Graphic design
11
min read
Let’s face it. Figuring out what graphic design should cost is confusing. One designer quotes $100 for a logo. Another charges $2,500. And somehow, both make sense in their own way.
The problem? Design isn’t a commodity. You’re not just paying for time — you’re paying for taste, skill, experience, and how well someone understands your business. That makes it hard to compare graphic design pricing, especially if you’re not sure what kind of designer you actually need.
Then there’s the hiring model. You could work with a freelancer, hire an agency, bring someone in-house, or try a subscription service like TodayMade. Each option has its own pricing structure, pros, and risks, and most of them don’t follow a standard graphic design rate card.
That’s where this guide comes in. We’ll help you:
If you’re a business owner trying to plan your budget or a graphic designer figuring out your rates, this is for you.
Let’s get into it.
There’s no standard rate for design — and that’s not an excuse. It’s just how creative work works. Several core factors shape what you’ll pay for any given project:
Design ranges from the simple to the strategic. A social media post is not a website. A one-off logo for a bakery isn’t the same as building a full identity system for a fintech startup. As the number of deliverables and design decisions increases, so does the price, which is why you rarely see a universal graphic design pricing list.
Junior designers might charge $25 an hour. Senior brand specialists can ask for $150+. The difference? Speed, taste, and fewer revisions. As one Redditor put it: “You’re not paying for my speed. You’re paying for my skill, which happens to be fast.” That’s why graphic design services pricing often reflects the designer’s background more than the project itself.
Design is intellectual property. If you expect full commercial use, editable source files, and exclusive ownership, that adds value. And cost. A $300 logo on Fiverr might not come with licensing. A $2,000 agency logo usually does. Licensing terms should always be clearly outlined in your graphic design services price list or proposal.
Who you hire and how plays a big role. Freelancers, agencies, in-house designers, and design subscription services all approach pricing differently. Some charge hourly. Others by project. Subscription services like TodayMade operate on a flat rate graphic design model with fast turnaround and unlimited requests.
Before we compare those options side by side, let’s explore what each of these providers typically offers and when they make the most sense.
Now that we’ve covered provider types and hiring models, let’s get specific. Below are realistic 2025 price ranges for the most common types of graphic design projects, plus what influences those costs.
Rather than giving vague estimates, we’re showing how prices change based on complexity, provider type, and who’s doing the work. These numbers are pulled from industry sources, designer interviews, and community insights, including candid Reddit threads.
You can get a quick logo for under $200, but it’s usually templated or AI-generated. A freelance designer might charge $300 to $800 for a custom mark. Agencies often quote $2,000 and up as part of a brand identity package.
What increases the price? Custom illustration, research, brand strategy, and usage rights. A good logo isn’t just an image — it’s the first signal of your brand’s credibility. (Need inspiration? Check out these graphic design examples.)
This kind of foundational work is often one of the first line items in a graphic design pricing sheet, and it’s worth reviewing what’s included in the scope (and what’s not) when comparing quotes.
Per-post rates from freelancers range between $5 and $50. Agencies often charge $100+ per post as part of a campaign. It adds up fast if you're posting daily.
That’s why many providers offer bundles: reusable templates, post packs, and branded graphics. If you need social consistently, subscription models or flat rate graphic design services can provide significant value by removing the per-post billing.
Freelancers typically charge $2,000 to $10,000 for a small business website. Agencies? Think $10k to $30k+ for full-scale website design, especially when strategy, UX, and dev are included.
Pricing depends on the number of pages, level of customization, interactive elements, and whether it’s built from scratch or with a CMS like Webflow.
Since sites often combine brand work, illustration, and responsive layouts, the total graphic designer cost can vary wildly depending on scope. Always get a detailed estimate to avoid hidden surprises, especially when hiring a website designer for a multi-page project.
Business cards, flyers, brochures, and packaging design fall under print work. A freelancer might charge $50 for a flyer, or $300–$500 for a tri-fold brochure. Agencies can price full print packages at $1,000+.
Print design needs to be pre-press ready, which takes extra attention. If you’re budgeting multiple pieces monthly, having a clear rate card for graphic design helps set expectations and prevent scope creep.
Short animations — logo reveals, social videos, microinteractions — usually cost $500 to $2,000 from a freelancer. For full-scale explainer videos or product promos, agencies may charge $5,000 or more.
Most small teams don’t have a motion designer in-house. While some providers include motion in their standard services, it’s often quoted separately due to the higher graphic design fees associated with video scripting, timing, and revisions. Services that offer flat rate graphic design, like TodayMade, tend to package motion graphics into their core offering, which helps teams keep costs predictable without sacrificing creative quality.
Custom illustrations cost around $100–$200 for icons or mascots and scale quickly with complexity. A single detailed illustration or a full set might run $1,000+ through an agency.
These projects are harder to price because they vary by style and labor required, a reason they’re often excluded from basic graphic design services prices and negotiated as custom add-ons.
To give you a clearer picture, here’s a quick breakdown of typical design service price ranges in 2025:
So now you’ve seen what different types of design projects typically cost, from logos to motion graphics. But those numbers only tell part of the story.
What really shapes the price (and the outcome) is who you hire to do the work. A $500 logo from a freelancer isn’t the same as a $500 logo from a subscription service, and neither compares to a $5,000 logo from an agency.
Let’s break down how each provider type works in practice, what they actually deliver, and which one makes the most sense for your business.
Once you know what kind of design work you need, the next step is figuring out who should do it. There are four main options: freelancers, agencies, in-house designers, and flat-rate subscription services like TodayMade. Each comes with a unique pricing model, workflow, and level of involvement. The right choice depends less on who’s “best” and more on which option fits your pace, budget, and creative expectations.
Let’s walk through how they compare and how much you should expect to pay.
Freelancers are often the go-to for small businesses and startups. They’re generally more affordable and provide direct collaboration, which is great when you have a specific aesthetic in mind or want to work closely with the person doing the design.
Their rates vary widely — from $25 to $150 per hour — or $300 to $2,000 for a full project, like a custom logo or landing page. Some charge per revision, others include rounds in a flat price. The quality of work can range from “hidden gem” to “disappointing miss,” depending on how much vetting you do.
A freelance graphic designer is often the right choice when you know exactly what you need, have a clear timeline, and prefer direct collaboration.
If you're looking for a full team that can handle strategy, art direction, and production under one roof, an agency is your answer. This is the high-touch, high-cost option, designed for complex, multi-layered projects like rebrands, product launches, or enterprise websites.
Agencies typically charge between $2,000 and $30,000+ per project, depending on the scope. They often include planning workshops, stakeholder presentations, and full asset delivery across channels. You're paying for depth and polish, but also for process, which means slower timelines and more rigid structure.
This model is ideal for companies that need strategic creative leadership and don’t mind investing more to get it.
Hiring a designer full-time makes sense when you need ongoing design output and want brand consistency across all materials. In-house designers work closely with your team, understand your product inside and out, and can jump on urgent tasks without going through a third party. Some brands also consider hiring a marketing designer, though this isn’t always necessary if your design needs are tactical rather than strategic.
The catch? It’s expensive. A typical graphic designer cost ranges from $55,000 to $70,000 per year, and that’s before accounting for software, hardware, benefits, and management overhead.
In-house is best suited for medium to large businesses with a steady stream of design needs and the management capacity to onboard and support a full-time creative.
Subscription services like TodayMade offer a hybrid solution. You pay a flat monthly fee — usually around $799 — and submit unlimited design requests, which are delivered one at a time. It’s a simplified form of design outsourcing that doesn’t require managing freelancers or hiring in-house.
You submit tasks (a logo, a landing page, a motion graphic, a banner ad — whatever you need), and they’re delivered one at a time, typically in 48 hours. It’s built for scale, not back-and-forth art directing. But for fast-moving startups and growing teams, it’s a sweet spot between affordability and output.
Unlike a freelancer, you're not paying per hour. And unlike an agency, you're not locked into a $20,000 project timeline. You just get consistent design work done.
Here’s how each option stacks up when it comes to cost, quality, and turnaround speed:
This side-by-side breakdown should help clarify which model matches your design needs, not just in price, but in reliability, depth, and speed.
Now, let’s talk about how to avoid some of the most common pitfalls in hiring or delivering design work and how to protect your budget and your time.
Pricing is only one part of the design equation. What gets people into trouble, whether they’re hiring or doing the work, is misalignment.
Timelines get fuzzy. Expectations get murky. Deliverables are misunderstood. Suddenly, what seemed like a simple design job becomes a tension-filled mess. The good news? Most of these problems are preventable.
Let’s look at how to avoid them from both sides of the table.
You don’t need to be a design expert to get great design work, you just need to be clear, realistic, and communicative.
Here’s how to make the most of your budget and avoid common traps:
Don’t just ask for “a website” or “a logo.” Define what you expect: how many pages or screens, how many rounds of revisions, and which file types you’ll need.
Who owns the final work? Do you get the source files? Are you allowed to reuse it? If the designer doesn’t mention licensing, bring it up. It matters, especially for logos and campaign assets.
You hired someone for their expertise, not to push pixels around. Give good direction, not micromanagement. Instead of “make it pop,” explain the business goal or audience reaction you're going for.
It doesn’t need to be long. Just cover the basics: what’s being delivered, when, for how much, and what happens if things go off-track. You'll be glad you did.
You’ve spent years learning your craft, but that doesn’t mean clients automatically understand your value. It’s your job to educate, protect your time, and lead the engagement.
Pricing low to “win the job” leads to resentment, burnout, and bad habits. Set a price that reflects your experience, your speed, and your impact. Fast design is worth more, not less.
When does the clock start? What’s included? How many revision rounds? What happens if the scope changes? Spell this out early so no one’s surprised later.
Design isn’t decoration. Walk clients through your decisions. Show how your work aligns with their goals. This builds trust and positions you as a partner, not a pixel-pusher.
If someone disrespects your timeline, ghosts between rounds, or demands constant last-minute changes, it’s okay to walk away. The best projects come from mutual respect.
You're not just designing visuals. You're managing expectations. If the client doesn’t value your process, they'll never value your result.
And they were right.
Next, we’ll zoom back out and look at one model that’s specifically built to eliminate many of these headaches, and why it’s gaining popularity with fast-moving businesses.
Design isn’t just about making things look good. It’s about clarity, trust, and perception — and it affects how people see your brand.
So don’t wing it.
Understand the going rates. Know what you’re buying. Decide what level of quality and consistency you need, and choose the provider that aligns with that.
If your needs are high-volume, varied, and ongoing, a flat-rate design service like TodayMade might be your best move. If you’re building a brand from the ground up and want deep creative strategy, an agency could be worth the splurge.
No matter what you choose, good design is an investment. Make sure you spend it in the right place.
Ready to see how far your design budget can go? Try TodayMade and get your first task delivered in 48 hours.
