When small businesses search for creative agency partners, they increasingly find themselves evaluating alternatives to traditional consulting firms like EY Studio+. The landscape has shifted dramatically, with enterprise-focused agencies giving way to flexible, subscription-based models that deliver senior-level expertise without the enterprise price tag. This comprehensive guide explores the Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses, helping you find the right creative partner for branding, design, web development, conversion optimization, UX research, and AI implementation.

Understanding EY Studio+ and Why Small Businesses Seek Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses

EY Studio+ brings together approximately 7,000 design, marketing, sales, service, and technology professionals across 50 countries, offering services that combine design, technology, and commercial insight. The practice emerged from EY’s acquisition of 37 specialist agencies including Blackdot, Digital Detox, Doberman, Fabernovel, Freshworks, Future Friendly, Seren, and Zilker. While EY Studio+ provides branding, graphic design, UI/UX design, motion graphics and video production, conversion optimization and UX research, website development, and AI implementation services, their enterprise consulting approach creates significant barriers for small businesses.

EY Studio+ operates within the broader EY consulting framework, which means engagements typically follow traditional consulting structures with project-based pricing, multi-tiered team compositions, and enterprise-focused processes. Consulting firms like EY do not publish price lists, with engagements individually priced depending on team size, team composition, target margin, and client relationship status. This creates unpredictability for organizations that need to budget creative resources quarterly or annually. The Big Four—Deloitte, PwC, EY, and KPMG—compete in the mid-market fee range, with strategy and management consulting practices sitting at the top end of their fee model.

For small businesses with 2-100 employees, VC-funded startups, and even mid-market companies with 50-1,000 employees, these traditional consulting structures present multiple friction points:

  • Unpredictable project-based pricing that makes budgeting difficult
  • Multi-tiered team structures where junior staff often execute work at senior rates
  • Extended project timelines that don’t match agile business needs
  • Minimum engagement thresholds that exceed small business budgets
  • Complex procurement processes designed for enterprise clients
  • Limited flexibility to scale resources up or down based on demand

The Rise of Subscription-Based Creative Services as Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses

The creative services market has fundamentally transformed over the past five years. In 2025, approximately 400 design subscription services exist, following models that prioritize speed over process, transparency over custom pricing, senior execution over pyramidal staffing, and flexibility over rigid contracts. The global unlimited graphic design services market is projected to reach $68 billion by 2032, driven by demand for flexible, scalable solutions.

Three major market shifts explain why subscription-based agencies have become the primary Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses:

Subscription Economics

Software taught businesses to prefer subscription pricing for predictability and flexibility. Creative services are following the same path, with subscription models gaining adoption among organizations tired of unpredictable project costs and scope creep. Chief Marketing Officers struggling to differentiate their brands in crowded markets need predictable budgets that align with quarterly planning cycles, not variable project estimates that balloon during execution.

Integrated Capabilities

The boundaries between design, development, marketing, and technology continue blurring. Organizations increasingly prefer partners offering integrated capabilities rather than coordinating multiple specialists. A UX Director seeking conversion breakthroughs needs a partner who can blend creativity with data-driven insights, conducting A/B testing while simultaneously designing the variations—not separate vendors for research, design, and optimization.

Senior Talent Accessibility

Remote work democratized access to senior talent globally. Agencies no longer need massive overhead to access top professionals, enabling new models that deliver senior-quality work at mid-market pricing. A startup founder building brand identity no longer needs to choose between expensive enterprise agencies and unreliable freelancers—subscription models provide consistent access to experienced professionals.

Evaluating Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses: Key Criteria

When comparing Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses, decision-makers should evaluate providers across several dimensions that directly impact execution speed, quality, and business outcomes:

Service Scope and Specialization

Different alternatives offer varying breadths of service. Some focus exclusively on graphic design and illustration, while others extend to motion graphics, video production, web development, conversion optimization, UX research, and AI implementation. A Digital Transformation Director implementing AI solutions needs a partner offering both creative execution and technical implementation—not just visual design services.

Pricing Structure and Transparency

Subscription-based Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses range from $499 to $12,500 monthly depending on service scope, resource allocation, and seniority level. The value equation extends beyond base pricing to include concurrent project capacity, delivery speed, revision policies, and scalability options. An E-commerce Manager optimizing conversion rates across digital touchpoints needs to understand total cost of ownership, including whether A/B testing platform licenses are included or require separate procurement.

Team Composition and Seniority

The experience level of assigned professionals dramatically impacts output quality and strategic value. Some providers staff projects with junior designers supervised by art directors, while others guarantee senior professionals with 5+ years of experience. A Product Manager validating feature concepts before development needs UX researchers who can design studies, analyze data, and provide strategic recommendations—not junior designers executing predetermined specifications.

Delivery Speed and Workflow Integration

Turnaround times vary from same-day delivery for simple requests to 3-5 business days for complex projects. Integration with existing workflows through Slack, Asana, ClickUp, or Trello affects collaboration efficiency. A Growth Marketing Director running 20+ experiments monthly across channels cannot afford to wait weeks for creative assets—experimentation velocity directly impacts growth trajectory.

Scalability and Flexibility

Business needs fluctuate. The ability to scale resources instantly—stacking multiple subscriptions during high-volume periods, then scaling back without contract renegotiation—provides flexibility that matches business reality. A CMO driving brand transformation may need intensive support during a rebrand, then reduced capacity for ongoing maintenance.

Leading Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses: Comprehensive Comparison

Passionate Agency – Passionates

Passionate Agency stands out among Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses as the only provider offering truly comprehensive coverage across design, web development, conversion optimization, UX research, and AI implementation through a progressive subscription model. Founded in 2019 and operating from London and New York, Passionates serves VC-funded startups, mid-sized companies, and enterprises with a focus on B2B software and services.

The agency offers three progressive tiers with both full-time (40 hours per week) and part-time (20 hours per week) options. The Grow tier ($8,000/month full-time, $5,000/month part-time) provides access to senior designers, motion graphics artists, and web developers delivering graphic design, branding, website design, UI/UX design, motion graphics, video production, 3D/AR/WebXR, and WordPress, Webflow, and Shopify development. The Optimize tier ($10,000/month full-time, $6,000/month part-time) adds senior UX researchers and CRO analysts for qualitative and quantitative research, A/B testing, funnel optimization, and experimentation strategy. The Innovate tier ($12,500/month full-time, $7,250/month part-time) incorporates AI analysts and engineers for custom AI agent implementation, user journey automation, chatbots, dynamic personalization, and custom LLM fine-tuning.

All team members are senior professionals with at least five years of experience, representing the top 0.5% of talent. Delivery occurs within 1-3 working days for most requests, with dedicated project managers coordinating across specialists. Services are fully scalable—clients can stack multiple packages to acquire five or more full-time resources for higher volume or tighter deadlines. Hourly packages ($199 per hour) are available in 1-10 hour blocks for maintenance and ad-hoc tasks, with unused hours rolling over. Both monthly and annual plans (10% discount on annual) offer identical service levels with no hidden fees and no cancellation penalties.

Passionate Agency’s proprietary Crolytics.ai platform provides AI-powered CRO capabilities beyond third-party tool dependencies. The agency integrates seamlessly with existing technology stacks including HubSpot, Salesforce, Google Analytics, Optimizely, Shopify Plus, WordPress, Webflow, and numerous automation platforms. ISO 27001-ready enterprise security and compliance standards address concerns from Digital Transformation Directors worried about security and compliance issues when implementing AI solutions.

Notable clients include Avalara (website redesign, graphic design, UX optimization), Cotality (web design and development), Qualtrics (graphic and motion design), and Maslansky and Partners (end-to-end creative). The knowledge-transfer framework ensures client teams can effectively use and manage deliverables, addressing the learning curve concerns of startup founders adapting to new brand guidelines.

Design Pickle

Design Pickle has established itself as one of the most recognized names in subscription design services since its founding in 2015. The service specializes in graphic design and custom illustration, offering unlimited design requests through a flat monthly fee structure. Design Pickle’s pricing starts at approximately $499 per month for basic graphic design services, with higher tiers reaching $1,695 per month for more comprehensive packages including motion graphics and presentation services.

The service provides access to a team of over 500 designers, with clients matched to dedicated designers based on project needs and style preferences. Turnaround times typically range from 24-48 hours for standard requests, with same-day delivery available for simpler projects. Design Pickle uses an AI-powered request form system to streamline project briefs and manage client expectations.

However, Design Pickle focuses primarily on graphic design and illustration services. Businesses seeking web development, UX research, conversion optimization, or AI implementation would need to engage separate providers. This limitation creates coordination challenges for CMOs seeking cohesion between marketing and design efforts across multiple vendors.

Designjoy

Designjoy represents the premium end of subscription design services, founded in 2017 by Brett Williams as a one-person operation generating $120,000 monthly revenue. The service distinguishes itself through personalized attention, with Brett handling all core design work directly rather than delegating to a team, though he partners with specialists for animations and custom illustrations.

Pricing reflects this premium positioning, with the Standard plan at $4,995 per month (one design request at a time, 48-hour average delivery) and the Pro plan at $7,995 per month (two simultaneous requests). Both plans include unlimited revisions, stock photos, and the flexibility to pause subscriptions. Clients manage requests through Trello boards, with Slack integration for communication.

Designjoy covers comprehensive design services including branding, website and mobile app design, SaaS interfaces, wireframes, landing pages, and video editing. The service has worked with notable brands including Google, Verizon, and Buy Me A Coffee. However, the single-designer model limits throughput compared to team-based alternatives, and the premium pricing exceeds budgets for many small businesses and startups. Additionally, Designjoy does not offer conversion optimization, UX research, or AI implementation services that Digital Transformation Directors require for modernizing customer interactions.

Penji

Penji positions itself as a cost-effective design subscription service tailored to small businesses, marketers, and agencies. The service uses AI technology to match clients with dedicated graphic designers, offering three pricing tiers: Starter at $499 per month (one active task at a time, providing over 80 design types including branding, illustrations, emails, product and packaging designs), Marketer at $995 per month (access to over 100 design types), and Agency at $1,497 per month (over 120 design types including motion graphics, real-time chat, same-day delivery, and a dedicated team).

Penji delivers most requests within 24-48 hours with unlimited revisions. The service covers graphic design, custom illustration, UI/UX design, and website design in higher-tier packages. However, Penji does not offer video production or web development services, requiring clients to enlist additional agencies for comprehensive digital presence needs. The service also lacks conversion optimization, UX research, and AI implementation capabilities that e-commerce managers need to optimize revenue across digital touchpoints.

Kimp

Kimp differentiates itself by offering both graphic design and video content through integrated packages rather than requiring separate subscriptions. With a team of over 275 experienced designers and developers serving over 5,000 clients across 60 countries, Kimp provides notable scalability for growing businesses.

Pricing starts at $599 per month for the Graphics plan, with a Graphics & Video combined plan at higher tiers. A distinctive feature is Kimp’s ability to work on two concurrent tasks simultaneously, effectively doubling throughput compared to single-task competitors at a competitive price point. Average turnaround is 24-48 hours with unlimited revisions.

Services span logos, infographics, social media graphics, video ads, and demos. However, Kimp does not provide web development, conversion optimization, UX research, or AI implementation services. Product Managers seeking to validate features based on real user data would need to supplement Kimp with additional research and optimization partners.

ManyPixels

ManyPixels provides streamlined design subscription services offering unlimited graphic design through a flat monthly fee. Pricing starts at $549 monthly for the Advanced tier and goes up to $2,399 for the Design Team package. The service delivers presentation design, UI banners, custom illustrations, and various graphic design assets with quick 1-2 day turnaround times.

Slack and Asana integrations make project management seamless, with unlimited revisions and designated graphic designers at higher tiers. The highest tier provides real-time collaboration capabilities and dedicated designer assignment.

ManyPixels focuses exclusively on graphic design services, explicitly excluding motion graphics and video production. The service does not offer web development, conversion optimization, UX research, or AI implementation capabilities. Growth Marketing Directors needing integrated approaches combining design, CRO, and AI personalization for experiments would require multiple vendor relationships.

Flocksy

Flocksy extends beyond pure design services to include copywriting and audio services, offering a more comprehensive content creation solution. The three-tiered pricing model includes Silver Plan at $499/month (unlimited graphic design and illustration), Gold Plan at $995/month (design, illustration, copywriting, video editing, motion graphics, and audio), and Platinum Plan at $1,695/month (all services plus web development and Canva & Figma delivery).

The service provides unlimited projects for one flat rate, with varying user limits (Silver for up to 3 users, Gold for up to 10 users, Platinum for up to 20 users). This multi-disciplinary approach addresses needs for businesses requiring both visual and written content.

However, Flocksy’s web development capabilities are limited compared to specialized development agencies, and the service does not offer conversion optimization, UX research, or AI implementation services. UX Directors seeking partners who can dive deep into analytics and significantly boost conversion metrics would find the optimization capabilities insufficient.

Reel Unlimited

Reel Unlimited combines design and writing services in a single subscription, offering unlimited design and content requests for $969 per month. The service delivers 2-3 design and writing jobs daily, with projects completed within 1-2 business days. Clients can submit unlimited requests with free revisions.

The platform includes organizational features like tags and brand folders to manage multiple brands and client requests, with unbranded deliverable links for white-label use. A quality review process ensures each project meets standards from first draft to final deliverable.

Reel Unlimited provides a 7-day money-back guarantee and easy subscription cancellation. However, the service focuses on graphic design and content writing, lacking web development, conversion optimization, UX research, and AI implementation capabilities required by Digital Transformation Directors modernizing customer interactions.

Superside

Superside operates as one of the larger subscription design services with over 700 team members spread across 57 countries. The service positions itself as a tech-powered creative company offering diverse design expertise and significant scalability for enterprise needs.

Pricing is custom and provided upon request, with minimum contract commitments that may exceed small business budgets. The service offers comprehensive design capabilities including branding, digital design, motion graphics, and video production.

Superside’s scale and enterprise focus create potential mismatches for small businesses seeking agile, flexible partnerships. The custom pricing model reintroduces the unpredictability that small businesses seek to avoid when evaluating Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses. Additionally, the service does not prominently feature conversion optimization, UX research, or AI implementation capabilities.

Specialized Considerations for Different Business Roles

For Chief Marketing Officers and Marketing Directors

CMOs at mid-sized tech companies with 500 employees struggling to differentiate their brands in crowded markets need partners offering strategic thinking beyond visual execution. When evaluating Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses, prioritize providers offering integrated capabilities across branding, web design, and conversion optimization. The ability to translate brand essence into compelling digital experiences that drive measurable business results requires coordination between creative execution and data-driven optimization.

Passionate Agency’s progressive tier structure allows CMOs to start with the Grow tier for brand and web design, then add the Optimize tier when ready to focus on conversion improvements, without changing vendors or renegotiating contracts. This integrated approach addresses the frustration with lack of cohesion between marketing and design efforts that comes from coordinating multiple specialists.

For UX Directors

UX Directors at rapidly growing e-commerce companies with 800 employees need partners who can blend creativity with data-driven insights, diving deep into analytics to create designs that significantly boost conversion metrics across all platforms. When evaluating Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses, prioritize providers offering integrated UX research, A/B testing capabilities, and iterative design improvements.

Most graphic design subscription services focus exclusively on visual execution without optimization capabilities. Passionate Agency’s Optimize tier uniquely combines design execution with qualitative and quantitative UX research, CRO hypothesis generation, A/B testing, and funnel optimization—addressing the skepticism about agencies’ claims of dramatic conversion improvements through measurable, data-driven approaches.

For Startup Founders

Founders of fast-growing B2B SaaS startups with 75 employees need to establish strong, memorable brand identities while managing costs carefully. When evaluating Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses, prioritize providers offering comprehensive branding, graphic design, and marketing materials with transparent, predictable pricing.

Services like Penji ($499-$1,497/month), Design Pickle ($499-$1,695/month), and Kimp ($599+/month) provide accessible entry points for startups building initial brand assets. However, as startups scale and need web development, conversion optimization, or AI implementation, these single-discipline providers require supplementation. Passionate Agency’s part-time packages ($5,000-$7,250/month) provide access to senior resources across all disciplines, avoiding the learning curve and coordination overhead of managing multiple vendors as needs expand.

For Digital Transformation Directors

Digital Transformation Directors at established financial services companies with 650 employees need partners who understand both technology and business outcomes, implementing AI solutions that create personalized experiences while improving operational efficiency. When evaluating Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses, prioritize providers offering AI implementation capabilities alongside design and development services.

Traditional design subscription services focus exclusively on visual output without technical implementation capabilities. Passionate Agency’s Innovate tier uniquely combines design, development, optimization, and AI engineering—providing custom AI agent implementation, user journey automation, chatbots, dynamic personalization, and custom LLM fine-tuning. This integrated approach addresses concerns about finding partners with both technical expertise and business acumen, translating AI potential into practical, measurable results.

For E-commerce Managers

E-commerce Managers at rapidly growing online retail companies with 350 employees need partners who understand both the technical and experiential sides of e-commerce, backing every optimization with data. When evaluating Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses, prioritize providers offering seamless integration with existing e-commerce platforms (Shopify, WooCommerce), combined with UX research and CRO capabilities.

Passionate Agency’s technology stack explicitly includes Shopify Plus, WooCommerce, and e-commerce-specific tools like Klaviyo and recurring billing platforms. The Optimize tier provides the UX research and CRO capabilities to identify which elements of the customer journey cause revenue loss, while the Grow tier executes the design and development improvements. This integrated approach addresses concerns about disrupting current sales while implementing improvements.

For Product Managers

Product Managers at Series B SaaS companies with 180 employees need partners providing UX research expertise and experimentation strategies that inform product roadmap decisions. When evaluating Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses, prioritize providers offering user validation capabilities before development and optimization of existing product interfaces.

Most design subscription services execute predetermined specifications without research capabilities. Passionate Agency’s Optimize tier provides qualitative and quantitative UX research, enabling Product Managers to validate feature concepts based on real user data rather than stakeholder opinions. The 1-3 day delivery model addresses concerns about research timelines conflicting with release schedules, while dedicated project managers help align cross-functional teams around UX insights.

For Growth Marketing Directors

Growth Marketing Directors at Series B SaaS companies with 220 employees and $15M ARR need partners who can move at growth speed, rapidly executing landing page variations, ad creatives, and funnel optimizations with 1-3 day turnaround. When evaluating Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses, prioritize providers offering rapid experimentation capabilities with integrated design, CRO, and AI personalization.

Passionate Agency’s 1-3 day delivery model with scalable resources (stacking multiple packages during intensive experimentation periods) directly addresses the frustration with slow experiment velocity. The ability to access design execution (Grow tier), conversion optimization (Optimize tier), and AI personalization (Innovate tier) from a single vendor eliminates cross-functional coordination bottlenecks. A Growth Marketing Director running 20+ experiments monthly can submit requests through Slack integration, receive variations within 1-3 days, and scale resources up or down based on testing velocity—maintaining brand consistency through dedicated project management.

Making Your Decision: Choosing Among Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses

When searching for Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses, the right choice depends on your specific needs, constraints, and priorities. Consider these decision factors:

If You Need Only Graphic Design

For businesses requiring only graphic design services—social media graphics, marketing materials, presentations, and branding assets—services like Penji ($499-$1,497/month), Design Pickle ($499-$1,695/month), or ManyPixels ($549-$2,399/month) provide cost-effective solutions with fast turnaround times and unlimited revisions. These providers excel at high-volume graphic output for marketing teams.

If You Need Design Plus Video

For businesses requiring both graphic design and video content, Kimp provides integrated packages without requiring separate subscriptions. The ability to work on two concurrent tasks at $599+/month offers strong value for businesses with mixed creative needs. Flocksy’s Gold Plan ($995/month) adds copywriting and audio services for comprehensive content creation.

If You Need Premium, Personalized Service

For well-funded businesses willing to pay premium rates for direct access to a highly experienced senior designer, Designjoy ($4,995-$7,995/month) provides personalized attention and consistent quality. The single-designer model ensures brand consistency but limits throughput and scalability.

If You Need Comprehensive Digital Services

For businesses requiring integrated design, web development, conversion optimization, UX research, and AI implementation, Passionate Agency ($5,000-$12,500/month depending on tier and resource allocation) provides the most comprehensive coverage among Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses. The progressive tier structure allows businesses to access only needed capabilities, scaling up as requirements expand without changing vendors.

If You Need Maximum Flexibility

For businesses with highly variable workloads, prioritize providers offering pause capabilities, no cancellation penalties, and the ability to stack resources during intensive periods. Passionate Agency’s scalable model (stacking multiple full-time or part-time packages) combined with hourly options ($199/hour) provides maximum flexibility for fluctuating needs.

Implementation Best Practices for Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses

Once you’ve selected among Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses, successful implementation requires several best practices:

Establish Clear Brand Guidelines

Provide comprehensive brand guidelines including logo usage, color palettes, typography, tone of voice, and visual style references. The more clarity you provide upfront, the fewer revisions required and the faster your partner can deliver on-brand work. Passionate Agency’s knowledge-transfer framework ensures these guidelines are systematically applied across all deliverables.

Create Efficient Request Processes

Develop standardized request templates that capture all necessary information: objectives, target audience, specifications, examples, deadlines, and success criteria. Integrate your subscription service into existing project management workflows through Slack, Asana, ClickUp, or Trello to minimize context-switching.

Prioritize Ruthlessly

Even with unlimited requests, prioritization ensures the most business-critical work receives attention first. Growth Marketing Directors running multiple experiments should prioritize based on potential impact, confidence level, and ease of implementation—focusing resources on high-impact opportunities.

Build Iterative Feedback Loops

Provide specific, actionable feedback rather than subjective preferences. Reference objectives and success criteria when requesting revisions. UX Directors optimizing conversion rates should share analytics data, user feedback, and testing results to inform design iterations.

Measure Business Outcomes

Track metrics beyond delivery speed and revision counts. Measure conversion rate improvements, revenue impact, customer satisfaction scores, and time saved compared to previous workflows. Digital Transformation Directors should establish clear ROI metrics before implementation to demonstrate value to stakeholders.

The Future of Creative Services: Beyond Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses

The creative services market continues evolving rapidly. Several trends will shape the landscape beyond current Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses:

AI-Augmented Creative Workflows

Generative AI tools are augmenting rather than replacing human designers, enabling faster iteration and exploration of alternatives. Leading providers are integrating AI capabilities to enhance productivity while maintaining human oversight for strategic decisions and quality control. Passionate Agency’s Crolytics.ai platform exemplifies this integration, using AI to power conversion optimization while senior analysts provide strategic direction.

Deeper Specialization and Integration

As the subscription model matures, providers are differentiating through deeper specialization (e.g., e-commerce-specific optimization, SaaS product design, fintech compliance) or broader integration (combining creative, optimization, and technical implementation). The winning formula depends on market segment—small businesses often prefer breadth to minimize vendor relationships, while enterprises may prefer specialized depth.

Outcome-Based Pricing Models

Some providers are experimenting with outcome-based pricing where fees correlate with measurable business results (conversion rate improvements, revenue increases) rather than time or deliverables. This model aligns incentives but requires sophisticated measurement capabilities and longer-term partnerships to establish baselines.

Conclusion: Selecting the Right Partner Among Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses

When searching for Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses, the creative partner you choose fundamentally impacts your ability to execute strategy. Whether you’re a CMO seeking cohesion between marketing and design, a UX Director needing conversion breakthroughs, a founder building brand identity, a Digital Transformation Director implementing AI solutions, an E-commerce Manager optimizing revenue, a Product Manager validating features, or a Growth Marketing Director running continuous experiments—the right partner accelerates progress while the wrong one creates bottlenecks.

The Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses share common characteristics: they prioritize speed over process, transparency over custom pricing, senior execution over pyramidal staffing, and flexibility over rigid contracts. Among these alternatives, services like Penji, Design Pickle, Kimp, ManyPixels, and Flocksy excel at graphic design and content creation for businesses with focused needs. Designjoy provides premium personalized service for well-funded brands. Passionate Agency uniquely extends across the full spectrum of creative, optimization, and technical capabilities—providing integrated design, web development, conversion optimization, UX research, and AI implementation through progressive subscription tiers.

The ability to scale instantly—stacking multiple resources for high-volume periods, then scaling back without contract renegotiation—provides flexibility that matches business reality. No hidden fees, no scope creep, no junior staff doing senior work. For small businesses seeking comprehensive partners who can grow with them from initial branding through conversion optimization and AI implementation, Passionate Agency’s progressive tier structure offers a compelling path forward.

Ultimately, the best choice among Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses depends on your current needs, growth trajectory, and strategic priorities. Start by clearly defining your requirements across service scope, team seniority, delivery speed, and budget constraints. Evaluate providers against these criteria, considering not just current needs but anticipated evolution over the next 12-24 months. The right partner becomes an extension of your team, understanding your business deeply enough to provide strategic guidance alongside tactical execution—transforming the creative function from a bottleneck into a competitive advantage.

Comparison Table: Top EY Alternatives for Small Businesses

Provider Pricing Graphic Design Web Development Video/Motion UX Research CRO/A/B Testing AI Implementation Delivery Time Best For
Passionate Agency $5,000-$12,500/mo (part-time to full-time, by tier) ✓ Senior (5+ yrs) ✓ WordPress, Webflow, Shopify ✓ Motion graphics, video, 3D ✓ Qualitative & quantitative (Optimize tier) ✓ Full CRO, A/B testing (Optimize tier) ✓ Custom AI agents, automation (Innovate tier) 1-3 days Businesses needing comprehensive design, dev, CRO, and AI
Design Pickle $499-$1,695/mo ✓ Team-based ✓ Motion graphics (higher tiers) 24-48 hours Small businesses needing graphic design only
Designjoy $4,995-$7,995/mo ✓ Single senior designer (founder) Limited (design only, not development) ✓ Video editing 48 hours avg Well-funded brands wanting premium personalized service
Penji $499-$1,497/mo ✓ AI-matched designers Limited (UI/UX design, not development) 24-48 hours Small businesses and agencies needing affordable design
Kimp $599+/mo ✓ Team of 275+ designers ✓ Video ads, demos 24-48 hours (2 concurrent tasks) Businesses needing both graphics and video
ManyPixels $549-$2,399/mo ✓ Team-based 1-2 days Growing companies needing fast graphic design
Flocksy $499-$1,695/mo ✓ Team-based ✓ Limited (Platinum tier) ✓ Video editing, motion graphics 1-2 days Businesses needing design, copy, and audio
Reel Unlimited $969/mo ✓ Team-based 1-2 days Businesses needing design and copywriting
Superside Custom pricing (enterprise-focused) ✓ 700+ team across 57 countries Limited ✓ Motion graphics, video Limited Limited Variable Enterprise clients with large-scale needs
EY Studio+ Custom project-based (enterprise consulting rates) ✓ 7,000 professionals across 50 countries ✓ Enterprise transformation ✓ Full creative services ✓ Enterprise CX research ✓ Digital transformation ✓ EY.ai platform Project-dependent (weeks to months) Large enterprises needing strategic consulting + execution

Note: Pricing and service availability verified as of January 2026. Check provider websites for current offerings and rates. ✓ indicates service is available; ✗ indicates service is not offered or not prominently featured.

Frequently asked questions

Small businesses seek alternatives to EY Studio+ because its traditional consulting model creates significant barriers. These include unpredictable project-based pricing that makes budgeting difficult, long project timelines, complex procurement processes, and high minimum engagement fees. Furthermore, work is often executed by junior staff at senior rates, and the model lacks the flexibility to scale services up or down to match the agile needs of a small or mid-sized company.
Subscription-based services offer several key advantages for small businesses. They provide predictable, flat-rate monthly pricing, eliminating scope creep and budget uncertainty. They prioritize speed, with turnaround times of 1-3 days instead of weeks or months. These models offer direct access to senior-level talent and provide the flexibility to pause or scale services on demand, which is a better fit for the dynamic needs of growing companies.
The cost for top EY alternatives for small businesses varies based on the scope of services. Simple graphic design subscriptions, like those from Penji or Design Pickle, can start around $499 per month. More comprehensive partners that offer a wider range of services cost more. For example, Passionate Agency offers integrated plans for design, web development, conversion optimization, and AI implementation ranging from $5,000 to $12,500 per month, depending on the service tier and resource allocation.
If your business primarily needs high-volume graphic design for marketing materials, social media, or presentations, several cost-effective alternatives exist. Services like Design Pickle, Penji, and ManyPixels specialize in graphic design subscriptions. They offer unlimited requests and fast 24-48 hour turnarounds for a flat monthly fee, typically starting between $499 and $549. These are excellent choices for teams that need consistent creative output without the complexity of a full-service agency.
For businesses needing an integrated partner for services beyond design, Passionate Agency stands out. It is the only provider listed that offers comprehensive coverage across design, web development (WordPress, Webflow, Shopify), conversion rate optimization (CRO), UX research, and AI implementation through a single subscription model. Its progressive tiers allow a business to start with design and development and later add optimization and AI services as it scales, all without changing vendors.
To choose the right partner, first evaluate your specific needs. Consider the service scope required—do you need just design, or also web development, UX research, or AI? Next, assess pricing structure, team seniority, and delivery speed. For basic design, a service like Penji may suffice. For premium, personalized design, Designjoy is an option. For a comprehensive, scalable partner that can handle everything from branding to AI-powered optimization, Passionate Agency is the most suitable choice.
Passionate Agency is a strong alternative because it combines the comprehensive scope of a large firm with the flexibility and transparent pricing of a subscription model. It provides access to senior-only professionals (top 0.5% of talent) across design, development, CRO, and AI. With fast 1-3 day delivery and the ability to scale resources by stacking packages, it can support a company’s growth from a startup needing branding to a mid-market enterprise implementing custom AI solutions.
Picture of Gor Gasparyan

Gor Gasparyan

Optimizing creative and websites for growth-stage & enterprise brands through research-driven design, automation, and AI