DesignCrowd Review: Is It the Right Fit for Ecommerce Store Design?

DesignCrowd is a freelance design marketplace offering crowdsourced creative services, from logos to packaging and everything in between.

It promises fast, affordable, and diverse design options for businesses — but how well does it hold up, especially for ecommerce brands?

In this review, I’ll walk through how DesignCrowd works, its pros and cons, pricing, my own experience with the platform, and how it compares to other design services like 99designs, Fiverr, and Upwork.

Whether you’re starting a new store or scaling an existing ecommerce brand, I’ll help you figure out if DesignCrowd is worth your time and budget.

Why You Can Trust This Review

I help multiple ecommerce brands and have personally tested a range of design platforms, including DesignCrowd, 99designs, Fiverr, Canva, and Upwork.

My team and I have also reviewed hundreds of creatives over the years — from logos to product packaging.

This review is based on:

• Hands-on experience using DesignCrowd
• Testing different price points and project types
• Real ecommerce branding needs (not hypothetical use cases)
• Comparing DesignCrowd side-by-side with competitors
• Checking reviews across platforms like Trustpilot, G2, and Reddit

Let’s take a closer look at what DesignCrowd actually delivers for ecommerce sellers.

DesignCrowd at a Glance

What I Liked About DesignCrowd

DesignCrowd is easy to get started with, and I liked the flexibility it gave me — especially when launching new product lines where design wasn’t yet finalized. Here’s what stood out:

✔️ Speed and Volume

I received dozens of design submissions within 72 hours. In one logo project, I had over 60 entries to choose from. This kind of speed is rare, especially without paying for a dedicated agency.

✔️ Flexible Budgets

You can set your own price. Whether you want to test a $150 logo design or invest $400+ for product packaging, the platform lets you control how much you’re spending.

✔️ Range of Styles

Because submissions come from designers worldwide, there’s a broad spectrum of styles and interpretations. For ecommerce stores experimenting with visual identity or A/B testing packaging, this variety is helpful.

✔️ One-Time Projects

No need for contracts, retainers, or ongoing commitments. Perfect for ecommerce stores with seasonal campaigns, product launches, or quick design tasks.

What I Didn’t Like About DesignCrowd

Despite the upsides, DesignCrowd comes with trade-offs. Here’s where it fell short for me:

❌ Quality Varies Widely

You get a lot of designs, but many aren’t usable. Some felt like generic templates. Only about 20–30% of submissions were polished enough to consider seriously.

❌ Project Management Can Be Time-Consuming

You’re the project manager. You’ll need to rate designs, leave comments, and provide detailed feedback. Without clear communication, quality can suffer.

❌ Branding Consistency Is Difficult

If you’re building a long-term brand identity, working with 10+ different designers over time makes it harder to maintain a consistent aesthetic.

❌ Additional Fees Add Up

There’s a 20%–30% platform fee added on top of your project price, which isn’t always obvious at first glance. You’ll also pay extra for features like NDAs or private projects.

My Experience Using DesignCrowd

I used DesignCrowd for two real ecommerce projects: a skincare brand and a coffee subscription box. I ran logo and packaging design contests for both.

Skincare Brand: Logo and Label Design

• Budget: $250 for logo, $400 for packaging
• Submissions: 74 logo entries, 31 label designs
• Final files delivered: AI, PNG, PSD
• Time to completion: 6 days
• Result: Hired the same designer for ongoing edits via direct contact

Coffee Subscription Box: Social Media Banners

• Budget: $125
• Submissions: 42
• Time to completion: 3 days
• Result: Used 3 designs for Meta ads, solid click-through performance

What Went Well

• Multiple design directions to choose from
• Responsive designers during the revision phase
• Easy handoff of final files

What Needed Work

• About 30% of submissions were low-effort or copy/paste
• Some designs used stock icons or generic fonts
• Needed to provide detailed revision notes to get the result I wanted

Overall, my experience with DesignCrowd was positive, especially considering the price point and speed.

It wasn’t perfect, and I had to put in the effort to manage the projects and filter through lower-quality submissions.

But for early-stage ecommerce products where speed and budget are key, it gave me the flexibility to get decent designs without hiring a full-time creative team.

How DesignCrowd Works (Step-by-Step)

If you’ve never used a crowdsourced design platform, here’s a breakdown of what to expect.

1. Submit a Brief

You’ll answer questions like:

• What kind of design do you need?
• What’s your business name and niche?
• Do you have brand colors or examples you like?
• What’s your budget?

2. Launch the Contest

Once submitted, your project goes live. Designers start submitting entries almost immediately — especially if your price is competitive.

3. Give Feedback

You can rate designs, message individual designers, and request revisions.

4. Pick a Winner

After the contest closes (usually 5–7 days), you choose your favorite design. The designer sends you source files.

5. Download and Use

You’ll get rights to the design, plus files in multiple formats (vector, web-optimized, print-ready, etc.).

How Much Does DesignCrowd Cost?

Here’s a pricing breakdown based on typical ecommerce design projects.

Additional Costs to Watch Out For

• Platform fee: 15%–30% per project
• Privacy upgrades (e.g., private contests or NDAs): $30–$60
• Add-on services (e.g., priority listing or featured contest): optional, but costs vary

Compared to hiring a designer directly, DesignCrowd can save money — especially for smaller projects — but for larger branding initiatives, it may not be the most cost-effective long term.

How DesignCrowd Compares to Alternatives

If you’re considering DesignCrowd, it’s helpful to see how it stacks up against similar platforms.

99designs

If you’re looking for higher-end design work with vetted professionals, 99designs is a strong alternative. It uses a similar contest model to DesignCrowd but with more experienced designers and higher pricing.

It’s best for ecommerce stores investing in full branding packages, including logos, brand guidelines, and packaging.

The quality is excellent, but it comes with a steeper price and fewer submissions to choose from.

Fiverr

Fiverr is ideal if you need something fast and cheap, like a logo or ad graphic.

You hire a designer directly based on their portfolio and pricing, which removes the crowdsourcing element.

While you can find some great freelancers, the quality can be hit or miss, and the lowest-priced options often use templated designs or stock elements.

Upwork

Upwork is better suited for long-term projects or ecommerce businesses that want to build an ongoing relationship with a designer.

You can post a job or invite freelancers to apply, and you’ll typically work with them one-on-one.

The hiring process takes more time, but it gives you more control, especially if you’re looking to scale with consistent brand visuals.

Canva Pro

For ecommerce owners with a smaller budget or those who prefer to DIY, Canva Pro offers quick design tools for social media, ad creatives, and basic product visuals.

It’s not a full substitute for professional design, especially when it comes to branding or packaging, but it’s a good option for teams that need simple, repeatable graphics without hiring anyone.

If you’re just getting started or testing new products, DesignCrowd offers a strong mix of affordability and speed. If you’re scaling or building a premium brand, you may outgrow it quickly.

Is DesignCrowd Right for Your Ecommerce Business?

DesignCrowd is best suited for:

• Startups testing product-market fit
• Amazon FBA sellers needing product packaging
• Dropshipping stores needing fast branding
• Ecommerce brands running seasonal promotions
• Founders on a tight budget looking for options

It may not be the best fit if:

• You need a full, consistent brand identity
• You want a long-term design partner
• You don’t have time to review and manage submissions
• You want high-end, custom work

Final Verdict: Is DesignCrowd Worth It?

DesignCrowd can be a great design solution for ecommerce businesses that need speed, flexibility, and affordability — especially for logos, labels, or packaging on a budget.

The volume of submissions gives you a lot to choose from, and the process is simple once you get used to managing feedback.

But the platform does require your involvement, and quality is hit or miss.

For serious branding or larger campaigns, you’ll eventually want to work with a dedicated designer or creative agency.

That said, if you’re launching your first store or testing a new idea, DesignCrowd delivers enough value to justify the spend.

It’s helped me get multiple products off the ground without the cost or complexity of hiring a design firm — and in ecommerce, getting to market quickly matters.