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Most small business websites in Canada cost roughly $50 to $500 a month to maintain. A simple brochure site sits at the lower end; sites with online booking, integrations or an online store cost more, because there is more to update, secure and test. On top of that, budget for your domain renewal each year.
Here is what you are paying for, what changes the price and how to avoid paying for maintenance you do not need.
What website maintenance includes
Good maintenance covers the work that keeps your site safe, fast and bringing in enquiries:
- Hosting: the server your website runs on.
- SSL certificate: the padlock in the browser, renewed automatically.
- Software and plugin updates, tested so nothing breaks.
- Security monitoring: firewall, malware scanning and protection from attacks.
- Backups, ideally daily, with quick restores.
- Uptime monitoring, so someone knows when the site goes down.
- Small content changes: new photos, prices, opening hours or a new page.
- Support: someone to call when something goes wrong.
Typical costs by type of website
| Type of website | Typical monthly cost | What drives the cost |
|---|---|---|
| Simple brochure site | Lower end, around $50–$150 | Hosting, updates, backups and occasional text changes |
| Business site with booking, forms or CRM | Middle, around $150–$300 | More integrations to keep working and more frequent changes |
| Online store | Higher, from about $300 | Payments, stock, security and more testing after every update |
These are typical ranges, not quotes. The best way to know your own cost is to ask for a quote that lists exactly what is included.
One-off and yearly costs to plan for
- Domain renewal, every year.
- Emergency fixes if a site breaks or is hacked without a maintenance plan, usually charged by the hour.
- A redesign every few years, as your business and customers' expectations change.
DIY, freelancer or agency?
| Option | Cost | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself | Low cash cost, but your time | Missed updates and no help when something breaks |
| Freelancer | Usually lower monthly fees | Availability when they are busy, ill or on holiday |
| Agency or managed hosting | Monthly plan, quoted up front | Make sure the plan lists exactly what is included |
What happens if you skip maintenance
- Security risk: outdated software is one of the most common ways websites get hacked.
- Broken forms: an update can stop your contact form working, and you lose enquiries without knowing.
- Slower pages, which lose visitors and can hurt your Google rankings.
- An expired domain or SSL certificate can take your site offline or show visitors a security warning.
How we look after websites
For our clients, hosting and ongoing support are billed separately from the website itself, monthly or yearly, and quoted with your website so you know the full cost up front. Our managed IT services and hosting include:
- Fast NVMe hosting with SSL
- Daily backups and uptime monitoring
- Firewall, malware and DDoS protection
- Website updates
- A free domain with annual hosting
- 24/7/365 support for managed hosting clients
Every new website we build also comes with 30 days of post-launch support. We can take over hosting and maintenance for sites built by someone else too, and in the GTA we look after IT services in Brampton offices as well.
How to keep maintenance costs down
- Pay yearly if your provider offers a discount for it.
- Remove plugins and features you do not use; less software means fewer updates.
- Batch content changes into one request a month instead of many small ones.
- Choose a provider that bundles hosting, SSL and backups, instead of paying for each separately.
If you are planning a new site, see how much a website costs in Canada as well, so you can budget for both.
Still have questions?
