People looking to get a logo designed will make this frustrating discovery: they can get a logo for $5, $500, $10,000, or anything in between. If you’re trying to launch a new business or brand, this is maddening. What’s a fair price? Why the crazy price range?
I’ll break down what’s happening at each pricing tier. But in short:
1) At the higher end, you’re getting extra services bundled in. 2) At the lower end, the price range is because graphic design is hard to succeed in, but very easy to dabble in. This creates a huge pool of artists to choose from, which means a wide spectrum of skill levels. And a very competitive industry!
What you’re getting for different logo prices, very generally speaking:
~$5-$30 — I mean, how motivated would you be if you were earning a few dollars an hour? At best you get a logo with no effort put in. But you’re more likely to get someone else’s logo in a different colour. Plagiarism is rampant, and the digital files provided are barely usable.
~$50-$100 — You’re likely working with a hobbyist or amateur with no commercial experience. Not necessarily a bad thing! It might work out, but it’s a big gamble. They probably won’t have the background that would help them do the job efficiently or strategically.
~$500-$1000 — Expect to pay somewhere in this price range for a good logo. An important thing that’s happening here is research: the designer takes time to learn about your company, vision, and preferences. On the high end of this range you might be getting multiple concepts to pick from, or a tagline included, or some other extra. Also, at this price range, you’re working with someone who has real world experience with both design and customer service; you’re making a safe bet and the designer will deliver exactly what you want.
~$1000-5000 — You’re getting a more robust branding package, plus some other services. So in addition to a bunch of logo concepts, you’ll probably get a mood board that captures the aesthetic of your brand beyond the logo (colour schemes, fonts, and photos supporting the feeling of the brand, like this), mockups of the logo in action (photoshopped onto t-shirts, billboards, etc.), and a branding style guide. On the high end you’ll probably get additional marketing materials like business cards, a simple template website, or a brochure. Freelancers are perfect for this and the previous tier, as they have the flexibility to scale to your specific budget and needs.
~$10,000, $50,000 and beyond — With high end logo design you’re getting an entire team of marketers and designers working on your brand and your marketing in general. The research is extremely thorough, often involving focus groups and engagement with the client’s staff. Beyond a logo and visuals, the team might be coming up with the company name, designing products, creating an advertising campaign, making a communication plan, and generally figuring out your marketing strategy for the forseeable future. The pricing goes “and beyond” because the team and scope of work can be any size — such that big brands like Coke and Apple have projects costing millions.
Your logo is the face of your business. Even if you don’t need all the frills, it’s worth spending more to get it right!