A focused custom eLearning project can begin around $2,500 CAD. A standard interactive module often falls between $5,000 and $10,000 CAD. Complex, scenario-rich courses or multi-module programs can reach $10,000 to $25,000+ CAD.
The quick answer: scope matters more than seat time
Two courses that both take 30 minutes to complete can require very different amounts of work. One may be a clean conversion of approved material. The other may need interviews, instructional design, branching scenarios, custom visuals, accessibility work, voiceover, translation, and several stakeholder reviews.
That is why reliable eLearning pricing starts with the condition of the source material and the performance problem—not the number of slides in a PowerPoint.
The ranges below reflect Hiveminds project planning in Canadian dollars. Your final scope should document deliverables, responsibilities, review rounds, accessibility requirements, LMS standards, and assumptions.
Practical Canadian planning ranges
Approved source material, limited restructuring, a concise build, standard interactions, and straightforward SCORM delivery.
Instructional design, storyboarding, custom visual treatment, meaningful interactions, assessments, QA, and LMS-ready packaging.
Branching decisions, simulations, substantial content development, advanced accessibility, media production, localization, or multiple modules.
Long programs are not always priced as one giant course. Breaking the work into modules, phases, or a repeatable production system can make budgeting and review more predictable.
Six factors that change the quote
Content readiness
Approved, current source material is faster to build than scattered files, outdated policies, or unverified subject-matter input.
Instructional design
Defining objectives, restructuring content, writing scenarios, and designing assessments adds value—and real production time.
Interaction level
Tabs and knowledge checks are different from software simulations, branching scenarios, and custom practice activities.
Media and visual design
Stock photography, custom illustration, animation, voiceover, video, and editing each carry a different workload.
Accessibility and localization
Keyboard operation, screen-reader support, captions, transcripts, translation, and multilingual QA need to be planned early.
Review and LMS testing
Multiple approvers, late content changes, unfamiliar LMS environments, and extra testing rounds increase effort.
What a professional scope should include
A low number is not a bargain if the quote leaves out the work required to make the course usable. Confirm whether the scope includes:
- Discovery, audience analysis, and learning objectives
- Content review, instructional design, and storyboarding
- Visual design and Articulate Storyline or Rise development
- Assessment design, feedback, and completion rules
- Accessibility requirements and testing responsibilities
- SCORM, xAPI, or cmi5 publishing and LMS testing
- Defined review rounds, revision limits, and approval points
- Source files, handoff documentation, and post-launch support
If an item is important but absent from the proposal, ask whether it is excluded or simply assumed. Assumptions are where budgets go to die.
How to control cost without flattening the learning
- Approve the content before development. Rewriting after screens are built costs more than changing a storyboard.
- Choose interaction with a purpose. Use scenarios where decisions matter; do not animate every paragraph because the software can.
- Name one decision-maker. Consolidated feedback is faster and less contradictory than five separate comment threads.
- Separate must-haves from future enhancements. A strong first release can be expanded after real learners use it.
- Design a repeatable system. Shared templates, interaction patterns, and QA rules reduce cost across a larger curriculum.
Prepare enough information for a useful estimate
Project estimate checklist
You do not need a polished brief. A deck, SOP, PDF, workshop outline, or existing course is enough to begin a useful scoping conversation.