99designs Review
99designs is a dynamic platform that connects businesses with a global network of freelance designers. By leveraging the power of design contests, it allows clients to launch a competition where designers from around the world submit their ideas based on the provided brief.
This model ensures a diverse range of creative options and can be particularly beneficial for businesses seeking innovative and varied design concepts. Clients can review submissions, provide feedback, and choose the design that best aligns with their vision, leading to a collaborative process that often results in highly satisfactory outcomes.
In addition to contests, 99designs also offers the option for one-on-one projects, which is ideal for those who have a specific design in mind and prefer a more direct collaboration with a designer. This approach allows clients to work closely with a designer of their choice, tailoring the project to their exact needs and preferences. Whether it’s for a logo, branding, website design, or other creative services, the one-on-one model ensures a more personalized and focused design process.
While 99designs provides access to a vast pool of talent and creative diversity, it can also come with a higher price tag, particularly for premium contest tiers. The quality of submissions in contests can vary, which might require additional rounds of feedback and revisions. Nonetheless, the platform’s flexible options and extensive designer network make it a popular choice for businesses looking to invest in high-quality, customized design solutions.
4.7
Pricing
Bronze ₹24821
Silver ₹41423
Gold ₹74628
Ranked 4 from 42 Logo Design Services
Performance: |4.9| 
99designs generally performs well in terms of delivering quality design work and facilitating smooth interactions between clients and designers. The platform is user-friendly, allowing clients to easily launch design contests, communicate with designers, and manage their projects. The variety of design submissions and the ability to provide feedback and make revisions help ensure that clients get designs that meet their needs.
Uptime: |4.9|
99designs maintains a reliable uptime, ensuring that users have consistent access to their accounts and ongoing design projects. The platform is designed to handle a high volume of traffic and transactions, which is crucial for both clients and designers working on various projects simultaneously. While no platform is immune to occasional technical issues, 99designs generally provides a stable and dependable service
Customer Service: |4.8|
Customer service at 99designs is often praised for being responsive and helpful. The platform offers support through various channels, including email and live chat, and provides resources such as FAQs and guides to assist users. The support team is available to help resolve issues related to design contests, project management, and other platform-related queries. Feedback indicates that while response times can vary, the support staff is generally knowledgeable and effective in addressing concerns.
Pricing: |4.7|
99designs offers a range of pricing options based on the type of project and the level of designer engagement. For design contests, prices typically start at around $299 for basic packages and can go up to $1,299 or more for premium tiers. Each tier affects the number of designers who participate and the quality of submissions. For one-on-one projects, pricing is negotiated directly with the designer and can vary widely depending on the scope and complexity of the work. Overall, 99designs provides flexibility in pricing but can be on the higher end compared to some other design services.
Overview
| 💎 Service Type | Hire a designer |
| 🚀 Free to Try | No |
| 💲 Starting Price | ₹24821 |
| 📁 File Formats | Usually included, but depends on designer |
| 🔄 Free Revisions | Depends on designer |
High-Quality Logos and Designs – But at a Cost
In short, 99designs is all about design. While you won’t find services like website development, the trade-off is access to higher quality and a wider selection from a platform dedicated solely to design. Whether you need signage, marketing emails, or other design work, this review will focus primarily on logos.
99designs supports several languages, including English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, other European languages, and Japanese. You can also use any language in your logo, as long as the designers have the right fonts installed.
The pricing, however, is where things get “interesting”—in other words, 99designs can be relatively expensive. The platform offers generous packages and plans, with higher-tier options providing more personalized service. But be prepared to spend if you want these premium features.
So, why choose 99designs? Is the experience worth the extra cost? Are the logos really that exceptional? To find out, I decided to invest and run a logo design contest in search of the best new logo for Website Planet. Read on for my full experience.
Read the more details
What Is 99designs & What do you need designed?
What is 99designs?
99designs is an online platform that connects businesses with freelance designers globally. It offers a range of design services through design contests and one-to-one projects, allowing clients to access creative talent and custom design solutions. The platform supports various design needs including logos, branding, websites, packaging, and more, making it a versatile tool for companies looking to enhance their visual identity.
What do you need designed?
On 99designs, you can get a wide array of design services, such as:
Logos: Unique and professional logos to represent your brand.
Branding: Complete branding packages that come with brand guidelines and business cards.
Websites: Custom website designs and redesigns to improve your online presence.
Packaging: Eye-catching packaging designs for products.
Print Materials: Brochures, flyers, posters, and other marketing materials.
App Designs: User-friendly and visually appealing app interfaces.
Who is 99designs best for?
99designs is particularly well-suited for businesses and startups looking for a wide range of creative options. The platform’s design contest feature allows companies to receive multiple design concepts from various designers, providing a wealth of choices and creative input. This is ideal for businesses that want to explore different ideas before settling on a final design.
Additionally, startups and entrepreneurs can benefit from 99designs’ flexible pricing options, which make it easier to obtain professional design services even on a limited budget.
What is a design contest?
Launch: You create a design brief outlining your project needs, goals, and preferences. This brief is then posted as a contest on the 99designs platform.
Submit: Designers from around the world review your brief and submit their design concepts based on your requirements.
Review: You receive multiple design submissions, which you can review, provide feedback on, and request revisions.
Select: Once you find a design you like, you choose it as the winner and work with the designer to finalize the design and receive all the necessary files.
FEATURES |4.8|
99designs offers a range of features designed to connect businesses with talented designers globally. One of its standout features is the design contest model, where clients provide a brief and receive multiple design submissions from various designers. This approach allows clients to explore a wide array of creative ideas and select the one that best fits their needs.
Additionally, 99designs provides a one-to-one project option for clients who prefer direct collaboration with a specific designer, allowing for a more tailored and focused design process. The platform supports a variety of design categories, including logos, branding, websites, packaging, and more.
Design Contests: Multiple design submissions from various designers.
One-to-One Projects: Direct work with individual designers.
Design Categories: Logos, branding, websites, packaging, etc.
User-Friendly: Easy to use for launching contests and managing projects.
Reliable: Consistent uptime and smooth interactions.
Customer Support: Email, live chat, and FAQs.
99designs Focuses Solely on Design (And That’s a Good Thing)
The platform offers two core services: design contests and individual hiring.
I opted for a contest to quickly assess the skills of multiple designers at once.
With a vast number of designers on 99designs, there’s a wide range of design styles available, as evident when browsing through logo samples. This diversity ensures you’ll get a variety of submissions, though the number you receive also depends on the plan you choose. Higher-tier plans offer more submissions to review.
On average, it takes about a week to complete a design, provided you stay engaged with your contest and don’t request too many revisions in the final round (which lasts three days for logo contests). During this final stage, you can ask for as many revisions as your designers are willing to accommodate.
After the contest ends, the designer may agree to make minor adjustments for free. Larger changes will likely come at an additional cost, which is reasonable. A polite request usually goes a long way. You can contact designers directly through the platform’s messaging center or the contest entry page, where you can also rate and provide feedback on submissions.
Once you’ve selected the ideal logo for your company, you’ll receive the final design in the following formats: AI (Adobe Illustrator), EPS (a scalable format), JPG, PNG, and PDF.
You can leave feedback and testimonials for designers, as well as browse designer profiles to see their ratings, past work, testimonials, and the full range of design services they offer. Each profile includes stats like the number of contests they’ve won, near wins, one-to-one projects, repeat clients, and their response rate within 24 hours.
Overall, 99designs has all the essential features you need, and they’re intuitive and user-friendly. I didn’t find myself missing any particular feature.
You Can Get Almost Anything Designed
Beyond logos, 99designs offers a wide array of design services. Whether you need websites, apps, product packaging, book and magazine covers, clothing designs, or anything else imaginable, if it can be designed, someone on this platform can create it for you.
99designs Offers Valuable Add-Ons
For an additional fee, 99designs allows you to keep your contest private and out of search engine results. This ensures that your project remains confidential between you and the designers, without appearing on Google. You can also purchase extra features such as a brand guide, social media graphics, and more to complement your new logo.
An Active Community Forum
A significant benefit of crowd-sourced platforms is the vibrant community that supports them. The 99designs forum is a great resource for community-driven support, the latest platform updates, or discussions about design. While the forum is primarily geared towards designers, clients are also encouraged to participate. If you use 99designs frequently, engaging with the forum could be beneficial.
99designs Pro – Let 99designs Find a Designer for You
The “Pro” feature, marketed as a solution for agencies needing a designer quickly, involves 99designs finding a suitable designer based on your specific needs. Although it’s targeted at agencies, you don’t need to be one to use this service—just have the budget.
99designs could clarify this on their advertising page, but it seems they primarily attract agency clients for this service.
Popular Freelance Websites
Service Offered in 99designs
Design Contests: Multiple designers submit ideas based on your brief.
One-to-One Projects: Direct collaboration with a chosen designer.
Logo Design: Personalized logos made to fit your company.
Branding: Complete branding packages including logos, business cards, and more.
Website Design: Design and redesign of websites and landing pages.
Packaging Design: Custom packaging for products.
Print Design: Materials such as brochures, posters, and flyers.
App Design: User interface and experience design for mobile and web apps.
PROS AND CONS OF 99DESIGNS
Pros of 99Designs
Diverse Design Options
Global Talent Pool
User-Friendly
Customizable
Cons of 99Designs
Cost: Can be expensive, especially for premium services
Quality Variability: Quality can vary in contests
Time Investment: Contests and revisions can be time-consuming
Limited Refunds: Refunds generally not available once projects start
Tools
Design Contest: Get multiple design submissions from various designers.
One-to-One Projects: Collaborate directly with a chosen designer.
Feedback and Revisions: Provide feedback and request design changes.
Designer Profiles: View portfolios and reviews to choose the best designer.
How Long Does 99Designs Take?
On 99designs, the duration of a project varies based on the type of service. Design contests typically last between 7 to 14 days, giving clients time to receive multiple design submissions, review them, and provide feedback before selecting a winner. One-to-one projects have more flexible timelines, which are negotiated directly with the designer and can range from a few days to several weeks depending on the project’s scope and complexity.
One-to-One Projects: The timeline for one-to-one projects is more flexible and depends on the scope of work and the availability of the designer. Timelines are negotiated directly with the designer and can range from a few days to several weeks.
EASY OF USE |4.8|
99designs is designed to be user-friendly. The platform features an intuitive interface for launching design contests and managing projects. Users can easily create design briefs, review submissions, and provide feedback. The process of working with designers is streamlined, whether through contests or one-to-one projects, making it accessible for both experienced users and those new to design services
99designs Keeps Things Simple – If You Know What You Want
99designs offers a streamlined feature set, focusing solely on design, which makes the experience straightforward and user-friendly. It aims to help you quickly find a designer, get your project completed, and move on with your life. While it does provide add-ons like brand guides and social media graphics, it doesn’t offer broader services such as social media marketing or in-house printing.
This focus results in a clean, intuitive user interface. Setting up a contest is straightforward, thanks to the guided process provided by 99designs. The platform is responsive even with slower internet speeds, and the navigation is easy to follow. Calls to action are minimal and strategically placed, ensuring they don’t interfere with your experience.
My Experience with 99designs
Note: While writing these reviews, I was responsible for obtaining a variety of logo options for Website Planet, eventually selecting one to serve as the new logo for the entire site.
Starting the contest was relatively straightforward. Initially, you simply need to select from several logo options to determine your preferred style.
The next step involves adjusting sliders to fine-tune your preferences and selecting the colors you want designers to emphasize.
Before making any payment, you’ll need to write a detailed brief and upload any reference images.
Afterward, you choose a contest package and make your payment. Typically, when reviewing a service like 99designs, we opt to pay extra for access to top-rated designers. However, this time we decided to try a different approach by selecting the Silver plan, which is more affordable than the Bronze plan and does not guarantee access to top designers.
As is common with such contests, the quality of designs varied. Some submissions were very similar, featuring only minor variations of the same concept. Overall, the results were quite mixed.
99designs User Experience
99designs provides a generally positive user experience characterized by its intuitive interface and streamlined processes. Users can easily navigate the platform to launch design contests or start one-to-one projects. The process for creating a design brief is straightforward, and managing submissions and providing feedback is user-friendly. The platform also offers helpful resources and support to guide users through their design journey.
Despite these potential challenges, the platform’s global designer pool and flexible design options make it a valuable tool for businesses and individuals seeking custom design solutions.
What happens when you don’t get any designs?
Extend the Contest: You may extend the duration of the contest to give designers more time to submit their entries.
Revise the Brief: Consider revising or clarifying your design brief to make it more appealing or specific to attract more submissions.
Reach Out to Support: Contact 99designs’ customer support for assistance. They can provide guidance on how to address the issue or suggest potential solutions.
Getting started with 99designs
Create an Account: Sign up on 99designs to get started with your design project.
Launch a Design Contest: Provide a detailed design brief outlining your needs and preferences. Choose the contest type (e.g., logo, website) and set your budget.
Review Submissions: Once the contest is live, designers will submit their ideas. Review these submissions, provide feedback, and request revisions as needed.
Select a Winner: Choose the design you like best and work with the designer to finalize the design and receive the final files.
Alternatively, Start a One-to-One Project: If you prefer direct collaboration, opt for a one-to-one project where you can work closely with a selected designer on a specific project.
GTMetrix
SUPPORT |4.7|
99designs offers robust customer service through multiple support channels. Users can reach out via email or live chat for assistance with any issues related to their design projects or the platform itself. This ensures that clients and designers receive timely help when needed, contributing to a smoother user experience.
Additionally, 99designs provides a comprehensive FAQ section and various help resources to guide users through common questions and troubleshooting. These resources are designed to help users manage their design contests, communicate with designers, and understand the platform’s features, making it easier to resolve issues independently.
99designs Security
Secure Transactions: Uses secure payment gateways.
Confidentiality: Protects design briefs and project details.
Account Protection: Supports strong passwords and two-factor authentication.
Dispute Resolution: Offers a process for handling issues.
Privacy Policy: Details on data collection and protection.
Review
What sets 99designs apart from other services?
Design Contests: Receive multiple design submissions to choose from.
Global Designer Network: Access talent from around the world.
One-to-One Projects: Directly collaborate with individual designers.
Wide Range of Services: From logos to websites and branding.
User-Friendly Platform: Easy to launch and manage design projects.
PRICING |4.8|
99designs Can Be Quite Expensive
Overall, 99designs is a solid service—user-friendly, with design quality ranging from decent to excellent, and it includes some valuable business-focused features. If your budget allows and you plan to use 99designs regularly, the extra cost may be worth it to avoid the time and headaches associated with other services.
While 99designs is relatively affordable compared to hiring a high-profile designer or agency, it can be pricey compared to similar services online. Their packages often cost twice as much or more than some competitors, depending on the services and add-ons. This is great news for designers, but clients should consider this carefully.
The cheapest logo contest plan on 99designs provides around 30 designs. More expensive plans offer access to highly-rated designers, a larger pool of designs, and more personalized attention. There are no free samples or cheaper options for non-commercial use, as this is a premium service with corresponding prices.
To sum up: If you have more money than time, 99designs could be the right choice for you. If you have more time than money, a more budget-friendly alternative like Fiverr might be better.
You can pay for 99designs using most major credit cards, PayPal, and SOFORT (region-specific).
You can request small revisions to your final logo, though this depends on the designer. If you’re not satisfied and haven’t opted for a “Guaranteed Contest” or entered the final round, you can get a refund. Note that this means you forfeit all rights to any logos from the contest. If you’re unhappy with the available options but don’t want to close the contest, you can contact support to “reset” and reopen your contest, giving you another chance to find the perfect logo.
Does 99designs offer refunds?
Design Contests: Refunds are typically not offered once a contest has started, as the process involves engaging multiple designers and providing them with feedback. However, if there are issues or dissatisfaction with the process, you can contact customer support to discuss potential resolutions.
One-to-One Projects: Refunds are generally not available for completed projects, as payments are based on the agreed scope and deliverables with the designer. Disputes or issues are usually handled through direct communication with the designer or through 99designs’ support team.
99designs Alternatives
Frequently Asked Question.
99designs is a platform that connects clients with freelance designers through design contests and one-to-one projects, offering a variety of design services.
You create a design brief, launch a contest, and receive multiple design submissions from various designers. You then provide feedback and select a winning design.
You can request various types of designs including logos, branding, websites, packaging, print materials, and app designs.
Contest prices start at $299 and can go up to $1,299 or more depending on the contest tier and features.
Yes, you can extend the duration of your contest to give designers more time to submit entries.
If no designs are submitted, you can extend the contest, revise the brief, or contact customer support for assistance.
You can browse designer profiles, view their portfolios, and directly hire a designer based on their expertise and style.
You can request revisions from the designer. If issues persist, contact customer support for potential resolution options.
Payments are processed securely through the platform, with funds held in escrow until you approve the final design.
Refunds are generally not offered once a contest or project begins. Contact customer support for specific issues.
99designs keeps your design briefs and project details confidential. You receive full rights to the final design upon payment.
You can reach customer support via email or live chat for assistance with any issues or questions.