Pricing:
Project* | Estimated Pricing** | Contest Pricing** |
|---|---|---|
Book Cover | C$379.00 - C$1,349.00 | C$269.00 - C$549.00 |
Business Card | C$229.00 - C$539.00 | C$269.00 - C$1,399.00 |
App Design | C$939.00 - C$2,689.00 | C$819.00 - C$3,399.00 |
Web Page Design | C$849.00 - C$4,039.00 | C$819.00 - C$3,399.00 |
PowerPoint Template | C$399.00 - C$1,609.00 | C$269.00 - C$1,399.00 |
Logo Design | Contest only. | C$409.00 - C$1,799.00 |
*Users have a wide range of design categories to choose from, and, for most of the categories, can decide to work with a freelancer or run a contest. Whereas freelancers charge their own rates for designs, contests come in four fixed packages with fixed pricing.
**99designs charges users and designers platform fees that range from 5% to 15%.
Review:
99designs offers a large range of design services, and users can work directly with freelancers or run contests. Employers can access freelancer profiles, which have all the right information to help employers make better decisions about who to work with. The platform also offers a money-back guarantee.
However, contests do sometimes take a long time and designers have been accused of submitting stolen designs, which could be problematic down the line. 99designs has a built-in alert system for such infringements, which shows they must be a common behavior.
Pros:
- The website is easy to use.
- 99designs offers a very broad range of design services.
- There are multiple payment packages to choose from.
- Canadian users have expressed strong satisfaction with the variety and quality of the designs.
- Profile information includes response time, repeat clients, number of contests won, and project history.
- Users can work directly with a designer of their choice — unlike Communo — or run a contest.
- The platform offers a money-back guarantee.
- Designers go through a rigorous application process, which guarantees a higher quality of work and level of professionalism.
- The platform has a reporting system that can be used to report designers who have stolen designs or used stock images.
- Users can search for freelancers based on the design category, industry, designer level, and language.
Cons:
- Contests could take up to a month to finalize.
- The different pricing models can be complicated because pricing depends on the project and designer.
- There have been complaints of stolen designs.
- 99designs' website does not have a French translation.
- FreshGigs.ca is better for finding local creative freelancers.
Reputation:
99designs has mixed reviews. It has a rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars on Website Planet, 3.6 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot based on over 1,000 reviews, and 3.83 out of 5 stars on Sitejabber based on over 400 reviews.
How to Create a Contest on 99designs:
Seven easy steps for posting a project on 99designs.
Creating a contest on 99designs.
Navigate to the 99designs home page.
From the home page, click on the "Get a design" button next to the search box in the center of the page.
Search and select your design category.
Choose between various design categories, including websites, logos, apps, merchandising, and more. Each design category will have a subcategory with different packages to choose from.
Create a design brief.
After selecting a design category option, follow the prompts to create your design brief to give designers an idea of what you are looking for in your design. Go through a selection of design styles, colors, shapes, and more. Once you've completed the design brief, click on "Continue."
Select a design package.
Next, you can choose from a selection of design packages. Consider how many designs you want to receive and how much you are willing to spend. Then, enter a contest title, select a contest option (guaranteed or private contest), and click on "Continue."
You also have the option to promote your contest with paid add-on features to boost the number of designs you receive. Paid add-ons include having your contest featured at the top of the list of projects, highlighted in orange to make it stand out, and having it listed in the 99designs blog.
Create your account.
You will be prompted to sign up to 99designs and create an account.
Fill in your email address.
Create a password.
Complete the CAPTCHA test.
Click on "Sign up."
Review your order.
Fill out the online form with your details. Complete the short questionnaire and click on "Continue."
Complete the payment and post your contest.
Select a payment method and complete your purchase by following the onscreen prompts. Once the payment has been processed, your contest will be posted to 99designs.
99designs vs. DesignCrowd:
DesignCrowd and 99designs offer many of the same services and have many of the same features and processes. 99designs, however, is more costly. While 99designs has slightly better ratings, both platforms have complaints against them around the quality of designers available.
99designs vs. Communo:
Both Communo and 99designs are closed networks of pre-vetted freelancers, but Communo charges a monthly membership fee, while employers pay for each service on 99designs. Communo also matches freelancers to projects, whereas 99designs offers access to freelancer profiles. 99designs is design-oriented and Communo is more for marketing and sales.
99designs vs. FreshGigs.ca:
While 99designs is limited to the creative industry, FreshGigs.ca caters to both the creative and tech industries. FreshGigs.ca is essentially a basic job board for the Canadian market and, in comparison with 99designs, lacks a searchable candidate database. For one-off creative projects, 99designs is the better choice.
Key Information
Legal Name | 99designs Pty Ltd. |
Founder | |
Founding Date | Jan 01, 2008 |
Address | 2201 Broadway, Ste. 815, Oakland, California 94612 USA |
Telephone | |
Website |