30-second summary
- There is no single price: a "website" covers everything from a simple business site to a custom platform. The price depends on design, pages, features and bilingualism.
- Sourced ranges (CAD, 2025-2026): business/SME site CAD 2,000–15,000, corporate site CAD 15,000–35,000+, e-commerce CAD 8,000–60,000+, custom CAD 25,000–200,000+.
- Don't forget the recurring costs: hosting CAD 30–150+/month, domain ~CAD 20/year, maintenance CAD 150–500/month (1,500+/month for e-commerce).
- Golden rule: compare what is included, not just the final number. And don't pay for features "just in case".
Why there is no "price of a website"
"How much does a website cost?" is the most-asked — and most misleading — question. Asking the price of a website is like asking the price of a car: a used compact and a new truck share the same name, but they don't cost the same or do the same job.
A website can be a simple 5-page business site, a corporate site with a blog and CRM integration, an e-commerce store handling inventory, taxes and payments, or a custom platform. Each answers a different need — and a different budget.
So the right question isn't "how much?" but "what do I actually need to reach my goal?". That need drives the bill. Below are real ranges published by Canadian agencies — all sourced.
The real prices in Quebec in 2026 (sourced)
Here are the ranges published by three Canadian agencies: Clevr Solutions (a Montreal-specific guide), DesignEdge Canada (a custom-design guide) and Stigan Media (Vancouver). The gaps between them mostly reflect the level of customization — template-based solutions at the low end, fully custom design at the high end.
| Type of site | Range (CAD) | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Business / SME (5–10 pages) |
$2,000 – $15,000 | Credibility, service presentation, contact form, basic SEO. Template at the low end, custom design at the high end. |
| Corporate / lead generation (10–25+ pages) |
$15,000 – $35,000+ | Blog, case studies, CRM integration, advanced features, content strategy. |
| E-commerce | $8,000 – $60,000+ | Customized Shopify/WooCommerce store to custom platform, depending on catalogue and features. |
| Application / custom | $25,000 – $200,000+ | SaaS platforms, web applications, complex integrations. |
What makes the bill vary
Within each range, five factors explain most of the gap between a low quote and a high one.
1. Template or custom design
This is the first price lever. A themed site costs far less than a design built pixel by pixel. At Clevr Solutions, a template-based SME site runs between $2,500 and $5,000, versus $6,000 to $12,000 for a semi-custom or fully custom design. Stigan Media (Vancouver) sees the same logic: $2,000 to $4,500 for a template SME site, $5,000 to $10,000 for custom.
2. Number of pages and content depth
More pages, more distinct templates and more content to structure means more design time. You move from a 5–10-page business site to a 10–25+ page corporate site with a blog and case studies — which explains the jump to the $15,000 – $35,000+ range (DesignEdge Canada).
3. Features
Online booking, member areas, payments, inventory management, automations: each feature adds development and testing. That's what separates a business site from an e-commerce store, and a simple store from a custom platform.
4. Bilingualism (a Quebec reality)
In Quebec, many sites must live in French and English. Per Clevr Solutions, translation and localization represent $3,000 to $15,000 at build time, and bilingual content upkeep $300 to $800 per month.
5. Integrations
Connecting the site to your tools (CRM, newsletter, booking software, accounting) takes technical work. Clevr Solutions puts business integrations between $2,000 and $8,000+.
Want a clear, jargon-free estimate for your project? Let's talk.
See our website design services →The recurring costs people forget to budget
The build price is only half the equation. A site lives, gets updated and must stay secure. Here are the costs that come back every month or year.
| Recurring item | Cost (CAD) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | $30 – $150+ / month | DesignEdge Canada 2026 |
| Domain name | ~$20 / year | DesignEdge Canada 2026 |
| Maintenance — standard site | $150 – $500 / month | Clevr Solutions 2025 |
| Maintenance — e-commerce / custom | $500 – $1,500+ / month | Clevr Solutions 2025 |
| Bilingual content updates | $300 – $800 / month | Clevr Solutions 2025 |
Common add-on costs
Beyond design and hosting, some items appear regularly in an honest quote. Ignoring them means risking a nasty surprise. Figures published by Clevr Solutions (Montreal):
- SEO setup: $2,000 – $5,000
- Payment configuration: $500 – $2,000
- Legal compliance (incl. Law 25): $800 – $3,000
- Translation / localization: $3,000 – $15,000
- Business integrations: $2,000 – $8,000+
Law 25 compliance deserves special mention: in Quebec, collecting personal information (forms, cookies, newsletter) is regulated. Better to plan this item from the start than to fix it later. To understand Law 25's impact on digital tools, see our guide on AI and Law 25 for Quebec SMEs.
How to set your budget without paying for fluff
A good web budget isn't about going cheapest, nor taking everything "just in case". It's about aligning spending with the goal.
- Start from the goal, not the format. Do you want to reassure, generate leads or sell? The answer determines the type of site — and the range. Our guide business site, landing page or e-commerce helps you decide.
- Ask what's included. Two quotes at the same price can cover very different realities: SEO, form, domain ownership, number of revisions, training. Compare the content, not just the number.
- Plan the recurring costs from the start. Hosting and maintenance are part of the total cost of ownership. Our guide website maintenance for SMEs details this.
- Move in stages. A solid business site today, more features when demand is proven. You don't build the third floor before the foundation.
- Demand ownership. The domain and the site must be in your name, with full admin access — no matter the price paid.
FAQ: common questions about website prices
For a 5-to-10-page site, published ranges run from CAD 2,500 to 12,000 in Montreal per Clevr Solutions (template to custom), CAD 5,000 to 15,000 for a custom design per DesignEdge Canada, and CAD 2,000 (template) to 10,000 (custom) per Stigan Media. Design customization is the main price driver.
Because a website is not a standardized product. The price varies with the design (template or custom), the number of pages, the features, bilingualism, integrations and the level of support. Compare what's included in each quote, not just the final number.
Hosting (CAD 30 to 150+ per month) and the domain name (about CAD 20 per year) per DesignEdge Canada, plus maintenance: CAD 150 to 500 per month for a standard site and CAD 500 to 1,500+ per month for e-commerce or custom sites per Clevr Solutions.
Per Clevr Solutions (Montreal): CAD 8,000 to 20,000 for a customized Shopify or WooCommerce template, CAD 20,000 to 50,000 for a custom design, and CAD 50,000 to 100,000+ for large retailers. DesignEdge Canada puts custom e-commerce between CAD 20,000 and 60,000+, and Stigan Media (Vancouver) between CAD 10,000 and 50,000.
Yes. Per Clevr Solutions, translation and localization run from CAD 3,000 to 15,000 at build time, and bilingual content updates from CAD 300 to 800 per month. It's a common reality in Quebec because of French and English.
Legal compliance (policies, banners, consent management) is a separate item estimated at CAD 800 to 3,000 by Clevr Solutions. In Quebec, Law 25 governs the collection of personal information: it's a cost to plan from the start, not an option.
Your next step
The right budget depends on your situation: your industry, your goals, what you already have. A 30-minute audit is enough to turn "how much does it cost?" into a clear, tailored estimate — no jargon, no pressure.
Free audit — 30 min, 12 points checked, report within 48 h.
Get My Free Audit →We won't sell you anything on the call — we start by helping you see clearly.
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