What is a Graphic Design Subscription & Is It Right for You?

A graphic design subscription is the most affordable and easiest way to get your everyday design done. Still, the graphic design subscription model is not for everyone. Find out if this type of service would make the right choice for you!

TL;DR

Imagine having high-quality graphics, whenever you need them, while paying the same exact price every month. That’s what graphic design subscription service is all about! If you need designs regularly, this is the best way to cut down costs and create a smooth workflow that will keep your business moving forward. 

No business can survive without professional graphic design in today's digital world. From your website and logo design to print collateral you use to promote your business, dated and sloppy design won’t cut it.

And while the average salary of an in-house graphic designer will cost you around 60k per year, there’s a much more affordable way to get a steady stream of high-quality graphic design: a graphic design subscription.

Before discussing whether this graphic design service is right for you, let’s quickly explain what unlimited design entails.

What is a graphic design subscription?

There are many graphic design companies that offer unlimited design (ManyPixels, Design Pickle, Penji, and Kimp to mention a few). Of course, there are some nuances to what the offer entails, but in general, the unlimited graphic design subscription model is the same. 

So what is a graphic design subscription, exactly? Here’s how it works.

• ‍You pay a flat monthly fee for an unlimited number of design requests: It’s important to remember that this means unlimited requests, not unlimited designs. Even though most unlimited design companies have ultra-fast turnaround times, designs are still created by people, not robots. They usually provide an expected daily output, so you can calculate how many designs you can get.

• The subscription includes unlimited revisions: Whereas a freelancer will charge extra for additional revisions, an unlimited design subscription allows you to request unlimited revisions until you’re 100% satisfied at no extra cost. Moreover, you also get all the source files, so you can further tweak and reuse graphics however you like!
• All your graphics in one place: Depending on the scope of services, the unlimited graphic design agency might have different offers. However, most include basic graphic design projects, such as logos and branding, illustrations, print and presentation design, social media and marketing design, as well as websites and landing pages.
• You can work with different designers: Imagine having access to dozens of designers with diverse skills and expertise to work on your projects, for a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire. This allows marketing agencies to expand their offer and helps small businesses get diverse types of design for an affordable price.‍
• You can pause your subscription at any time: Most unlimited graphic design services have a flexible model, which means there are no contracts.

The benefits of an unlimited graphic design subscription

So now we’ve answered the question “what is a graphic design subscription,” and you should have a basic idea of how it works.

But what are some of the long-term benefits of switching to the design as a service model? Here are some of them.

More creativity

Remember the days before Netflix, when you had to watch whatever was on TV? How much better is it to watch whatever you feel like, when you want it? 

Well, graphic design subscription allows you to have the same control of the design process. When you don’t have to worry about a designer’s capabilities or the cost of extra revisions, you can explore different creative possibilities and come up with unique visual solutions. 

ManyPixels provides reliable, high-quality design services that help us remain flexible, deliver fast results, and access a complete design team, enhancing our creative projects without needing in-house expertise. - Dima P.

For example, you can replace templated social media graphics with stunning custom illustrations that will boost your engagement rates and social media visibility. Or you can improve your website’s user experience with motion graphics.

Reliability

Freelancers can easily disappear off the grid, and in-house designers go on holiday or take sick leave. None of these are concerns you need to worry about with an unlimited design service.

With a team of designers on hand, there’s always a professional standing by in case the first designer can’t complete the task for whatever reason. Most unlimited services also work year-round, allowing you to plan designs and get last-minute graphics whenever you need them. 

Along with a full team of designers, our own services include help from project managers. They help to make client-designer communication run smoothly, and ensure our rigorous quality assurance system is put in place. 

Affordability

Right, wWe’ve mentioned that the graphic design subscription model is the most cost-effective, For comparison, an in-house designer in the US has an average salary of around $6,000 per month.

A freelance designer can be a fantastic investment for a one-off project. But if you consider the average hourly rate of about $45, getting as little as 10 hours of design work per week can be quite an investment on a monthly level.

The difference is even more remarkable with bigger projects Whereas you’ll have to pay thousands of dollars for a website with a web design agency or freelancer, a website design as a service company can create a professional website for approximately $500 to $1,000.

Speed

With the graphic design subscription model, designers are used to handling several projects every day. So, they are able to work much more efficiently, and deliver most results in under 48 hours (often with a 1-business day turnaround). 

This is especially useful for marketing agencies that need campaign graphics last minute, or wish for a quick design revision for their clients.

Who should get a graphic design subscription?

If you recognize yourself in one or more of the following points, a graphic design subscription could be a perfect choice!

You need design on a regular basis.

As was already said, one of the best things about a design subscription is the amount of work you can get done.

If you can come up with many design requests (illustrations, social media posts, ads, etc.), this is the ideal choice! Design services like ours also work very fast, so it’s sometimes possible to get graphics back the same day you request them (depending on the complexity of the design).

You don’t have a designer or design team.

Whether you’re a startup or a small business, chances are that you still don’t have a designer on your team.

Hiring and finding the right people takes weeks. Freelancers are unpredictable, and working with them regularly can become a hassle (you may need to find different designers for various projects).

Instead of all that stress and hassle, you can get your own design team in a few clicks. Our service can eliminate the need for another design provider, with all your design needs covered. 

See our extensive scope of service here. 

You want more design options. 

Does that mean a graphic design subscription is not for you if you already have a design team? Absolutely not.

We work with many marketing agencies, some of which have several designers in their ranks. These are the two main ways we help them out:

1. We take care of the day-to-day so they can focus on more complex tasks. This allows the in-house team to spend more time developing a stellar creative direction, leaving the simple execution to us.‍
2. We create more options for their clients. If you want to win over clients, give them options. With our budget-friendly rates, you can significantly expand your service, both in terms of the number of designs, as well as the types. So, you can give your clients more while staying well within your budget.

You want affordable design.

Last but certainly not least - the graphic design subscription model is the most affordable way to get creative graphic design regularly. 

While freelancers may be cheaper on a one-off basis, in the long run, you’ll always pay less with an unlimited design service (at ManyPixels, you can get unlimited design at just $599 per month!) 

Don’t take it from us - our clients know it first-hand!

You really can’t beat unlimited graphics and revisions for the price. This has been one of the best investments I’ve made for my business. - Chelsea Bonner

Who shouldn’t get a graphic design subscription

Does it seem like I’ve done a lot to convince you that nothing can beat a graphic design subscription service?

Sure, ManyPixels is a leading design subscription company and there’s that. However, virtually no other type of design service can match when it comes to the price-quality-speed ratio. 

And yet, an unlimited graphic design subscription is not for everyone. There are some, albeit few, cases where this doesn’t make sense. 

You just need help with one project.

In many cases (depending on the complexity of the design project), this can still be cheaper than hiring a freelancer. Still, this model doesn’t make sense for one-off projects.

When signing up, it’s best to have a long-term plan to make the best use of this model. Moreover, thinking on a per-project basis will probably incur some additional costs down the road. 

You’re a big fan of meetings.

Although we highly encourage clients to form close relationships with one or more of our designers, it’ll never be like having an in-house employee.

At ManyPixels, you can also choose our Dedicated Designer plan and communicate with your designer easily through Slack. Our custom design management platform also allows marketing teams to collaborate - multiple users can view and access designs and leave comments directly on the graphics for a faster revision process. 

However, due to the volume of work our designers take care of, they can’t attend brainstorming meetings and other such sessions.

If that face-to-face touch is something you can’t give up, an unlimited design service might not be for you. If, however, you like to give directions and let the pros do their work - it’s worth trying out

Best design subscription companies

Did you think we’d leave you without some last few actionable tips on where to get the best graphic design subscription services? Here are 10 leading companies to check out!

1. ManyPixels (subscriptions from $599)

If you want to get all your designs under one roof, at great price ManyPixels is the way to. All graphic design projects are included in all plans, so you won’t need to pay the big bucks to get whatever you need.

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ManyPixels has a relatively small, but select team, and dedicated project managers provide quality assurance and help the design process run smoothly. 

2. Design Pickle (subscriptions from $1,600)

Although on the higher end, Design Pickle’s pricing also allows you to add extra hours to the base subscription (for extra charge of course), which might be useful for big companies looking for an alternative to traditional design companies. 

They have hundreds of designers on their team, and some of them are top-level. However, the huge team also means they hire less experienced designers. This is evident also from their Truspilot rating (3.8), which is quite a bit lower than competitors like ManyPixels, Penji, and Kimp (all 4.8).

3. Penji (subscriptions from $499)

If you have a relatively limited set of design needs (e.g. you don’t require UI/UX design, presentations, or infographics), Penji’s most affordable design subscription can be a great choice.

This company delivers high on quality and promise a very fast delivery (just one day). However, bear in mind that this probably means the first draft, not the final project. 

4. Kimp (subscriptions from $897)

Kimp offers three types of subscriptions - for graphics only, video only, or both. They offer a 50% discount on the first month, which can be tempting if you only want to test out unlimited design services.

Although they do offer a free trial, it’s important to note that you won’t be able to get editable files during this period. This ensures that the free trial isn’t abused for getting free work for more complex projects (e.g. landing pages).

5. No Limit Creatives (subscriptions from $259)

No Limit Creatives is somewhat different from the other options, because they have a multi-tier, credit-based pricing system.

This can be a big advantage, if you need only a specific type of design. However, if you want to get the full scope of capabilities and unlimited design requests which is a norm with other companies, subscriptions start at $700 a month.

They also offer long-form video editing, which is not that common with unlimited design companies.  

Ready to start your design subscription?

We hope this helps you make an informed decision about choosing the right design partner for your business. There are really few downsides to an unlimited graphic design subscription. 

If you’re ready to get started go ahead and check out ManyPixels' simple and affordable pricing. Fast turnaround, high-quality designs, and every type of project under one roof!

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Need more information? We’d be happy to help. Book a free 1:1 consultation to see if a ManyPixels design subscription is right for your business.