99designs is excellent at one thing: getting you lots of design ideas fast. A web page contest gets you a design, though, not a built, hosted, search-ready website. Here's what it costs, what's missing, and when a fixed-price build from $1,000 gets you further.
Fixed-price builds from $1,000Optional Website Care, $500/moSee every package
For some jobs, a design contest is hard to beat.
Seeing dozens of directions from different designers is exactly what you want when you're finding a look.
If someone is ready to build, a page design from 99designs can be the missing piece.
Business cards, labels and packaging are finished when the design is, so a contest fits them well.
Contest prices are for design. These are the commonly cited figures as of 2026, plus what you still pay for to get a site live.
| What you pay for | Typical range, as of 2026 | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Web page design contest | About $599–$2,499 | Bronze to Platinum. Higher tiers can limit entries to more experienced designers. |
| 1-to-1 project | Set by the designer | Plus a platform fee commonly cited around 5%, with some sources quoting higher. Check current fees. |
| Development | Not included | Turning the design into a working site is a separate hire, or your own time. |
| Copywriting | Not included | You supply the words for the designer to lay out. |
| Hosting, domain, SEO | Not included | Paid separately to a host or builder, and set up by whoever builds. |
A contest prices one page design; multi-page sites usually mean more work and cost. Sources are listed at the bottom of this page.
The gap between a beautiful design file and a site that brings in customers is where most of the work lives.
A developer has to turn the design into a fast, responsive site, wire up forms and test it on every screen.
A concept made to win a contest may not account for mobile layouts, real content or your platform's limits.
Without copy written for your customers, designs get filled with placeholder text that never quite fits.
Page structure, metadata, analytics and hosting all sit outside a design contest.
Seven rows, honest both ways. 99designs wins on design options and brand identity.
| Feature | DesignSnipe studio | 99designs |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | Stronger here: A designed, written, built and launched website | Design files for a page (contest) or a project (1-to-1) |
| Up-front price | Fixed, from $1,000, built and launched | Web page contests about $599–$2,499 for the design |
| Design options | One team, revision rounds | Stronger here: Many designers pitch concepts in a contest |
| Development | Stronger here: Included | Not included; hire a developer or build it yourself |
| Copywriting | Stronger here: Written for you | You supply the words |
| SEO, hosting, upkeep | Stronger here: SEO foundations included; optional Website Care, $500/mo | Outside the design scope |
| Logo and brand identity | Included in Flagship only | Stronger here: A core strength, at contest prices |
marks the stronger option for that row. Unmarked rows are a draw or depend on what you need.
If a contest is the right call for you, these steps make the design easier to build.
Your customers, what the page must do, sites you like and why. Better briefs get better entries.
Give designers your actual headline and text so designs fit real content.
Most visitors will see the phone version. Make sure you get it designed, not assumed.
Know who will build, host and maintain the site, and get their input on the brief.
Make sure you receive the editable files and fonts, not just images.
Run your current site through our free audit. It grades speed, SEO and conversion basics in about a minute, no signup.
A 99designs contest can cost about the same as our starting build, but it stops at design. A DesignSnipe build is a fixed price from $1,000 that includes design, copywriting, SEO foundations and launch. Brand identity is part of Flagship at $10,000; for a logo alone, a contest is often the better buy. Templates from our shop start at $50.
One-time, fixed build prices. Hosting, SEO and updates are optional, bundled in one Website Care plan at $500/mo, or host it yourself. Rather do it yourself? Templates are $50–$100 one-time.
As of 2026, 99designs lists web page design contests from about $599 (Bronze) to about $2,499 (Platinum). 1-to-1 projects are priced by the designer, with a platform fee on top that sources commonly cite at around 5%, sometimes higher. Check current pricing on 99designs before you start.
A contest gets you a design, not a working website. You'll still need someone to build it, set up hosting and a domain, add forms and analytics, and handle SEO. Some 99designs designers also offer development as a 1-to-1 project, so ask before you hire.
For logos and brand identity, a contest is a great way to see many directions quickly. It also works if you already have a developer and just need a page designed. If you want a finished, launched site, you'll be coordinating several people.
In a contest, many designers submit concepts and you pick a winner; in a 1-to-1 project, you work with one designer. Development is someone else unless that designer also builds. With DesignSnipe, our team designs, writes and builds the site.
Read 99designs' current terms on copyright and file handoff for contests and 1-to-1 projects before you start, and make sure you receive the editable source files. With DesignSnipe, you own the domain, the design, the content and the files once the project is paid in full.
A design contest ends when you receive the files, so ongoing support depends on whoever builds and hosts the site. Our Website Care plan ($500/mo, optional, month to month) covers hosting, updates, edits and weekly SEO.
Often, yes. If you have a finished design, send it with your project brief and we'll scope building it. Builds start at $1,000. Want a read on your current site first? Run it through our free audit at designsnipe.com/roast.
Sources. Third-party prices and fees are typical or commonly cited ranges as of 2026, checked 2026-10-01. Marketplaces change their fees, so check current fees on 99designs before you buy.
Fixed-price custom builds from $1,000: designed, written, built and launched, with everything in your name. Optional Website Care, $500/mo. Start with a short project brief.