Short answer: in Montreal, a professional logo runs between $400 and $1,500 CAD for a small business. But the price alone tells you almost nothing — what matters is what you receive, and whether you own it. Here is the honest breakdown.
What you actually pay, by who makes it
These are the real ranges we see in the Montreal market in 2026:
| Who | Price (CAD) | What you usually get |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplace / AI generator | $5 – $60 | A template thousands of others also bought. Low-resolution files, no source, no ownership guarantee. |
| Junior freelancer | $100 – $350 | One custom concept, a PNG, sometimes a vector file. Rarely a colour system or usage rules. |
| Independent studio | $400 – $1,500 | Two or more concepts, revisions, colour palette, typography, print-ready and digital files, full ownership. |
| Traditional agency | $3,000 – $15,000+ | The above plus research, workshops, a long brand book, and the agency’s overhead. |
Most small businesses do not need the agency tier. They need the studio tier done properly.
Why the same logo can cost $150 or $1,200
Concepts and revisions. One concept with no revisions is cheap because the risk moves to you: if you do not like it, you start over and pay again.
Files and formats. A logo is not one image. You need a vector file (AI, EPS or SVG) that scales to a building sign without blurring, plus PNG versions with a transparent background, plus a version that works on dark backgrounds and one that works in a single colour for embroidery or stamps.
The system around the mark. Colours with exact codes, typography, minimum sizes, clear space. Without this, your logo looks different on every document and the brand never feels solid.
Ownership. This is the part nobody reads. Some cheap services license the logo to you rather than transferring it. If you ever trademark your name, that becomes an expensive problem.
The three questions to ask before paying
- Do I receive the vector source files, or only PNG/JPG?
- Do I own the design outright, with no licence or attribution?
- How many revisions are included, and what happens after them?
Any professional will answer these in one sentence each. Hesitation is your answer.
What a logo cannot do
A logo will not fix a confusing offer, a slow website, or a phone nobody answers. It makes an existing business look like what it already is — trustworthy, serious, worth the price. We have turned down logo projects when the client’s real problem was that nobody could find them on Google. Spending $500 on a mark before fixing that is spending in the wrong order.
Signs you are overpaying
- The quote includes a 40-page brand book you will never open, for a business with three employees.
- You are charged per file format.
- There is a monthly fee to keep using your own logo.
- The studio cannot show you work for businesses of your size.
Signs the price is too low to be safe
- The designer asks for no information about your business, your clients, or your competitors.
- The concept arrives in two hours. Nobody researches that fast.
- The image looks familiar — reverse-search it before you sign anything.
- Only a JPG is delivered.
What we charge, and why
At REYS, brand identity is $500 CAD, one payment: two logo concepts with revisions, colour palette and typography, business card design, a brand communication guide, and the setup of your Meta and Google Business profiles. You receive every file, digital and print-ready, and you own all of it. No licence, no monthly fee.
That price exists because the studio is small and direct — you talk to the person doing the work, so there are no account managers to pay for. It is the same reason we will tell you when you do not need something.
Before you decide
Ask for a 30-minute conversation with whoever will design your logo. Not a quote by email — a conversation. In half an hour you will know whether they understand your business, and that tells you more than any portfolio.
Written by Reys David Pérez Flores · REYS Creative Studio
Have a question about your own business?
Book a free 30-minute call. No pitch — just honest advice about what makes sense for you.
Book a free call
