Devvista is a software development and growth agency that builds custom software, websites and online stores for businesses in Canada, working remotely from a team with no Canadian office. The projects that go well start with the rules around the software: where you are registered for GST/HST, how customers pay, and which languages the product must speak.
This page lists what we build, the Canadian rules worth settling first, how pricing works, how a project runs, and who it suits.
What Devvista builds for Canadian businesses
Most Canadian enquiries fit one of the rows below. Each row links to a page with the full detail.
| Service | What it covers | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Custom software | Internal tools, customer portals and platforms built around your own workflow | Custom software development |
| Shopify stores and apps | Builds, migrations, custom apps and ERP links for Canadian merchants | Shopify development in Canada |
| WordPress and web | Business sites and WooCommerce shops built to be edited by your team | WordPress development |
| CRM and automation | Sales pipelines, follow-up and process automation connected to your tools | CRM development and AI and automation |
| Odoo | Implementation and custom modules; Devvista is an official Odoo partner | Odoo implementation |
| Developers on demand | A developer or team added to yours, billed by the hour | Dedicated development teams |
If you are not sure which row you are in, that is normal. The first call sorts it out, and we tell you when a ready-made product would serve you better than a custom build.
Canada guides
Canadian rules to settle before a project starts
These four decisions change what gets built, so they come before the design. Every figure below comes from the source named in the table.
| Topic | What the source says | Why it changes the project |
|---|---|---|
| GST/HST registration | The Canada Revenue Agency treats a business as a small supplier when worldwide taxable revenue is $30,000 or less in any single quarter and in the last four quarters. Above that, registration is due within 29 days of the supply that crossed the line. | Decides whether your store or invoicing system must charge tax from day one |
| Provincial tax in a store | Shopify's Canadian tax setup help says to register with each relevant agency first, then set up only the regions where you are registered. | Sets which tax regions the store, checkout and reports need |
| Card payments | The Shopify Payments supported countries page lists Canada, provided your business is located in a supported country. | Decides whether a built-in payment option is available or another provider is needed |
| Language | Shopify Markets can vary currency, languages, domains and taxes by region. | If you sell in Quebec, French content is easier to plan in than to add later |
None of this is tax advice. Your accountant confirms each point, and we build and test the software to match what they decide.
Three jobs Canadian teams most often bring us
These are common starting points. None is a promise of what your project needs, but they show the shape of the work.
- Replacing a spreadsheet workflow. Quotes, orders or job tracking that live in files and inboxes become one system with roles, history and reports.
- Connecting systems that do not talk. A store, an accounting package and a stock list kept in sync, with a screen that shows anything that failed to transfer.
- Giving customers a portal. A login where customers see orders, documents or bookings without phoning your office.
In each case the first step is the same: write the workflow down as it runs today, name the manual steps, and decide what the software must do and what it must leave alone. A short list of the steps your team repeats most often is the most useful thing you can bring to the first call, because it shows where software would save time and where a change of process would be cheaper than any build.
How pricing works
Devvista prices either a fixed price from $500 to $100,000 depending on complexity, or hourly work from $10 to $100 an hour depending on the type and level of developer. We quote in US dollars.
| Model | Fits when | Price band |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed price | The scope can be written down and will not move much | $500 to $100,000 by complexity |
| Hourly | The scope will change, or you want a developer added to your team | $10 to $100 an hour by developer level |
| Scoping first | You know the problem but not the solution | A short engagement that produces a written spec |
Worked example (an estimate, not a quote). A customer portal that replaces a spreadsheet and email process, built for a small Canadian business, at one illustrative rate of $40 an hour:
| Work | Hours |
|---|---|
| Workflow mapping and spec | 16 |
| Data model, logins and roles | 30 |
| Customer screens and documents | 40 |
| Staff admin screen and reports | 30 |
| Testing with real cases | 24 |
| Launch and handover | 10 |
| Total | 150 hours, about $6,000 at $40 an hour |
How a project runs when we are remote
Devvista has no office in Canada, so the process is built for working apart.
- Discovery call. Thirty minutes on what you do, which tools you use and what hurts, followed by a written summary.
- Written spec. One document naming the workflow, the screens, the data and what is out of scope, which you approve.
- Build in stages. Short stages, each shown on a working version you can click through.
- Test with your cases. The awkward orders, edge cases and roles, tried before launch.
- Launch and handover. The code and hosting access are handed over, and the first weeks are watched together.
Calls happen by video, decisions are written down, and there is a shared project board you can read at any time.
Web and ecommerce work for Canadian merchants
For stores, the main question is which platform fits who will maintain it. Our guides compare Shopify and WooCommerce and set out Shopify migration services for stores moving platforms. The Canada-specific detail, including provincial tax setup and a bilingual storefront, is on the Shopify development in Canada page.
For business sites, WordPress with a theme built to your design is usually enough, and it keeps editing in your hands. If you also need a shop, the same site can carry WooCommerce.
Who this suits, and who it does not
| A good fit | Not a fit |
|---|---|
| A Canadian business with a defined workflow or store to build or fix | A project that needs a team on site in Canada |
| A team that wants written specs, staged delivery and clear pricing | Anyone looking for a guaranteed sales or ranking result |
| Owners who will confirm tax and legal points with their own accountant | A request that would be cheaper and faster as an off-the-shelf product |
We would rather say so on the first call than quote work that will not help.
Where to go next
- Shopify development in Canada: stores, migrations, custom apps and provincial tax setup
- Custom software development: the full service page
- AI and automation: workflows that run without retyping
- Shopify ERP integration: how to connect a store to accounting or stock
- Book a call: bring your workflow, your tools and your timeline