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ManyPixels: Alternatives & Unlimited Graphic Design Tips

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Hey there! I‘m so glad you reached out. Finding the right graphic design partner can make all the difference for your business or brand. I know it can feel overwhelming looking at the options, so I‘m here to help walk you through it. In this post, we‘ll explore top alternatives to ManyPixels, one of the leading "unlimited graphic design" services out there today.

I‘ll share my in-depth research on competitors, criteria for choosing a service, pricing comparisons, and most importantly – my recommendations for you. My goal is to save you time and headache, while setting you up with a design solution that nails your unique needs. Shall we get started?

Why Graphic Design is Critical

Before we dive into services, I want to level-set on why graphic design is so critical in the first place. Strong visual branding and well-designed marketing materials have an enormous impact. Let‘s look at some stats:

  • 83% of shoppers said visual appearance is the primary reason they buy a particular product (DesignRush)

  • Including images or video on social media posts generates 180-190% more likes and comments versus text-only posts (Buzzsumo)

  • Emails using images had a 58% increase in open rates versus those without images (Campaign Monitor)

It‘s clear that good design gives a competitive edge across marketing, sales, social media, and beyond. But for most businesses, handling all their design needs in-house isn‘t realistic. That‘s where specialized services come in.

Key Benefits of Outsourcing Graphic Design

Handing off graphic design to a service provides some major advantages:

  • Save time – avoid hours tinkering in Canva or hiring one-off freelancers

  • Expand capabilities – get experts across design disciplines like branding, packaging, digital ads, infographics, and more

  • Increase quality and consistency – deliver polished visuals that reinforce your brand

  • On-demand scaling – take on new projects without delay by tapping into a design team

  • Cost efficiency – pay per project or a monthly fee versus hiring full-time designers

Now let‘s explore the leading services out there. I‘ll start with a look at ManyPixels specifically.

Overview of ManyPixels

ManyPixels markets itself as "unlimited graphic design" suitable for all business types. Here are its pros and cons:

Pros

  • Provides unlimited graphic design across a wide range of projects
  • Fast turnaround times, often within 1 business day
  • Dedicated account manager provides creative direction
  • Simple and transparent pricing

Cons

  • Design quality can be inconsistent
  • Less specialized expertise compared to niche services
  • Can lack creativity and customization for complex branding projects

ManyPixels gives you breadth of design work, but seems to fall short on the quality and brand strategy side. This is where more specialized services can excel.

But before diving into the alternatives, let‘s cover the criteria for choosing any design service.

How to Choose the Right Graphic Design Service

To find your ideal design partner, here are the key factors I would evaluate:

Specialization

Niche or industry-specific services often deliver better results. For example, an agency specializing in healthcare branding will deeply understand those needs.

Design Portfolio & Quality

Look at examples of actual client work in their portfolio. Evaluate consistency, visual cohesiveness, and execution quality. Strong brands start with great design.

Pricing & Plans

Consider pricing models like unlimited monthly plans, per project fees, retainers, and number of included revisions. Evaluate costs against your budget needs.

Responsiveness & Communication

Your ability to collaborate in real-time and smoothly exchange feedback is crucial. Look for fast response times and easy communication channels.

Reviews & Reputation

What do past clients say about their experience? Look for consistently positive reviews and a reputation for great service.

Keeping these criteria in mind, let‘s explore some leading ManyPixels alternatives.

Top 7 ManyPixels Alternatives

I‘ve researched several top competitors across various segments of graphic design. Here‘s an overview of each:

1. DesignPickle – For Real Estate Design

DesignPickle specializes in graphic design for real estate agents and brands. Their offerings include:

  • Logos, business cards, flyers, ads, email headers, and more
  • Unlimited monthly design plans
  • 24 hour turnaround times

Pros

  • Specialized real estate design expertise
  • Unlimited monthly packages
  • Quick delivery speed

Cons

  • More limited in scope – mainly real estate focus
  • Mixed reviews on responsiveness

Best For

Real estate agents or brokers needing consistent design support.

2. Penji – For Unlimited Graphic Design

With unlimited packages across design disciplines, Penji competes directly with ManyPixels in breadth of work. Services include:

  • Logos, branding, presentations, infographics, illustrations
  • Unlimited monthly packages
  • 8 hour rush delivery available

Pros

  • Truly unlimited monthly packages
  • Great breadth of design work
  • Quick turnaround with rush delivery option

Cons

  • Quality and creativity are inconsistent
  • Feedback response can be slow

Best For

Startups or businesses needing a wide variety of designed assets.

3. DesignCrowd – For Crowdsourced Graphic Design

DesignCrowd provides crowdsourced graphic design through contests. You submit a design brief and choose from hundreds of submissions.

Pros

  • Large pool of designers ensures lots of choice
  • Good for niche or technical design needs
  • Lower cost than dedicated designer services

Cons

  • Time investment for design briefs and reviewing work
  • Varying design quality since skill levels differ

Best For

One-off design projects where you can invest some time in the process.

4. Fiverr – For Affordable Graphic Design

Fiverr offers a marketplace of freelance graphic designers. You can directly browse profiles, reviews and work samples.

Pros

  • Compare many freelancer profiles
  • Lower cost entry points available
  • Access to wide variety and customization

Cons

  • Time investment to find the right designer
  • Inconsistent results working with individual freelancers

Best For

Getting simple or moderately complex projects done affordably.

5. Upwork – For Specialized Graphic Talent

Upwork is a leading freelance network with a huge pool of designers. You can post job listings or proactively search profiles.

Pros

  • Massive network provides specialized skills
  • Screen designers through posted job listings
  • Project management tools provided

Cons

  • Still time investment to find the right fit
  • Freelancer model brings less consistency

Best For

Finding niche, hard-to-fill graphic design expertise.

6. Canva – For DIY Graphic Design

Canva provides graphic design templates that anyone can customize themselves. The platform is extremely easy to use.

Pros

  • User-friendly drag and drop customization
  • Large template library for nearly any need
  • Affordable subscription plans

Cons

  • Limited creative customization
  • Output lower quality without designer skills

Best For

Creating simple graphics yourself or prototyping design concepts.

7. Your Own In-House Designer

Hiring an in-house designer seems like a great option. But it does come with challenges:

Pros

  • Dedicated resource for all your needs
  • Works closely with internal teams

Cons

  • Significant recruitment time and costs
  • Gap if designer leaves the company
  • Much higher expense than design services

Best For

Companies with very heavy and specialized design needs.

Key Takeaways

Let‘s recap the key points:

  • Strong graphic design is critical for branding, marketing, social media, and more

  • Outsourcing design provides great time savings, expanded capabilities, and increased quality

  • Evaluate services across criteria like specialization, work quality, responsiveness, pricing, and reviews

  • ManyPixels offers unlimited design breadth but has quality inconsistencies

  • Alternatives like DesignPickle and Penji deliver specialized expertise in real estate and wide variety respectively

  • Other options like crowdsourcing, freelancers, or in-house also have pros and cons to weigh

Recommendation

So what‘s my professional recommendation for you?

Based on your needs for [insert key factors important to the reader], I would suggest exploring [Service X]. Their focus delivers exactly what you‘re looking for.

Their [specialization, quality, pricing, communication practices etc.] make them a great fit. I would request examples of their work and customer references to evaluate further.

Please let me know if you have any other questions as you navigate this process! I‘m always happy to offer my insight. Wishing you tremendous success. You‘ve got this!

AlexisKestler

Written by Alexis Kestler

A female web designer and programmer - Now is a 36-year IT professional with over 15 years of experience living in NorCal. I enjoy keeping my feet wet in the world of technology through reading, working, and researching topics that pique my interest.