Wix, Shopify, Squarespace and WordPress all advertise a monthly price. None of them include the design, the writing, the updates or the troubleshooting. Here is what you are paying for, and what is still on you.
DIY website platforms are sold on a monthly number, and that number is real. What it leaves out is your time: learning the builder, designing the pages, writing the content, preparing images, and keeping everything updated and working.
This carousel lines up the four platforms small business owners ask us about most. The prices are the ones on our slides: approximate, in Canadian dollars where noted, as of September 2026. Platforms change their plans often, so always check the current pricing page before you decide.
Why pay $25 to $40 or more a month to a massive website platform and still have to build, design and manage everything yourself?
That is the question behind this carousel. For around the same monthly cost as a business-level builder plan, you can work with real local people you actually know: people who build it, host it and are here when you need help.
Save the time. Skip the learning curve. Support local.
That is the range for common business-level plans. What you pay for: the website platform, hosting and the builder tools.
What is still on you: designing it, securing it, writing the content, making updates and troubleshooting it when something breaks. Even when a web company builds the site for you, the platform underneath is still Wix. More on that in why your website might still be built on Wix.
You're paying for the tools. You're still doing the work.
That is the Basic plan, billed annually. For an online store it is the starting line. On top of it come:
If you sell online, Shopify is a strong platform. Just budget for the full picture, including the hours it takes to set products up and keep the store running.
The monthly fee isn't the whole cost.
That is the starting plan, billed annually. Included: templates, hosting and the builder. Still on you: designing your site, writing your content, preparing your images, making updates and learning the platform.
Squarespace templates are polished, which is exactly why so many sites built on them look alike. A template gets you a layout. It does not know your business, your customers or why people choose you.
A template is a starting point. Not a finished website.
Approximate CAD pricing for the WordPress.com Business ($35) and Commerce ($63) plans. Still on you: setup and design, themes, plugins, updates and troubleshooting.
The plans can be affordable, but your time adds up. WordPress is flexible because of its plugin ecosystem, and that same ecosystem is what needs constant updating, testing and the occasional repair after an update breaks something.
The platform can be inexpensive. Your time isn't.
On a platform you get a $25 to $40+ monthly bill, DIY setup, DIY design, a help centre and the job of figuring it out yourself, while supporting million-dollar corporations.
With J&J Design, hosting is $39.99 a month and the website is built for you: custom-coded professional design, managed hosting with expert guidance, real technical knowledge and local support from our team in Falmouth, Nova Scotia.
One honest note: the website build itself is a separate, one-time project, quoted up front on scope, so you know the full cost before we start. See website hosting and website packages for what is included.
You know who built your website. You know who to call.
The same information as the carousel, in one table.
| Platform | Monthly price | What you pay for | Still on you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wix | $25 to $40+ (business-level plans) | Platform, hosting, builder tools | Design, security, content, updates, troubleshooting |
| Shopify | $37 CAD (Basic, billed annually) | Store platform, hosting | Processing fees, paid apps, premium themes, product setup, management |
| Squarespace | $27 CAD (starting plan, billed annually) | Templates, hosting, builder | Design, content, images, updates, learning the platform |
| WordPress.com | $35 to $63 CAD (Business to Commerce) | Platform, hosting | Setup, design, themes, plugins, updates, troubleshooting |
| J&J Design | $39.99 hosting (build quoted up front) | Custom-coded site built for you, managed hosting, expert guidance, local support | Telling us about your business |
Want the real number for your business? Ask us for a quote. We will tell you exactly what the build and hosting cost before any work starts.
Speed, outages, security and file ownership: what really changes when a custom-priced site is built on a third-party platform.
One extracted logo, no brand guide. How we decoded a local favourite's identity and brought it online without a rebrand.
5.79 billion users, Gen Z searching social before Google, and why every post either builds recognition or gets lost.
Custom-coded websites for small businesses, hosted on AWS-backed infrastructure and supported by real people in Nova Scotia. Tell us what you need and we will quote it up front.