So… how much should a logo actually cost?
It’s a perfectly reasonable question. Unfortunately, it’s also one of those questions where a quick Google search can leave you more confused than when you started.
At one end of the scale, you’ll find logo generators and online marketplaces promising a new logo for the price of a takeaway. At the other, branding agencies can charge several thousand pounds – sometimes considerably more.
So, what’s the difference? And more importantly, how much should you actually spend on a professional logo design for your business?
The slightly annoying answer is: it depends.
But don’t worry, I’m not going to spend the next ten minutes telling you that and then completely avoid mentioning any actual prices.
How much does professional logo design cost in the UK?
There’s no official price list for logo design, and current UK prices vary enormously.
As a very broad guide, you might come across something like:
| Type of logo design service | Typical price range |
| DIY, AI or template-based logo | Free – £100 |
| Budget online services/marketplaces | £20 – £200 |
| Independent professional designer/small studio | £200 – £1,500+ |
| Branding/design agency | £1,500 – £5,000+ |
| Larger strategic branding projects | £5,000 – £50,000+ |
These aren’t fixed industry rates, and there’s plenty of crossover between them. They’re simply an indication of just how varied logo designer prices can be in the UK.
Current published UK pricing backs that up. Some independent designers offer bespoke logo packages for a few hundred pounds, while other research puts professional small-business logo projects considerably higher. Once brand strategy and a complete visual identity are included, costs can quickly move into the thousands.
Which brings me to something quite important…
Make sure you’re actually comparing like with like
If one designer quotes £300 and another quotes £3,000, it doesn’t necessarily mean one is ridiculously cheap and the other has completely lost the plot.
They may not be quoting for the same thing.
A logo design project might include a couple of initial ideas, some revisions and the finished artwork.
A larger brand identity project could involve research, strategy, logo design, typography, colour palettes, brand guidelines, supporting graphics, templates and all sorts of additional assets.
That’s a very different piece of work.
So rather than comparing the figure at the bottom of two quotes, look at what you’re actually getting for your money.
What are you paying a professional logo designer for?
It’s easy to look at a finished logo and think:
“It’s only some text and a little icon. How can that possibly take very long?”
The finished design might look simple – in fact, some of the best logos do – but getting to that point is where the work comes in.
When I’m developing a bespoke logo, I’m not simply choosing a nice font, drawing something next to it and calling it a day.
There’s the initial brief, understanding the business, considering its customers and competitors, exploring ideas, developing concepts, choosing appropriate typography and colours, refining the strongest direction and making sure the finished logo can actually do its job.
And sometimes a good chunk of the design process is knowing what not to do.
That’s where experience comes in.
You’re also paying for a logo that actually works
Your logo isn’t only going to sit beautifully at the top of your website.
It might eventually appear on:
business cards, stationery, social media profiles, email signatures, brochures, clothing, signage, exhibition graphics, vehicle graphics – or something enormous you haven’t even thought of yet.
A beautifully detailed logo that looks fabulous on a 27-inch monitor but turns into an indecipherable blob when printed on a pen isn’t terribly useful.
A professional designer should therefore be thinking beyond how the logo looks on screen and considering how it’s going to work in the real world.
That includes different sizes, different backgrounds and both digital and printed applications.
What files should you receive with a professional logo?
This is another area where a £50 logo and a £500 logo might be very different propositions.
Receiving one JPEG doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve got everything you’ll need.
At the end of a professional logo design project, you should know what files you’re receiving and what they’re intended for.
Depending on the service, these might include:
- scalable vector artwork for professional print and large-format use
- JPEG and PNG versions for everyday digital use
- transparent-background versions
- PDF and SVG files
- alternative layouts or versions where required
- colour information for print and screen
- details of the fonts used
- appropriately sized versions for social media or other common applications
With my own logo packages, I prepare the finished artwork for both print and digital use and provide guidance explaining what the various files are actually for – because there’s not much point giving somebody a folder full of mysterious acronyms and wishing them the best of luck.
Does a cheaper logo mean a bad logo?
No.
And I think this is where some discussions about professional logo design costs become a little unhelpful.
Spending more money doesn’t automatically result in a better logo, just as paying less doesn’t automatically mean you’ll end up with something awful.
If you’re experimenting with a little side business or testing an idea before committing much money to it, a DIY or low-cost solution might be perfectly sensible.
Likewise, an experienced independent designer can often offer professional bespoke logo design for considerably less than a large agency because the business models and overheads are completely different.
The important thing is understanding what level of service your business actually needs.
What about Canva, AI and online logo makers? (H2)
There’s nothing inherently wrong with using design tools to get a new idea off the ground.
AI logo generators and template-based platforms can be quick and inexpensive, and for some businesses that’s exactly what’s needed at the time.
The limitations tend to become more noticeable when you need something genuinely distinctive, need the design to work across lots of different applications, require particular professional file formats or simply reach the point where your business has outgrown the original DIY solution.
I’ve written separately about some of the things worth considering when using Canva for professional design, so I won’t repeat the whole thing here.
The important point for this article is simply:
DIY and professional logo design are different services, so comparing them purely on price isn’t particularly useful.
How much should a start-up business spend on a logo? (H2)
This is where I’d encourage a little common sense.
If you’re setting up a small local business, you don’t necessarily need to spend thousands on a huge branding exercise before you’ve earned your first pound.
Equally, if you’re investing serious money into premises, vehicles, signage, a website, advertising and printed marketing, spending £20 on the visual identity that’s going to appear across all of it might be a slightly strange place to make your biggest saving.
Your logo will often be one of the first things potential customers see.
So rather than asking:
“What’s the cheapest logo I can get?”
I’d ask:
“What level of logo design is appropriate for the business I’m trying to build?”
That’s a much more useful starting point.
Why do experienced logo designers charge more? (H2)
You’re not only paying for the hours somebody spends physically creating artwork.
You’re paying for the experience behind the decisions.
An experienced designer will usually spot potential problems much earlier: typography that isn’t going to reproduce well, an idea that’s too complicated, colours that aren’t working together, layouts that won’t scale properly, or a concept that’s simply not communicating what you think it is.
Experience can also make the process considerably more efficient.
I’ve been designing professionally for more than 30 years, and that experience means I can usually get to the heart of what a client is trying to achieve pretty quickly.
That doesn’t mean I charge three decades’ worth of hourly rates every time I open Illustrator. You’ll be pleased to hear.
It means you’re paying for the judgement that comes with having solved an awful lot of design problems over the years.
Don’t forget to ask about revisions (H2)
This can make a surprisingly big difference when comparing logo design prices.
A quote might include:
one concept and one revision
while another might include:
several original concepts and multiple rounds of refinement.
Neither approach is necessarily wrong, but you need to know what’s included before comparing the prices.
Also check what happens if you want further changes. Are they included? Is there an hourly charge? Is there a limit?
A cheap initial price can become considerably less cheap once additional rounds of work start being added to the bill.
And what about ownership of the finished logo? (H2)
This is another thing worth checking when comparing logo design prices.
Make sure you understand what happens to the ownership rights of your final approved logo once the project is complete and paid for, as different designers and online services may have different terms.
With Design FX Studio, you’ll receive full ownership rights to your final approved logo design once the project is complete and full payment has been received.
If you’re considering registering your logo as a trade mark, that’s a separate legal process, and it’s worth carrying out the appropriate checks or seeking specialist advice where required.
So, is professional logo design worth the money? (H2)
If your business is something you’re serious about building, I think it is.
Obviously I’m a graphic designer, so I’m hardly an entirely neutral observer here.
But I also don’t think every business needs an enormous branding project.
What you do need is a logo that’s appropriate for your business, professionally prepared, versatile enough to use where you need it and supplied in the formats you’ll need going forward.
For some businesses, that might mean a straightforward professional logo package.
For others it might mean a more involved bespoke design, illustration, logo refresh or complete brand identity.
The right amount to spend is the amount that gets you what your business genuinely needs – not simply the cheapest or most expensive option you can find.
Comparing logo design quotes? Here’s what I’d look for (H2)
Before choosing purely on price, ask:
- Is the logo genuinely bespoke or based on a template?
- How many initial concepts are included?
- How many revisions are included?
- Who will actually be designing it?
- Can you see examples of their previous work?
- What finished file formats will you receive?
- Will you receive scalable vector artwork?
- Will the logo be suitable for print as well as digital use?
- Are alternative versions included if needed?
- What happens to ownership of the final approved artwork?
- Are there any additional charges you need to know about?
- What support or guidance will you receive once the logo is finished?
Two quotes can look very different once you start comparing those answers.
Looking for professional logo design? (H2)
At Design FX Studio, I offer a range of bespoke logo design options for new and established businesses, from straightforward logo design and existing logo repairs through to more detailed illustration work, logo refreshes and re-designs.
My own bespoke logo design packages currently start from £199 + VAT for the Essential Logo Design Package, with other options available depending on the style of logo and level of design work required.
I work directly with every client from the initial brief through to the finished artwork, so there’s no account manager, mysterious design department or game of Chinese whispers in between.
And because I also work across branding, print and website design, I can make sure your new logo doesn’t just look lovely in isolation – it can become the starting point for a consistent business identity across everything else you need.
