Unlimited Design Services vs. Design Agency: Who Takes The Crown?

Not interested in hiring an in-house designer? Or need some support for your existing team. There are several ways to outsource graphic design. We will compare two popular routes - a graphic design agency and freelance designers - to a modern solution fit for almost any business: unlimited graphic design!

Getting professional design is a no-brainer these days, but finding the right design partner is not quite so straightforward.

Today, we’ll compare two popular design outsourcing options, a visual design agency and freelance designers, with another modern design solution: unlimited design services.

We’re here to help by answering burning questions, such as “how much do agencies charge for graphic design” and “what are freelancers’ hourly rates .”We’ll also compare some of the key aspects of these graphic design services (speed, quality, additional services) to what unlimited design services can offer.

But before we get into it - why outsource design in the first place?

Reasons to outsource your design needs

Here’s the thing: you can only do so much as a business owner. Unfortunately, you don’t magically get another couple of hours each day once you start running your company, so you need to spend your time and efforts wisely.

If there’s one way to do this, it’s outsourcing. Delegating tasks and handing them over to the pros allows your business to take flight, leaving you with enough time to focus on what you do best.

Outsourcing is becoming increasingly popular, which makes sense, considering the benefits.

Cutting costs

Let’s stay in our lane and choose graphic design as an example here. An in-house designer sets you back $50,034 a year on average. And that’s just salary, without taking overhead costs into account.

Opting for outsourcing, you omit the costs you’ll make during the hiring and onboarding process. Additionally, you often don’t need to purchase specific tools or programs, as most outsourcing options will provide them for you.

Wait a second - how much do agencies charge for graphic design, again? Yes, an iconic visual design agency like Pentagram or Sagmeister & Walsh is not likely within everyone’s budget. And, of course, while there are plenty more budget-friendly options, you should know that a digital agency usually means a bigger price tag.

Access to specific skills

Did you know that graphic design is an umbrella term for numerous fields? For example, a user interface designer most likely won’t be able to help you out with your business card design.

If you hire someone in-house, you only have access to that employee's skills and knowledge. However, if you decide to outsource your needs, you can select someone based on your project's specific needs.

Saving time

Last but not least, outsourcing will save you time. If you outsource your needs to skilled professionals, they will likely finish your project faster than you will. Additionally, you will cut back time on countless revisions.

With the outsourcing options we’re looking at in this article, you also don’t have to worry about long hiring processes and training newcomers.

Hiring a graphic design agency, a freelance designer, or an unlimited graphic design service are all ways to outsource design needs.

Since you may know a lot about the first two options, we’ve decided to compare them to a relatively new form of graphic design outsourcing. Let’s see - what makes the best option?

Graphic design agency vs. unlimited design service

Confused? That’s understandable. After all, unlimited design services are essentially graphic design firms, just like traditional design agencies.

So, what’s the difference?

Graphic design agencies usually charge on a per-project basis. In case you’re wondering, “what is the difference between graphic design and ad agency” marketing and ad agencies usually work with clients on an ongoing basis, handling their marketing, social media, advertising, etc.

A graphic design agency usually takes on a large project, such as logo, branding, or website design.

In contrast, unlimited graphic design services provide graphic design continuously, meaning you can request as many designs as you want at a fixed monthly price.

Here’s a quick comparison between graphic design agencies and unlimited design services.

As you can see - the main advantage of unlimited graphic design over traditional graphic design agencies is a much lower cost.

At a fraction of the cost, you can get virtually all the benefits of a traditional graphic design agency.

An unlimited design service is essentially a white-label graphic design agency: it provides fast graphic design solutions that you can reuse, adapt, and change however you like. This is also why numerous marketing and design agencies work with unlimited design services to increase productivity and output while cutting costs.

Freelance designer vs. unlimited design service

Ok, so graphic design agencies aren’t for everyone’s budget.  What’s the other most popular solution for outsourcing graphic design? Freelancers!

Here’s how a freelance designer compares to a graphic design service.          

Freelancers offer a lot of range in terms of cost, quality, and variety of services. However, while flexibility is nice, it can also mean unpredictability. Even if you find the perfect freelance designer, there are no guarantees that they will be available whenever you need them or that your projects will be their priority.

Moreover, it’s also not ideal that you may need to find a new freelancer for each new project on your hands - an illustrator might not be great at designing PowerPoint presentations or landing pages.

On the other hand, unlimited graphic design services offer you an all-in-one solution.  Whatever your project is, you will be matched with a designer whose skills and experience are the best fit. You won’t need to spend time interviewing and vetting different designers.

Most unlimited graphic design services also include designated project managers that ensure the process runs smoothly, and designers understand and deliver on the client’s wishes.

Ready to discover unlimited graphic design services?

Unlimited design services are the perfect solution, whether you want a white-label graphic design agency or want to avoid the hassle and unpredictability of working with freelancers.

ManyPixels is a premium unlimited design service and white-label graphic design agency that works with businesses of all sizes. From solopreneurs, through marketing and design agencies, to large corporations!

Discover a selection from our vast portfolio or go to the pricing page to choose one of our affordable plans. Have further questions? Feel free to book a 1:1 demo consultation for an opportunity to ask us any questions