to CA$790 | About $1,022 to $1,044 |
| Who builds it | You | Us, custom, hand-coded |
| Updates for two years | You | Included |
On cash alone the builder is cheaper over two years. The difference is roughly $250, and it buys you a site you didn't have to build, designed around your business rather than a template, with two years of changes handled. Whether that is worth it depends on what your time is worth. If you do the builder route, our advice is the same: put your prices, hours and booking where a phone user sees them first.
What $1,000 includes at ShowFirst
- ✓Custom design, fully hand-coded
- ✓We connect the domain you own
- ✓Online ordering / payments wired up
- ✓Mobile-perfect, fast, SEO-ready
- ✓2 years of updates & care
- ✓You own everything
See it applied: restaurants, barbershops, dental clinics, or a live client site.
Common questions
How much does a small business website cost in Canada?
It depends on who builds it. A website builder subscription for a business with online payments runs about CA$32 to CA$46 a month on Squarespace's Core and Plus plans billed annually, plus your own time. A custom site from a studio is quoted per project. ShowFirst builds a demo first for free and charges $1,000 flat only if you want it.
How much does a .ca domain cost?
Usually between about $11 and $22 a year depending on the registrar, according to CIRA, which runs the .CA registry. Some builders include a free domain for the first year only.
Is a website builder cheaper than a custom website?
Month to month, a builder costs less to start. Over two or three years the subscription adds up, and the real cost is the time you spend building and maintaining it yourself. Compare the total over the period you plan to keep the site.
Are there hidden costs with website builders?
The common extras are payment processing fees (Squarespace lists 2.9% plus CA$0.30 per card transaction on its Basic and Core plans), a domain renewal after the first year, paid apps or plugins, and professional email.