Looking for the best UX agencies in 2025? We’ve curated a list of the top UX design agencies that deliver powerful UI/UX strategies, flawless interfaces, and measurable business results. These are the teams that industry leaders trust, from startups scaling fast to enterprises optimizing UX.

1. UX studio

We simplify complex digital products through data-backed UX design

Best for: Data-driven design with reasonable pricing
‍Strengths: Embedded teams, strong UX research, full product discovery
‍Known for: Flexibility, direct communication, high-quality work
‍Downside: No development

UX studio works with B2B vertical SaaS companies as a fully dedicated UX partner. With their integrated model, you get an embedded UX/UI team that feels like your own, combining deep research and smart design to simplify even the most complex products.

Unique offerings include:

• Flexible, scalable teams. When you need an extra pair of hands, UX studio has experts ready to jump in. Slower period? You can scale down the team easily.
• Deep domain knowledge in SaaS verticals. As a SaaS design agency, UX studio onboards very fast. A tried-and-tested discovery process lets them understand complex products deeply even in high-stakes verticals like healthcare or legal.
• Research roles support design. Unlike most other agencies, UX studio separates designer and researcher roles. This lets them get higher quality data, and as a result, higher quality design.

Since their start in 2013, they've worked with partners like Netflix, The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), Brenntag and Lupl.  You can browse their portfolio here.

If you need an integrated team of strategic-minded designers with SaaS experience, contact UX studio. They'll get back to you within 24 hours.

2. Clay

We build transformative digital experiences by blending AI, design, and technology

Best for: Branding-led digital experiences with high-end polish
‍Strengths: Sleek UI, motion design, storytelling, design systems
‍Known for: Five-star visual execution for top-tier tech brands
‍Downside: Premium price point

Clay (clay.global) is an industry-leading creative agency with clients like Sony, Coca-Cola, Joe’s Juice and Toyota. They’re famous for blending branding and UX design to create truly memorable experiences. No wonder they are Webby nominees!

Unique offerings include:

• Content design, including art direction, illustration, iconography, animation, photo and video, and 3D. 
• They combine a generalist approach with a tech-savvy client base.
• Teams are led by co-founders, and tend to include senior talent only with inter-disciplinary expertise.

Clay is a great fit for innovative scale-ups who seek high-end UX services. 

3. Ideo

For more than 40 years, IDEO has helped the world's leading organizations make the future

Best for: Innovation, design strategy, and concept ideation
‍Strengths: Pioneered design thinking, excels in cross-disciplinary design
‍Known for: Human-centered design, service innovation, global impact
‍Downside: Very conceptual—less focused on shipping real digital products

IDEO is the OG of top UX design agencies, with 40+ years of design experience and a global presence. Their innovation process not only got featured on an ABC documentary, but it’s being taught in multiple US colleges. 

Unique offerings include:

• Educational programs, from IDEO U to multiple publications on design thinking–a concept they pioneered
• Design strategy service where your company can adapt design best practices
• OpenIDEO, which was once an internal tool for client collaborations, and now it’s open for everybody

If you have ambitious ideas to disrupt your industry, IDEO’s expertise in product, service, brand and experience design will give you a flying start. 

4. MetaLab

Design, build and ship products worth talking about

Best for: Startups and fast-growing tech companies
Strengths: Strong product thinking and iterative collaboration
‍Known for: Modern UI design
‍Downside: They hate bureaucracy and prioritize velocity—might not be a fit for deep research or enterprise governance

MetaLab promises to take pre-seed companies to Fortune 500 through UX design. They’re proudly focused on creating interfaces instead of offering full-service solutions. By specializing in interfaces, they can really hone their craft. 

Unique offerings include: 

• They work well in high-speed environments
• Focus on startups and enterprises
• Design systems 

They have worked with Midjourney, Calvin Klein and The Atlantic.

5. Beetroot

Top 1 percent Clutch-ranked creative design powerhouse fuelling product growth with human-centric interface

Best for: Affordable, socially responsible design and dev teams
‍Strengths: Flexible staffing, scalable teams, ethical sourcing
‍Known for: Supporting mission-driven orgs with cost-effective talent
‍Downside: More generalist—may lack the polish or research depth of UX-specific agencies

Beetroot is one of the leading digital design and development agencies based in Stockholm, Sweden. Known for its narrative-driven approach, Beetroot transforms digital experiences into cohesive, user-focused journeys.

Unique offering include:

• Workforce lending at scale, including dev and design experts
• An ISO 27001 certification, underscoring their commitment to information security
• Over 1,000 projects successfully delivered 

Frequently praised for the freshness and originality of its designs, Beetroot is considered a standout in the global design landscape.

6. Designit

Innovating solutions with technology

Best for: Enterprise-level service design and transformation
‍Strengths: Strategy, service ecosystems, global scale
‍Known for: Large-scale change projects for enterprises
‍Downside: Corporate approach—slower to move, not ideal for lean teams

Since their foundation in 1991, Designit has expanded globally and now has 17 offices worldwide. With over 700 employees and more than 100 awards to their name, they are a favorite of enterprise clients. 

Unique offerings include:

• Responsive business practices  to guarantee compliance with regulations and champion DEI
• Customer experience management (CXM)
• Experience in choice industries like aviation and energy

If you’re a visionary leader or a go-getter entrepreneur, Designit is a great match for you. 

7. Halo Lab

Design & tech agency helping brands become top 1%

Best for: Web-focused startups
Strengths: Web and mobile UI design, branding, front-end development
Known for: Bold visual identity work
Downside: Less emphasis on UX research or strategic product development

Halo Lab is the best UX design agency for startups. Their dedicated teams speed up design processes and get you launch-ready within weeks. 

Unique offerings include:

• Cloud based services with bespoke development
• Free expert workshop
• Simple and fast solutions

When you want to accelerate your time-to-market, Halo Lab has you covered.

8. Ramotion

Design agency bridging product & brand

Best for: Tech companies  needing brand + product design
‍Strengths: Visual identity, UX design, smooth dev handoff
‍Known for: Work with Mozilla, Salesforce and Descript
‍Downside: Limited UX research and strategy capabilities

When it comes to B2B tech, Ramotion is a great choice. With a highly disciplined team and a focus on compliance, this full-service UX design agency takes your success seriously. 

Unique offerings include:

• Pre-IPO / M&A audit and refresh
• Brand personality quiz, brand expression, metaphor concept
• Iconography design

Ramotion is an ideal one-stop solution for more risk averse tech companies. 

9. Method

Ready for what's next? Let's build it.

Best for: Design strategy and product innovation for enterprise
‍Strengths: Business design, digital transformation, long-term partnership
Known for: Merging business and user needs across platforms
‍Downside: Can be costly and better suited for complex B2B or legacy systems

Method is a UX design agency that means business. They’re part of Hitachi, and have worked with clients like Ben and Jerry’s, Ubisoft and the BBC. 

Unique offerings include:

• Organizational enablement with Method’s Modern Product Experts can help your independent growth through coaching, training, workshops and consultancy 
• Data science UX research methods  to help you collect, synthesize and analyze data
• Ecommerce strategy

Be part of an illustrious clientele with this global strategic design and digital product development consultancy.

10. Beyond Agency

Be found with Beyond

Best for: Quicker UX/UI design projects, webdesign and prototyping
‍Strengths: Driving user engagement
‍Known for: Handling everything from brand creation to revenue generation
Downside: Limited UX design and research expertise

Beyond is first and foremost a marketing agency–but their background in advertising may be just what you need. With their help, you can anticipate customer needs, drive engagement strategically, and increase conversions. 

Unique offerings include: 

• Integrated teams include not just designers but marketers
• Their operations services help you with AI integration, sales funnels, CRM implementation, appointment booking, and more
• Strategy includes all you could wish for from page optimization to audience demographics and performance insights

When you need the same agency to handle absolutely everything (branding, website, content, video, social media, data, strategy) – go Beyond. 

In summary

To help you compare top UX design agencies, we created this chart where you can see research capabilities, design implementation, speed and pricing.

How UX agencies price their work

UX agencies typically use one of three pricing models: time-based, fixed-price, or outcome/value-based. Understanding each model’s trade-offs helps you choose what matches your needs best.

1. Time-based pricing

Time-based pricing is flexible and scalable, but budget tracking and scope discipline are crucial to avoid nasty surprises.

Hourly or daily billing are common, especially for shorter projects. While ranges can vary from UX agency to UX agency, typical prices in 2025 are:

• Eastern Europe: €45–60/hr
• Western/Northern Europe: €70–150/hr, higher for strategic or niche expertise
• USA:
  
  • Smaller/mid-size cities: $50–150/hr
  • Major design hubs: $75–200/hr
  • Premium consultancies: $250–500+/hr

2. Fixed‑price pricing

If your scope is clearly defined, fixed fees offer predictable budgets. Typical project ranges are as follows:

• Europe
  
  • Website/MVP: €8,000–20,000
  • Mid‑sized SaaS platform with research and testing: €20,000–60,000
  • Large UX strategy or enterprise redesign: €60,000–200,000+
• USA: similar, but typically $10k–30k for small builds, $30k–80k mid-tier, $80k–250k+ enterprise-level

3. Retainers / value‑based agreements

A less common, but growing pricing strategy is pricing tied to outcomes. Expect ongoing retainer fees like €500–1,000/month for small-scale UX support, scaling with deliverables, complexity, and business impact. UX agencies working as embedded teams, like UX studio, typically opt for this pricing model.

European vs. American UX agency pricing in 2025

How to choose a UX design agency?

Price is only one part of selecting a UX agency. We recommend taking a critical look on these 5 crucial aspects:

1. Process
2. Portfolio
3. Services
4. Proposal
5. Reviews

Scrutinizing these parts of your preferred UX design agencies’s offerings will help you find the best fit. Here’s how.

What to evaluate

1. Process

The UX design process is pretty standardized, so at first blink, you won’t notice major differences between agencies.You’ll likely see  personas, wireframing, prototyping, testing, iterations and final screens among their offerings. 

Top agencies will also include UX research and have more experience than others. But the main difference lies elsewhere.

When reviewing processes, ask yourself: do they value client input in their process? 

The best UX design agencies will  view client input as a must. More than that, they will want you to consider the final result 100% yours.

To see if this mentality is present, look for: 

• Proactivity in the planning process 
• Kickoff workshops to get to know your business
• Iterative design sprints, so they can instantly implement your suggestions
• Presenting ideas and offering alternatives during meetings

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2. Portfolio

Pretty portfolios are easy to come by. All agencies listed in this blog post have outstanding design work that’ll wow you with sleek looks, great usability and sophisticated solutions. So… should you choose the ones that look the best? We suggest you go deeper. 

When reviewing case studies, ask yourself: is their portfolio aligned with your business? 

Consider what level of experience they have with your industry, users and type of products. 

Look for the following green flags: 

• Experience with issues like yours (eg. complexity, data visualisation, easy  onboarding) 
• Focus on client pain points over design challenges
• Measurable results. While business metrics are not always available for agencies, you should see UX success indicators among the results, like engagement, adoption, or retention.
• No copy-paste solutions. Don’t bet on a one-trick pony. Designs should be distinct.

3. Services

UX design agencies offer similar services, from product design to webdesign, service design or MVPs. Instead of being bogged down by terminology, take a step back to assess the quality of their services. 

When reviewing UX services, ask yourself: do they have a data-driven mindset?

If your selected UX design agency won’t invest time into UX research, it likely means that you’re dealing with an agency not primarily motivated to deliver good, data-backed, lasting work. Jump off the conveyor belt and look for more in-depth services. 

It’s a good sign when:

• It’s easy to understand what each service includes
• Agencies ask you a lot of questions to help you select the best services
• Offerings include UX audits (so the designers won’t start from scratch)
• You see UX consultancy and research listed: it means they know their stuff

4. Proposal

Once you have requested a proposal, look at its quality. It should be detailed without being overwhelming. A truly caring UX design agency will have a clear plan for your business, market, and users. 

When reviewing proposals, ask yourself: is the proposal custom-made for your company?

The proposal should reflect what you’ve already discussed with your team. If it feels vague or generic, your project may be in better hands elsewhere. 

Look for: 

• Transparency, from scope to pricing and availability. 
• Clear deliverables, based on a business goal discussed with your team.
• Flexibility, because life happens
• Project management details
• Feature prioritization in the roadmap

5. Reviews

There’s what UX agencies say about themselves, and then there’s what former clients say. 

When reviewing reviews, ask yourself: are these credible, authentic reviews from real customers?

Beyond flattering testimonials presented on agency sites, look for verified reviews on platforms like Clutch. 

Check reviews to see:

• Are the highlighted values in line with what you want in your partner?
• Do they deliver on their promises? 
• What’s the feedback on quality, schedule, and business outcomes?
• Conflicts are unavoidable; can you find information on how your chosen agency reacts when it happens?

What to ask on calls

Client calls can be handled by professional business developers, a hands-on CEO or business-savvy designers. Whatever the case, this is your time to dig deeper and go beyond marketing promises, quotes and RFPs. 

We asked UX studio CEO, David Pasztor, for insider insights. If you hate wasting time half as much as he does, ask these 5 questions when vetting UX design agencies.

Ask: what design process do you use?

UX design is an innovative process. “Most design teams have their own way of discovering user needs, prototyping, usability testing, and working with developers,” David explained. “When they talk about their design process, you will feel when they know what they are talking about.” 

However, keep in mind how every product is different. “When we work with clients, we almost always customize our process to each particular client,” David said.

Ask: can I keep the design team on an ongoing basis?

 While you are building your product, new problems and new opportunities will arise. Your product will change a lot during the design process, and these changes will require changes in your original plan. Prepare for it.

“In reality, we never really finish a design,” David shared. “As long as the product lives, you will need regular design activities. Even if you hire a design team for a fixed project, you will likely need to extend the project or start a new one later.

So when you talk with potential UX partners, ask if they can provide you with the same design team on an ongoing basis. In this case, they can base the pricing on time.” 

Ask: do you have dedicated UX researchers?

When you collaborate with a data-driven UX team, they will bring you new customer insights every week. You will get surprising amounts of data, and you’ll get them directly from your customers.

“The only issue with UX research [is that it]  takes time,” David says. “Some designers say they do research or usability testing as well. In reality, they rarely have the time. So a dedicated UX researcher attending to your product can really make a difference.”

David also suggests a follow-up question to test the waters: ask if you can join the user tests and interviews. Those who do real research will appreciate your presence and insights. 

Ask: how can I support the UX company experts’ daily work?

UX design is collaborative to its core. When you hire a UX company, you hire them for full service. You can trust them to create amazing designs, but you can never leave them completely alone. They need your input. You know your business best, so you will have to stay involved through the whole process. This is why this question is so important.

“When you ask how you can support the UX team, you also establish a great relationship,” David added. “It emphasizes how deeply you have invested in the success of the project. It shows your readiness to do your part, whatever it takes.”

Ask: will the UX designers work full time on my product?

In some agencies, designers work on several projects simultaneously. “I have never seen good results from these teams,” David commented. “When a designer works on many projects at once, you will never know their priorities. Even superior time management skills don’t guarantee good results.”

He elaborated, “Much of the design work doesn’t happen as you’re sitting next to your computer. I usually think a lot about different design solutions while commuting or in the shower. When a designer works only on your product, you will know they will be thinking about your product all the time.”

How to create an RFP for UX agencies

When you don’t have the time or resources to evaluate agencies in depth or join multiple calls, sending out a Request for Proposal (RFP) is often the next step.

Looking at examples we’ve received, UX studio counselor Brigitta Puskas noticed a pattern: clients often find it just as difficult to articulate their complex challenges as agencies do to solve them. This might explain the abundance of RFP templates, step-by-step guides, and why ChatGPT is frequently called in to help draft them.

Based on our experience, a strong UX RFP includes:

• Intro: Your business challenge and why you’re seeking a partner.
• Stakeholders: Who’s going to be involved.
• Assets & inspiration: Links, files, style guides, mood boards.
• Budget: Even if approximate—sharing more helps agencies create realistic proposals.
• Timeline: Dates for RFP due, selection, kickoff.
• Deliverables: Phases, milestones.
• Current stats: Traffic, conversion, bounce, etc. – if you have them.
• Evaluation criteria: What matters—impact, process, creativity, accessibility.
• Submission guidelines: Where, how, what to send.

In their responses, UX agencies will usually focus on your main objectives, milestones, available resources, existing research, and the overall scope and complexity of the project.

If UX studio seems like a good fit, we’d be happy to receive your RFP! Contact us here. 

What is UX design?

UX design can be defined as the design of digital products, from apps to websites and tools. To go a little deeper, let’s overview the main elements of UX design. 

Elements of UX design

1. Usability

Usability is the main focus of UX experts: this is what separates user experience design from other branches of design.

Usability includes:

• Navigation, so users can easily find what they’re looking for.
• Familiarity, to lessen the learning curve with new products or features.
• Consistency, to avoid confusion and have a harmonic look.
• Error prevention, to, well, prevent errors.
• Feedback, so when a user does something on a digital surface, they get a visual reinforcement that the action has been noted.
• Visual clarity, to ease cognitive load.
• Flexibility and efficiency, without which no design can function well.

2. User research

User research informs design decisions by gathering and analyzing insights on user needs, behaviors, and motivations, as well as pain points and solutions.

Main methods used in user research include:

• Interviews and surveys
• Observations and field studies
• Usability testing and A/B testing
• Card sorting and tree testing
• Persona creation and user journey mapping

Main outcomes of user research provide:

• Insights into user preferences and expectations
• Validation of design concepts and prototypes
• Metrics for measuring usability and satisfaction
• Recommendations for product improvements and feature prioritization

3. Visual design

Visual design in UI, often called the "look and feel," is about defining the mood and character of your digital product.

The visual design process typically involves:

• Early workshops uncover core values, user expectations, and visual preferences.
• Research and moodboards translate these ideas into visual inspiration.
• Designers create and compare variations to explore possible directions.
• Feedback ensures the chosen design reflects business goals and user needs.

This  process defines your product’s identity before diving into detailed UI work.

4. Information architecture

Information architecture is the method to organize information and ease navigation, understanding and overall usability. UX researchers and designers will usually map out hierarchies and look for ways to simplify your product’s structure. 

Elements of your information architecture include:

• Your sitemap (a tree of all pages)
• Navigation (menus and linking)
• Footer (where your deeper links live)
• IA diagram (a life-saving document outlining your entire IA in detail)

5. Interaction design

The final element of UX design is interaction design, which, as its expressive name shows, is the design of how users interact with your product. The easier they can achieve their goals, the better the design. 

Interaction design has 5 component, aka dimensions:

• UX copy (think labels, CTA text, etc) 
• Graphical elements (typography and icons)
• Context (the consideration of the device used by users and their real-world location)
• Time (motion design, videos, sound, or any other design element that needs to be timed)
• Behavior (of the product: what it does, and what prompts the behavior)

If you want to learn more about interaction design, the Interaction Design Foundation has excellent resources. 

Let’s see how UX design companies combine all elements of UX design in practice.

What does a UX design agency do?

They design more than cool looks

UX design brings together design, business, and psychology. Designers create products that balance what users want, what your company needs, and what technology can do. 

UX designers can do usability testing and user interviews, but when their work is supported by UX researchers, they have additional methods to get valuable data, from strategic business insights to data synthesis and robust research repositories. 

They bring in their collective experience

As UX studio researcher Dan Damsa put it,  “a UX team is not just a group of UX people.” Top UX agencies vet their talent so they have diverse skill sets, strengths and experiences. UX teams work together to find the best solutions, share ideas, reviews, and advice. Lone freelancers don’t enjoy this kind of professional support. 

They rely on well-tested methods

UX design agencies have years or decades to perfect their methods, and believe us when we say: they make the most of it. 

While UX best practices are standard, each agency will be shaped by their collective experiences, hundreds of client collaborations, and learnings from old mistakes, which will all be well documented.  This helps them to onboard quickly and have a playbook at the ready that they will customize to the client’s needs.  

They find and fix problems

A good UX designer does as they’re told. A great UX designer goes over and beyond for their clients. When they discover issues related to efficiency, user satisfaction, learnability, memorability, or find flat out errors, they aren’t afraid to alert the client, ask questions and offer solutions. UX agencies that value proactivity will always seek to bring additional value to their projects. 

How to measure the business outcomes of UX design?

When you work with a UX design agency, don’t just track design quality. You should connect UX results directly to business outcomes. 

• Define baseline business metrics (conversion, retention, support tickets, time-to-market).
• Benchmark current experience (through usability tests, analytics, surveys).
• Measure the “delta” after UX improvements.
• Translate improvements into either revenue gains or cost savings.

Let’s see these in practice. 

1. Business KPIs for UX metrics

Examples:

• Conversion rate. E.g. redesign leads to demo requests increasing from 3% → 6% of visitors.
  
  
• Retention / churn. E.g. improved onboarding reduces drop-off within X days.
  
  
• Support tickets. E.g. a better dashboard reduces support calls by X%.
  
  
• Task completion time. E.g. internal tools redesigned so onboarding time drops from X  weeks to Y days → multiplied across your user base, that’s a cost/time saving.
  
  
• Form completion rate. E.g. percentage of completed submissions after multi-step signup form was simplified.
  
  
• Error rates. E.g. fewer failed transactions or input mistakes.
  
  

💡 Tip: Always define these KPIs before starting with an agency, so both sides are aligned on what “success” means.

2. Customer metrics (CX + loyalty)

User satisfaction ties directly into long-term value:

• CSAT / NPS improvement. Track before/after design work.
  
  
• Customer lifetime value (CLV). Improved UX boosts repeat usage and retention.
  
  
• Cost per acquisition (CPA). A trial flow designed by a top UX design agency reduces  ad dollars needed per new lead.
  
  
• Improved acquisition. A smoother signup experience increases new user growth.

💡 Tip:  Start reporting as soon as possible, and collect data religiously. 

3. Financial modeling of UX impact

For C-level buy-in, translate design into dollars:

• Example: If checkout improvements increase conversion by 10% on a $50M GMV business, that’s $5M incremental revenue.
  
  
• Example: If a tool saves employees 5 minutes per day, with 500 employees, that’s ~2,000 hours per month → cost saving of $X/year.

💡 Tip:  Involve stakeholders early in goalsetting. 

How to measure the ROI of UX research

UX research, just like UX design, brings you concrete results. To measure the ROI of UX research, we suggest using the AARRR framework.

• Acquisition: research improves  messaging to convert more visitors.
  
  • Tip: Compare signup/purchase completion rates before vs. after research-informed changes.
    
    
• Activation : testing first-time use reduces friction, leads to more “aha!” moments.
  
  • Tip: Track % of new users reaching the “Aha!” moment during tests or live.
    
    
• Retention:  Solving real needs keeps users coming back.
  
  • Tip: Measure drop-off over 7,  30, 90 days pre/post research.
    
    
• Referral: satisfied users recommend your product to each other, cutting marketing costs.
  
  • Tip: Count reviews, recommendations, or invite-based signups.
    
    
• Revenue: more conversions lead to longer customer lifecycles.
  
  • Tip: Measure the following for tangible results:
    
    • Trial-to-paid conversion rate 
    • Average contract value (ACV)
    • Revenue per user (ARPU) 
    • Churn reduction / retention
    • Demo-to-deal velocity 

Align with the researchers working on your project on what you consider success, and define realistic milestones in the roadmap together.

Searching for the right UX agency?

At UX studio, we combine strategic UX thinking with reasonable mid-tier European rates. Our embedded teams usually include a designer plus a researcher, offering flexible solutions aligned with your budget and goals.

If product performance isn't where you need it to be—or if you're launching or redesigning—contact us for a tailored quote grounded in your project needs and financial reality.‍