How much does UI/UX design cost in 2026?
A UI/UX design agency project typically costs between $5K and $150K or more, in four bands. $5K–$15K buys an audit or research sprint. $15K–$50K buys an MVP or app v1. $50K–$150K buys a full redesign. $150K+ buys a design system across several teams.
What each budget typically buys
Scope and timeline are typical ranges from agency proposals and published case studies. Your quote will depend on the drivers below.
- Typical scope
- UX audit of one product, a research sprint, or a redesign of one feature or flow.
- Typical timeline
- 2 to 4 weeks
- You get
- Findings, priorities and redesigned screens for the flow in scope.
- Typical scope
- MVP design for a new product, a marketing site, or a mobile app v1 on one platform.
- Typical timeline
- 6 to 14 weeks
- You get
- Research, flows, a clickable prototype and final UI ready for build.
- Typical scope
- Full redesign of an existing product, or a launch across iOS, Android and web.
- Typical timeline
- 3 to 9 months
- You get
- Everything above plus a component library and design support during build.
- Typical scope
- A design system plus product work across several teams or products.
- Typical timeline
- 6 months or longer
- You get
- A maintained system, documentation and embedded designers.
Ranges are typical, from our own bands. They are not averages.
Six things that move a quote
Two projects with the same screen count can differ by a band or more. These are the reasons, roughly in order of how much they move the number.
The number of distinct flows matters more than the number of screens. A sign-up, a dashboard and a settings area are three problems, each with empty, error and edge states. Agencies price the thinking, so a list of flows gets you a tighter quote than a screen count.
More flows, higher bandUser interviews, usability tests and analytics reviews add time up front. Skipping them lowers the quote but raises the risk of designing the wrong thing. Expect research to take a meaningful share of an MVP budget when your users are new to you.
Adds weeks, lowers riskEach platform needs its own patterns. Designing for iOS, Android and web is not three times the work, but it is far more than one. Responsive web alone also adds tablet and phone layouts to review.
Each platform adds scopeA reusable component library costs more now and saves time on every later release. Agencies often quote it as a separate line. If you plan to keep building after launch, ask for it priced on its own.
Higher now, cheaper laterPublished rates on our list run from $40 to $300 per hour. Much of that gap follows where the team is based. Nearshore and offshore teams can cost less for the same scope, with trade-offs in time-zone overlap.
Up to 7× between ratesWho does the work sets the rate. Some agencies staff projects with senior designers only. Others pair a lead with mid-level designers. Ask who will be on your project and for how many days a week.
Ask who is on the teamPublished hourly rates
We only list rates an agency publishes, each linked to its source. We leave out regional averages until we can source them, so this table is short on purpose.
| Agency | Based in | Published rate | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wavespace | San Francisco, US | $40–$75/hr | Clutch profile |
| UX Studio | Budapest, Hungary | $50–$99/hr | Clutch profile |
| Work & Co | Brooklyn, US | $100–$149/hr | Clutch profile |
| frog | San Francisco, US | $100–$149/hr | Clutch profile |
| Yummygum | Amsterdam, Netherlands | $100–$149/hr | Clutch profile |
| Clay Global | San Francisco, US | $150–$199/hr | Clutch profile |
| ustwo | London, UK | $150–$199/hr | Clutch profile |
| AREA 17 | Brooklyn, US and Paris, France | $150–$199/hr | Clutch profile |
| Instrument | Portland, US | $200–$300/hr | Clutch profile |
Rates for the other 11 agencies on our list of 20 UI/UX design agencies are not published. In that case we show "Undisclosed" rather than an estimate.
How to get an accurate quote
Agencies quote what they understand. The fastest way to an accurate number is a one-page brief that covers what you are building, for whom, what has to be true at launch, your budget band and your start date.
- Give a budget band. It tells agencies which version of the project to propose, and it saves a round of back and forth.
- List flows, not screens. "Sign-up, onboarding, dashboard, billing" is easier to price than "about 40 screens".
- Say what exists. Brand guidelines, an old design file or a live product all change the starting point.
- Ask for the price split by phase. Research, design and build support priced separately are easier to compare.
Our guide on how to write a UX design brief agencies can actually quote has a template. When it is ready, send it to us and we will introduce three agencies that fit your band.
Cost questions
How much does it cost to design an app?
An app v1 on one platform typically falls in the $15K–$50K band. A launch across iOS, Android and web typically falls in the $50K–$150K band. Research, the number of flows and who is on the team move the number within each band.
Is a freelancer cheaper than an agency?
Usually, yes, for the same hours. A freelancer suits one well-defined piece of work. An agency costs more because you get research, UX and UI from several people, and someone else manages the timeline.
Why do agency rates vary so much?
Location and seniority explain most of it. Published rates on our list run from $40 to $300 per hour. A higher rate does not always mean a higher total, because senior teams can need fewer hours.
Should I pay a fixed price or by the hour?
Fixed price works when scope is clear, such as an audit or a defined MVP. Time and materials suits open work like research-led discovery. Many agencies quote a fixed price per phase, which gives you both.
Do you route briefs under $5K?
Not yet. Most agencies on our list do not take projects that small. For a smaller budget, a freelancer or a focused audit is usually the better route.