How much does logo design cost — and how much should you pay for one? The answer: It depends.

You can draw a logo for free or hire a designer to make one for $1 million — that’s what Pepsi did in 2009.

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Logos are important. They’re practically your brand’s first impression. 

In fact, Statista discovered that 56% of GenZers and 52% of millennials had purchased a product simply because it had an exciting logo. Logos establish brand identities, differentiate brands from competitors, and serve as memorable visuals for brand recognition.

Whether you’re starting a new business, rebranding, or looking to take your garage rock band to the next level, investing time and money into a great logo can pay off.

In this article, we’ll examine eight different routes to creating a logo, their pros and cons, and how much each method of logo design costs.

But first:

How Much Does a Logo Cost in 2024?

Logo design pricing can range from $0 - $120 if you design it yourself, and from $130 to thousands of dollars if you hire a freelancer or design agency. Here are eight logo design methods and how much they cost:

1. Sketch a logo yourself: $0 - $50
2. Use an online logo maker: $1-$29
3. Use a digital design tool: $10 - $100
4. Purchase and customize a logo template: $2 - $1,000
5. Use a generative AI tool: $10 - $120
6. Crowdsource your logo design: $130 - $1,300
7. Hire a freelance logo designer: $35 - $600
8. Hire a design agency: $2,500 - $10,000+

Let’s take a closer look at each approach.

8 Ways to Design a Logo (and How Much They Cost)

From inexpensive DIY options to pricey top-tier design agencies, understanding your logo design options will help you choose the best method for your budget and branding needs.

1. Sketch Your Own Logo: $0 - $50

We know — it’s 2024, so why sketch a logo by hand when you could use an online logo maker or grapple with Generative AI?

Because sketching a logo by hand is free — all you need is some paper, pens or pencils, and your phone’s camera to digitalize your design.

Pros

• Uniqueness: Hand-drawn logos are inherently unique — which will help to differentiate your brand from competitors’.
• Basically free: This method is highly economical. You can draw and iterate until you’re happy with your logo.

Cons

• Skill requirements: You must have basic skills or talent in art or design to avoid ending up with a poor-quality logo.
• Digitization: After you’ve drawn a great logo, you still need to digitize it using a digital camera or scanner and an image editing program.

Hand Drawn Logo Design Costs

Creating a logo by hand can be entirely free or could cost up to $50 for some basic drawing tools and supplies.

Tips and Tools

• Use graph, grid, or dotted paper to visualize measurements, angles, and curves. This can help you maintain symmetry and proportions in your logo design.
• Digitization tools: You can use tools like Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape to convert hand-drawn logos into digital formats.
• Online tutorials: Platforms like YouTube offer tutorials to help you hand-draw and digitize a logo.

2. Use an AI Logo Maker: $1 - $29

An online logo maker like LogoMe is hands-down the quickest, cheapest, and most user-friendly way to create a professional-looking logo. 

LogoMe will lead you through the process of designing a great logo, step-by-step — simply:

1. Choose your industry
2. Pick some logo styles that you like
3. Select your brand colors
4. Enter your brand’s name — and a slogan, if you want to include one
5. LogoMe’s AI will generate some initial logo designs for you
6. Select your favorite logo design and customize it
7. Done!

You can also use LogoMe to create a complete brand kit to accompany your logo.

Pros

• Quick and easy: Ideal for creating a professional-looking logo quickly.
• Variety of options: AI-generated logos offer diverse, almost endless design choices.
• Commercial rights: Some logo makers (such as LogoMe) provide full commercial rights to use your logo however you choose.

Cons

• Simple logo designs: Logo generators aren’t the best way to create intricate and highly artistic logos.
• Limited customization: AI Logo makers typically have limited customization options.

Logo Maker Design Costs

LogoMe provides three simple plans:

• Basic is $1 per month, and it allows you to generate one logo, produce multiple high-resolution file types, and customize unlimitedly.
• Premium is $9 per month and lets you create five logos.
• Brand Kit: For $29 per month, you can generate ten logos and brand kits.

Get started with LogoMe for free.

3. Use a Digital Design Program: $0 - $13

Digital design programs provide tools, visual elements, and templates to help you create a logo. Most programs allow you to export your designs into various formats, such as PNG and JPEG — making them fit for both digital and print use.

Pros

• Ease of use: Basic programs tend to have intuitive interfaces and only the essential design tools, making them accessible even to beginners.
• Templates: Many tools offer pre-designed templates that you can customize to create a logo.
• Brand kit integration: Some tools provide premium options to create a brand kit, which includes visual assets for social media, advertisements, and more.
• Advanced tools: Professional software offers comprehensive design features for virtually limitless creativity.
• Customization: Digital design programs provide a high level of control over the creative process.

Cons

• Learning curve: Learning how to use digital design software can take time — the more advanced the program, the steeper the learning curve.
• Reliance on artistic sense: Users with little-to-no design skills or experience may need help to create a logo.
• Initial investment: Subscription costs for some professional design programs can be significant.

Digital Design Program Logo Design Costs

You can use a free tool with basic functionality. Alternatively, beginner-friendly design tools with advanced features cost around $10 per month, and subscriptions for advanced design programs cost around $35 per month.

Tools

• Vectr is a free, basic, online vector graphics editor. The program offers a range of image creation and editing tools, including an AI image generator and a ‘Text to Vector Graphic tool.’ Files can be exported in vector formats, including PNG, JPG, and SVG. The app also offers helpful in-app lessons.
• Canva is a user-friendly online design tool with thousands of ready-made templates and graphics. Canva offers a free personal plan with limited functionality and design elements. The Pro plan costs $12.99 per month or $119.99 a year. Canva lets you download designs in JPG, PNG, PDF, or GIF format designs.
• GIMP is an acronym for ‘GNU Image Manipulation Program.’ It’s a free graphics editor. You can use GIMP for free-form drawing, image manipulation like retouching, image editing, converting images to different file formats, and more.
• Sketch is vector-based design software with a native Mac app and a web app. It lets you export designs in formats like PDF, SVG, PNG, JPG, and EPS. However, it lacks CMYK color support for print design. Sketch costs $10 per month or $99 per year.

• Adobe Illustrator—available through Adobe Creative Cloud—is the industry standard for vector graphics. It has advanced tools and integration with other Adobe programs. Illustrator supports numerous formats for digital and print use. A year's license costs $29.99 per month or $263.88 per year.

4. Purchase and Customize a Logo Template: $2 - $1,000

You can purchase ready-to-use logo templates from some design programs or specialist online marketplaces and customize them to your brand. 

Pros

• Quick: Pre-designed templates can save you considerable time on ideation and sketching.
• Simple: Templates are relatively easy to edit and customize.
• Access to professional designs: Many templates are crafted by capable and skilled professional designers.

Cons

• Design skills required: You’ll need some design knowledge and practice to turn a template into a distinctive logo.
• Licensing costs and complications: Most templates offer a range of commercial licensing options. Make sure you fully understand what you legally can and can’t do with a template before purchasing it to avoid future legal issues.

Template Logo Design Costs

Most templates require a one-time payment of anywhere between $2 and $10,000, depending on the complexity of the design and the rights of use. Some logo templates require monthly or yearly payments to maintain use rights.

Template Marketplaces

• Creative Market offers a wide range of logo templates, from $2 to $9,999—most logo templates on the platform cost between $25 and $50. When purchasing a template, you can choose one of three licensing options: Personal, Commercial, and Extended Commerical — the latter being the option with no limitations. Expect to pay around three times the template cost for the Extended license.
• Adobe Spark’s in-browser software is free and user-friendly. It offers hundreds of logo templates to choose from, including free ones and premium ones, which can be accessed via a paid subscription of $9.98 per month or $99.80 per year.
• GraphicRiver has nearly 50,000 logo templates. Low-cost options start around $10, but high-end template bundles go up to $200. Most templates are between $30 and $50 and usually provide a vector file.
• Etsy is a treasure trove for logo design templates, usually priced between $15 and $250. Many sellers will even customize the design for you for an extra fee. Just make sure you get the source file or a vector file so you can make changes or scale your logo whenever necessary.

5. Use a Generative AI Tool: $10 - $120

With generative AI tools, you don’t need years of design practice and experience to create a distinct and intricate logo. If you can imagine something and describe it in detail, generative AI can probably make it.

That said, generative AI isn’t an instantaneous path to artistic greatness. Every tool has a learning curve, and it may take time to master writing effective prompts.

Pros

• Creative designs: AI can generate innovative and intricate logos that may take a professional designer a lot of time and effort to create.
• Speed: Generative AI tools can produce many design options quickly.
• Cost-efficiency: AI provides an affordable way to explore many logo concepts simultaneously.

Cons

• Lack of creative flair: Remember, it’s a tool, not a collaborator. Don’t expect AI to take your ideas and run with them — AI will only create what you tell it to.
• Quality restrictions: Some generative AI tools don’t offer high-resolution or vector files.

Generative AI Logo Design Cost

Many generative AI tools provide limited free credits — typically, one credit equates to one AI prompt. However, you’ll likely need to practice creating prompts, which means you’ll end up paying for extra credits or a premium subscription. Expect to pay anything between $10 and $120 per month.

Tools

• Dall-E is an advanced AI tool by OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT. You can access Dall-E via a ChatGPT Plus subscription for $20 per month. You can work with Dall-E to revise your logo design until you love the finished result.
• Stable Diffusion is an open-source AI model with a massive range of capabilities. Not only can it generate images from your prompts, but it can also create many versions of an image to help you find your favorite designs. The free plan provides ten credits every 24 hours. You can generate 2,000 images for $10 and 4,000 for $20 per month.
• Midjourney is another AI image generation tool aimed more toward artists than designers. Still, it can be used to create intricate, imaginative, and evocative logos. Midjourney has a large and active online community on Discord with more than 20.6 million members, and it is a great place to gain inspiration and learn to improve your Midjourney prompting skills. There are four monthly payment plans, from $10 to $120.

6. Crowdsource Your Logo Design: $130 - $1,300

You can crowdsource a logo by sharing a brief with a community of designers on an online platform, who’ll then compete by submitting their designs. You’ll receive several professional designs, choose the one you like the best, and then work with the designer to refine it.

Pros

• Variety of professional designs: Every designer offers a unique style and perspective, giving you a variety of professional logo designs.
• Feedback opportunity: The option to give the designer feedback and refine your favorite designs during the contest.
• Money-back guarantee: Some crowdsourcing platforms offer a money-back guarantee if you don’t like any of the designs your contest receives.

Cons

• Time-consuming: Reviewing and providing feedback on multiple designs can be demanding.

Crowdsourcing Logo Design Costs

Depending on the platform and options you choose, crowdsourced logo design costs can be anywhere between $130 and $1,300.

Crowdsourcing Platforms

• 99designs offers logo design contests with four package options ranging from $299 to $1,299. The contests run for seven days and are divided into qualifying and final rounds. The platform provides a money-back guarantee and allows up to two weeks to review the final designs before selecting a winner.
• DesignCrowd contests start at $129 and offer up to 50 design submissions. You can set three-, five-, or 10-day deadlines and provide a detailed design brief. The platform also offers a money-back guarantee.
• DesignHill logo contests start at $249, with access to top designers costing $699. You can choose the contest duration to suit your needs, but you must pay the cost upfront. Design Hill provides a 60-day money-back guarantee.

7. Hire a Freelance Logo Designer: $15 - $1,000+

You can directly hire a freelancer designer if you don’t want to design your logo or crowdsource it. Designers will usually lead the process and craft the logo for you. Plenty of online platforms allow you to find a freelance logo designer within your budget.

Pros

• Expertise: Access to skilled designers with diverse styles and approaches.
• Customization: High level of customization tailored to your brand.
• Direct communication: Easy collaboration and feedback process.

Cons

• Variable quality: Quality will vary based on the freelancer's experience and skills.
• Time and effort: Finding and vetting the right freelancer can be time-consuming.

Freelance Designer Logo Design Costs

You can hire a freelance designer for as little as $5 per hour and as much as $300 per hour. In general, here’s what you can expect:

• Beginner designers: $15 to $35 per hour
• Mid-level designers: $35 to $75 per hour
• Experienced designers: $75+ per hour

Freelancer Platforms

Below are three online platforms where you can search for suitable designers and review their profiles, portfolios, and testimonials. These platforms enable you to post your project brief, specifying the style, file format, price range, and deadline. Interested designers will then apply to collaborate with you.

• Dribbble
• Fiverr
• Upwork

8. Hire a Design Agency: $2,500 - $10,000+

Design agencies offer top-tier logo design services, often as part of a full-scale branding project. This option best suits businesses with larger budgets seeking comprehensive design packages and high-quality logos.

Pros

• Dedicated team: A team of designers focused on creating an exceptional logo for your brand.
• Comprehensive services: Access to extensive design libraries and specialized tools.
• Professional quality: High-quality, well-researched, and thought-out logo designs.

Cons

• High cost: Design agencies require a significant investment, which may be prohibitive for solopreneurs and small businesses.
• Long turnaround time: Design agencies spend a lot of time researching, ideating, and refining their ideas. Expect the project to take at least a couple of months to complete.

Design Agency Logo Costs

• Small design studios: $2,500 - $10,000.
• Mid-level studios: $10,000 - $30,000.
• High-end studios: $50,000 - $100,000.

Tips

• Deposit: Most design agencies require clients to pay 50% upfront and 50% upon completion.
• Contract: Once you sign the contract, you’ll likely be responsible for the additional 50% of the logo design fee — even if you don’t like the logo.

7 Logo Pricing Factors to Consider

What’s the difference between a $10 and a $10,000 logo? 

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Here are seven factors that influence logo design pricing. Understanding these factors can help you choose the best approach for your budget needs so you get the most bang for your buck.

1. The Logo Design Process

Simply put, do it yourself (DIY) or hire someone to do it for you.

DIY approaches include sketching, online logo makers, digital design tools, customizable templates, and generative AI tools. These methods are affordable, quick, and low-risk — if you don’t like the result, simply try again. That said, you’re limited by your skills and eye for design.

Done-for-you services include crowdsourcing, hiring a freelance designer, or hiring a design agency. These methods typically cost more, take longer, and are riskier. Your designer will likely revise your logo once or twice, but if you’re still unhappy, you’ll have to pay more for extra revisions or an entirely new designer or agency.

On the upside, professional designers know a lot that non-designers don’t. For example, they’ll work to research your market and create different logo concepts that represent your values and brand message. In other words, you should end up with a higher-quality logo.

2. Your Logo Designer’s Expertise and Experience

Try to balance your budget with your designer’s experience level.

Experienced designers with a strong portfolio often charge more. Still, their expertise can lead to a more refined and impactful logo — one that elicits the type of reaction you want from your clients or customers.

If you’re on a tight budget and don’t have much design experience, you can create a great logo with an online logo maker.

3. The Location of Your Logo Designer

Designers' rates can vary greatly depending on their whereabouts.

Whether in New York or Manila, your designer should be able to bring your idea to life. Consider:

• Cultural context: Choose a designer who can translate your idea into culturally acceptable visuals for your target market.
• Communication and time zones: To facilitate communication, choose a designer who speaks your language and whose time zone overlaps with yours.

4. The Number of Revisions You Might Need

Logo redesign costs can add up fast. Before hiring a designer, agree on the acceptable number of revisions included in the logo design price and the cost of each additional logo redesign.

If you’re the type of person who seeks perfection, consider using a DIY method — like a logo maker — to avoid going over budget.

5. The Quality of Your Logo

You get what you pay for. Higher-quality original, impactful, and versatile logos — in that they still look great in various formats, big or small — typically cost more. Basically, when you hire a designer, you’re not just paying for a logo — you’re also paying for the years of study, experience, and expertise they put into creating it.

6. The Complexity of Your Logo’s Design

Complex and intricate designs often require more time and skill to create.

Think about the intricacy of the design elements you want in your logo. Are you looking for something straightforward and potentially more common, or would you prefer a highly creative, intricate, and custom design?

7. The File Formats and Deliverables You Require

The cost of logo design is also impacted by the variety of file formats and deliverables you need. Consider whether you want to invest in:

• Vector files: Vector files can be resized without losing image quality, allowing for easy editing of individual elements. They’re also versatile, suitable for various applications, and are the industry standard for professional graphic design.
• Color variations: These maintain visual integrity and brand recognition across different color backgrounds and mediums, from print materials to digital platforms.
• A brand kit: A brand is a collection of visual elements that define and represent a brand identity, which specifies acceptable and unacceptable colors, variations, placements, and more. Here’s a sample from Netflix’s brand kit:

Determine what you want to use your logo for and what file formats and deliverables you’ll need to avoid unexpected expenses.

Summary: How Much Should Logo Design Cost?

In summary, Logo design costs vary widely, from $1 to over $10,000, depending on the method and complexity of the design you choose:

• The cheapest DIY options, such as sketching or using an online logo maker, range from $0 to $100.
• Generative AI tools and digital design programs require more skill but offer more creative control. These options will typically cost you between $10 and $1,200. 
• Crowdsourcing or hiring a freelancer provides you access to professional designs for $250 to $1,300.
• Design agencies charge $2,500 to $10,000+ for top-tier services.

With a clear understanding of your skills and budget, you can choose the best logo design method for your needs — balancing quality and cost.