Growing an audience
Running the business
Both cover design & graphics and thumbnails & cover art. Here is what separates them on price, billing, what you can take with you, and coverage.
| 99designs | Placeit | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $249 | From $7.47 |
| Pricing model | One-time purchase | Paid subscription |
| Free tier | No | No |
| Billing | One-time purchase | Annual only |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| API | Not stated | Not stated |
| Data export | Not stated | Not stated |
| Their cut | Not stated | Not stated |
| Runs on | Web | Web |
| Covers | Hiring & Freelancers, Design & Graphics, Thumbnails & Cover Art | Thumbnails & Cover Art, Design & Graphics, Merch & Print on Demand |
| Works with | Nothing in particular | YouTube, Twitch |
| Founded | Not listed | Not listed |
| Reader rating | No reviews yet | No reviews yet |
| Live deals | None right now | None right now |
Run a design contest, pick the entry you like
99designs, now owned by Vista, runs the contest model: post a brief and a prize, get dozens of submissions from designers around the world, pay only the one you choose. For a logo or a channel identity that is a lot of directions to look at for a fixed price. The people who dislike it dislike it on principle, because everybody who does not win works for nothing.
Our note
The objection to the contest model is real and worth stating: everybody who does not win works unpaid. If that sits badly, Dribbble and Contra both put you in touch with a designer who is paid for the work they do.
Only on this side
Mockups, logos and thumbnails from templates
Placeit is the fastest way to see your design on a shirt, a mug or a phone, which is what a merch listing needs before anything has been printed. Logos, gaming overlays and thumbnail templates come with the same subscription. Everything is a template, so two creators who both use it end up looking related.
Only on this side
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.