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 | Snappa | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $249 | From $10 |
| Pricing model | One-time purchase | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Billing | One-time purchase | Monthly or annual |
| 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 |
| Works with | Nothing in particular | Nothing in particular |
| 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
Graphics sized right for each platform
Snappa opens at the dimensions a thumbnail, a story or a header actually needs, which removes the step where somebody guesses and then crops. The stock photos and graphics inside it are royalty-free for commercial work. Three downloads a month on the free plan is the limit, and it is a hard one rather than a watermark.
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.