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Dedicated designer vs design subscription
A subscription sells you a slice of a team’s day. A dedicated designer is a whole person, only yours. Here is what each actually buys, with real prices.
A design subscription gives you a share of a design team’s time, usually 2 to 4 hours a day through a request queue, for about $650 to $1,700 a month. A dedicated designer works only for you, full-time, on your hours. Through dpoint a full-time designer costs $600 to $1,400 a month, all-in, so for steady work you get far more design time for less money.
What each option buys
Published plans, side by side
Prices and inclusions quoted from each company’s own pricing page, checked on 2 October 2026. Monthly billing unless stated. Prices change, so confirm on the provider’s site.
| Monthly price | Design time you get | Model | Terms | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| dpoint dedicated designer | $600 / $900 / $1,400 (junior / mid / senior) | Full-time, one person who works only for you, on your hours | Dedicated staff, managed by an account lead | Monthly per seat, no recruiting fee, trial and free replacement |
| Delesign, Marketer Growth | $649 | 2 hours a day; each designer is matched with an average of 4 clients | Subscription | Cancel anytime, 15-day money-back |
| Penji, Essentials | $995 | 2 active workstreams, equal to 2 to 4 hours daily; video not included | Subscription | Cancel anytime, 30-day money-back |
| Kimp, Graphics | $1,397 (promotions may apply) | 2 to 2.5 hours each business day, 3 active requests | Subscription, dedicated team | 7-day free trial, no contracts |
| ManyPixels, Assigned designer | $1,399 | One part-time designer of your choice; daily hours not published | Subscription | Cancel anytime |
| Design Pickle | Not published (quoted on a call) | Not published | Subscription | Quarterly or annual billing |
| Flocksy, 8 daily hours | $5,899 monthly, or $3,799 a month billed annually | 8 hours a day from a shared creative team, video included | Subscription | Cancel anytime, 14-day refund |
| Designity, Plus | $5,995 | 120 hours a month, 2 active projects, creative director | Subscription | Cancel with 7 days’ notice before renewal |
| Superside, Flex | $15,000 monthly minimum, plus a $1,000 software fee | A creative team budget, not hours | Subscription | Annual commitment |
The number that matters
Cost per design hour
Our calculation: monthly price divided by the design hours each provider publishes, using 22 business days a month. dpoint uses a 160-hour full-time month.
| Per design hour | Based on | |
|---|---|---|
| dpoint dedicated designer | $3.75 to $8.75 | $600 to $1,400 for about 160 hours |
| Penji, Essentials | About $11 to $23 | $995 for 2 to 4 hours a day |
| Delesign, Marketer Growth | About $15 | $649 for 2 hours a day |
| Flocksy, 8 daily hours | About $23 (annual) to $35 (monthly) | $3,799 or $5,899 for about 168 hours |
| Kimp, Graphics | About $25 to $32 | $1,397 for 2 to 2.5 hours a business day |
| Designity, Plus | About $50 | $5,995 for 120 hours |
| US in-house designer | About $30 to $53 | $4,800 to $8,500 fully loaded |
US in-house figures are fully loaded costs from dpoint’s 2026 benchmark.
When a dedicated designer wins
- You need design most days, not occasionally.
- You want one person who learns your brand and gets faster every month.
- You send many small requests and do not want to wait in a queue.
- You want to work live: quick calls, same-day changes, your Slack and Figma.
- You care about cost per hour of real design time.
When a subscription is the better fit
- Your design needs are occasional or come in bursts.
- You need many skills from one plan, such as illustration, motion and video.
- You want a fixed menu of requests with no one to direct at all.
- You need a large team for campaigns rather than steady output.
If you want a dedicated designer
Every way to hire one, compared
| Monthly cost | What is included | |
|---|---|---|
| dpoint | $600 to $1,400 all-in | Recruiting, payroll, equipment, NDA, IP assignment and an account lead |
| Wing Assistant, full-time graphic designer | $1,799 for 160 hours | Dedicated designer, free replacement, customer success manager |
| Hire Overseas, managed talent | From $2,000 all-in; most roles $2,000 to $4,000 | Sourcing, payroll, HR, replacement; month-to-month |
| Hire directly via OnlineJobs.ph | $69 or $99 job-board access, plus the designer’s pay | You vet, contract, pay, manage and replace |
| Hire and employ via Deel EOR | $599 per employee, plus salary | Employment compliance only; you recruit and manage |
| US in-house hire | $4,800 to $8,500 fully loaded | Recruiting fees, benefits, equipment and management on you |
See the full dedicated designer service, the designer cost guide, or the rate card.
The catch with a dedicated designer, and how dpoint removes it
The usual objection is fair: a single hire leaves you to manage quality, cover for leave and replace the person if they go. With dpoint, an account lead owns quality and delivery from day one, you trial the designer before committing, and if they leave or are not the right fit you get a replacement at no extra cost. Every designer signs an NDA and assigns all IP to you before starting, and works inside your tools so the files stay yours.
FAQ
Designer vs subscription questions
Is a dedicated designer better than a design subscription?
For steady, ongoing work, usually yes. A subscription gives you a share of a team’s time, typically 2 to 4 hours a day through a request queue, for about $650 to $1,700 a month. A dedicated designer through dpoint works only for you, full-time, on your hours, for $600 to $1,400 a month. For occasional or irregular work, a subscription can be the simpler choice.
What is the cheapest way to get a full-time designer?
Hiring directly on a job board is cheapest on paper, but you vet, pay, manage and replace the person yourself. Among managed options, dpoint’s full-time designer at $600 to $1,400 a month all-in is below other published full-time designer prices we checked, such as Wing Assistant at $1,799 for 160 hours.
Why is a dedicated designer cheaper per hour than a subscription?
Subscriptions price in flexibility, a bench of different specialists and the cost of running a request queue across many clients. A dedicated designer is one salaried person working only for you. Through dpoint the designer is based in India, so a full-time salary costs far less than in the US or UK, and dpoint adds management on top.
When is a design subscription the better choice?
When your work is occasional or comes in bursts, when you need many different skills such as illustration, motion and video from one plan, or when you want a fixed menu of requests with no person to direct. If you need design most days, want one person to learn your brand, or want to work live with them, a dedicated designer fits better.
Do I have to manage a dedicated designer myself?
Not with dpoint. A dpoint account lead manages day-to-day quality and delivery, there is a trial before you commit, and if the designer leaves or is not the right fit you get a replacement at no extra cost. You can also direct the designer yourself if you prefer.
Will a dedicated designer work my hours?
Yes. dpoint operates 24/7 and assigns each client’s designer to that client’s working day, US, UK or Gulf. For a US client that is a dedicated evening or night shift in India, so reviews and changes happen live.
Sources, checked 2 October 2026: Delesign, Penji, Kimp, ManyPixels, Design Pickle, Flocksy, Designity, Superside, Wing Assistant, Hire Overseas, OnlineJobs.ph, Deel.
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