If you have graphic design requirements for your business, then you are probably looking for the most cost-efficient solutions right now. Some of the questions you need to answer are, “Do you need to hire freelancers? Would you rather work with an in-house graphic designer? Or are there other options to choose from?” In this article, we will share with you the graphic design prices, the pros and cons of each option, and when it is best to hire them. This way, you can have an educated decision when hiring a professional for your graphic design needs.  

 

Graphic Design Prices Overview

Freelance Graphic Designer	In-House Graphic Designer	On-Demand Graphic Design Services
$45/ hour	$4,024/ month or $25.15/hour	$349/month or $2.18/hour

Cost per hour is based on standard full time working hours per month (160).  

Most people nowadays would say that hiring a freelancer could be the best solution for your graphic needs. After all, when a project is over, there’s no need to shell out extra money. Sounds fair, isn’t it? However, the case is different if you need bulk design orders. This could essentially mean that it will take long hours to finish and that you have to pay more. 

On the other hand, others will urge you to hire an in-house graphic designer. With them, you can send unlimited graphic design requests and they are compelled to deliver before or on the deadline. But what if you don’t have design needs for several months? What if your graphic designer experiences creative burnout? How are you going to have a quality output? 

We are not saying that hiring freelancers nor hiring in-house graphic designers is a bad thing. But in making a business decision, you must weigh the pros and cons of each option. It is crucial that you understand what graphic design needs your company requires. And of course, you also have to review its cost implications. 

 

When to Hire Freelance Graphic Designers 

The best time to hire a freelancer for your graphic design needs is if you have very minimal and straightforward requirements. For example, you need a simple flyer or poster for one-time use. Or maybe you just need a tarpaulin for a special event. This could save you a lot of time and money as most freelancers offer graphic design prices that are affordable. 

However, this might not be the best option if you have multiple design requests per month. Realistically speaking, you do not have a control on a freelancer’s workload. Oftentimes, they accept design orders from different people to sustain their monthly needs. As a result, there are delays in their deliverables. 

While we know a few reliable freelancers that could handle complex and multiple projects, there are a lot who are not capable of this. Either they will need an extension for the deadline or they will provide an unsatisfactory design. This could eat a lot of your budget if you are paying by the hour. And the total cost could be more expensive than what was originally agreed upon. This is also the reason why we recommend a contract per project instead of per hour.   

Another common issue of working with freelancers is the lack of communication. More often than not, they are hard to reach because again, they might be working on other projects. This is not always the case and you are lucky if you have found a freelancer who is very much professional. The question now is, are they available every time you need them? There is no assurance. 

 

Advantages 

• There are a lot of freelance graphic designers to choose from 
• Graphic design prices are cheaper 
• The contract is terminated after every project 

Disadvantages  

• Project delays are common 
• Lack of communication and organization 
• Unprofessional freelancers 

If you want to push through with this option, you may use the following platforms as they have a strict process in place that can protect both the employer and the freelancer. 

• Upwork 
• Fiverr 
• PeoplePerHour
• Freelancer 
• Guru 

 

When to Hire In-House Graphic Designers 

Hiring in-house graphic designers is more ideal if your core business heavily relies on graphic design. This is because you have tons of requests every day and it is easier to manage if you have an internal team to work with. You can check their progress right away and work on revisions instantly. 

However, if providing designs isn’t your main service, we do not recommend this. Think about the slow days and months where you don’t need the services of your in-house designer. Spending more than $4,000 a month per person is a significant amount, most especially for startups. That same amount can be allotted for other areas of your business such as product or service improvement. It can be such a waste if you will not maximize it. 

So let’s just say you plan on hiring one, right? At face value, the cost is justifiable considering that you can maximize a graphic designer’s skill. But having just one pair of eyes could limit great ideas. Plus, if they are working on your brand alone, it could squeeze out their creative juices fast. As a result, your materials or graphic designs will not be as unique and competitive.

 

Advantages 

• You can easily manage the team 
• Consistent design and familiarity with the brand 
• You have a contract in place that can protect both parties 

Disadvantages

• Expensive
• Limited ideas  

 

On-Demand Graphic Design Services

If you are looking for the best solution for your design needs, we highly recommend on-demand graphic design services. Allow us to provide an overview of how this works. 

 

Subscription Model 

First of all, most on-demand graphic design services operate on a subscription-based business model. If you are a startup or would like to get quality graphic designs for a fraction of the cost, this is the most ideal solution. 

With them, you can easily sign up and pay every month. It helps you control your finances better because the monthly fee is consistent. So even if you request unlimited designs, the fee will remain the same. You can ask the team to work on your web site, social media posts, landing pages, posters, and other marketing materials.  

If you want added graphic design services, you can choose the higher-tiered packages which are still reasonable and affordable. And for months where you don’t need their services, you can pause your subscription. 

 

Professional Graphic Designs

The backbone of an on-demand graphic design company is obviously graphic design. And they will only prosper by providing quality output every single time. Take, for example, what the Design Doctor team does. Before they hire a graphic designer, they conduct stringent tests to ensure the quality of work.  

This saves you a lot of time and effort because you don’t need to filter applicants that will work for your requests. The Design Doctor got you covered. And since these companies value professionalism, you can expect a fast turnaround time. It is usually 24 hours for simple requests and 48 hours for a more complex design. 

 

Conclusion 

On-demand graphic design services have addressed the issues brought by hiring freelancers or in-house graphic design professionals. And if you compare the different graphic design prices, it’s apparent that you can get more from an on-demand design company offering a subscription model.