How much does branding cost?

One of the most common questions founders ask when considering a rebrand is simple: how much does branding actually cost? Unfortunately, the answer is rarely straightforward. Branding can cost a few thousand pounds at a freelance level, or well into six figures at a large agency.

Branding costs range from £500 to £50,000+. That spread exists for a reason, and it's not just agency markup. It reflects meaningful differences in what you're actually buying.

Here's an honest breakdown of the three main options, what each one delivers, and who each one suits.

Freelancers: £500–£5,000

Freelancers are the most accessible entry point. At the lower end (£500–£3,000), you're typically getting logo design: a skilled visual execution without much strategic foundation. At the higher end (£1,500–£5,000), a more experienced freelancer will package that with a basic set of brand guidelines: colour palette, typography, and usage rules.

What you get:

• Direct one-to-one communication
• Flexible scope and timelines
• Lower fees than studios or agencies

What to watch out for:

• Project management often falls on you
• The depth of strategic thinking varies widely
• Quality depends entirely on the individual. Vetting matters.

Best for: Early-stage businesses testing ideas, founders who need a professional logo quickly, or projects with genuinely tight budgets.

Specialist studios: £2,000–£10,000

This is the middle tier, and arguably the most interesting one. Specialist studios and senior independent practitioners sit above typical freelance work but without the overhead (and price tag) of a full agency.

What separates this tier from straightforward freelance is strategy. A good specialist studio won't just hand you a logo. They'll work to understand your market, articulate your positioning, and build a visual identity that reflects it. Deliverables typically include a full visual identity system and a proper set of brand guidelines (not just a one-pager).

At Impart Studio, for example, the Brand System starts at £5,500 and covers positioning strategy, messaging, creative direction, and a complete visual identity, delivered in 5–7 weeks with a 30-page guidelines document at the end.

What you get:

• Strategic thinking alongside design execution
• A coherent brand system, not just a logo
• Clear process and deliverables
• Senior expertise without agency overheads

Best for: Startups and growing businesses ready to invest in a brand that does real commercial work, particularly where the product is complex and needs to communicate credibility before a sales conversation happens.

Agencies: £6,000–£50,000+

Full-service branding agencies bring teams to your project: strategists, designers, copywriters, account managers. That breadth has real value when the scope demands it: complex rebrands, brand architecture across multiple product lines, global rollouts.

At the lower end of this range (£6,000–£15,000), you're getting a full brand identity with proper strategy. At the higher end (£10,000–£50,000+), expect comprehensive rebrand programmes with deeper research, stakeholder workshops, and implementation support across every touchpoint.

What you get:

• Multiple specialists working in parallel
• Capacity to handle large and complex scope
• Formal account management and structured process
• Broader implementation support

What to watch out for:

• Higher overheads are built into the price
• Junior team members often handle execution despite senior involvement at pitch stage
• Timeline and process can feel less flexible

Best for: Established businesses with complex brand challenges, large rebrands affecting multiple audiences, or organisations that need broad implementation support alongside strategy and design.

How to choose

The honest answer is: match the investment to the commercial stakes.

A logo from a freelancer works fine if your business is early and your priority is speed. But if your brand needs to do real work, building trust with sophisticated buyers, differentiating a technical product in a crowded market, winning deals before a conversation even starts, a surface-level visual treatment rarely cuts it.

The middle tier exists precisely because many businesses need more than a logo but don't need an agency's full infrastructure. Strategy-led studios deliver senior thinking and complete brand systems at a price point that makes sense for companies that are serious about growth, not just getting something live.

Budget rule of thumb: 10–15% of projected annual revenue is a reasonable benchmark for a full rebrand.

Whatever route you take, ask to see the process before you see the portfolio. The quality of thinking behind the work tells you far more than the work itself.

‍