How much does brand identity design cost? Published packages, guidelines prices and timelines (2026)

The short answer

A brand identity (a logo plus colour, type, supporting graphics and guidelines) cost USD 1,300 to USD 5,000 from small US studios that publish packages, USD 5,000 to USD 13,000 from established studios, and USD 8,000 to USD 40,000 or more when strategy and positioning come first, on the pages we read on 17 October 2026.

We also counted the fixed-price branding services on Dribbble: the 39 identity packages from providers listing a US location had a median of USD 3,000 and a median schedule of 3 weeks; the 13 strategy-led packages had a median of USD 15,000 and 8 weeks. Clutch says most branding projects reviewed on its platform cost USD 10,000–49,999.

Published brand identity packages, by scope

Platforms set lower floors. 99designs runs logo and brand identity contests at USD 599, 899, 1,699 and 2,499, or estimates USD 599–2,199 for a one-to-one project. Upwork's guide puts a freelancer's "brand identity system" at USD 1,500–5,000. Looka's Brand Kit is a USD 96-a-year subscription of templates around a generated logo.

"From" is doing a lot of work in that table. Most studio prices are a floor for the smallest version of the scope, and the quote rises with the number of applications, markets and decision-makers.

What Dribbble's branding listings show

Few US studios publish package prices on their own sites, so we counted the ones that publish them on Dribbble. On 17 October 2026 we read the first two pages of seven Dribbble service categories (brand identity, branding, brand guidelines, brand strategy, logo design, rebranding and pitch decks): 300 listings, each with a fixed or "from" price, a stated number of concepts and revisions, and a schedule.

The US identity listings offered a median of 3 concepts and 2 revision rounds, and that barely changed with price. What rises with price is the work around the logo: strategy, the number of applications and the depth of the guidelines.

Treat these as asking prices, not invoices. Dribbble ranks listings its own way, locations are what providers state on their profiles, and a "from" price is counted at its floor. The full list with links is in our research notes.

What drives the price

The same six variables move every quote:

1. Strategy and research. Positioning, audience and competitor work is the single biggest step up: the median Dribbble listing goes from USD 3,000 to USD 15,000 when strategy leads. As a standalone add-on, Logo Design NYC sells a brand identity consultation of up to four hours for USD 495, and Megagon a brand story and messaging guide for USD 200.
2. Naming. If the company has no name, budget for it separately or check the package says so; Unfold's lists naming exploration "if needed". Our guide to naming agency costs covers what it adds.
3. Concepts and rounds. Two or three directions with two or three rounds is standard. More directions cost more and rarely help if the brief is clear.
4. Applications. Each thing the identity must be shown working on (website, deck, packaging, signage, uniforms, product interface) is design time. Jaks Digital's Signature tier includes business cards, social templates and an email signature; 4C Design Works quotes website work as an add-on and adjusts estimates for signage or vehicle wraps.
5. Guidelines depth. A one-page sheet, a multi-page PDF and a custom brand book are different jobs, priced below.
6. Motion. An animated logo or motion rules add a specialist. Megagon lists logo animation at USD 200; Ramotion's USD 35,000 package includes it.

How much brand guidelines cost

Brand guidelines are the document that lets someone who wasn't in the project apply the identity correctly: logo clear space and minimum sizes, colour values, type hierarchy, imagery and examples.

If you're commissioning an identity, get the guidelines in the same contract: the designer who built the system knows its rules. Our guide to brand guidelines covers what they should contain.

Timelines providers publish

Clutch's eight months covers every kind of branding engagement reviewed on its platform, including rollouts and retainers, with an average project cost of USD 71,651.70. The identity schedules published above run 3 to 10 weeks; on your side, approvals and stakeholder reviews can stretch them.

Brand identity, logo or naming: what you're buying

The cheapest mistake to avoid is buying a logo when the problem is the brand: a new mark on top of an unclear offer still looks like a company that can't explain itself.

How to compare proposals

Send the same brief to each provider and ask:

• Is there a strategy or positioning phase, and what does it produce in writing?
• How many concepts and revision rounds, and what does an extra round cost?
• Which applications are designed and shown in use, and which are just mock-ups?
• How long are the guidelines, and do they cover digital use (web colours, accessibility contrast, icons)?
• Which files do you get (vector logos, editable templates, Figma or InDesign sources), and are the fonts licensed for your use?
• Is the copyright assigned to you in writing?
• Who checks trademarks before the design is final?
• What is the schedule, and who on your side must approve each step?

If two quotes differ by 5×, they usually describe different scopes; line them up against this list before comparing prices. Our checklist for comparing design studios covers the rest of the vetting.

What to do next

Write a one-page brief: who the brand is for, what it must change, where it will appear first, and your budget range. If you'd like Dardo to build the identity, our brand creation service starts from a positioning record and includes naming when needed; it's quoted per scope, as our pricing page explains.