how much does a logo cost? bands, deliverables, briefs

business · 2026-10-13 · 5 min

logo prices span from free to five figures, and every band is rational for somebody — the question is which somebody you are. the bands, what each buys, and how to brief whatever band you pick.

the bands

generator/builder: 0-50 (instant, generic, trademark-risky — fine for drafts, risky as identity). contest/crowd: 50-300 (dozens of options, shallow thinking, rights to verify). freelancer: 300-1500 (consultation, concepts, revisions, files that work everywhere). studio/agency: 1500-10000+ (research, strategy, system, guidelines). the price buys thinking depth and risk removal, not pixels — pixels are cheap at every band.

what the money is for

versatility (readable at 16px favicon and 3m van: test both). originality (searchable, trademarkable, not clipart with your name). files (vector source, color variants, usage minimums — missing files cost rebuys later). thinking (why this shape for this business: the part that makes it memorable). a cheap logo with all four beats an expensive one missing two — audit the deliverable, not the invoice.

briefing any band well

one sentence: what you do for whom. three adjectives the logo must feel. where it must work (van, avatar, invoice, sign). competitors' logos (to differ from). names to avoid resembling. good briefs improve every band more than money does — most bad logos are bad briefs with budgets.

FAQ

do I need a logo before launching?

no — name plus consistent type and color launches fine; the logo joins when the promise is clear. businesses have opened memorably on wordmarks alone. the promise first: why branding matters for small businesses.

red flags when buying?

no vector source included, no trademark search mentioned, portfolio of lookalikes, full payment upfront, "unlimited revisions" (means no process). one flag: negotiate. two: walk. the general rip-off detector: how do i compare two quotes fairly.