Graphic design subscription services are becoming increasingly popular, but what are some of the best Designjoy alternatives?
As a Marketing Manager, you know the impact efficient design services can have on your team’s productivity and overall success.
When you’re juggling campaigns, deadlines, and creative assets, having the right design partner can make all the difference.
Designjoy has made a name for itself as a subscription based unlimited graphic design service, but it’s not your only option.
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Although offering unlimited requests and revisions, Designjoy reviews often highlight its high cost and reliance on a single designer.
Whether you’re looking to work more closely with a design team or are after a different pricing model, there are plenty of high-quality Designjoy alternatives to consider.
We’re going to highlight some of the best alternatives to Designjoy, including Design Pickle, Penji, Design Cloud and of course, our very own services here at Canny, so you can find the perfect fit for your design needs.
Understanding Design Retainers
Before diving into the best Designjoy alternatives, let’s take a moment to talk about retainers and graphic design subscriptions and why they’re such a game-changer for marketing teams.
A design retainer is a service agreement where you pay a set monthly fee for continuous design support. It’s a predictable, scalable way to keep your creative projects flowing without worrying about budgeting for each individual one.
Key benefits of design retainers for marketing managers:
- Predictable Pricing: The flat rate design service allows you to budget with confidence and keep stakeholders happy knowing exactly what your design costs will be each month.
- Quick Turnaround Times: Get designs delivered fast so you can meet tight deadlines.
- Flexibility: Have a go-to team ready to adapt to your changing needs, whether it’s new campaign visuals or last-minute tweaks.
By partnering with a service that offers a design package or subscription service, you free up time to focus on strategic goals while making sure your creative needs are consistently met.
Want to dive deeper? Check out our comprehensive guide to design retainers.
Top Designjoy Alternatives
Let’s explore some of the best alternatives to Designjoy and how they stack up.
Canny on Demand
We might be biased, but Canny on Demand really does it all. Where other retainer services might only offer design, web or SEO, all of our retainer packages offer all three.
We operate as an extension of your marketing team. We take the time to understand your brand identity and tone of voice, and make sure that your website, content and graphics are a true reflection of your business.
You’ll have access to years of experience across services including logo design, brand guidelines, web design, content strategy, SEO optimisation and more.
We use Productive as our project management software, and this allows us to seamlessly manage every step of your projects. This keeps them on schedule and gives you full transparency into the process with live updates.
Our services are priced depending on the number of hours you need, and can be scaled up or down depending on your workload.
- 16 hours: £2160/month
- 40 hours: £3400/month
- 64 hours: £5120/month
Design Pickle
Design Pickle are known for their unlimited design services. They offer three graphics plans, from a starter plan for basic ongoing graphic design needs, to a premium plan that includes a designated designer and same day turnarounds.
Depending on the tier of plan, they offer a range of design services, from Custom Illustrations to Motion Graphics.
They’re also clear about what they don’t offer, specifying tasks like fine art illustration, complex photo manipulation and 3D projects as areas not covered in any of their plans.
They have a built-in “Brand Profile” tool, which helps to keep designs consistent and cohesive by connecting them with your brand standards.
Their pricing is clear and transparent, with the different plans priced according to the level of service, offering something for most budgets:
- Graphics: £374.75/month
- Graphics pro: £749.25/month
- Graphics Premium: £1,161.75/month
If you’re after something more bespoke, or have particularly high-volume needs, they can also tailor a plan to suit your business’s specific requirements on request.
Penji
Penji pride themselves on being able to match you with the correct designer for your job. You can select a designer from their marketplace, or use their AI matchmaker to build you the perfect team. And, if you’re not vibing with your chosen designer you can swap them out for a better fit.
They operate an unlimited design request model, meaning you can queue up as many designs as you need and, depending on your plan, they’ll work on one or more of your projects at a time.
You communicate with your designer through Penji’s purpose built platform – this can potentially be limiting, with no option for one-to-one calls.
Penji state that they offer design work across more than 120 different design categories. This includes typical graphic design tasks, as well as motion graphics and web design.
For Penji’s pricing, higher tiers give you access to more complex design tasks.
- Business: $1000/month
- Marketing & Ads: $2000/month
- Agency: $3000/month
Kimp
Also operating an unlimited design subscription service, are Kimp.
Kimp offer graphic design and video editing services, but do not cover other services like web design.
They set you up with a designated team, made up of one project manager and 3 designers with different areas of expertise.
Your team will be available to you during set hours each day, depending on your timezone.
Kimp has their own platform, Kimp360, so that you can make and manage your design requests all in one place. In terms of turnaround, they aim to deliver graphics within 24 hours, and videos in 2-4 business days.
Kimp split their pricing between graphic and video needs:
- Graphics: £565/month
- Video: £645/month
- Graphics & video: £965/month
Kapa 99
With Kapa 99, you’ll have a team that includes a dedicated Project Manager who works to find you a specialist designer, and an Art Director who focuses on quality control.
They are an unlimited service, allowing you to request as many tasks as you need, whilst they work through them on a first come, first served basis.
Kapa 99 do not offer any video, motion graphics or web design in their service, so if these services are a priority to you, you may want to look elsewhere.
You can submit design requests to Kapa 99 via your preferred method, whether that’s via email, on a Trello board or on their own platform.
Typical turnaround time for design projects is 12 to 48 hours for most tasks, operating more quickly on the Express pricing model. Kapa 99 try to accommodate your needs, and if you have an urgent task that needs immediate attention they will make an effort to meet specific deadlines.
- Business: $499/month
- Business Express: $999/month
Graphics Zoo
Graphics Zoo is an on-demand graphics and video editing service. They’re a team based in the US, offering unlimited graphic designs and video edits with a 24 hour (or less) turnaround time.
They offer a range of services, including branding, illustrations, motion graphics and UI/UX.
Graphics Zoo will set you up with a dedicated Art Director and a curated design and editing team, chosen based on your needs. They operate during US business hours and will integrate their team with yours through Slack. They allow for calls or video chats any time, giving you a clear line of communication with the design team.
Graphic Zoo’s pricing system goes up in tiers, depending on the number of projects handled at one time. The basic level offers one, whilst elite offers up to four.
- Essential: $850/month
- Premium: $1450/month
- Elite: $2750/month
Design Cloud
Design Cloud is a UK based graphic design service, and they assign you a specific designer to work with you as an extension of your marketing team.
Design Cloud aim to make working day-to-day with your designer like working with any other remote team member, with your assigned designer available every business day 9am-5.30pm.
You can submit requests for designs through Design Cloud’s own platform, but if you’d also like to communicate via Slack, you’ll have to pay to add it on (unless you’re signed up to the Pro plan).
Scaling up is as straightforward as adding another designer to your team. This means you can scale up or down as needed depending on the flow of work.
Design Cloud price their packages on a per designer basis, meaning each package includes one designer, and one active project at a time. The different tiers allow for different complexities of work.
- Graphic design Essential: £599/month
- Graphic design Agency: £799/month
- Graphic design Pro: £999/month
Superside
Superside position themselves as a premium design service and “world class creative team”. They employ highly skilled creatives and project managers and work with some of the world’s biggest brands.
They offer 24/7 timezone coverage and turnaround times starting at 12 hours. Their own platform, “Superspace”, is used to submit requests and track projects.
They offer a more extensive range of services than many other subscriptions, from branding and website design to video production and 3D design. They also offer consulting services in areas including AI strategy and marketing.
They ask for a minimum commitment of one year, so if you’re looking for something more flexible, consider a service with a shorter contract.
Superside encourage you to talk through your needs with them, so that they can create a bespoke plan and price accordingly.
- Their subscriptions typically range from $6,000 to $100,000 USD/month.
Updesigners
UpDesigners operate on an hourly model – meaning that you sign up to the plan that best suits the number of hours of work you’ll need to be completed each month. They will match you with a specific graphic designer according to your needs.
The plans run month to month, which gives you the flexibility of not being signed into a long-term contract and the ability to scale the plan up or down as needed. Unused hours can be carried over into the next month.
Slack is their chosen communication tool, which will connect you directly with your designer.
Their services cover a range of graphic design tasks, as well as video editing and web design. This makes them more comprehensive than some other retainer packages, where only graphic design is included, and a good option for those with ongoing web development needs.
- 20 hours: £699/month
- 40 hours: £1398/month
- 60 hours: £2097/month
- 80 hours: £2796/month
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Design Service
We now know there are a number of solid options available when looking for a Designjoy alternative that meets your ongoing creative needs. But what should you be considering when trying to choose the design service that’s right for you?
We suggest you think about your requirements carefully – making sure you choose the right service can make all the difference when it comes to integrating seamlessly into your existing workflow.
Consider:
Turnaround Time
Think about how quickly you need your design work to be completed. Do you frequently have tasks that require immediate attention? Consider a plan that gives you same- or next-day turnaround.
You’ll often pay more for faster services, so if this isn’t a priority, it’s worth considering options with longer delivery times.
Look for services with a proven track record of reliable turnaround times to keep your team on schedule and avoid unnecessary delays.
Quality of Work
The design work should resonate with your brand’s identity and meet your quality expectations.
Take time to look at an agency’s portfolio or samples to understand whether they are able to accurately reflect your desired style and align with your brand’s aesthetic.
Scalability
As your design needs evolve, choose a service that can grow with you.
Whether you’re looking for unlimited design support, with several tasks being handled at once, or just periodic projects, make sure that the service can adapt to your changing requirements without sacrificing quality.
Communication and Tools
Effective collaboration is key when it comes to outsourcing design work.
Check if the service offers tools for easy communication, such as project management systems or direct access to the team via tools like Slack. This will allow you to talk through your projects with the external team and keep your workflow efficient and organised.
Pricing and Value for Money
It’s important to select a service that aligns with your marketing budget while providing enough value.
Look for transparent pricing structures with tiers that can be scaled up or down if needed. This way, you can understand the cost upfront and can plan accordingly.
The Best Designjoy Alternatives for Busy Marketing Managers
Choosing the right design service isn’t just about cost. It’s about finding a partner that fits seamlessly into your workflow, delivers high-quality work, and keeps up with your marketing team’s fast-paced demands.
While Designjoy has been a popular option, there are plenty of high-performing Designjoy alternatives, each with its own strengths in pricing, flexibility, and service offerings.
Whether you’re after unlimited design requests, dedicated designers, or an all-in-one marketing solution like Canny on Demand, the key is selecting a service that aligns with your goals and gives you the creative support you need to succeed.
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