Decoding Graphic Design Costs in Australia: Your 2025 Pricing Guide

liz10022
Aug 28, 2025
4 min read

Updated: Jan 8

Graphic design costs can vary widely in Australia, depending on the scope of work, the provider, and the complexity of the project. At Design Bees, we've developed a flat rate model that addresses these variables with a simple, transparent subscription service.

Provider	Average Cost	Pros	Cons
Freelancer	$30–$100/hr	Affordable, flexible	May lack depth/availability
Design Agency	$100–$250/hr	Team of experts, full service	Higher price point
Design Bees	$31/hr for 4 hours a week =$499/month	Predictable cost, fast delivery, dedicated designer	Less tailored strategy, jobs delivered on a project-by-project basis

What Does Graphic Design Really Cost in Australia?

If you’ve ever shopped around for design help, you’ll know prices can be all over the place. Some freelancers will knock out a logo for a few hundred dollars, while agencies can charge tens of thousands for a full campaign.

At Design Bees, we’ve seen how confusing (and unpredictable) these costs can be for businesses. That’s why we built our flat-rate subscription model — to give you reliable design support without the guesswork.

The Usual Ways to Pay for Design in Australia

Most businesses end up choosing between one of three options:

Freelancers

Cost: $30–$100 an hour depending on experience.
Pros: Flexible, affordable, easy to engage quickly.
Cons: Can be hit-or-miss on reliability, and not all freelancers have the depth of skills you may need.

Agencies

Cost: $100–$250 an hour.
Pros: Access to a team of experts, with polished strategy and execution.
Cons: Costs add up fast — especially if you need ongoing work, not just a once-off project.

Subscription Studios (like us)

Cost: Predictable monthly fee (our most popular plan works out to about $31 an hour, or $499 a month).
Pros: Dedicated designer, unlimited revisions, no surprise invoices.
Cons: Best suited to ongoing design needs, not large one-off brand strategy projects.

The Freelancer Experience

Working with a freelancer can be great — if you find the right one. The best freelancers deliver high-quality work on time, but many businesses have also faced the opposite: slow replies, missed deadlines, or extra charges you weren’t expecting.

A few things to check before you lock in a freelancer’s flat-rate project:

Turnaround time – when will they realistically deliver?
Revisions – how many are included, and what’s the cost if you need more?
Files – will they hand over editable files or Canva templates you can use later?
Extras – fonts, stock photos and icons can add $50–$300+ to your bill.

Entry-level freelancers might start at $25–$40/hr, mid-level at $50–$90/hr, and senior designers often charge $100/hr or more.

What About Agencies?

Agencies deliver excellent work, but their fees reflect overheads. A logo project can easily run $2,000–$5,000, while a full campaign might start at $10,000. For big brand launches, that investment makes sense. For small and medium-sized businesses that need consistent design help month after month, it often doesn’t.

Overseas Designers – Are they Worth the Risk?

Plenty of businesses look offshore to save money. While there are talented overseas designers out there, you may run into challenges with briefing, time zones, and understanding of the Australian market. Sometimes what you save upfront gets lost in back-and-forth revisions.

Where Design Bees Fits In

We created Design Bees to take the best parts of all these options:

Flat monthly fee – no bill shock, no extra charges.
Dedicated designer – someone who gets to know your brand.
Unlimited revisions – we’ll keep going until you’re happy.
Australian-based team – same time zone, easier communication.

Instead of paying per logo, per presentation, or per social media graphic, you simply add tasks to your queue and we deliver them. Whether it’s a pitch deck, a new set of Instagram posts, or a refresh of your brand identity, it’s all covered under your subscription.

Quick Pricing FAQs

Is it cheaper to hire a freelance designer or agency?

It's typically cheaper to hire a freelancer vs an agency (where a designer gets to set their own price). With an agency you have loaded overheads and account management costs loaded in, so it is typically more expensive. A $100 Freelancer Qualified designer would likely cost you $175 or more when employed via an agency.

What does a flat-rate subscription include?

It varies from plan to plan, and the price of the plan. But typically it includes all your graphic design needs with a designer available to work on your jobs. Most companies only work on one brand and job at a time on their lower plans. You can check out our Guide here to weighing up plans in Australia.

What’s the average hourly rate for a graphic designer in Australia?

It is from $30–$100 an hour depending on the experience and skill set of the designer. For example a good brand and logo designer, or a UX designer will likely be near the $100 mark.