Have you been trying to set a realistic budget for starting your business, only to learn that there are a million different tools, options, necessities, and price points to sort through?
If yes, you’re in the same boat as millions of other new business owners. Logo design alone is a hard thing to put a price on – especially as a new business owner who’s trying to successfully get their idea off the ground without breaking the bank.
So, it’s important that we get one thing out of the way: There’s a logo design for every price point.
That’s right; you can get a logo for $5 or for $5 million, and both of them may be good options for you – depending on what you need.
We made a video that talks all about this; or, keep scrolling to learn more!
If you came to this post because you want to rebrand your 10-year-old business, you’re going to have a different set of needs than if you’re trying to launch your first online store.
For example, a well-established business going through a rebrand would likely be looking for an entire strategy to accompany their new logo design (e.g. a holistic approach to the brand’s new messaging, visual design elements that support that messaging, etc.).
Usually, this type of rebrand would happen through a design agency; it can take a lot of time to create and cost top-dollar, but it’s worth it in terms of the return you can expect on the investment.
However, if you’re launching a side hustle for the first time, it’s much more important to quickly get your idea out into the world, with a clean logo design that looks legitimate and lets customers know your brand can be trusted. Unlike an entire strategy, a basic logo design with high-resolution files can cost you between $5-$10, depending on how you acquire it. (We’ll talk more about this below.)
Once you assess your needs, you’ll be better able to evaluate different logo design packages and see which price point aligns best with your goals.
In light of the above, think about whether you just need a logo, a complete brand design – which can include things like a brand voice and overall style – or something in between (branded designs for social media, brand style guide, etc.). Then, decide how long you can realistically wait for your logo, and whether or not you want the option of design revisions.
Now, logo packages can range from as low as $4.00 to upwards of $2500, depending on how you make it and what you need included in the package – like basic files vs. an entire brand strategy.
So, before choosing a method of creating your logo and deciding on a price, you’ll want to take a look at what’s included. Here are some of the options:
– Vector / EPS file: These are high-quality image files that can be resized over and over, without losing the quality of the design. We’re talking billboards and business cards, social media and storefronts; any size goes. You can also edit them with design software tools like Photoshop or Illustrator.
– Transparent PNG: Also known as a transparent logo, this is a file containing your logo design on a transparent background. It allows you to put your logo on any colored background without having to worry about the colors clashing or the background swallowing your design.
– Design guidelines: Whether you’re designing your logo on your own or having someone do it for you, it helps to have every design element written down – including the Hex color codes of each shade and the exact typeface variation you’re using (weight, font name, etc.). It’s really important to have these guidelines written out, so that you (and anyone else who may work with your brand in the future) always use your logo correctly.
– Brand strategy: Usually offered by design agencies, a brand strategy can include anything from predefined color palettes and imagery to support your brand message to the tone of voice that goes into your messaging. Sometimes, this can even include competitor analysis, with an emphasis on how to differentiate your brand from others in the market, how to price your offer competitively, etc.
With all that in mind, let’s look at the different ways you can get a logo for your business and how much each one will cost.
Here are the 5 main ways to get a logo design. For each method of designing your logo, we included the average price range you’ll find, in addition to the types of packages that come with your purchase (file types, extra branding tools, etc.). Let’s take a look!
Price range: $2-$500
What’s more efficient than a good ol’ DIY? The costs are minimal, the design is fully in your hands, and you’re working off of your own timeline.
Of course, it can also be quite challenging; there’s a reason that most people pay someone to design a logo for them. Before you start working, you should do your research and look for logo ideas in your industry to see what resonates with your target audience.
And, note that, barring drawing your logo on paper, you’ll need to use a graphic design tool to get the logo file sizes you want.
If you do decide to design your logo yourself, these are the three main routes you can take:
If you aren’t confident in your artistic abilities (trust me, I’ve been there), then you may want to check out this list of the best logo design software programs. They give you all the logo design basics, while letting you exercise your own creative freedom to make a logo design that suits you best.
These programs will provide you with logo-designing assets, ranging from pre-designed templates to pen tools and special effects. You can try most of them out for free, and they’ll run you from $29.99 to $99.95 depending on the bundle you purchase.
Before AI-driven logo makers were created (more on this below), templates were the be-all-and-end-all of DIY logo design – and some people still use them for their time-saving benefits.
Programs like Creative Market ($2 – $500) and GraphicRiver ($10-$200) offer thousands of templates with different package options, depending on what kind of license you need.
Others like GraphicBurger ($20-$100) and Freepik (free!) provide just as many icons, which you can open in a design program and pair with typography on your own.
It’s important to note that, while templates save you time and effort, they give you a generic logo design that will look similar to others’ who have also gone the template route. In many cases, you’ll need to pay for a program like Illustrator if you want to alter your template in a significant way.
There are a number of general design tools that let you create your own logo alongside a host of other designs. You should have a good idea of what you want your logo to look like before you choose a design tool, and we’d recommend sketching several versions before moving to the screen.
Of note is Canva, which is $9.95 a month and offers editable templates to help you design anything you want. Its drag-and-drop interface and logo industry categories make it easy to create and edit a logo on your own.
Adobe Illustrator ($29.99/month – $31.49/month), as was mentioned above, is ideal for editing vector graphics and gives you every logo file size you would need. You can use it to create logos, typography, drawings, and illustrations from scratch.
There’s also Vectr (free!), which gives you basic graphic-editing tools and comes with some in-app tutorials to help you learn your way around the editor.
Price range: $3 – $200
We’re obviously biased here, but we think that using a logo maker is the best value-for-money option you’ll find. Logo makers can be easy and quick to use, and they get you professional results for the price of a cup of coffee.
However, the downside is that many logo makers use pre-designed templates to create your logo for you, which isn’t great if you want a logo that’s actually unique.
That said, logo makers like ours at Tailor Brands use AI to learn about you and your business, and we provide you with dozens of unique designs that are based on information about your business and your design preferences. And, you can tweak aspects of the design like colors, layout and fonts to your liking using our logo editor.
In general, most logo makers don’t charge you to create the logo itself; they only ask you to purchase once you’re ready to commit to a design. The packages can range from $3.99/month – $12.99/month, with a discount if you pay annually. Premium packages often come with design tools, printed assets like business cards, and other features that serve your ongoing branding needs.
There are also some logo makers that offer one-time logo purchases – spanning from $10 to $200 – but those generally don’t come with high-quality file sizes or the tools you’d need to build the rest of your brand identity.
Of course, you won’t have revisions with an online logo maker; while the better platforms out there let you tweak and customize your design, you’ll have to start from scratch if you aren’t happy with the initial logo.
That said, it takes about 5 minutes or under to create your logo, so you don’t have much to lose from going back to the drawing board!
Price range: $5 – $2500
As you can see, there’s a huge price range for hiring freelance logo designers, but be warned: You usually get what you pay for.
A $5 logo will (almost always) use standard or even plagiarized icons on a white background, with low-resolution files to boot – essentially making your logo design unusable on most platforms.
So, it’s important to vet potential freelancers – based on their experience and portfolios – before committing. Make sure to factor in the time it will take to find a freelancer within budget whose work you like.
In the best case scenario, you’ll get a referral from someone you know and not have to think twice. However, you can also find freelance graphic designers through a simple Google search, or by exploring a freelance community platform:
Fiverr freelancers are usually on the cheaper end of things, ranging from $25 to $150 per hour on average. You can choose between 3 packages (basic, standard, and premium) depending on which files you need, and you’ll have to pay up front after outlining the terms of the project.
As one of the biggest freelance marketplaces, Upwork allows you to either choose a freelancer on your own, or use their pre-selected freelancers for a flat $500 fee (and a 20% transaction fee). Most graphic design freelancers charge between $10-$200 an hour, so you’ll have your share of options.
A platform specifically for freelance designers, Dribbble has access to a huge range of talented logo artists. Their designer search option starts at $99 per month and can cost up to $399 per month to access advanced search options.
Price range: $2500-$10000+
This is undoubtedly the most expensive option at your disposal, but it may be worth it if you want ongoing branding work to be handled by a team of experts.
You’re looking at a minimum of $2500, and that’s just for a logo design. If you want custom social media designs or complete brand identity creation, there will be additional costs to factor in to your budget.
In terms of timeliness, unfortunately you’ll be on the agency’s schedule, which could mean waiting a week or more for your logo. That said, your logo is going to be thought about, worked on, and critiqued by a team of designers, so you know that you’re paying for quality.
Another positive outcome of hiring an agency is the human element; you’ll have people to speak to throughout every step of the design process, including when you have feedback for revisions.
You’ll likely have to put down 50% of the payment before they even start working on your logo, so make sure to factor that in to your budget.
Price range: $109-$1299
One of the lesser-known options, there are many platforms on which you can launch your own logo design contest.
The process is simple: You post the terms of the contest, explain what kind of design you’re looking for, and then offer it to a community of graphic designers with a range of experience. They’ll submit their designs, you choose the one you want, and everyone is happy!
For those with a tight timeline, this could be a good option for you, as you can set deadlines between 3-10 days for your design contest. All you have to do is enter your email address, create a brief that describes what kind of logo you’re looking for, and select the contest package that best suits your branding needs and budget size.
Contest packages start at $109, although to receive 50+ designs will cost $319 and up. No matter which package you choose, you’ll receive copyright ownership and industry standard files.
With this platform, you can start by selecting different designs that you like, so that contest participants get an idea of your style. Then, you rate your brand across several traits, such as feminine vs. masculine, sophisticated vs. playful, etc.
You’ll have the option to choose up to three colors that you want the designers to use, or let them pick. Finally, you provide them with a written brief, as well as any sketches you want them to use or other defining details about what you’re looking for.
Packages with just a logo start at $299, with logo + website design and/or brand identity features beginning at $599.
Here, you start by selecting your industry and budget size, choose logo styles that you like, pick colors, and fill out your brief. Like with the other contests, there are several packages you can choose from, and they start at $199.99. You can also add individual designs to your package at a cost ($50 for business card designs, etc.).
Remember, your logo is the foundation for your brand identity, and it’s the first introduction your audience will have to your business.
There are logo design options for all budget sizes, so take the time to think about what your needs are before deciding on a price point. For full brand design, you may opt for hiring an agency or crowdsourcing your project; for a logo with some branding assets, you should go with an online logo maker or think about designing one yourself.
Now the Content Lead at Tailor Brands, Kira Goldring began her marketing career as a 17-year-old handing out flyers on the streets of NYC. She currently covers all things branding, marketing and small business, but she could talk your ear off about investment strategies or gripping literature without missing a beat. Say hi on IG - @kiragoldring
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