Market comparison
US vs Canada: agency markets compared
Budget is concentrating in social, video and commerce media, so agencies with genuine depth in those channels price accordingly. Agency work in Canada is labour-cost driven, not tooling driven: a much cheaper proposal usually means less seniority, fewer hours or subcontracting.
Market size and coverage
Advertising figures come from the named industry body or statistics agency in each market. They are published on different bases and in different currencies, so treat them as scale, not a ratio.
United States
Budgets quoted in USD where sourced.
- Internet advertising revenue
- Nearly $300bn (2025)
Up 13.9% year over year; social media up 32.6% to $117.7bn and digital video up 25.4% to $74bn.
Source: IAB / PwC Internet Advertising Revenue Report, Full Year 2025
Listed agencies: 73 across 35 cities
Scored on our methodology: 62
Main cities: New York (10), Chicago (4), Nashville (4), Portland (4), San Diego (4), San Francisco (4)
Deepest specialties: Paid Media (24), Branding (19), Content Marketing (18), Digital Marketing (17), SEO (16)
Canada
Budgets quoted in CAD where sourced.
- Advertising industry operating revenue
- $15.4bn (2024)
- Digital advertising revenue
- $21.2bn forecast (2025)
Up 8.0% on 2023, the fourth straight year of growth, with an operating profit margin of 13.6%.
Source: Statistics Canada, Advertising and related services, 2024
Up from $18.2bn in 2024, a 16.6% year-over-year increase.
Source: IAB Canada Internet Advertising Revenue Survey and Forecast, 16 October 2025
Listed agencies: 43 across 7 cities
Scored on our methodology: 10
Main cities: Toronto (28), Vancouver (6), Montreal (5), Fergus (1), Mississauga (1), Quebec City (1)
Deepest specialties: Brand Strategy (18), Branding (18), Digital Marketing (16), Web Design (15), Content Marketing (14)
Rules that change the work
These differences usually matter more to a cross-border engagement than price does.
United States
- Federal Trade Commission enforcement of advertising claims and endorsement disclosure
- State attorneys general on consumer protection and subscription practices
- State privacy laws led by California's CCPA/CPRA, with a growing patchwork of state statutes
- CAN-SPAM for commercial email and the TCPA for calls and texts
Canada
- Ad Standards, administering the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards
- Competition Bureau on deceptive marketing practices
- CASL consent, identification and unsubscribe requirements for commercial electronic messages
- Quebec's Charter of the French Language as amended by Bill 96 for French-language marketing
What we have published for each market
United States
- Top 10 Marketing and Branding Agencies in the United StatesLast researched September 9, 2026
- Hiring a Marketing or Branding Agency in the United States: A Buyer's GuideWhat the US agency market looks like in 2026, where capability clusters, how FTC endorsement rules, CAN-SPAM and state privacy laws affect campaigns, and how to build a shortlist you can defend.
Canada
- Top 10 Marketing and Branding Agencies in Canada (2026)Last researched September 8, 2026
- Hiring a Marketing or Branding Agency in Canada: A Buyer's GuideWhat the Canadian agency market looks like in 2026, what work costs, how Quebec language rules and CASL affect campaigns, and how to build a shortlist you can defend.
Choosing between US and Canada
- Pick the market where the work is being sold, not where it is cheapest. Local media buying, language and consumer regulation are the hardest things to outsource across a border.
- For a cross-border engagement, agree the contract currency, who carries exchange-rate risk, where the work is performed and how personal data moves between the two jurisdictions before you sign.
- Ask both shortlists the same question: show one comparable project, the brief, what changed afterwards, and where those numbers came from.
- Check who actually runs the account. In both markets, the senior people in the pitch are frequently not the people delivering the work.