An e-commerce website in Canada costs a one-time build fee plus ongoing platform, payment and app costs, so always budget for both. At AIM Infotech, a professionally built online store starts at $4,500 CAD one-time or $399 CAD per month on a monthly plan (prices exclude GST). Your total depends on the platform, how many products you sell, how you ship and which systems the store must connect to. This guide shows every cost you should expect, with official platform and tax figures, so you can plan a store that is profitable rather than just live.
The two halves of e-commerce cost
Most budgeting mistakes happen because owners compare only build quotes. A realistic plan has two parts:
- Build cost (one-time): design, store setup, product import, payments, shipping and tax configuration, testing and launch.
- Running cost (monthly and per sale): platform subscription or hosting, payment processing fees, apps or plugins, domain, email marketing tools, maintenance and marketing.
A cheaper build can lead to higher running costs, and vice versa. Compare total cost over at least two years.
Platform costs: what Shopify charges in Canada
Shopify is the most common choice for Canadian small businesses, and it publishes its Canadian pricing openly. At the time of writing, Shopify's Canadian pricing page lists:
| Shopify plan | Paid monthly (CAD) | Paid yearly (CAD/mo) | Online card rate (Shopify Payments) | Fee if using a third-party payment provider |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $49 | $37 | 2.8% + 30¢ | 2% |
| Grow | $132 | $99 | 2.6% + 30¢ | 1% |
| Advanced | $517 | $389 | 2.4% + 30¢ | 0.6% |
Shopify also lists in-person Interac rates of 15¢ per transaction on these plans, which matters if you sell at markets or in a shop as well as online. Prices and promotions change, so confirm on Shopify's site before you commit.
Open-source platforms such as WooCommerce (on WordPress) have no platform subscription, but you pay instead for hosting, security, backups, premium plugins and more developer time for updates. Neither model is automatically cheaper; it depends on your products, team and growth plans.
Choosing a platform: a quick decision guide
| Your situation | Usually the better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| New store, small team, want simplicity | Shopify | Hosting, security and checkout are managed for you; predictable monthly fee |
| Already on WordPress with lots of content and SEO traffic | WooCommerce | Keeps your content and store in one system; no platform subscription |
| Selling online and in a physical shop | Shopify with point of sale | One inventory across channels |
| Complex B2B pricing, quotes or custom workflows | Platform plus custom integrations, or a custom build | Standard checkouts may not fit how you sell |
| Very small catalogue, occasional sales | A simple store plan or buy buttons on your existing site | Keeps fixed costs low until demand is proven |
Whichever you choose, make sure product data can be exported. You may want to change platforms in a few years, and clean, exportable data makes that far cheaper.
Sales tax setup: GST, HST and PST across Canada
If you sell to customers in other provinces, your store must charge the right tax for where the customer is. The Canada Revenue Agency's rate table shows how different the rules are:
| Province | GST / HST | PST |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta | 5% GST | None |
| British Columbia | 5% GST | 7% |
| Saskatchewan | 5% GST | 6% |
| Manitoba | 5% GST | 7% |
| Ontario | 13% HST | N/A |
| Quebec | 5% GST | 9.975% QST |
| Nova Scotia | 14% HST | N/A |
| New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, PEI | 15% HST | N/A |
Registration thresholds and which provincial taxes you must collect depend on your business, so confirm with your accountant. Your developer's job is to configure the store so it can collect correctly once you know your obligations.
What goes into the build cost
Design and theme
Starting from a quality theme and customising it for your brand is the most cost-effective route for most stores. Fully custom design costs more and makes sense when your brand experience is a real competitive advantage.
Products and catalogue
Ten products with simple variants are quick to set up. Hundreds of products with sizes, colours, bundles, filters and detailed specifications take much longer, especially if product data needs cleaning or photos need editing. Product data quality is the most common cause of delays.
Payments
Setting up a payment provider is straightforward, but you will want to decide which methods to offer (cards, digital wallets, buy-now-pay-later) and test refunds and failed payments before launch.
Shipping
Flat-rate or free-shipping thresholds are simple. Live carrier rates, local delivery zones around Edmonton, in-store pickup and heavy or oversized items add configuration and testing.
Integrations
Connecting the store to accounting software, inventory systems, a CRM or email marketing tools saves hours of manual work every week. These connections are often where business automation pays for itself.
SEO and migration
Product and category pages need unique titles, descriptions and structured data to be found on Google. If you are moving from an old store, every old product URL must redirect to its new address or you will lose existing rankings.
Legal pages and policies
Shipping, returns, privacy and terms pages are required for trust and by payment providers. Make sure your privacy policy reflects Canadian privacy law.
Accessibility and mobile experience
Most shoppers browse on their phones. Product images, filters, the cart and checkout all need to be easy to use on a small screen and with assistive technology. Testing on real devices before launch is part of a proper build, not an extra.
Training and handover
Your team should be able to add products, process refunds, update shipping rates and run discount codes without calling a developer. Ask for a recorded walkthrough or written guide as part of the project.
AIM Infotech e-commerce pricing
| Option | Price (CAD, excl. GST) | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| E-Commerce one-time build | $4,500 | Owners who want to own the store outright and manage running costs themselves |
| E-Commerce monthly plan | $399 / month | Owners who prefer lower upfront cost with ongoing support included |
One-time projects start with a 50% deposit, with the balance due before launch, and include two rounds of design revisions and 30 days of free bug fixes after launch. Monthly plans have a 12-month minimum term. Platform subscriptions, payment fees, domains and paid apps are paid directly by you. Full details are on our pricing page and e-commerce development page.
Running costs checklist
- Platform subscription (or hosting for open-source platforms)
- Payment processing fees on every sale
- Third-party transaction fees if you do not use the platform's own payment system
- Paid apps or plugins: reviews, subscriptions, upsells, shipping labels
- Domain renewal and business email
- Email marketing platform
- Maintenance, updates and security monitoring
- Product photography and content for new products
- Marketing: SEO, Google Ads and social campaigns to bring in traffic
How to estimate your margin per order
Before choosing a plan, work through one typical order:
- Start with your average order value.
- Subtract the cost of the goods.
- Subtract the payment processing fee (percentage plus fixed amount).
- Subtract shipping and packaging you do not recover from the customer.
- Divide your monthly platform and app costs by expected monthly orders and subtract that too.
If the result is thin, focus on higher average orders, better shipping rules or a different plan before you invest in marketing.
How to launch on a sensible budget
- Launch with your best-selling products first. You do not need the full catalogue on day one; add the rest once orders are flowing.
- Use the platform's built-in features before paying for apps. Many stores install apps for things the platform already does.
- Keep shipping rules simple at launch. A flat rate plus a free-shipping threshold is easy to understand and to configure.
- Write your own product descriptions for your top products. Unique, helpful descriptions help both conversions and search visibility.
- Set up analytics and conversion tracking before launch so you know which products and channels actually make money.
- Review costs after 90 days. Cancel apps you do not use and check whether a different plan would lower your per-order costs.
Questions to ask an e-commerce developer
- Which platform do you recommend for my products, and why?
- Is product import included, and how many products?
- Will you configure taxes for the provinces I sell to and test them?
- Which shipping methods and carriers are included?
- Which paid apps or plugins will I need, and what do they cost each month?
- How will you protect my existing Google rankings if I am moving from another store?
- What support is included after launch, and who owns the store and accounts?
Common e-commerce budgeting mistakes
- Ignoring per-sale fees. A small percentage difference adds up quickly at volume.
- Installing too many apps. Each adds cost and can slow your store; Google's guidance on Core Web Vitals recommends a Largest Contentful Paint within 2.5 seconds.
- Underestimating product content. Good photos and descriptions sell; manufacturer copy duplicated across many sites does not help SEO.
- Launching without a marketing plan. A store with no traffic has no sales. Pair your launch with SEO and digital marketing.
- Not owning your accounts. The platform account, domain and payment account should be in your business name.
For a step-by-step launch list, read our e-commerce checklist for Canadian stores. If you only need a standard business website, see how much a website costs in Canada.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an e-commerce website cost in Canada?
Expect a one-time build fee plus monthly running costs. AIM Infotech's e-commerce build is $4,500 CAD one-time or $399 CAD per month, excluding GST. Platform subscriptions and payment fees are additional; Shopify's Basic plan, for example, is listed at $49 CAD per month paid monthly.
Is Shopify or WooCommerce cheaper in Canada?
Shopify has a predictable monthly fee and includes hosting. WooCommerce has no subscription but needs paid hosting, plugins and more maintenance. The cheaper option depends on your catalogue, team and growth plans.
Do I need to charge sales tax on my online store?
Most businesses do once registered for GST/HST, and rates vary by the customer's province. Confirm your obligations with your accountant; your store can then be configured to collect the right amounts.
How long does it take to build an online store?
It depends mostly on product count, integrations and how quickly product data and content are ready. Preparing products and policies early is the best way to launch sooner.
Can I sell online and in person with one system?
Yes. Platforms such as Shopify offer point-of-sale options so inventory and orders stay in sync between your shop and website.
Who owns my online store?
With a one-time AIM Infotech build, ownership transfers to you on full payment. On a monthly plan, ownership transfers once the outstanding project balance is paid.
Plan your online store with us
Tell us what you sell, how you ship and what systems you use. We will recommend the right platform and give you a clear quote for the build and the running costs.
