The Cheapest Way to Incorporate in Canada (2026): 4 Options Priced
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The cheapest way to incorporate in Canada with any help is Venn: $299 federal including the NUANS search, minus a $250 credit once you fund the bank account it opens for you, so about $49 net (Ontario businesses only for now). Ownr costs about $124 net after its 15% link discount and $300 RBC cash back; unlike Venn, it includes the digital minute book and works in every province. Filing yourself through the government portals is $200 federally or $300 in Ontario with zero help. Lawyers ($1,000 to $2,500) are for complex share structures, not standard incorporations.
At a Glance
Incorporating in Canada does not have to cost four figures. In 2026 there are four realistic ways to do it, and the cheapest path lands under $50 net. The right one depends on how much help you want, which province you are in, and whether you care about a minute book. Here is every option with real prices, from a CPA who sees the aftermath of all four.
Last updated: August 2026
Incorporate for About $49 Net With Venn
$299 federal or $449 Ontario with the NUANS search included, your business bank account opened in the same flow, and $250 to $350 credited back once you load $500 within 30 days. Ontario businesses, corporations only.
The Real Cost of Each Option
| Option | Upfront cost | Net cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venn (with bank account) | $299 federal / $449 Ontario | ~$49 / ~$99 after credit | Ontario businesses that want an account anyway |
| Ownr | ~$424 with our 15% link | ~$124 after $300 RBC cash back | Fullest service: minute book, all provinces, sole props |
| DIY (government portals) | $200 federal / $300 Ontario | $200 to $330 | Confident founders who need zero help |
| Lawyer | $1,000 to $2,500+ | $1,000 to $2,500+ | Complex share structures, trusts, tax planning |
Option 1: Venn, the Cheapest Way With Help (~$49 Net)
Venn, the Canadian business banking platform, bundles incorporation with its no-fee account: $299 federal or $449 Ontario, NUANS search and Articles included, results typically within 1 to 2 business days, and the business bank account opens in the same flow. Then the math flips: load $500 into the new account within 30 days and Venn credits back $250 (federal) or $350 (Ontario), so a federal incorporation nets out around $49. That makes it the cheapest assisted incorporation in Canada, provided you fit the profile: Ontario businesses only for now, corporations only, and no minute book service. Start your incorporation with Venn, or see the full terms on our Venn incorporation deal page.
Option 2: Ownr, the Fullest Service (~$124 Net)
Ownr, owned by RBC, is the most complete online option: incorporation or sole proprietorship registration in every province, a digital minute book, resolutions, and ongoing corporate filings. A standard incorporation runs about $499; our partner link takes 15% off (about $424), and opening the RBC business account it offers returns up to $300 cash back, netting year one around $124. It costs more than Venn but you are buying the paperwork discipline that keeps lawyers away later. Get 15% off Ownr, or read the fine print on the Ownr deal page.
Option 3: DIY Through the Government Portals ($200 to $330)
The absolute cheapest route: file your own Articles of Incorporation online for $200 federally through Corporations Canada or $300 in Ontario through the Ontario Business Registry, plus a NUANS name search if you want a named rather than numbered corporation. The catch is that the fee buys you filing, not guidance. Share classes, director consents, bylaws, the minute book, and CRA program accounts are all yours to figure out, and a federal corporation still has to register extra-provincially where it operates. DIY is genuinely fine for a simple single-owner numbered company; it gets expensive later when a structure set up wrong needs a lawyer to fix.
Option 4: A Lawyer ($1,000 to $2,500+)
A lawyer typically charges $1,000 to $2,500 for a standard incorporation, and for most single-owner businesses that buys nothing the platforms above do not deliver. Where a lawyer earns the fee: multiple share classes, family trusts, estate freezes, holdco structures, or shareholder agreements between unrelated partners. If your accountant is recommending a specific structure for tax planning, use a lawyer to paper it; that is the one place cheap incorporation becomes expensive.
Looking for Ownr Alternatives?
If you like the Ownr model but not the price, the honest list is short. Venn is the meaningful alternative for Ontario corporations, at roughly a third of the net cost, with the trade-offs above. DIY is the alternative if you only wanted the filing. A lawyer is the alternative in the other direction, more service rather than less. The graveyard of discount incorporation websites in between generally files the same forms as DIY with less accountability, and we do not recommend them.
Federal or Provincial? The CPA View
Federal incorporation costs less up front ($200 vs $300 in Ontario) and protects your name across Canada, but adds extra-provincial registration and an annual federal return alongside provincial obligations. Ontario incorporation keeps everything in one registry. For tax, the choice changes almost nothing: either way you file a T2 return, and the tax benefits of incorporating (small business deduction, income splitting limits, deferral) apply identically. Decide on name protection and where you will operate, not on tax.
What You Need Right After Incorporating
The corporation is the start, not the finish. Within days you will need a business bank account, because a corporation cannot run through your personal chequing: if you incorporated with Venn you already have one; otherwise open a Venn account in minutes (no monthly fees, and see the current welcome bonus) or take the RBC route via Ownr for the $300 credit. Then come CRA program accounts (corporate tax, GST/HST once you cross $30,000, payroll if you pay yourself a salary) and accounting software from day one, because reconstructing year one at tax time costs more than doing it live.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the absolute cheapest way to incorporate in Canada?
- Filing yourself: $200 for a federal incorporation through Corporations Canada, or $300 in Ontario, plus a NUANS search for a named corporation. Cheapest with help is Venn at roughly $49 net federally after its $250 welcome credit, for Ontario businesses.
- Is Venn’s cheap incorporation legit?
- Yes. You pay $299 (federal) or $449 (Ontario) up front, NUANS and Articles included, and the $250 or $350 credit lands after you load $500 into the Venn account it opens for you, within 30 days, credited on the 5th of the following month. The catch is scope, not legitimacy: no minute book, corporations only, Ontario businesses only for now.
- Is a numbered company cheaper than a named one?
- Slightly. A numbered corporation skips the NUANS name search and cannot be refused on name grounds. You can register a business name for it to operate under later. If the brand name matters, do the NUANS search up front.
- Do I really need a minute book?
- Legally, every corporation must maintain corporate records. Practically, you will be asked for them when you sell the company, bring in investors or partners, or face a CRA review of dividends. DIY and Venn leave the minute book to you; Ownr maintains it digitally, which is most of what its higher price buys.
- Should I incorporate federally or provincially to save money?
- Federal is $100 cheaper up front in Ontario, but adds extra-provincial registration and a second annual filing. The tax outcome is identical either way. Choose on name protection and operating footprint, not the fee difference.
- When is a lawyer worth it?
- Multiple share classes, family trusts, holdco structures, estate freezes, or a shareholder agreement between unrelated partners. If your accountant designs a structure, a lawyer should paper it. For a standard single-owner corporation, the platforms file the identical Articles.
- Can I write off the incorporation cost?
- Yes. Incorporation costs up to $3,000 are fully deductible to the corporation in its first year. Above $3,000, the excess is added to Class 14.1 and depreciated. The Venn and RBC welcome credits are taxable income to the corporation, recorded separately rather than netted against the cost.
Not sure which structure fits, or whether to incorporate at all this year? That timing decision is worth more than the filing fee, and it is exactly what we do: talk to a CPA before you file.
Sebastien ProstCPA, Ex-CRA
Licensed CPA with 10+ years of experience, including work with the Canada Revenue Agency. Founder of LedgerLogic, a cloud accounting firm serving Canadian SMEs. Xero Certified Advisor.
