Costs and pricing
Part of Media kit design: choosing a freelancer or agency
Media kit design: choosing a freelancer or agency
A guide to media kit design quotes: compare illustrative freelance and agency bands, check VAT, assess portfolios and agree scope before paying a deposit.
What to take away
- Media kit design in the UK is normally sold as a fixed project fee rather than an hourly rate, so quotes are only comparable at identical scope.
- Freelance quotes sit below agency quotes mainly because overheads differ, not because the finished kit does.
- Most quotes exclude VAT, which registered suppliers must add at the standard rate on top of the fee.
- Turnaround depends on how much raw material you supply: copy, images, audience data and a rate card.
- Ask for two live kits the designer produced and one they revised after a client change request.
How UK designers price a media kit
No official UK price index covers media kit design, so the bands below are illustrative anchors for a negotiation. Treat them as questions to put to a supplier, not as measured market averages.
Freelance vs agency media kit bands
Freelance band
- Single-page digital kit
- £150-£400
- Kit plus rate card
- £400-£900
- Full package with data visuals
- £900-£1,800
- Seasonal refresh
- £120-£350
Agency band
- Single-page digital kit
- £500-£1,200
- Kit plus rate card
- £1,200-£2,500
- Full package with data visuals
- £2,500-£5,000
- Seasonal refresh
- £600-£1,500
Illustrative freelance band
- Single-page digital kit, PDF and web version
- £150 to £400
- Kit plus rate card and three case studies
- £400 to £900
- Full package with audience data visuals
- £900 to £1,800
- Seasonal refresh of an existing kit
- £120 to £350 per refresh
Illustrative agency band
- Single-page digital kit, PDF and web version
- £500 to £1,200
- Kit plus rate card and three case studies
- £1,200 to £2,500
- Full package with audience data visuals
- £2,500 to £5,000
- Seasonal refresh of an existing kit
- £600 to £1,500 per refresh
What moves the number
- Single-page digital kit, PDF and web version
- Whether copy and photography already exist
- Kit plus rate card and three case studies
- Case study count and revision rounds
- Full package with audience data visuals
- Data cleaning and chart design time
- Seasonal refresh of an existing kit
- Retainer terms and priority scheduling
VAT sits on top of most quotes from UK-based suppliers. An illustrative £900 fee becomes £1,080 at the standard rate once the supplier has passed HMRC's threshold, and HMRC's guidance on VAT registration sets out when that applies.
Where agency quotes separate from freelance quotes
An agency quote bundles account management, a kick-off session and someone who chases you for missing assets. A freelancer usually bills for design time alone. If the kit needs audience research or copywriting, the agency quote is more likely to include it without a separate line.
The gap narrows when a freelancer subcontracts copy or photography. Ask every supplier what happens if the kit needs a second round of edits. Unbilled revision rounds are the most common reason a low quote stops being low.
What sets the turnaround time
Turnaround by kit complexity
- Single-page kit2-5 working days
- Full package3-4 weeks
Designers juggling several clients will schedule you into a queue. Ask for a start date and a delivery date separately, because they are different commitments. A promised delivery date without a start date tells you very little.
Judging a portfolio before you pay a deposit
Ask to see two kits built on the platform you actually use. A designer who has worked with TikTok figures understands how they read on a small screen, and how a rate card sits beside them.
The invoice, the contract and the trading name should all match, so check the contracting party before you commit rather than after the deposit clears.
Ownership of layered artwork is a separate question from ownership of the exported PDF. The Intellectual Property Office publishes general guidance on how rights are assigned.
Checking the supplier's business details
Ask whether the designer trades as a sole trader or a limited company, because that shapes who you can pursue if the work stalls. GOV.UK's guidance on setting up a business explains the registration duties attached to each route.
A limited company gives you a registered name and number you can look up before the first payment. A sole trader's invoice should still carry a trading name and an address you can check, and a written scope protects you either way.
A three-step buying sequence
- Write a one-page brief listing every deliverable, the file types and the revision rounds included. Draft the rate card that sits inside the kit first, so the designer prices a fixed structure rather than guessing at one.
- Get two quotes on identical scope, one freelance and one agency, and ask each supplier to state whether VAT is included in the figure.
- Confirm in writing who owns the source files, when work starts and when it is delivered, then pay the deposit.
Common questions
Should I hire a freelancer or an agency?
It depends on how much research and copywriting the kit needs. A freelancer suits a design-only job where you supply the data. An agency suits a kit that needs audience analysis, positioning and written case studies.
How many revision rounds should the quote include?
Two is workable for most kits. Ask what an extra round costs before you sign, because the answer is often a day rate rather than a fixed top-up.
Is a deposit normal in the UK?
Yes, many designers ask for one before starting project work. Pay against a written scope, not against a conversation.
Can I reuse the design files on other platforms?
Only if the contract says so. Usage rights, file formats and the right to edit the layered artwork are separate items to agree.
