What is a design subscription and is it worth it?

Design subscriptions provide unlimited design requests for a fixed monthly fee. They’re transforming how businesses access design talent—but they’re not right for everyone.

How design subscriptions work

The model is straightforward:

1. You pay a fixed monthly fee
2. You submit design requests via a shared board (Trello, Notion, or similar)
3. A dedicated designer works through requests sequentially
4. Average turnaround is 24-48 hours per request
5. You can submit unlimited requests and get unlimited revisions
6. Pause or cancel anytime (monthly billing)

What you can typically request

Most design subscriptions cover:

• Landing pages and web pages
• Email templates
• Social media graphics
• Banner ads and display ads
• Presentation decks
• Brand collateral
• Print materials
• UI/UX design

Complex work like full website redesigns or brand identity projects may require extended timelines or premium tiers.

Design subscription vs other options

Option	Best for	Cost	Pros	Cons
Design subscription	Ongoing, variable needs	€2,000-€5,000/mo	Predictable cost, fast turnaround, flexibility	One request at a time, may not suit complex projects
Freelancer	Specific projects	€50-€150/hour	Direct relationship, specialized skills	Availability issues, scope creep, variable pricing
Agency	Large, complex projects	€10,000-€50,000+/project	Full team, end-to-end service	Expensive, slower, account manager layers
In-house designer	High-volume, strategic needs	€50,000-€80,000/year	Dedicated, learns your brand deeply	Recruitment, management, benefits costs

When a design subscription makes sense

Good fit:

• You have consistent, ongoing design needs (5+ requests/month)
• You need fast turnaround on varied requests
• You don’t have enough work for a full-time hire
• Your needs vary month to month (pause when slow)
• You want predictable budgeting

Not ideal if:

• You need multiple requests completed simultaneously
• You have one large project then nothing
• You need highly specialized skills (3D, motion, illustration)
• You want a designer in meetings and deeply embedded in your team

Calculating the value

Compare subscription cost to what you’d pay otherwise:

If you submit 10 requests per month, and comparable freelance work costs €300-500 per deliverable, you’d pay €3,000-5,000. A €3,000/month subscription provides significant savings—plus unlimited revisions.

Typical savings: 40-60% compared to agency pricing, 20-40% compared to freelancers for consistent workloads.

Questions to ask before subscribing

• Who will be my designer? Can I see their portfolio?
• What’s the actual turnaround time for different request types?
• How do revisions work?
• What happens if I’m not happy with the work?
• Can I pause? What are the terms?
• What tools will we use for communication and requests?
• Do you specialize in e-commerce/my industry?

BTNG.studio’s design subscription

Our design subscription is specifically built for e-commerce brands:

• E-commerce specialized designer (not a generalist)
• 48-hour average turnaround
• Unlimited requests and revisions
• Pause anytime, no long-term commitment
• Direct Slack communication
• Trello board for request management

Book a call to discuss whether the subscription is right for your needs.