Seniority
A senior product designer who has shipped SaaS costs multiples of a generalist. This is the biggest line item, and the one worth paying for.
What agencies charge,
and what you’re actually paying for.
Design pricing is deliberately hard to compare. Same brief, quotes from $2,000 to $40,000. Here’s how the market actually prices SaaS design and build — written so you can shop well, including against us.
the trap
Why nobody publishes real numbers
Most agencies hide pricing behind a call, because the number only makes sense after they’ve framed it. That’s not always a scam — scope genuinely changes cost — but it does leave you comparing three quotes with no shared unit. So here are the ranges we see in the market, the reasons they differ, and where we sit in them.
how the market prices
The three pricing models
| Model | Typical range | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly / freelance | Roughly $30-80/hr offshore, $80-200/hr in the US and UK | Cheapest unit, highest variance. You are the project manager, and quality rests on one person. |
| Fixed-scope project | Websites commonly $5,000-25,000; web apps $15,000-80,000+ at US and EU agencies | Predictable, but every change becomes a change order. |
| Subscription pod | Typically $3,000-12,000/mo depending on team size and region | Continuity, flexible scope, no re-onboarding. Wrong choice for a single one-off deliverable. |
factors
What actually drives the price
Region
US and EU studios carry a cost base that shows up in the rate. Indian studios can price lower for the same seniority — when the seniority is real.
Specialization
SaaS specialists cost more per hour and usually less per outcome, because they aren’t learning your patterns on your budget.
Design only, or build too
Design-only means you still need engineers, and the handoff between them is where scope and quality quietly leak.
Team shape
Some quotes hide a project manager, an account manager and a junior doing the work. Ask who actually opens Figma.
Contract length
Long lock-ins usually price lower per month and cost more in flexibility. Month-to-month costs a little more and keeps you free.
transparent
Where we sit
We publish ours: pods at $3,000, $5,500 and $8-10K per month, month to month. Fixed-scope websites $3,000-8,000, web apps $5,000-15,000. That’s below most US and EU SaaS studios, above the freelance market, and it buys senior work plus the ability to build — not just design. We’re not the cheapest option on any list, and if the lowest hourly rate is the goal, we’ll say so on the call.
buyer checklist
Questions to ask any agency
Who exactly does the work?
Ask how senior they are, and who actually opens Figma.
Have you designed this category before?
SaaS patterns are different from websites, brand work, or general app UI.
Can you show a number that moved?
Look for evidence beyond polished screens.
What happens when scope changes?
Understand change requests before the project starts.
Do you build, or hand off?
Design-only quotes often hide a second engineering bill later.
Can I test you first?
A small task shows quality faster than another sales call.
The trial
Test us with a free 3-day trial
Ask every agency on your shortlist for this. The ones who say no are telling you something.
01
Pick the task
Pick a small part of your existing product.
02
We solve it
We solve one real design challenge on it.
03
Watch us work
See our process, speed and communication.
04
Choose what next
Continue with a pod — or keep the work, no hard feelings.
Quick answers
Before you ask.
Is this page biased?
It’s written by an agency, so read it that way. The ranges are what we see quoted in the market; get your own quotes and compare against them.
Why is design so expensive?
You’re buying judgement, not hours. A senior designer who has shipped forty SaaS products avoids the mistakes that cost you a quarter.
Is cheaper ever right?
Yes. For a single well-briefed deliverable, a good freelancer is the efficient answer, and we’ll tell you that rather than sell you a pod.
How do I compare quotes fairly?
Normalize them: same scope, same seniority, same deliverables, same handling of change requests. Then ask each for a paid or free trial task.