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For Canadian small businesses 🍁 (Americans welcome)For American small businesses (built by a friendly Canadian)

You're probably overpaying to be online.

A simple business information site can have recurring domain and hosting costs of ≈CA$14.39US$10.18 a year. Our GoDaddy domain plus Wix example costs ≈CA$315.83US$226.99+. We're a free field guide to what you need, what it costs, and how to keep control.

For sites with services, hours, photos, and contact details, when someone can maintain and publish the files. Setup time, content, support, sending email, and sales tax are separate. Check whether this route fits.

Show me the low-cost setupWhat am I overpaying now?

Your yearly receipt

GoDaddy domain + Wix Light

GoDaddy domain renewalCA$32.99US$22.99
Wix Light × 12 mo≈CA$282.84US$204
Total / yr≈CA$315.83US$226.99

The Scout stack

Spaceship domain + fees≈CA$14.39US$10.18
Cloudflare Pages hosting$0.00
Email routing (receive only)$0.00
Total / yr≈CA$14.39US$10.18

You keep ≈CA$301.44US$216.81/yr

(≈CA$1,507.20US$1,084.05 over 5 years at unchanged prices)

Checked 2026-07-28· Recheck due; confirm with provider

Your field guide

Where is your business today?

Choose the work in front of you. Each path includes practical guidance for Canada and the United States.

15 guides

Set up cheap

Plan the budget, own your domain, and choose the website and email setup the business needs.

Explore this path →

21 guides

Run it cheap

Help customers find you, keep enquiries moving, and connect bookings and quotes to payment.

Explore this path →

10 guides

Keep it cheap

Spot bad offers, control the bills, and protect the accounts that keep your business online.

Explore this path →

Launching a local service?Already online? Audit your billsHelp me choose a pathBrowse all 46 guides

Set up cheap

Compare the essentials before subscribing

01 · Your address

Domains

The same .com costs ≈CA$70.42US$49.80 or CA$131.97US$91.97 over 5 years, before tax, at the listed registration and renewal rates.

Compare registrars →

02 · Your building

Website & hosting

Simple information site? Free hosting is an option if you maintain the files. A builder adds visual editing and integrated features.

Builders vs. static →

03 · Your mailbox

Business email

Free receiving may cover your needs. Compare paid mailboxes when sending, separate records, or shared access matters.

Compare providers →

Browse all cost comparisons →

Set up cheap

Building a simple website? Follow the trail.

Five guides, in order, from “what even is a domain” to a live website at your own address.

  1. 1

    Learn the three pieces

    Domain, hosting, DNS — the 5-minute plain-English version.

  2. 2

    Buy your domain right

    .ca or .com, dodging the add-ons, the two settings that matter.

  3. 3

    Write the five pages

    A printable worksheet turns business facts into useful copy.

  4. 4

    Build the site with AI

    Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini builds it from your facts.

  5. 5

    Put it online free

    Publish, connect your domain, and get HTTPS automatically.

Run it cheap

Get found, follow up, get paid

Build a customer journey that works, from the first search to a useful update and a paid invoice.

Browse every run it cheap guide →

Keep it cheap

Keep the costs honest and the accounts yours

Know what you pay, what you own, and which notices deserve action before accepting another bill or contract.

Browse every keep it cheap guide →

Checking a suspicious letter or call? Use the scam check.

Tools & templates

Put the guide to work

Choose a browser tool, print a worksheet, or download a workbook for your own records.

Savings & setup budget

Compare recurring bills, then plan launch cash, renewal costs, and owner time separately.

Business workflow workbook

Download eight sheets for leads, invoices, newsletter permission, bills, and cost decisions.

Browse tools & templates

Find the setup wizard, email checks, review QR helper, ownership checklist, and printable copy worksheet.

How we keep recommendations independent

We eat the cooking

This site runs on the exact stack it recommends — a cheap domain and free Cloudflare Pages hosting. The example domain renewal with known fees is ≈CA$14.39US$10.18 a year, and you're reading the proof.

Dated, sourced prices

Every price shows when we last verified it, renewal prices get top billing over first-year teasers, and the math is computed from the same data you see in the tables.

We recommend against our wallet

We have no active paid affiliate relationships. Free options lead when they fit, and paid products are recommended when their capabilities justify the cost. Full disclosure policy.

Find your number

Thirty seconds with your current bills. The result tends to be motivating.

Open the overpay calculator

Still picking a name? Check social handles before you commit.