Design Subscription vs Hiring In-House: The Ultimate Cost Comparison

One of the biggest decisions growing businesses face is how to handle their design needs. Should you hire a full-time in-house designer, or opt for a design subscription service? The answer isn't always straightforward—it depends on your budget, workload, and long-term goals.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll break down the real costs of both options so you can make an informed decision that saves money and drives results.

The True Cost of Hiring an In-House Designer

When you hire a full-time designer, the salary is just the beginning. Here's the complete picture:

Base Salary:

• Junior Designer: $45,000 - $60,000/year
• Mid-Level Designer: $60,000 - $85,000/year
• Senior Designer: $85,000 - $120,000/year

Additional Costs:

• Benefits: Health insurance, 401k, PTO (add 20-30% to salary)
• Equipment: Computer, monitors, software licenses ($3,000 - $5,000/year)
• Office Space: Desk, utilities, supplies ($5,000 - $15,000/year)
• Recruiting: Job postings, interviews, onboarding ($5,000 - $15,000 one-time)
• Training: Courses, conferences, skill development ($1,000 - $3,000/year)

Total Annual Cost: A mid-level in-house designer typically costs $90,000 - $120,000/year when you factor in everything.

The Cost of Design Subscription Services

Design subscriptions offer a different model—flat monthly fees for unlimited design work. Here's what you can expect:

Typical Pricing Tiers:

• Basic: $1,000 - $2,000/month (1 request at a time)
• Standard: $2,000 - $4,000/month (2+ requests at a time)
• Premium: $4,000 - $8,000/month (dedicated designer, faster turnaround)

Annual Cost: $12,000 - $96,000/year depending on the plan.

What's Included:

• Unlimited design requests
• Unlimited revisions
• No contracts (cancel anytime)
• Multiple design categories
• Source files included

Side-by-Side Comparison

Let's compare the two options across key factors:

Cost:

• In-House: $90,000 - $120,000+/year
• Subscription: $12,000 - $48,000/year (typical)
• Winner: Subscription (50-80% savings)

Flexibility:

• In-House: Fixed cost regardless of workload
• Subscription: Pause or cancel during slow periods
• Winner: Subscription

Skill Variety:

• In-House: Limited to one person's skills
• Subscription: Access to team with diverse specialties
• Winner: Subscription

Company Culture:

• In-House: Embedded in your team
• Subscription: External partner
• Winner: In-House

When to Choose In-House

Hiring in-house makes sense when:

• You need a designer available for instant meetings and collaboration
• Your brand requires deep, institutional knowledge
• You have consistent, high-volume design needs (40+ hours/week)
• Design is core to your product (like a design software company)
• Budget isn't a primary concern

When to Choose a Design Subscription

A subscription is the better choice when:

• You're a startup or small business watching costs
• Your design needs fluctuate month to month
• You need variety in design skills (web, print, social, etc.)
• You want to avoid HR complexity and overhead
• You need to scale up or down quickly

The Hybrid Approach

Many companies find success with a hybrid model:

• Keep one senior designer in-house for strategy and brand oversight
• Use a design subscription for execution and overflow work
• This gives you the best of both worlds

Conclusion

For most growing businesses, design subscriptions offer significant cost savings without sacrificing quality. You can save 50-80% compared to hiring in-house while gaining flexibility and access to diverse skills.

The key is to honestly assess your needs. If you need 40+ hours of design work every single week and want someone embedded in your culture, hire in-house. For everyone else, a design subscription is likely the smarter financial choice.

Ready to see the difference? Try a design subscription like Designgud and experience unlimited design requests, quick delivery, and the freedom to pause anytime. Your budget (and your sanity) will thank you.