Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

99designs VS StartEngine

Compare 99designs VS StartEngine and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

99designs logo 99designs

The #1 marketplace for graphic design, including logo design, web design and other design contests. Start a contest now with 100% Money-Back Guarantee!

StartEngine logo StartEngine

StartEngine allows everyday people to invest and own shares in startups and early growth companies. The nation's leading equity crowdfunding platform, StartEngine is changing the way entrepreneurs raise capital.
  • 99designs Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-07
  • StartEngine Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-16

99designs features and specs

  • Variety of Designs
    The platform provides access to a wide range of design concepts from multiple designers, increasing the likelihood of finding a design that best fits your needs.
  • Competitive Pricing
    Clients can choose from different pricing packages to fit their budget, with competitive pricing due to the large number of designers.
  • High-Quality Designers
    99designs has a rigorous vetting process, ensuring that many of the designers available on the platform are skilled and experienced.
  • Easy to Use
    The platform is user-friendly, making it easy for clients to post projects, communicate with designers, and review submissions.
  • Global Talent Pool
    Access to a global community of designers provides diverse perspectives and creativity, which can be advantageous for unconventional or unique projects.
  • Fast Turnaround Time
    Clients can receive multiple design submissions quickly, reducing the time it takes to finalize a design.

Possible disadvantages of 99designs

  • Quality Control
    With a large number of submissions, there is a possibility of receiving a mix of high and low-quality designs, requiring more time for review.
  • Cost Can Add Up
    While there are various pricing packages, opting for a higher level of service or guaranteeing higher prizes can significantly increase costs.
  • Intellectual Property Concerns
    In some cases, there may be concerns about the originality of submitted designs, necessitating thorough checks to ensure designs are not plagiarized.
  • Communication Barriers
    Working with international designers can sometimes result in communication challenges, including language barriers and differing time zones.
  • Non-Refundable Fees
    Some fees, such as those for additional services or premium packages, are non-refundable, even if the design project does not meet expectations.
  • Limited Revisions
    Depending on the selected package, there may be a limit to the number of revisions allowed, which could be restrictive for clients requiring extensive changes.

StartEngine features and specs

  • Access to Capital
    StartEngine allows entrepreneurs to access funds from a large pool of potential investors, which can be difficult to secure through traditional funding methods or venture capital.
  • Democratized Investment
    It democratizes investment opportunities by enabling everyday investors to participate in equity crowdfunding, rather than being restricted to accredited investors.
  • Marketing and Exposure
    By listing on StartEngine, companies can gain significant exposure and marketing benefits, increasing public awareness of their brand and products.
  • Diverse Investor Base
    Companies have the opportunity to build a diverse investor base, which can enhance product loyalty and brand advocacy.
  • Regulation A+ and Regulation CF
    StartEngine provides pathways to raise capital under Regulation A+ and Regulation CF, allowing companies to choose the route that best fits their financial and compliance needs.

Possible disadvantages of StartEngine

  • Regulatory Compliance
    Companies must comply with strict regulatory requirements which can be costly and time-consuming, particularly for small businesses lacking resources.
  • Dilution of Ownership
    Equity crowdfunding through StartEngine results in the dilution of company ownership, which may not be desirable for founders who wish to retain control.
  • Platform Fees
    StartEngine charges fees for listing and successfully raising funds, which can reduce the net capital available to the business.
  • Public Disclosure
    Companies are required to publicly disclose financial and business information, potentially sharing sensitive data with competitors.
  • Investor Management
    Having a large number of small investors can complicate shareholder management and communication.

Analysis of 99designs

Overall verdict

  • Overall, 99designs is considered a good choice for both designers looking to find work and businesses or individuals seeking design services. It provides a straightforward process for both parties and generally results in creative and satisfying outcomes.

Why this product is good

  • 99designs is a popular platform for freelance designers and businesses to connect. It offers a wide range of design services, from logo and website design to packaging and book covers. Designers compete by submitting their work in response to a client's brief, allowing clients a variety of high-quality design options to choose from. The platform is known for its ease of use, diverse talent pool, and the ability to see multiple designs before making a selection.

Recommended for

    99designs is highly recommended for small to medium-sized businesses, startups, and individuals seeking quality design work and willing to invest in a competitive design process. It's also suitable for freelance designers looking for new opportunities and willing to participate in design contests to showcase their skills.

99designs videos

99designs Review: Watch me get a new logo!

More videos:

  • Review - 99Designs Review and Overview

StartEngine videos

StartEngine Review and Overview of Equity Crowdfunding Platform

More videos:

  • Demo - StartEngine - Platform Demo and Walkthrough 2019

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to 99designs and StartEngine)
Work Marketplace
100 100%
0% 0
Crowdfunding
0 0%
100% 100
Graphic Design
100 100%
0% 0
Startups
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare 99designs and StartEngine

99designs Reviews

Upwork Competitors Breakdown: 14 Sites Like Upwork for Businesses & Freelancers
99Designs: Perfect for small and medium businesses looking for skilled graphic designers.
Source: everhour.com
99Designs Alternatives (Best Options for 2024)
99Designs has been a trusted online marketplace for businesses seeking graphic design and illustrations since 2008. But as your needs grow, you might find yourself looking for a more robust solution to grow with you. 99Designs alternatives aren't exactly hard to find. But with so many on the market, making the choice can stop at not knowing where to start.
Source: www.teamtown.co
UPWORK ALTERNATIVES: THE 10 BEST PLATFORMS FOR FINDING FREELANCERS
99Designs is a platform specifically tailored for freelancers and clients in the design industry, including graphic design, logo design, web design, and more.
Source: medium.com
9 Best Upwork Alternatives
If you want anything done that is not design, then Upwork makes sense. Or if you want to get some graphics designed for cheap, then 99Designs might not be the best place to look.
Designhill Alternatives
If you compare designhill vs 99designs, 99designs wins by a fair margin. Iโ€™ve tried both these sites for sourcing designs for my clients. Iโ€™ve indeed saved some money by going with designhill, but the overall experience has always been better with 99designs. Their UI/UX beats every other design contest site hands down.
Source: comparing.ly

StartEngine Reviews

We have no reviews of StartEngine yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, 99designs should be more popular than StartEngine. It has been mentiond 28 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

99designs mentions (28)

  • Ask HN: Contest Website for Developers\Designers?
    Https://99designs.com has contest-like feature for designers. I was satisfied with the results when I used them 10 years ago. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • Hi everyone! Is this a good book cover?
    This company is cheaper, but also does good work: Https://99designs.com/. Source: about 3 years ago
  • How do you get a logo for your cool new beer league team?
    99Designs is the contest one I know about. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Fiverr?
    Unfortunately, that's what you'll likely have to deal with. I find the designers on 99designs.com much more professional and better skilled. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Is there a community where someone uploads a brief and people complete to design said brief?
    Ah, you meant to compete. Sounds like 99designs. But why would you want that? Source: about 3 years ago
View more

StartEngine mentions (7)

  • ModChat - What's on your mind?
    In any case, my question is whether there is someplace on Reddit we can report this. This isn't the first time we've encountered this situation. While our subreddit is pretty new, we've been attacked in the comments section of two other websites (startengine.com and wefunder.com ), and in both cases the organization running the site was able to investigate and determine there were multiple accounts (probably... Source: over 3 years ago
  • ๐Ÿคฃ๐Ÿคฃ๐Ÿคฃ
    I'm a very disappointed startengine.com investor. KO is a paid spokesperson for Startengine. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Itโ€™s a game for these sadists.
    Everyone can do it. A self-directed Roth IRA can be purchased for about $400. It can own any kind of investment including startup shares. I'm thinking about moving the shares I purchased on startengine.com into a self-directed IRA. Source: over 4 years ago
  • Itโ€™s a game for these sadists.
    There are all kinds of startup shares for sale on startengine.com. I invested in 3 companies on startengine.com. Source: over 4 years ago
  • But wait I thought tokenomics was just a gimmick and SafeMoon had 0 utility.. FUDers going to have a real tough time with that now
    Kevin O'leary has been into some cool stuff recently. Dabbling in crypto, and he has been leading the charge on things like startengine.com where people can invest in startups, and a lot of other solid industries set to grow. Source: about 5 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing 99designs and StartEngine, you can also consider the following products

Upwork - Forget the old rules. You can have the best people. Right now. Right here.

Republic - Where everyone can invest in startups & tokens

Fiverr - One marketplace, millions of professional services.

Wefunder - The law changed. Invest $100+ in startups you love.

Freelancer.com - Search for jobs related to Www freelancer com homepage or hire on the world's largest freelancing marketplace with 12m+ jobs. It's free to sign up and bid on jobs.

Wellfound - Where the startup world goes to find whatโ€™s next.