Most Montreal small businesses can expect to pay between $1,500 and $8,000 per month for an ongoing digital marketing agency relationship in 2026, plus ad spend on top. Project work (a new website, a brand identity) typically runs $3,000 to $25,000. The wide range comes down to scope, channels, and how senior the team doing the work actually is.
The three pricing models you'll see
Every agency dresses it up differently, but pricing in Montreal really only comes in three flavours: monthly retainers, fixed-scope projects, and performance/percent-of-spend.
1. Monthly retainer
The most common model for ongoing channels like SEO, social media, and paid ads. You pay a fixed fee each month for a defined scope of work. Typical Montreal ranges:
- $1,500 – $3,000/mo — solo operators or junior teams, one channel, light strategy
- $3,000 – $6,000/mo — small senior agency, 1–2 channels, real strategy + monthly reporting
- $6,000 – $15,000/mo — established mid-size agency, multi-channel, dedicated account team
- $15,000+/mo — full-service agencies with creative production, paid media buying, analytics
2. Project fees
One-time deliverables with a defined start and end:
- Brand identity: $2,500 – $15,000
- Marketing website (5–10 pages): $5,000 – $25,000
- E-commerce build: $8,000 – $50,000+
- Campaign creative (one launch): $3,000 – $20,000
3. Percent of ad spend
Common with Google Ads and Meta Ads management. Typically 10–20% of monthly ad spend, often with a minimum fee (e.g. $1,000/mo or 15% — whichever is higher). On smaller budgets the minimum almost always kicks in, which is why agencies with $1,500–$3,000/mo paid-ads packages usually assume you'll spend $3K+/mo on the ads themselves.
What actually drives the price
- Seniority of the people doing the work. A junior strategist at a big agency costs the agency ~$60K/yr; a senior independent costs $120K+. That gets passed through.
- How many channels. SEO + Google Ads + social + email is roughly 4x the time of any one of them alone.
- Content production. Photo, video, copy, and design are expensive. An agency that "includes all content" is rolling thousands of dollars of production into the retainer.
- Reporting cadence and account management. Weekly calls and custom dashboards add overhead you'll feel in the invoice.
What to expect at each price point
Here's the honest version of what your money actually buys in the Montreal market:
- Under $1,500/mo: a freelancer or a tool with a person attached to it. Fine for a single tactic (e.g. just posting on Instagram), risky as a full strategy.
- $2,000 – $4,000/mo: a small senior team or a founder-led agency. You get the actual decision maker on calls. Best fit for most Montreal SMBs spending $0–$10K/mo on ads.
- $5,000 – $10,000/mo: mid-size agency with a producer, designer, and media buyer. Real reporting, real creative output. Right when your ad spend is $10K+/mo and you want multi-channel.
- $10,000+/mo: full-service. You're probably already at $50K+/mo in revenue from paid channels and need a team, not a person.
Red flags in Montreal agency pricing
- "All-in-one" packages under $1,000/mo — almost always automated, almost never effective.
- Long contracts (12+ months) with no exit clause. Six months is a fair test; a year is a trap.
- Reports that show "impressions" and "reach" but never revenue, leads, or cost per acquisition.
- Refusing to disclose what percentage of your retainer goes to the senior strategist vs an account manager.
How to know what's right for your business
Before you talk to anyone, write down three numbers: (1) your monthly revenue, (2) what one new customer is worth to you over a year, and (3) how many new customers you actually need per month. A good agency will use those three numbers to back into a realistic budget. If they don't ask, walk.
For most Montreal businesses doing $20K–$200K/mo in revenue, a $2,500–$5,000/mo retainer with a senior partner you trust will outperform a $10K/mo retainer at a larger agency where you're a small account.