Just as a picture is worth a thousand words, a logo makes your business unique. It's the central element of your brand identity and should be well thought-through and professionally designed. However, good design comes at a price, and the amount your business pays for a logo depends on how it's made.
You can have your logo professionally designed or do it yourself. Whichever method you choose, we'll let you know what sort of costs you can expect.
Logo Design Costs: 4 Options, 4 Price Classes
If you'd like a professionally designed logo, you have four options: You can hire an agency or a freelancer, use a logo service, or do it yourself with a logo maker tool. This last option is particularly well-suited for those without any design know-how.
Below, we'll take a closer look at the costs for each as well as their advantages and disadvantages. Here, you can find a comprehensive comparison of all four options:
Agency Costs: $1,500 or More
The first option is by far the most expensive. If you hire an agency to design your business's logo, you'll pay for the expertise of multiple specialists.
Apart from the actual designer of the logo, this includes branding and marketing specialists who can ensure that your company's rebranding, repositioning, or launch is as smooth as possible.
BP's logo above cost a staggering $210 million and is the most expensive logo in the world.
The final cost depends on several factors, such as the agency's reputation, experience, and location. Other aspects that can impact the price include the number of drafts and edits. This makes having a clear briefing all the more important.
If you'd like to have your logo developed in the US or UK, you can expect to pay upwards of $1,500. Well-known brands often invest millions of dollars into logo development.
Advantages and disadvantages of agencies
Multiple specialists and varying services under one roof
Professional; guaranteed quality
No work stoppage or delay in the event of illness
Typically the most expensive option
Contact only with a project manager and not the designer or specialist
Complicated lines of communication
Freelancer Costs: $500 - $3,500
It also isn't possible to generally say how much a logo developed by a freelancer costs. At the end of the day, this depends entirely upon the level of expertise of the freelancer, their location, and your needs.
International freelancers, on platforms like Upwork or Fiverr, can design a logo for as little as a few dollars. In countries with low costs of living, $10 per hour might be a high wage.
However, language barriers, time zone differences, and varying interpretations of quality and the end goal can complicate this cost-cutting approach. For those living in wealthier parts of the world, it's also important to think about what morally fair compensation is.
You can find freelancers for any budget on Upwork.
Hourly rate vs. Project price
The average hourly rate for an experienced graphic design freelancer in the US or UK is anywhere from $40-$100. To create a logo, depending on the number of revisions or edits, expect to pay around $500 to $3,500.
Many graphic designers have specialized in creating logos and corporate identity, or CI. Typically, they know exactly what counts when creating a logo and will be able to provide you with a first draft that meets most of your expectations. This kind of intuition comes at a price though and can drive up the cost of your logo.
Based on your specifications and goals, the freelancer you hire should provide something that comes close to your vision, which can then be refined in successive steps until you have a perfect logo.
Advantages and disadvantages of freelancers
Generally more affordable than agencies
Direct contact; short lines of communication
Self-employed and highly motivated
Typically have a network of trusted colleagues that can help with other aspects
Uncertainty at the outset about whether the quality will match expectations
Specialized freelancers can only cover a single area
You need to double-check their work, since they work alone
In the event of illness, freelancers rarely have backup
Logo Design Service Costs: From $300
Even more affordable than freelancers and agencies are logo design services, which are a sort of hybrid between our first and second options.
On platforms like 99designs by VistaCreate, you can have a logo designed for you. When you open a bid or contest, you'll receive drafts from different graphic designers and can choose the most appealing one.
The amount you pay depends entirely on the experience and qualifications of the designer you select. To involve better and more experienced designers, you'll need to dig deeper into your pocket.
Start design contests and choose the best logo: That's how 99designs works.
Also ideal for limited budgets
For around $300 you can get a professional design on 99designs from a young designer with limited experience. Alternatively, you can reach out to graphic designers whose work catches your eye and see if they're willing and available to create a logo for you.
DesignCrowd and Designhill both function similarly to 99designs. For very limited budgets, you can get AI-generated logo suggestions.
With designonclick, you start a contest and receive a full package of visual materials.
Advantages and disadvantages of logo design services
Designers ranked according to level of experience
Select from numerous drafts and suggestions for each contest
Easy to use and quick feedback system
Can be expensive, depending on your requirements
Difficult to choose
Logo Maker Costs: A Logo for $10?
One of the most affordable options for creating a logo is to use a logo maker. Just keep in mind that these aren't a substitute for the work of a good designer, since they significantly limit your options. Think of logo makers as offering a placeholder until you get a professional logo or for use with smaller, less demanding projects.
We tried out some of the most popular logo makers and below will let you know what their strengths and weaknesses are:
The biggest advantage of logo makers is their price since a DIY logo will only cost $10-$50, compared to several hundred dollars or more with the other options above. Some logo makers even offer free logos, however, you'll need to factor in the amount of time needed to create a logo with these as well as your hourly rate to see if they're viable.
The table below shows the best logo makers from our review series:
Advantages and Disadvantages of Logo Makers
Significantly cheaper than logos from a designer
User-friendly interface and intuitive to use
Particularly well-suited for simple logos without icons and image elements
Cannot compete in terms of quality with professionally-designed logos
Results are generic, since the same icons and symbols are re-used
Limited customization
Users pay double if they're not satisfied with the result
Conclusion
Logos are the face of your brand and should be as unique as your business and as easy to associate with it as possible. To ensure that they are, they need to be properly conceptualized and professionally designed. Even though agencies (from $1,500) and freelancers (from $500) are costly, working with them is a smart, long-term investment.
However, if your logo budget can't afford either, a logo design service might be a good alternative. You'll get the best of both worlds, namely, a professional graphic designer and logo, for an affordable price (around $300). If you're not satisfied or decide to change your logo later, you can always relaunch your brand down the road.
When your logo budget is extremely limited or even non-existent, you can try a logo maker (for around $10). Just keep in mind that its results are almost always generic, and should only be used as temporary placeholders or for non-professional projects.
FAQs
The amount you pay for a logo depends on who designs it. Experienced freelancers and agencies charge more than new graphic artists. For a professionally-designed logo, expect to pay anywhere from $500-$3,500.
Since agencies typically involve an entire crew of pros in the creation of your logo, they're almost always the most expensive option. Depending on their reputation and expertise, an agency-designed logo can cost anywhere from several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars.
Yes. If you have a flair for design or creativity, you can create a logo. This is particularly easy to do with a logo maker since it yields simple yet appealing designs. Don't expect any miracles though: Even the best logo maker can't replace a talented graphic artist or designer.