TL;DR The best creative graphic design company for you depends on your needs. If you want unlimited, on-brand design for a flat rate, Penji is a good choice. One-off freelance jobs make more sense on Upwork or 99designs. Another great subscription option is Pickle Design. Here are the pros and cons of each.
So you are looking for the best creative graphic design company in the USA. The honest truth is, it depends on how you actually work. Want a steady flow of marketing designs? The better way is to get a subscription. Need a single logo or a quick one-off project? You’ll pay less for a freelance platform.To help you decide, here’s a quick overview of four popular choices, what they do well, and where they fall short. We’ll start with the one that is intended for ongoing design work.
1. Penji
Penji is a design subscription based in Philadelphia. You pay one flat monthly rate and get a vetted design team whenever you need it, with first drafts back in 24–48 hours.
Pros:
- Unlimited requests and revisions, marked right on the design
- 120+ design categories, from ads to landing pages
- Dedicated designers who keep your work on-brand
- You keep every file, source files and fonts included
Cons:
- Projects run one at a time on the lower tiers
- The value only really kicks in if you need design regularly around 8–10 requests a month
Penji works with brands big and small, from scrappy startups to names like Uber, Reebok, and Forbes, and with a 4.7-star rating across hundreds of reviews, it's a perfect fit for marketing teams that need plenty of design without hiring someone full-time.
2. Upwork
Upwork is a freelancing platform. You post a job, look through the bids, and hire a designer directly for a single project or something ongoing.
Pros:
- A huge range of designers at all price points
- No subscription, pay per project.
- great for one-off or niche work
Cons:
- The quality of freelancers is hit and miss
- You do all the hiring, vetting and back and forth yourself
- Things can be inconsistent if you keep changing designers
If you know exactly what you want and have the time to manage it, Upwork is best. Another subscription you might want to check out if you don’t want to do it yourself.
3. DesignPickle
Design Pickle is another flat-rate design subscription, fairly similar to Penji. You submit requests and get back your designs via a dashboard.
Pros:
Cons:
- Turnarounds can be longer on busier days
- Entry plans have a smaller scope
- Motion graphics are more expensive to add
If you like the setup, it's a decent enough alternative. The last option completely changes the model.
4. 99designs
99designs has a contest model. You state what you want to do, and many designers submit concepts for you to choose from.
Pros:
- You get a lot of design ideas to choose from. Perfect for logos and branding
- It’s good if you want variety at the front
Cons:
- More costly per project
- Not designed for ongoing design needs
- You may need to sift through many weak entries.
If you have a branding project and want to see a range of options, 99designs is a great choice. So which one is right for you?
FAQs
1. Which is the best creative graphic design company for ongoing work?
Penji is your answer for reliable, on-brand design for a flat rate, unlimited requests and fast turnaround.
2. Are design subscriptions more affordable than a freelancer?
It depends on how much design work you need to do. Subscriptions pay for themselves after ~8-10 requests/month. If you have less than 8-10 requests a month a freelancer will usually be cheaper.
3. Best for a one-time logo?
For a one-off logo 99designs and Upwork work well as you only pay for that one project.
4. How soon will I get designs from Penji?
Drafts are typically 24-48 hours with a 24 hour rush for the higher tiers.
5. Can I cancel my design subscription anytime?
Yes, no contracts with Penji and Design Pickle and they have flat-rate plans.
Cover Image Credit: Photo by Kawê Rodrigues on pexels
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