A WordPress website typically costs $1,000–$3,000 CAD to build for a small business, plus ongoing costs for hosting and plugins. The WordPress software itself is free — but a real, live WordPress site is not. Here's the full picture.
What you actually pay for
| What you're paying for | Typical cost (CAD) |
|---|---|
| Design & build (freelancer) | $1,000–$3,000 one-time |
| Theme (free or premium) | $0–$100 |
| Page builder (e.g. Elementor Pro) | ~$80–$130/year |
| Hosting | $10–$40/month |
| Domain | $15–$25/year |
The hidden cost: premium plugins
WordPress is free, but most real sites lean on paid plugins. Common ones add up quickly:
- A page builder like Elementor Pro or Divi (yearly).
- Forms, booking, or e-commerce add-ons.
- SEO, security, backup, and caching plugins.
A lean site might need none of these; a feature-rich one can run a few hundred dollars a year in subscriptions.
Is WordPress the cheapest option?
It's cheap to start, but hosting and plugin costs accumulate, and a custom build can be cheaper to run long-term. See how it stacks up in the platform comparison and the Toronto cost guide, or see scoped pricing on the WordPress service page.