How Much Does a Business Website Cost in Ontario?

The short answer

For a typical small local business in Ontario — a trade, salon, restaurant, clinic or shop — a professional website usually falls somewhere between a few hundred dollars and a few thousand, plus modest yearly costs for your domain and hosting. Large custom builds with online stores, booking systems or complex integrations can cost much more.

The price range is wide because "a website" can mean very different things. The useful question isn't "what does a website cost?" but "what does my business actually need, and who should build it?"

Option 1: Do it yourself

Website builders like Wix, Squarespace and similar tools let you build a site yourself for a monthly subscription, often in the range of $20–$60 a month depending on the plan. The software cost is low, but the real cost is your time — often dozens of hours learning the tool, writing copy and fiddling with layouts.

DIY can work well if you enjoy it and have the time. The common pitfalls are sites that look fine on a laptop but awkward on a phone, missing page titles and descriptions, and contact forms nobody tested.

Option 2: A freelancer or small studio

Independent designers typically charge anywhere from several hundred to a few thousand dollars for a small business site. You get a custom design, someone who handles the technical setup, and usually a direct line to the person doing the work.

Quality varies a lot, so look at examples, ask exactly what's included, and confirm who owns the domain and the site afterward. A good freelancer will give you a fixed quote before starting.

Option 3: An agency

Marketing and web agencies often start in the several-thousand-dollar range and go well beyond. You're paying for a team — strategists, designers, developers, project managers — which makes sense for larger businesses with complex needs. For a one-location local business, much of that overhead may not add value.

The ongoing costs people forget

Whatever route you choose, budget for these recurring items:

• Domain name: usually around $15–$30 per year
• Hosting: from free-tier to $10–$40+ per month
• Business email, if you want you@yourbusiness.ca
• Updates and maintenance, whether your time or paid
• Optional marketing like Google Ads or social media

Red flags to watch for

Be cautious of quotes with no clear list of what's included, contracts that lock you in for years, designers who register your domain in their own name, and anyone promising guaranteed first-page Google rankings. Nobody controls Google's results.

Where Peak Studio fits

Peak Studio builds small business websites for a flat $500, with an optional $75/month care plan. You see a free concept before paying anything, and you don't pay until you love it. It's designed for local businesses that need a professional, mobile-friendly site without agency pricing.