Most agencies don't publish their ROI calculations because the numbers make traditional agency pricing look bad. We're not most agencies. Here's the actual maths behind choosing a design subscription versus the alternatives.
The comparison framework
There are three ways to get design work done: hire in-house, use freelancers, or use a design subscription. Let's compare all three for a business that needs consistent, ongoing design support.
In-house designer
A mid-level graphic designer in the UK costs approximately £30,000 to £40,000 in salary. Add employer's NI (roughly 13.8%), pension contributions (minimum 3%), and benefits, and the total cost is £37,000 to £50,000 per year. Then add equipment (£2,000 to £3,000 for a Mac and software licences), management overhead, holiday cover, and recruitment costs. Realistic total: £45,000 to £60,000 per year for one designer with one skill set.
That designer gets ill. Goes on holiday. Has quiet weeks and overwhelmed weeks. And when you need skills they don't have (motion graphics, packaging, UX design), you're back to outsourcing.
Freelancer
A solid freelance designer charges £300 to £600 per day. If you need design support three days per week (which most growing businesses do), that's £900 to £1,800 per week. Over a year: £46,800 to £93,600. Yes, that's potentially more than a full-time hire, and without the consistency or brand knowledge that an in-house designer builds over time.
Design subscription
Our plans run from £495 to £1,295 per month. Over a year: £5,940 to £15,540. That's unlimited requests, unlimited revisions, unlimited brands, a dedicated workflow, and access to a team with multiple skill sets. No NI. No pension. No sick days. No recruitment.
The ROI calculation
Take the middle ground: compare a £45,000 in-house designer to a £795 per month Pro subscription (£9,540 per year). The subscription saves £35,460 per year. That's a 79% cost reduction with comparable output volume and broader skill coverage.
Even compared to a freelancer at the low end (£46,800/year), the Pro subscription saves £37,260 per year. And the subscription includes project management, a structured brief process, and guaranteed turnaround times. Freelancers rarely offer any of that.
