Creative Graphic Design vs Hire Graphic Designers
Which you need, what each costs, and when a project wants both — creative graphic design compared with hire graphic designers.
Last revised
Both sit under Image Editing & Graphic Design, and clients regularly ask which of the two they actually want. The short answer is below; the rest of this page is how to tell, what each costs, and the cases where a project needs both.
What each one is
- Creative Graphic Design Campaign artwork, corporate identity systems and desktop publishing — prepared for the process each piece will actually be produced by.
- Hire Graphic Designers On-demand, part-time or dedicated full-time designers and retouchers working to your brief, your tools and your naming conventions.
The numbers
| Creative Graphic Design | Hire Graphic Designers | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | From $0.39 per image | From $7.00 per hour |
| Typical turnaround | 2–5 working days | Start within 48 hours |
How to decide
Go with Creative Graphic Design when
- Budget is the binding constraint: this starts at $0.39 per image against $7.00 per hour for hire graphic designers
- Your deadline suits 2–5 working days rather than start within 48 hours
- The job is specifically advertising design, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically corporate identity design, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically desktop publishing, which sits under this one
Go with Hire Graphic Designers when
- Budget is the binding constraint: this starts at $7.00 per hour against $0.39 per image for creative graphic design
- Your deadline suits start within 48 hours rather than 2–5 working days
- The job is specifically hire by software skills, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically hire freelance graphic designer, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically hire graphic design team, which sits under this one
When a project wants both
Worth knowing: More often than the question implies — the same job frequently touches both, and one team covers them, so moving between them is a conversation rather than a second supplier. If you are not sure which your files need, that is what the free trial is for. The process is the same either way: whichever you pick, the work runs through the same stages and is checked against the same bar. Image Editing & Graphic Design sets that out.
Questions we get on this specific choice
Is one of them cheaper?
Creative Graphic Design starts at $0.39 per image and hire graphic designers at $7.00 per hour. Complexity and volume move both, and the cheaper unit is not always the cheaper job.
Which is faster?
Creative Graphic Design typically runs 2–5 working days and hire graphic designers start within 48 hours. Volume moves both more than the choice does.
Can you tell me which one my files need?
Yes, free. Send two or three real files — that judgment is part of the trial rather than something quoted separately.
Can I switch after we start?
Yes. If the files say the other one is the right answer, we re-quote before doing the work rather than after.
Where to go from here
- Creative Graphic Design — what it is, in full, with its own pricing
- Hire Graphic Designers — the same for the alternative
- Image Editing & Graphic Design pricing — both rates side by side with the US market ranges
- Try it free — 2 images, edited to your brief, and we will tell you which of the two your files need
- Get a quote if the scope is already clear
- Every rate we publish, on one page
