Best partnership
Best for teams that need a flexible, top-quality design partner that scales with demand.
Best for:
- Monthly scalable capacity
- On-brand creative production
- Fully-managed team
- Rollover hours on all plans
Design smarter, scale faster
Compare
Design Force
with other design solutions
Need more design support, but not sure which one to take? Compare Design Force with agencies, freelancers, in-house teams, and design subscriptions to see what fits your needs best.
1M + PROJECTS DELIVERED | AVERAGE 4.9/5 CLIENT SATISFACTION | 98% FASTER TURNAROUND TIMES
Comparing design solutions
Find the right one for the
way your team works
Every design solution has its place. The right choice depends on your workload, budget, and the level of creative support you need.
Design subscriptions
Flexible design support that scales with workload, though team setups vary by provider.
Traditional agencies
Great for big creative projects, but often cost more, take longer, and offer less flexibility.
Freelancers
Good for one-off projects, but consistency and availability can slip as your needs grow.
In-house
Reliable for ongoing work, but building and managing a team requires time and budget.
Design Force works like your own in-house team, with the freedom to scale up or down anytime.
Comparing Design Force with
other design solutions
Recommended | Traditional Agencies | Freelancers | In-house | Other Subscriptions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Design Force From $1,500/mo, flat | Traditional Agencies Projects commonly $10,000–$49,999 | Freelancers$50–$150/hr, adds up with volume | In-house$90K+/yr plus benefits per designer | Other SubscriptionsStarts at $499 and up, varies by service provider |
| Turnaround | Design Force48-72 hours | Traditional AgenciesWeeks or more | Freelancers Varies by availability | In-houseFast, but capped by capacity | Other SubscriptionsVaries by service provider |
| Management | Design ForceProject Manager & Art Director on all plans | Traditional AgenciesAccount manager or executive assigned | FreelancersYou brief and manage each hire | In-houseYou hire, train, and manage | Other SubscriptionsSelf-managed, or gated to higher tiers |
| Brand consistency | Design ForceDedicated team learns your brand | Traditional AgenciesVaries, agency-specific | FreelancersVaries per individual | In-houseDeep day-to-day brand knowledge | Other SubscriptionsPooled models rotate designers |
| Scalability | Design ForceScale, pause, or adjust monthly | Traditional AgenciesLimited by resources | FreelancersAdd freelancers, add overhead | In-houseHiring cycle per role | Other SubscriptionsCapped by slots or hours |
| Quality assurance | Design ForceBuilt-in QA process | Traditional AgenciesVaries, agency-specific | FreelancersDepends on seniority | In-houseDepends on team structure | Other SubscriptionsMixed with minimal oversight |
| Range of capabilities | Design Force50+ design services | Traditional AgenciesLimited to expertise | FreelancersLimited to one person’s skill set | In-houseLimited to the person’s skills | Other SubscriptionsVaries by service provider |
| Dedicated teams | Design ForceYes, across all plans | Traditional AgenciesVaries per project | FreelancersOne person, not a team | In-houseFully dedicated, it’s your staff | Other SubscriptionsVaries by service provider |
| Cost transparency | Design ForceNo hidden fees | Traditional AgenciesHidden fees are common | FreelancersMay add extra costs | In-houseSalary fixed; overhead adds up | Other SubscriptionsMay add extra costs |
| Revisions | Design ForceUnlimited | Traditional AgenciesLimited or costly | FreelancersBilled hourly beyond scope | In-houseUnlimited, within capacity | Other SubscriptionsAdvertised as unlimited, but queue-capped |
| Contract flexibility | Design ForceCancel anytime | Traditional AgenciesLong-term contracts | FreelancersFlexible, but informal | In-houseFixed capacity | Other SubscriptionsVaries by service provider |
| Design ownership | Design ForceFull ownership | Traditional AgenciesVaries per agency | FreelancersMay vary or unclear | In-houseFully owned, work-for-hire | Other SubscriptionsVaries per service provider |
Clear the creative backlog.
Keep the design quality.
One dedicated team, 50+ capabilities, work back in 48–72 hours. No hiring, no chasing freelancers, no quality roulette.
Why teams choose Design Force
Dedicated team
from day oneYour assigned project manager, art director, and designers learn your brand and creative standards over time.
Less work on
your plateWe help manage the production process, from briefs and feedback to priorities and delivery.
Scalable capacity
that adaptsAdjust your plan as design demand shifts, with rollover hours that give your team more value.
Creative coverage
for any needAccess 50+ design capabilities without hiring, juggling freelancers, or adding more vendors.
Why leading brands trust Design Force
5.0
4.8
4.6
top quality
5/5in brand consistency
“Design Force is super reliable and incredibly fast! I feel relieved knowing the project will be delivered on time and will be great work.”
Allison LeearHubSpotTechnology and Softwarefast
3xfaster than traditional
agencies and freelancers
“Improved turnaround times – our internal creative process workflow would take anywhere between 4-6 weeks to get deliverables. Design Force did it in 3-4 days.”
Tessa PollardHyatt Hotels CorporationHospitalityon-brand
100%seamless
collaboration
“It’s that level of sophistication that up-leveling, again, especially with an organization that’s been around for a while, we’re not a startup and we don’t want to look like one. And you all certainly help us bring that level of sophistication and maturity that we need to the market.”
Lauren PancoSTART Center for Cancer ResearchHealthcare ResearchSCALABLE
10xeasier to scale than
in-house hiring
“Design Force is helping us solve the challenge of producing high-quality creative assets at scale without overloading our internal team. Their support allows us to launch campaigns faster, maintain brand consistency across channels, stay agile with shifting priorities, and free up our in-house team to focus more on strategy and content creation.”
Hussein EbiedColumbia UniversityEducationtop quality
+275average hours
supported
“Working with Design Force has been a very simple and seamless onboarding process and kind of iteration process. As you know, with creative work, there’s always going to be a little bit of back and forth… And I think that one of the strengths of Design Force is that all the people that we’ve worked with have been really interested in getting it right, and really interested in helping us achieve our goals.”
Leih BoydenAmsiveAdvertising Servicesfast
3xfaster than traditional
agencies and freelancers
“Design Force is responsive, works within our timelines, and supports us with a wide range of creative assets from websites to presentations.”
James SavardIRONSCALESSoftwareon-brand
100%brand consistency
“Their dedication to understanding and aligning with our brand’s vision has been instrumental in achieving our desired brand identity and communication goals.”
Porsha JohnsonUFC GymWellness and FitnessSCALABLE
10xeasier to scale than
in-house hiring
“We love having a dedicated team, including a project manager who keeps everything on track. All deliverables go through an Art Director for quality approval, ensuring top-notch results.”
Sophie MelcherSaviyntSoftware Developmenttop quality
80%project approvals on first approval
“Extremely effective and simple process. They always make sure we communicate to review priorities for the week and go over any new product specs.”
Ben LeikenArkestroHospitalityfast
3xfaster than traditional
agencies and freelancers
“Design Force is their incredibly fast turnaround times, consistently high-quality creative output, and their responsiveness—working with them feels seamless and efficient, like an extension of our own team.”
Carlyn NortoSaviyntChemical Manufacturingon-brand
90%one-time launch rate
The brand now looks unique, identifiable, and we get a lot of feedback about that. At a recent conference, we had 60–70 people visit our booth, while a competitor just two booths away had maybe 15. Our giant banner was easy to read, clear, and engaging—people came to us immediately. I’ve already recommended Design Force to others in my network.
Ashley TriscuitPrognos HealthSoftwaretop quality
80%project approvals
on first approval
“I would summarize our experience as fantastic! Their team is very responsive to our requests and acts on feedback immediately. Since we have done multiple projects I feel as if they are an extension of the team that understands our brand direction.”
Dustin AbneyPortoroIndustrytop quality
100%on-demand support
“I cannot say enough about how wonderful working with Design Force has been. Not only are they insanely responsive, they are masters at taking feedback and turning it into amazing work. Our point of contact, Sophie, is always on her A game and has made the creative process an absolute breeze.”
Kate FlahertyPBJ MarketingMarketing Servicesfast
5/5in turnaround times
“The biggest benefit has been time efficiency and reliability in meeting deadlines. Having well-designed assets on time is crucial for us—especially for large reports like The State of Marketing or The ROI Behind AI. Design Force always matches deadlines, applies feedback quickly, and delivers designs that fuel real results. Those reports alone generated thousands of leads.”
Lorena RodriguezHubSpotTechnology and Softwareon-brand
65%faster turnaround times
“I also like that you guys know our brand. So it’s like once I teach you guys the brand, I don’t have to re-explain it.”
Matt FaulknerAmerican Window FilmConstructionSCALABLE
10xeasier to scale than
in-house hiring
“We have a little more work than one person can handle but not enough consistent work to justify on-boarding a second in-house graphic artist. With Design Force, we get the best of both worlds and some great designs!”
Kari AmbleChemical UniverseChemical ManufacturersSCALABLE
+80projects supported
“Design Force has helped us tremendously with graphic designs and social assets. Their support has helped us open up room for our own team. Not only this but the designs are consistent across all channels.”
Anahi AlvarezHouse of LashesCosmeticsfast
3xfaster than traditional
agencies and freelancers
“We’ve seen a noticeable difference in both our speed and consistency working with Design Force. We’re now able to meet our tight deadlines with very high-quality work.”
Michelle WoodMauve SocialMarketing Serviceson-brand
100%brand alignment
“Design Force’s commitment to shared values and their account team’s attentiveness built a bridge of trust and collaboration between our teams, a bond that continues to grow stronger.”
Tony SaffellZorzi CreativeMarketing ServicesSCALABLE
+30design capabilities
leveraged
“Working with Design Force has truly transformed how we approach our projects, their quick turnaround times and the team’s ability to tackle a wide array of design challenges have been game-changers for us”
Lana Van BruntSackville & Co.Retail Apparel and FashionSCALABLE
80%time-to-market
decrease
“We’ve been able to improve our team’s performance. Design Force’s expertise has brought efficiency and creativity to our design and marketing efforts.”
Paul AndersonCold Chain TechnologiesPharmaceutical Manufacturingfast
3xfaster than traditional
agencies and freelancers
“Design Force delivers on time, communicates clearly, and makes collaboration easy through project management tool”
Kendra PonceCerulean ManagementBusiness Consultanton-brand
65%creative efficiency
“Partnering with Design Force has been a game-changer for our brand. Their ability to dive deep into understanding our brand and operational needs from the get-go has made all the difference. The team’s responsiveness, coupled with their knack for taking direction and truly grasping our needs, has enabled us to expand our marketing efforts in ways we couldn’t have imagined.”
Molly RossHD ButtercupRetailSCALABLE
80%project approvals
on first approval
“Fractionalizing is the future of work and designforce offered the perfect solution for my startup. They helped me with an eye-popping pitch-deck that’s getting investor attention! The price was right and the work was done quickly and efficiently. I highly recommend designforce!”
Gannyn LoughHireScale TalentTechnology, Information and Internettop quality
5/5on quality
“Design Force delivered on time with little necessary iterations. Design Force delivered quality work on time, requiring minimal iterations. The team utilized Monday.com to manage requests efficiently, ensuring a smooth workflow. Moreover, they communicated via email and messaging apps.”
Sarah StroupLearnLuxGlobal Program Specialistfast
5/5on schedule
“Design Force’s customer service is impressive. Design Force delivered content on time, meeting the client’s expectations. The team communicated well through virtual meetings, ensuring a smooth workflow. Their customer service was excellent, and there were no areas for improvement at this time.”
Carter RandolphJCS MarketingAgencyon-brand
100%brand alignment
“Before finding Design Force, we struggled with freelancers who couldn’t deliver projects on time and didn’t align with our branding. Design Force takes the time to understand our brand and always delivers designs promptly. We’ve used them for all our digital marketing assets—website, emails, social posts/stories, videos, and even packaging!”
Kirra JaquiasHouse of LashesCosmeticsSCALABLE
85%production time saved
“Being able to write a creative brief and then to kind of do this handoff, which then allows our small team to focus on our day-to-day operations. So we’ve been able to generate logos, word marks, page layouts and templates, all within a short amount of time.”
Todd PurcellY.L.I ThreadsTextiles & Hobbyon-brand
5/5on brand
“I’m impressed by Design Force’s ability to do it all. Design Force’s work has been approved by the client’s third party and received positive feedback from stakeholders. The team demonstrates a wide range of skills and expertise. Design Force communicates well with the client.”
Cayden CarterEco EntertainmentEventsClient spotlight
A creative partner that makes collaboration easy
Everyone we’ve worked with, from the account team to the project manager, has been professional, consistent, and responsive in a way that makes Design Force easy to work with. Partnering with them gives us more time to focus on the strategic elements of our marketing plan.
Leih BoydenAssociate Director of Content Strategy @ Amsive
Design that makes brands shine
Comparing design solutions
Which design solution is
right for your team?
Choosing the right design partner depends on how much creative work your business produces and how you prefer to manage it.
Best partnershipTraditional Agencies
Best for companies seeking strategic branding, campaigns, or large-scale creative initiatives.
Best for:
- Creative strategy
- End-to-end campaigns
- Full-service support
- Project-based work
Freelancers
Best for one-off projects or businesses with occasional design needs.
Best for:
- One-off projects
- Specialized skills
- Direct collaboration
- Occasional requests
In-house
Best for companies with steady, high-volume design needs and the resources to build and manage an internal creative team.
Best for:
- High-volume needs
- Daily collaboration
- Brand immersion
- Long-term investment
Other Subscriptions
Best for businesses with recurring design requests that fit within their service model.
Best for:
- Steady request volume
- Straightforward tasks
- Platform workflows
- Set plan capacity
FAQs
Is a design subscription better than a design agency?
It depends on the work. Agencies are the better fit for large, one-time projects that need senior strategy, like a rebrand. For ongoing design needs, Design Force is a better fit. You get a dedicated team every month, often at a fraction of the cost of hiring an agency repeatedly.
How much does a design agency cost compared to a subscription?
Agency projects typically run $10,000 and up, with new scoping for each engagement. Design subscriptions run a flat monthly fee. Design Force starts at $1,600 a month with unlimited requests, so the math favors subscriptions once design becomes an ongoing need rather than a one-off.
Should I hire a freelancer or use a design subscription?
For a single, well-defined task, a freelancer is often the simpler choice. For recurring design needs across formats, a subscription removes the sourcing, briefing, and management overhead of coordinating individual freelancers and keeps your brand consistent with one dedicated team.
Is a design subscription cheaper than hiring in-house?
A senior in-house designer typically costs $90,000+ a year before benefits and covers one skill set. A managed subscription like Design Force starts at $1,600 a month and gives you access to a full creative team with flexible capacity, allowing you to adjust your plan as demand changes or even pause during slower months.
What should I look for in a design subscription service?
Check how the team is structured (dedicated team or rotating pool), how management works (built-in or a paid upgrade), turnaround consistency, and capacity limits like slots or hour caps. Our guide to the best design subscription services breaks down how to weigh each factor.
Ready for a more flexible
way to scale design?
Scale up for launches, ease back after, with a dedicated team keeping every asset on-brand.