If you’ve ever Googled “how much does a logo cost,” you’ve probably come away more confused than when you started. The internet will tell you anywhere from £5 to £50,000, and somehow both are technically true.
Here’s the honest breakdown.
The £5 logo (and why it’ll cost you more later)
Platforms like Fiverr and AI logo generators will produce something for next to nothing. And occasionally, you’ll get something that doesn’t look awful. But here’s the thing: a cheap logo is usually one of the following:
- A combination of existing clipart and a free font with no original design thinking
- A template used by thousands of other businesses
- Generated by an AI tool and used by anyone who runs the same prompt
There’s no research into your business, your competitors, or your audience. No understanding of how it’ll work on a van, on a phone screen, and on a business card at the same time. No consideration of whether it can be reproduced in embroidery or a single-colour print run.
That’s not design. That’s decoration. And it tends to reveal itself the moment you actually try to use it.
The AI logo (a specific conversation worth having)
AI logo generators have got dramatically better. Some of them produce logos that look professional on a screen. So it’s worth being specific about what the limitations are:
- AI tools can’t do original design thinking — they remix existing visual patterns
- They can’t give you a rationale for why a particular direction is right for your business and audience
- They can’t test how the mark works across every required application
- They can’t own the design process or make judgment calls when something isn’t working
- The output often has technical problems — non-vector formats, weak file quality, inconsistencies when used at different sizes
If you’re pre-revenue and need something temporary, an AI-generated logo is better than nothing. Just don’t build a business on it.
The agency rate (and why it might not be for you)
Big design studios and branding agencies charge £5,000–£50,000+ for logo work, and sometimes significantly more. Some of that is genuinely justified — multiple rounds of concept development, brand strategy, naming, senior designer time, research, testing.
But some of it is overheads: large offices in expensive cities, account management layers, pitching and proposal processes. The work that ends up on your logo doesn’t necessarily cost more to produce — it just passes through more hands.
For most small businesses, agency-scale logo work is overkill. You don’t need a brand strategy document that reads like an academic dissertation. You need a logo that works.
What you should actually expect to pay
For an experienced freelance designer working specifically with small businesses in the UK:
| Tier | What you get | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Logo only | Primary mark, colour palette, basic file delivery | £350–£750 |
| Logo + brand identity | Logo, usage variants, colours, fonts, usage guide | £800–£1,500 |
| Full brand identity | Logo system, comprehensive guidelines, application examples | £1,200–£2,500+ |
What’s included varies significantly by designer, so always ask. At minimum, you want: vector files (SVG and PDF), multiple colour versions (full colour, one-colour black, one-colour white), raster files (PNG with transparent background), and some guidance on how to use it.
What drives the price up
- Complexity of the brief — a highly specific, detailed brief with lots of stakeholders takes more time
- Number of concepts and revision rounds included
- Urgency and turnaround time — rush jobs cost more, often 25–50% extra
- Experience and portfolio quality of the designer
- What’s included in the final delivery — guidelines, application examples, animated versions
- Licensing — some designers charge royalties or restrict commercial use (unusual but worth checking)
What drives it down (and what to watch for)
If a designer is charging less than £300 for a full logo project, it’s worth asking why:
- They may be new and building a portfolio — this can be excellent value if their work is strong
- They may be using templates — the logo might not be original or legally safe to trademark
- The process may be very limited — one concept, one revision, then done regardless of whether it’s right
- The file delivery may be incomplete — a JPEG is not the same as a vector file
A low price isn’t automatically a problem. But you should know exactly what you’re getting before you agree to it.
The real cost question
The question isn’t “how much does a logo cost?” It’s “what does a bad logo cost?”
Every time a potential client encounters your branding and hesitates — not quite sure if you’re legitimate, not quite sure if you’re the quality they’re looking for — you’ve lost ground. It’s hard to put a precise number on that. But over the lifetime of a business, it compounds.
A logo you’re proud to use. A logo that looks right to your target clients. A logo that holds up in every context you need it. That’s not a cost. It’s an investment in every first impression your business will ever make.
Getting a quote
The most reliable way to understand what a logo project will cost for your specific situation is to have a conversation with the designer. Good designers will ask about your business, your timeline, and your goals before quoting — and the quote will reflect what you actually need.
Use our pricing estimator for a rough guide →
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