DesignPal vs. Hiring In-House
In-House Hiring typically cost $150,000+/yr (salary + benefits + tools). DesignPal starts at $1,495/mo. See why teams are making the switch.
About In-House Hiring
Hiring a full-time in-house designer gives you a dedicated team member who deeply understands your brand. But the true cost — salary, benefits, equipment, software, management time — makes it impractical for most growing teams.
What in-house hiring do well
- Deeply embedded in your company culture and brand
- Available for real-time collaboration and meetings
- Builds institutional knowledge over time
- Direct oversight and management
Where in-house hiring fall short
- $150K+/yr total cost when you factor in salary, benefits, and tools
- Months-long hiring process to find the right person
- Single point of failure — vacation, sick days, turnover
- One designer rarely covers all skill sets (web, print, motion, brand)
- You pay the same whether workload is heavy or light
- Training, management, and performance reviews add overhead
Why teams choose DesignPal over in-house hiring
Here's what you get when you switch to DesignPal.
- Starting at $1,495/mo — roughly 1/8th the cost of a full-time hire
- Access to a team of specialists, not just one generalist
- No hiring process — start getting designs this week
- Pause when workload is light, resume when it picks up
- No HR overhead — no benefits, no PTO, no management
- Industry-specialized designers who already know your vertical
Frequently asked questions
How does the cost of a design subscription compare to hiring in-house?
A full-time senior designer costs $150,000+ per year in salary, benefits, equipment, and software. DesignPal starts at $1,495/mo ($17,940/yr) — roughly one-eighth the cost — with access to a team of specialists instead of one generalist.
Do I lose brand consistency without an in-house designer?
No. We maintain detailed brand guidelines and style documentation for every client. Your designs stay consistent whether you are on Starter, Growth, or Scale. On Scale, a dedicated designer builds deep brand familiarity.
Can I pause my subscription during slow months?
Yes. Unlike a full-time hire where you pay the same salary regardless of workload, you can pause your DesignPal subscription anytime. Your billing freezes and you pick up where you left off.
Simple, transparent pricing
No contracts. No hidden fees. No surprises. Pause or cancel anytime.
Starter
Perfect for early-stage teams that need consistent design output.
- 1 active request at a time
- 48-hour average turnaround
- Unlimited requests (queued)
- Unlimited revisions
- Unlimited brands
- Source files included
- Pause or cancel anytime
Growth
For scaling teams that need faster throughput and priority support.
- 2 active requests at a time
- 24-hour average turnaround
- Unlimited requests (queued)
- Unlimited revisions
- Unlimited brands
- Source files included
- Priority queue
- Pause or cancel anytime
Scale
For teams that need a dedicated design partner embedded in their workflow.
- 3 active requests at a time
- Same-day turnaround
- Unlimited requests (queued)
- Unlimited revisions
- Unlimited brands
- Source files included
- Dedicated designer
- Private Slack channel
- Pause or cancel anytime
