Freelance Marketplaces vs Designity

The Best Alternative to Freelance Marketplaces

Say goodbye to unreliable and low-quality marketplaces and say hello to Designity. With a designated Creative Director, the top 3% of US-based Creatives, and guaranteed deadlines, this is the future of creativity!
3x
higher quality strategy and execution
75%
less time spent on project management
2x
more design and marketing capabilities

Comparing Designity As the Alternative Design Solution

Looking for a trustworthy collaborator, consistent quality, and flexible pricing? Others like 99designs, Fiverr, UpWork, and Toptal, just can’t keep up.

Logo graphic for Designity at the head of a table showing how we are different from Freelancers, In-House Design teams, and traditional creative agencies.
Marketplaces
Pricing & Plans
Plan prices range from $3,150 – $8,495 per month, depending on whether you select monthly, quarterly, or annual pricing.
Inconsistent pricing varies wildly depending on the freelancers you work with. Often cheaper for a reason!
Creative Direction & Project Management
A designated Creative Director with 10+ years of experience in creative strategy, project management, team leadership, and quality assurance.
You’re on your own. Hopefully your freelancer will also be a project manager, but you’ll need to be your own creative director.
Guaranteed Deadlines
Yes! Plus transparent timelines to show all the steps and phases the goes into your projects.
Varies. It all depends on the personal policies and work ethic of the freelancer(s) you choose. Good luck enforcing deadlines.
Skill Limitations
More than 100 design and marketing categories covered thanks to the vetted community of Creatives. Includes graphic design, digital marketing, copywriting, website, video production and more.
Limited to the freelancer’s innate skill set. You will need to source and manage additional Creatives to meet needs outside of scope.
Quality Control
24/7 Quality Assurance provided by your designated Creative Director. Designity’s tech-enabled design platform empowers transparency and effective communication.
You are the quality control. You’re responsible for proofreading, brand alignment, creative direction, and project management.
Creative Team
Your Creative Director collaborates with qualified Creatives based on your projects. Enjoy access to a pool of interchangeable US-based Creatives to fulfill any need.
You will need to assemble and manage your own team of internationally-based freelancers.
Collaboration
On an ongoing basis, your Creative Director will conduct weekly status calls, monthly check-ins, and 90-day formal reports. This way you always know your ROI.
Depends on the freelancer. WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, email, and Slack are all possibilities.
Trial Period?
Yes. Two-week trial for available for monthly plans, three-week trial available for quarterly plans, and a four-week trial is available for annual plans.
No trial available! Pricing is typically done on a per-project basis, with deposit payments required upfront.

A Design Platform That Outbids Other Marketplaces

Guaranteed Deadlines, Consistent Quality, Transparent Timelines, and Cost-Effective Pricing.

Creative Director

You’re not on your own any more! Unlike creative marketplaces, we match clients with a compatible Creative Director to ensure consistent quality & trend-setting creativity.

Top 3% of Creatives

Tired of hit-or miss quality, time zone frustrations and language barriers? At Designity, your team is packed with the top 3% of US-Based Creatives.

Five-Star Quality

Others promise, but we deliver. Every Creative is fully vetted into our US-based network and mentored by experienced Creative Directors.

Fast Turnaround

We are the only tech-enabled design platform that guarantees deadlines with transparent timelines and efficient turnaround times.

One-Stop Shop

Marketplaces and agencies are limited, but Designity offers 100 design & marketing capabilities with unlimited requests and revisions.

Flexible Pricing

Cost effective plans with monthly, quarterly, or annual payment options. No long-term commitment, and you can start with a two-week trial!

Designity is more than a collaborative creative platform. Every client plan includes an emerging Creative with fresh ideas who will be mentored by your Creative Director to gain real-world experience.
A smiling emoji, happy because Designity’s clients are supporting the next generation of talented, emerging Creatives.

A Two-Week Trial to Demonstrate the System

No Up-Front Payment Required

A happy smiling emoji, happy because Designity offers a two-week trial to see how we work!

Get Assigned to Your Dedicated Creative Director.

Marketplaces leave you on your own, while agencies provide a project manager, if you ask for one. With Designity, you’ll be matched with a designated Creative Director who will be your single point of contact, project manager, chief collaborator, and quality assurance specialist. Your Creative Director is fluent in strategizing design and marketing projects and directs every idea and Creative along the way. No marketplace or project manager can compete!
Creative Director
services

Collaborate With Your Cross Functional Team.

Say goodbye to chasing down freelancers and skill limitations! From your first kick-off call with Designity, your Creative Director will brainstorm with you, create a comprehensive project brief, and assemble your team from our vetted US-based Creative community. Whether it’s design, coding, copywriting, marketing assets & strategy, or more than 100 categories, we’ve got you covered.

Follow the Managed Process to Complete Your Project.

Break free from limited-offering agencies and self-managed freelance marketplaces. Discover a world of collaboration and transparent project management with Designity’s full managed process. You’ll always know guaranteed deadlines and who’s collaborating on your projects with recurring weekly video calls and unlimited emails and messages. These are the collaborative blueprints designed for your success!
blueprints

FAQ

What is the main difference between Designity plans?

The primary distinction among Designity plans lies in the scale of the team and the experience level of the creatives involved. This difference translates into the ability to handle more intricate projects and achieve faster turnaround times as you move up the plan tiers.

All plans feature a dedicated Creative Director who specializes in your industry. With the Essentials Plan, the Creative Director collaborates with one Emerging Creative. On the Plus Plan, the Creative Director partners with one Emerging Creative and one Senior Creative. Lastly, the Premium Plan offers access to one Emerging Creative, one Senior Creative, and one Pro Creative for the Creative Director.

Another notable contrast between Designity plans pertains to the range of Creative Services included in each tier. The Essentials plan primarily encompasses production-oriented tasks, while the Plus and Premium Plans encompass the entirety of Design and Marketing Categories. This encompasses areas such as Web Design, Video Production, Digital Marketing, and more.

Lastly, variations exist in the number of weekly calls and seats available across the different plans. For a detailed comparison of the plans, you can visit Designity's pricing page.

How is Designity’s model different from others?

Designity’s model offers the reliability you can trust and the five-star quality you need, all at the flexible price you want. It’s the only model that matches you with a compatible creative director to collaborate with a team of specialized creatives. Each creative is vetted into our exclusive US-based network and managed by your designated creative director, ensuring your projects are in good hands. You can see how we compare to traditional agencies, freelance marketplaces, and in-house teams with our comparison chart.

What does the Creative Director at Designity do for clients?

Creative Directors at Designity are the cornerstone of our success. Each client at Designity is matched with a dedicated Creative Director who possesses expertise in your industry.

Your Creative Director serves as your main point of contact, alleviating the need for you to reiterate your brand and goals to various creatives. They take charge of discussing your project objectives, crafting comprehensive project briefs, and outlining a detailed timeline that encompasses all necessary phases and deadlines. Above all, your designated Creative Director is responsible for handpicking the appropriate creative professional from our verified US-based network and overseeing them to ensure top-notch quality.

Consider your Creative Director as the conductor of a finely tuned orchestra, guiding every stage of the design process to deliver five-star results seamlessly. This approach lets you concentrate on more critical matters without any hassle.

How long will it take to complete my projects at Designity?

The timeline for completing creative projects varies based on the complexity of your project as well as your plan with Designity. Through Designity’s collaborative model, a simple project like a one-pager can be completed within a day, while a 90-minute animation video can be completed within a month.

It’s also essential to consider the materials you have ready for your project. For example, if you need a multiple-page website, do you have all the necessary text, illustrations, custom graphics, or brand guidelines? The creation of these elements can impact the project timeline.

For every project you undertake with Designity, you will engage in a kickoff call with your dedicated Creative Director. This call is designed to delve into the specifics of your project and develop a comprehensive project brief. Following this kickoff, your Creative Director will create a detailed timeline within 24 hours. This timeline will include deadlines for all project phases.

This timeline serves two purposes: it outlines the estimated project completion duration and details the various steps involved in accomplishing your project. This approach provides complete transparency regarding the time required for project completion and the expected ROI. Designity guarantees the presented deadline, assuming the scope of work remains the same and you provide us with the necessary information and feedback promptly.

How do Designity monthly plans work?

Designity's monthly plans operate on a straightforward month-to-month basis, free from lengthy commitments. You retain the freedom to cancel your plan at any time with a 7-day notice. We have such confidence in our model that you can initiate your plan with a 2-week trial without any upfront payment or credit card requirement. 

Should you opt for a quarterly plan, you can unlock a 5% discount and extend your trial to 3 weeks. For those considering a yearly plan, a 10% discount awaits, along with a 4-week trial period. All plans can be upgraded or downgraded conveniently through your Designity dashboard. To further tailor your plan, Designity offers specialized add-ons that can be purchased as needed.

If your creative department requires an extra boost, you have the option to upgrade or include additional resources for your projects through our add-ons. This flexibility distinguishes Designity's model, allowing you to adjust, enhance, or cancel your plan at your discretion, aligning with your budget and requirements. Whether you opt for monthly, quarterly, or annual billing, you maintain complete control over your choices.

Can I really cancel or pause my monthly plan with Designity at any time?

Absolutely! You can cancel your monthly plan at any time with a 7-day notice prior to the renewal date. Cancellations can be conveniently managed through your dashboard. Regardless of the reason, rest assured that you have the freedom to opt-out whenever you deem fit.

Additionally, we provide you with the option to pause your plan rather than canceling it outright. By choosing to pause your plan, you'll need to pay $395 per month, and in return, you'll receive the following benefits:

  • Continue working with the same Creative Director when you decide to reactivate your plan.
  • Engage in weekly consultations with your Creative Director to address any creative concerns.
  • Maintain access to all source files, ensuring a seamless continuation when you choose to activate your plan again.
  • Resume your projects without the need for a new onboarding process. Pick up right where you left off!
  • Enjoy price stability, as you won't be affected by any pricing increases; your rate remains unchanged.
What can I get done during my trial period at Designity?

The extent of your trial period's productivity depends on the project's scope and complexity. You have the option to complete a couple of small projects or tackle a segment of a larger project.

At Designity, the initiation of each project begins with your dedicated Creative Director constructing a comprehensive timeline. This timeline not only outlines the projected duration for project completion but also details the sequential steps necessary to bring your project to fruition.

Through the Designity model, you're afforded complete transparency via our technology-driven dashboard. This tool enables you to monitor ongoing tasks, current contributors, and anticipated deliverables as dictated by your project timeline. Designity guarantees the presented deadline, under the condition that the project's scope remains consistent and you promptly provide the essential information and feedback.

What types of design and marketing projects can you do?

Our extensive network of US-based creatives has the capacity to cover 80+ creative projects such as website design and development, video production, digital marketing campaigns, branding, etc. Don’t forget you always have one point of contact, your designated creative director, who collaborates with a team of creatives specialized in these various areas. You can explore our full capacity at Designity.com/services.

How many hours of work do I get under Designity Plans?

At Designity, we believe that assigning specific hours to our plans is not a fair practice for our clients. One talented creative might invest 5 hours in crafting uniquely compelling ads for your campaign, while another creative could allocate 10 hours for achieving the same result.

Designity operates on the principle of delivering results rather than focusing on the number of hours. With every project you undertake with Designity, you'll engage in a kickoff call alongside your dedicated Creative Director. This call aims to delve into the specifics of your project and develop a comprehensive project brief. Following this kickoff, your Creative Director will create a detailed timeline within 24 hours. This timeline will encompass deadlines and all project phases.

This timeline serves two purposes: it not only outlines the estimated project completion duration but also delineates the various steps involved in accomplishing your project. This approach grants you complete transparency regarding the time required for project completion and the expected return on investment (ROI). Designity guarantees the presented deadline, assuming the scope of work remains the same and you furnish us with necessary information and feedback promptly.

That said, while we don't assign fixed hours to our plans, we do allocate limited hours to each plan. Our Creative Directors craft timelines based on the available hours on your plan. The Essentials Plan offers a total of 19 hours per week from your team. The Plus Plan provides 35 hours per week from your team. Meanwhile, the Premium Plan includes a total of 53 hours per week from your team. These hours encompass the time of your dedicated Creative Director, assigned Creatives, and the Head of Design.

It's essential to note that these hours are not accumulative; they are allocated for achieving distinct milestones on your project timeline each week. The Designity model ensures transparency through its technology-enabled dashboard, allowing you to track ongoing tasks, the responsible team members, and anticipated deliveries as per your timeline.

Do I really get unlimited project requests and revisions with my Designity plan?

Yes! Your dedicated Creative Director at Designity is responsible for initiating each project correctly, which helps to minimize the need for extensive back-and-forth communication and revisions. However, we understand that the scope of work may change over time, and you might require additional revisions. All Designity plans include unlimited revisions while you remain an active client.

Moreover, you have the flexibility to submit an unlimited number of projects under any of the Designity plans. Please note that our project workflow follows a linear process. Depending on your chosen plan, we can work on as many projects as you have available creatives to cover. For instance, the Plus plan includes two creatives with the capacity to handle two projects simultaneously. The Premium plan offers three creatives with the ability to manage three projects simultaneously.

Your dedicated Creative Director at Designity always crafts a comprehensive timeline for your projects. This transparency ensures that you are fully aware of how many Creatives are involved in your projects and the reasons behind their involvement. Should you require a quicker turnaround on multiple projects, you have the option to customize your plan using our add-ons, enabling you to include more creatives and complete more projects within a shorter timeframe.

What if I need help with copywriting, back-end development, or SEO?

No problem! All of these specialized areas are a part of our offerings and the general design process. We have many copywriters, back-end and front-end developers, and marketing pros who are knowledgeable in the areas you need. Your creative director will assign creatives with various skillsets in accordance to your needs–all while being your main point of contact.

Who owns the copyrights to the created work at Designity?

The client retain 100% ownership of the copyrights! Every idea and project we develop for you is exclusively yours, along with every file we provide – at no additional cost. You have continuous access to source files via your dashboard, ensuring full copyright ownership.

Please be aware that this arrangement is applicable only if you choose to continue working with us after your trial concludes. If you opt to cancel your plan at the conclusion of your trial period, you are not authorized to use any incomplete or finalized work produced by Designity.

Do you sign non-disclosure agreements (NDA)?

Yes, your privacy is important to us. We can provide you with our own standard NDA or feel free to bring your own.

Where are your creatives and creative directors located?

Our network expands across the US, covering all time zones. We stand by offering strictly national collaboration in order to deliver you a virtual creative team that’s not just compatible with your design and marketing needs, but your pin on the map too.

How does the 2-week trial period work?

The 2-week trial period is designed to give you a taste of Designity at no cost whatsoever. You will not be charged unless you’d like to continue working with Designity after the two weeks are over. If you decide Designity isn’t a good fit for you within 14 days, we’ll give you a full refund.

How much will it cost to complete my project?

Like timelines, different projects come with different price tags. That’s why we offer monthly plans to take advantage of unlimited project requests and revisions every month for the same price. You can learn more about our monthly plans on our pricing page.

How many projects can I do at a time?

As many as you want! Our model is designed to be flexible in adding additional creatives to your plan and working on multiple projects at a time. The number of projects you can work on simultaneously without add-ons entirely depends on the scope of work and how many creatives are included in your plan.

What payment options does Designity offer?

We provide three distinct payment methods for your plan: ACH, Crypto (ETH or BTC), and credit card. ACH and crypto payments do not incur any fees. However, credit card payments will have an additional 3% fee.

You are obligated to make payments based on the recurrence you initially signed up for, until you choose to cancel your plan. All plan payments are due upon receipt of the invoice and are subject to pricing increases if payments are received after this period. For more detailed information, you can refer to the Designity Terms of Use.

What is the client onboarding process at Designity?

Once you sign up for the 2-Week trial and complete the onboarding process, you will be assigned to a local Creative Director who has deep experience in your industry. This individual will serve as your primary point of contact, project manager, chief collaborator, and quality assurance specialist.

Following this, you will engage in a kick-off call with your Creative Director, which will mark the start of your collaboration with your new cross-functional team. During this call, you will discuss a project to be completed during your 2-Week trial period. Your Creative Director will compile a comprehensive project brief along with a detailed timeline. This will provide you with a clear understanding of the project's duration and its various stages.

Finally, your dedicated Creative Director will assign suitable creatives from Designity's verified network (such as graphic designers, copywriters, video producers, etc.) and will oversee their progress to ensure the delivery of hassle-free, high-quality outputs.

All collaboration takes place through Designity's technology-enabled platform and our fully managed process. You will have weekly video calls with your team, consistent access to the timeline, and source files available at all times, ensuring complete transparency throughout the process.

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