Type "logo design" into Google and you'll get hundreds of options in seconds — and no clear answer about which one fits you. The reality is there's no single "best" method, just seven different ways to solve the same problem, each with its own trade-offs in price, time, and quality.

Below, we go through all of them, honestly, so you can choose with your eyes open.

1. Free logo generators (DIY)

The fastest way to have a logo today. Pick an icon, a font, a few colors, and you're done. The cost is zero or close to it.

Good for: a personal project, a quick test, a side project that's just getting off the ground. The limit: the result is a template — the odds that dozens of other companies land on very similar visual combinations are high. For a company that wants to look stable and trustworthy, it doesn't help much.

2. Paid DIY tools / premium templates

A variant of option 1, but with more customization options and, sometimes, a monthly subscription just to download the files in a usable format. You're still in the €0-50 range, but with less real brand flexibility — still a template underneath, just dressed up better.

3. Generic AI generators

You type in the company name and a keyword, and get a few instant variations. Fast and cheap, but often impersonal — many of these tools run on the same engine and produce visually similar results regardless of the brand. An annual subscription to one of these tools can run around $96/year just for access to the brand kit — you keep paying continuously for something that, with a one-time-payment solution, you'd buy once.

4. Custom AI with a real design process (LogoLabs)

Here the difference isn't just "AI" versus "non-AI" — it's how the AI is used. Instead of filling out a form and getting generic variations, you talk to a conversational AI strategist that understands what your brand wants to communicate, and only then generates concepts built for your specific company, not a recycled template.

What you actually get with LogoLabs:

  • Custom concepts, not templates — from 3 concepts (Essential, €20) up to 10 concepts (Bespoke, €100).
  • Real SVG vector files included in every package — not just PNG.
  • Delivery in 24-48 hours, depending on the package.
  • A 20-page brand guide, included.
  • Full commercial ownership of the logo.
  • One-time payment — no monthly subscription to keep your own logo.
  • 30-day, no-questions-asked money-back guarantee.

Good for: founders and small businesses who want real brand quality, without an agency's price tag or timeline.

5. Freelancers (Fiverr, Upwork, and others)

You can hire an independent designer directly, usually for $50-100 for a mid-quality logo. The upside is direct contact with a person. The downside: quality varies enormously from one freelancer to the next — every order is essentially a lottery, and vetting portfolios and negotiating revisions eats up time a founder just starting out rarely has to spare.

6. Design contests (99designs and similar)

You post a brief, multiple designers compete with submissions, and you pick the winner. The base package starts around $299 — roughly six times the price of a LogoLabs Signature package (€50) — and means manually sorting through dozens of concepts, many of them weak, to find one or two good options.

Good for: anyone with time to sift through a lot of submissions and a generous budget to offset the uncertainty of the outcome.

7. Branding agency

The most complete option: brand strategy, dedicated sessions, concepts created entirely by senior human designers, multiple guided revision rounds. Pricing starts at €1,000 and up, and delivery usually takes a few weeks, not hours.

Good for: mature brands with a solid budget and no time pressure. Not a good fit for: a founder who needs a logo tomorrow to launch a product or sign their first contract.

Which method fits you?

  • Want something today, free, for a quick test: a DIY generator.
  • Want a custom brand, fast, at a fair price, with vector files included: custom AI (LogoLabs), €20-100.
  • Want a specific person, and you're willing to vet quality yourself: a freelancer.
  • Have time to sift through dozens of submissions and a $299+ budget: a design contest.
  • Have a €1,000+ budget and weeks to wait: an agency.

For most founders just starting out — past the free-template stage, but without €1,000 and three weeks to spare — the custom AI zone, at €20-100 with 24-48 hour delivery, is the real sweet spot between price and quality.

Not sure where to start?

If you already have an attempt at a logo and want to know exactly what's not working about it, use our free Logo Grader — you'll get a score and concrete recommendations in a few minutes.

Ready to create the right logo for your company?

See the packages and pricing or start the design process directly — the first concepts, tailored to your brand, arrive in 24-48 hours.