Wondering how much you should expect to pay for logo design in 2022? This comprehensive guide covers everything from basic pricing to package deals.
When you want to create a logo for your company, you’re going to need it in the next few years. It’s an investment that will last and show off your brand. The question of what logo design price am I willing to pay is the first hurdle we have to overcome before we get started. There are many options available when it comes to logos, but they all come at different prices. In this blog post, we will discuss 6 options so you can find out what works best for your budget and business needs!
Average Cost of Logo Design From Beginner (Cheap) to Professional (Expensive) Branding Options
Option #1 - Create your own logo (FREE)
You may design your own logo for free. There are many ways you can do this, but the easiest way would be via a DIY logo maker or design app on an iPad or phone. You don’t need any graphic software experience at all and it’s completely free! This option may not always give you what you want, but it’s a great way to start if you’re on a tight budget.
Pros of creating your own logo:
Completely free
Wide range of templates to choose from
Can be done on an iPad or phone
You get complete copyright rights to your own design (as long as you don’t copy someone else’s design you found on Google)
Cons of creating your own logo:
Quality may not be as good as paid options
May not have all the features you want
Design expertise required
Option #2 – Buy & customize logo templates ($20 – $50)
There are many online marketplaces where you can purchase pre-made templates for as little as $50. This option gives you more flexibility with the design and lets you choose from a variety of different styles. However, the logo may not fit your brand identity 100% and it’s going to take some time for them to make revisions until you’re satisfied with your final design.
Using templates are perfect for small businesses that want to get a personal logo without spending too much money. If you have a limited budget, but want a high-quality design, this is the best option for you. However, because templates may be sold many times, they do not provide copyright protection and is not a good idea for professional firms.
Pros of buying logo templates:
Design flexibility
Range of styles to choose from
Less expensive than custom designs
Cons of buying logo templates:
May not fit brand identity perfectly
Takes time for revisions until you’re satisfied
No copyright transfers – Not appropriate for professional businesses
Option #3 – Use an online logo maker ($50 – $100)
This is a great option if you want to create a logo quickly and easily, but don’t have any design experience. These services usually cost around $50-100 and the logos are usually pretty good quality. The only downside is that you’re limited to the designs that are available on the website. If you can’t find anything that suits your needs, you’re stuck!
This option is still the most popular choice for personal usage cases, because several if not all platforms fail to transfer intellectual property to customers.
Pros of using online logo makers:
You are able to create your logo easily
The price is affordable
Cons of using online logo makers:
You are limited to pre-existing logo designs (which may not fit your brand)
May be too simple/not unique enough for brand identity
No copyright transfers – Not appropriate for professional businesses
Option #4 – Crowdsource a logo design ($299 – $1299)
You can crowdsource a logo on one of many freelance platforms such as 99designs, DesignCrowd or DesignHill. These sites are great because they allow you to post your design brief and receive dozens of logo designs from designers all over the world who compete for your business. You can choose a winner, make any revisions necessary and download the final files once paid.
The price range on these platforms starts at $299, but it’s important to remember that you get what you pay for. There’s only one winner in each competition. As a result, the quality is terrible. These “creatives” don’t put any effort into the project and often plagiarize to cut corners. Thats why you should always do a reverse image search on google images.
Pros of crowdsourcing logo design:
You are able to create your logo easily
The price is affordable
Cons of crowdsourcing logo design:
The overall design quality is extremely poor.
You should be concerned about plagiarism.
May be too simple/not unique enough for brand identity
Option #5 – Hire a freelancer logo designer ($300 – $15.000+)
Another option is to hire a freelancer logo designer. Developing a close working relationship with your designer is an excellent method to ensure that you receive what you want. Freelancers, on the other hand, can impact the cost and quality of work based on their level of experience. You must review their portfolio and previous client reviews to ensure that they will be able to meet your needs.
The cost of hiring a freelancer logo designer typically ranges from $300 to $15,000+, depending on the level of experience and design quality you require.
Beginner Freelancer – $100 – $1000
Experienced Freelancer – $1000 – $5,000
Renowned Freelancer – $5000 – $15,000+
You can find beginner freelancers on Fiverr or Upwork. These websites can be great if you already have a design in mind and you’re looking for someone to work on a logo project in their spare time. It’s also good for small to medium-sized projects and budgets because you can negotiate your price with the freelancer directly.
Experiences freelancers can generally be found on Dribbble.com and Behance.net. You can view their full portfolios and get an idea of their design skills and style. They often work on logo projects full-time so they can provide a high level of quality and accuracy.
Renowned freelancers generally own their own agencies. These designers have a proven track record of providing outstanding quality. They are often highly experienced and have a large online presence through their portfolio, client reviews, personal branding etc. Their work is in high demand, they are professional and reliable.
Pros of hiring freelancer logo designer:
The freelancer is the expert and will do as you ask, within reason.
You can find a high quality logo for an affordable price.
A close working relationship with your freelance designer ensures that your needs are met and delivers exactly what you want.
Cons of hiring freelancer logo designer:
Freelancers may not be fast enough to meet deadlines or handle large projects due to other commitments (family, work etc.).
It’s hard to check their level of experience without doing thorough research on them beforehand through portfolio reviews and looking at previous client feedback.
Option #6 – Hire a logo design agency ($15.000 – $1.000.000+)
This option may be necessary if you need a lot of help with branding and have a larger budget. Agencies can provide you with a team of designers, project managers and account executives who will work on your logo and other design projects until they’re completed to your satisfaction. The price range for agencies can be anywhere from $15.000 up to $1.000.000+, depending on the size and scope of your project.
Small Design Studio: $15.000 – $50,000
Mid-sized Branding Agency: $50,000 – $100,000
Renowned Branding Agency: $100,000 – $1,000,000+ (generally, it entails a plan for strategy and worldwide branding)
Small design studios keep things focused, which allows you to work with a small number of designers while still getting the most bang for your buck. You typically get a dedicated account manager to help you through the process, as well as quality design choices.
Mid-sized branding agencies have more staff and resources at their disposal, so they can take on more projects and provide a higher level of service. They also have larger client portfolios which helps them attract high-profile brands.
Renowned branding agencies are the cream of the crop. They have a large team of experienced and qualified designers, as well as a successful track record with satisfied clients. They’re often well-known for their creative work and can provide a full range of branding services.
Pros of hiring a logo design agency:
Agency’s can provide creative ideas, strategies and branding to match your target audience.
You can take advantage of their years of experience and get a lot of help with the overall branding process.
They have a large team of designers which means you’ll have a wide range of choices.
Cons of hiring a logo design agency:
Agency’s tend to be more expensive than freelancers, especially large branding agencies.
They can’t make any guarantees about the final logo design.
You need to trust that they will provide you with a great end product and deliver on time, but their previous experience and portfolios should give you some peace of mind.
What am I receiving for my money?
Regardless of the design direction you take for your logo project, it’s critical that you know what you’re paying for. Make sure the following checklist is included in your contract, whether you choose to hire a freelancer, start a design contest, or go with an agency:
Logo design files in the correct file formats. You should get high-resolution jpg, transparent png, and vector file in a variety of formats.
Unlimited revisions until you’re 100% satisfied with your logo.
A full copyright transfer of all rights, so that once it’s completed you’ll have complete ownership of the final logo designs.
Price factors of logo design
Experience- A designer with less experience will usually charge less than someone who has been in the industry for a longer time.
Location- If you’re hiring a freelancer, their rates may vary depending on where they live and work. A logo design project that’s done from scratch will generally be more expensive than one that uses a pre-made template.
Type of design- Creating a completely custom logo is going to cost more money than using stock graphics or fonts. The more complex and detailed the design, the higher the price tag will be.
Scope of work- The size of the project and how much needs to be designed (one logo, multiple logos, stationery, website etc.) can affect the price.
Number of concepts/ revisions- Most designers will offer a certain number of concepts (usually around three) and revisions as part of the package price. If you need more, you may have to pay extra.
Why is logo design so valuable?
A logo is a company’s most important form of marketing. It tells potential customers what they can expect from your business and gives them an idea of who you are as a brand.
The design process for a logo includes both research on the industry, target audience, current market trends etc., as well as creative brainstorming sessions with designers to come up with something new and unique that will represent your identity in one simple mark or symbol. If done right, it can be timeless- just look at some examples here .
When brands have been around for decades their logos usually become iconic symbols recognized by consumers everywhere. That said, there still remains a huge demand for modern companies to create original identities through branding efforts like logo design projects every year since it’s a fundamental part of any business’ success.
Logo design pricing: flat vs hourly rate
When it comes to hiring a designer for your logo project, you’ll usually have the choice between paying by a flat rate or an hourly rate. A lot of freelancers work on a per-project basis and will offer a set price for designing your logo, while others may charge by the hour. It’s important to remember that if you go with the latter option, you could end up spending more money in the long run if there are any changes or revisions needed.
On the other hand, some people prefer to work with designers who charge by the hour as they feel it gives them more control over the design process. This can be helpful especially if you’re not entirely sure what you want from your logo and need someone to help guide you in the right direction.
Hiring freelancers vs agencies
There’s pros and cons to hiring a freelancer logo designer vs an agency. Freelancers are usually more affordable, have flexible rates and can sometimes deliver faster results. However they work on their own schedule so the timeline for your project may not be as accurate or reliable since it depends on how busy they are at any given moment.
Agencies offer more structure in terms of being able to give you specific dates by which things should be completed but will also charge higher prices for this service due to the extra overhead costs involved (more designers working together under one roof etc.). If you’re looking for someone who is going to handle all aspects of creating and implementing your brand identity from scratch then agencies would definitely be worth considering- just make sure that’s what your budget can accommodate.
The cost of famous logos
Many logos you see today were designed for companies that are now household names- Nike, FedEx and Apple to name a few. While these might have seemed like a good investment back then, there’s no way of knowing if they would be as successful if their logo hadn’t been created first.
In terms of pricing, it’s difficult to estimate exactly how much these companies paid for their now-famous logo designs. However, we can take a look at some reports and estimates to get a general idea.
For example, the design firm Landor Associates was reportedly paid $250,000 to create the Nike Swoosh logo in 1971. According to many articles, Apple shelled out $1.5 million for the design of its bitten apple logo in 1976. In contrast, Samsung Electronics reportedly spent only $3,000 on its current logo design in 1993.
Some other well-known companies that have had rebranding initiatives in the past decade or so include Coca Cola, Pepsi, IBM and Microsoft. All of these businesses have invested sizable sums of money in redesigning their logos, with some reports stating that the cost can reach up to $1 million or more.
It’s interesting to see how the design trends and expectations of consumers have changed over the years, and how businesses have adapted their branding strategies accordingly. Ultimately, a logo is one of the most important investments a company can make as it represents their identity and is the first thing people will see when they visit your website or store.