If you've been trying to figure out what a website should cost, you've probably run into two things: wildly different quotes, and a lot of agencies that won't give you a number until you've had three meetings. This article fixes that. Real numbers, real explanations.
The four tiers of website builds
| Type | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| DIY (Wix, Squarespace) | $0–$50/month | Very early stage, testing an idea, no technical help available |
| Template-based custom | $500–$1,500 | Small businesses that want a polished look without giant-agency pricing |
| Custom-built static site | $1,500–$4,000 | Businesses that need full control, performance, and long-term ownership |
| Full custom web app | $5,000–$30,000+ | Client portals, booking systems, e-commerce, anything with user accounts |
Most small businesses in Toronto need something in the second or third tier — not a drag-and-drop tool and not a $25K enterprise build.
What drives the price up
These are the things that push a $1,000 site to $3,000:
- E-commerce — product listings, payments, inventory, tax rules. Even a simple shop adds 30–60% to the build time.
- Custom design from scratch — a full bespoke design takes significantly longer than adapting a solid existing template.
- Copywriting — if you need someone to write all the text for your site, that's a separate service and a real cost.
- Integrations — connecting your site to a CRM, booking tool, or payment processor doubles the complexity.
- Ongoing updates — a monthly retainer for content changes, support, and monitoring adds $100–$500/month.
- Agency overhead — a downtown Toronto agency with a big office charges for that office. You're not paying for better code.
What keeps the price down
- Clear brief — knowing what pages you need and what they should say cuts hours of back-and-forth.
- Providing your own copy — even rough notes save the developer time and you money.
- Existing logo and branding — showing up with design assets eliminates a whole phase.
- Phased builds — launching 4 core pages now instead of 12 "someday" pages gets you live faster and cheaper.
- Static site — a site that doesn't need a database or CMS is simpler to build, faster to load, and cheaper to host.
Should you use Squarespace or Wix instead?
Honestly? Sometimes yes. If you are testing an idea, running a pop-up, or have no budget at all, a DIY platform is completely fine as a starting point. You can get something live in a weekend.
The limitations show up when you need:
- A site that loads fast on mobile (DIY builders add a lot of bloat)
- Full ownership without ongoing subscription fees
- Custom features a drag-and-drop editor can't produce
- A site that won't change pricing, lock you into a platform, or get discontinued
We often tell people to start with a DIY tool, test that their idea works, and then invest in a proper site once they have some revenue. That's not a sales trick — it's just the honest order of operations.
What does hosting actually cost in Toronto?
Hosting is usually a small ongoing cost, not a big one:
- Static site on Cloudflare Pages or Netlify — free for most small business sites
- Shared hosting (SiteGround, Bluehost) — $5–$25/month
- WordPress hosting — $15–$80/month depending on traffic and features
- A custom domain — $15–$20/year on Cloudflare, Namecheap, or Google Domains
If someone is quoting you $200/month for hosting a simple 5-page site, that's a red flag.
Red flags when getting quotes
Toronto has great developers and a lot of people who will charge full agency rates for mediocre work. Watch for these:
- "Call for pricing" — a shop that hides prices until you're emotionally invested is playing games.
- Huge retainers before a single line of code — reasonable deposits are fine (20–30%); huge upfront commitments are not.
- Overly vague proposals — you should know exactly what pages you're getting, what features are included, and what isn't.
- Excessive upselling — you don't need SEO package X, care plan Y, and premium support Z before your site is even live.
- No clear ownership terms — you should own your domain, your hosting account, and your code when the project ends.
What Igloo Interactive charges
We build small business websites in Toronto starting around $500 for a starter site, with most projects landing between $800 and $2,500 depending on complexity. We publish our rates because we think you deserve to know what you're looking at before you reach out.
We also offer 25–50% discounts for non-profits, new founders, and community organizations. Just ask.
If you have a specific project in mind, see our full pricing page or send us a rough description and we'll give you a ballpark reply, usually the same day.
The bottom line
A good small business website in Toronto costs $500–$3,000 for custom work, or $15–$50/month on a DIY platform. The difference is usually ownership, speed, flexibility, and how much you want to pay forever vs. paying once.
Skip the agencies with mystery pricing. Get two or three quotes that actually include what's in scope, what's not, and what the ongoing costs will be. Then decide.