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Malt matches, invoices and insures. Design Elite produces. Malt's own published barometer puts the average day rate for a graphic designer in France at €430, and the platform adds 5% to 9% in client service fees on top of it. Design Elite's Elite plan is €1,399.90 per month excluding VAT, which is 3.3 days at that average rate. Here is the full comparison, including where Malt is the better call.
The No. 1 subscription-based design studio in France
Malt gives you access to 634,035 freelancers and makes the contract safe. It does not produce anything, does not write the brief and does not promise a turnaround. That part stays on your desk, and it is exactly the part Design Elite takes over.
No listing to post, no portfolios to sift through, no rate to negotiate. The team exists, so you start on the brief instead of the shortlist.
Prestige at €949.90, Elite at €1,399.90, Commando at €2,099.90 per month excluding VAT, no commitment. No service fee on top, no renegotiated day rate, no overage invoice.
One freelancer on vacation or overbooked stops your production. Here a project manager keeps the queue moving.
Design Elite is a subscription design studio. Three monthly plans excluding VAT with no commitment: Prestige at €949.90, Elite at €1,399.90 and Commando at €2,099.90, with lower rates if you commit to 3, 6 or 12 months (Elite drops to €1,299.90, €1,189.90 and then €1,119.90).
You submit as many briefs as you want, a project manager prioritizes them, and the same team handles your whole brand. Motion design is included on the Commando plan only.
What we do not do, and where Malt is the right place to go: development, email marketing, video production, paid media, CRM setup and moderated user research.
Malt is the reference freelance marketplace in France, with 634,035 registered profiles. On the client side it sells three tiers priced as a percentage of the freelancer invoice: Starter at 5%, Advanced at 9%, Enterprise on request. The percentages are published; the plan prices are not. On the freelancer side the commission is 10% excluding VAT on a first assignment, 5% after six months with the same client, and 2% when the freelancer brings the client in.
What Malt does better than us, with no hedging: compliance. Every freelancer has their legal documents checked before an assignment can start, every project is covered by liability insurance up to €20 million, and Malt fronts the cash so the freelancer is paid within ten days even when you settle at 30 or 45. For a one-off need, for a skill we do not have, or when you want to pick a named person and see their portfolio, Malt is the right tool.
The limit is structural. Malt sells access, not output. The brief, the art direction, the prioritization and the consistency between two assignments all stay with you. At the €430 average day rate Malt itself publishes for designers and photographers, an ongoing need runs into thousands per month, and you still manage it.
€949.90 to €2,099.90 per month, excluding VAT
Hiring and art direction, both in-house
Unlimited, prioritized by a project manager
One team across the brand, with backup
Direct services contract, rights assigned
The first brief ships the day you sign
Design only, motion design on Commando
Your design workload never really stops
Freelancer's day rate plus 5% to 9% in service fees
Legal documents and compliance, not craft
Whatever the quote covers, change order beyond it
Tied to one freelancer staying available
Insurance up to €20M, a genuine Malt advantage
Sourcing, conversations, quote, then kickoff
Dev, data, marketing, consulting: far broader
A one-off project, or a skill outside design
Billing model
What gets vetted
Request volume
Continuity
Legal protection
Time to first deliverable
Scope
Pick this when
Designers on Malt
Average day rate, Malt barometer
€430 / day
Design Elite
Elite plan, €1,399.90 per month excl. VAT
3.3 days at that rate
Design Elite
Spread over 20 working days
€70 / day
Three and a half days at the average Malt rate buys a full month of unlimited requests here, with no listing to post, no rate to negotiate and no service fee added on top.
A versatile design team, expert in branding, acquisition and conversion.
A design agency that meets the creative needs of ambitious businesses. Whether for our creative advertisements or the design of our physical events, all announced deadlines and services (48-hour delivery) were met. Thank you, Design Elite! Special mention to our account manager Nicolas: this success is yours too!
Mathieu Malige
Founder - Apogée
The team is very pleasant, always friendly and attentive, even with our many requests. They are open to discussion, proactive in suggesting and testing different avenues, and have successfully understood our style and our company's ethos. Their support for digital projects is particularly seamless.
Elodie HOFFMAN
CMO - Yanoli
Clearly the best design agency. Professional, responsive, dedicated, and above all, exceptionally good at design – everything is perfect. Thank you for your work, I highly recommend them.
Mathis Faivre
CEO - Agence Short
Very responsive agency that meets announced deadlines. The quality/price ratio is quite impressive. Thanks to the whole team.
Julien Mouttet
SEO Manager - Arkée
A great alternative to traditional agencies. Fast deliveries and almost always spot-on from the first version. That's quite impressive! Special shout-outs to Margaux and Samy, who are very personable and make the business relationship even smoother.
Emmanuel Logeais
CEO - DailyUp
An excellent experience with this agency. The process is clear, the follow-up is thorough, and the final result is perfect!
Soorya Suntha
I am delighted to work with this agency! Their creativity is always on point, and their responsiveness is impressive. Every project is handled with care, attention to detail, and a true understanding of our needs.
Amandine Jacquelin
Trade Marketing Coordinator APAC - Withings
Top-notch and super responsive team, great for daily creatives 👏 👏
Jean-Christophe Stienlet
Founder - Scalebay
Move to a simple, fast and flexible model that produces design continuously and fuels their growth. Book a discovery call to see how we can accelerate yours.
