Pentagram vs UXDA: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
UXDA (4.3/5) edges ahead of Pentagram (4.0/5) overall. UXDA is the better choice for banks and fintech, exclusively financial-services UX. Pentagram is the stronger option for brands wanting identity, packaging, digital design. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Pentagram vs UXDA: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Pentagram | UXDA |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1972 | 2015 |
| HQ | London, UK (also New York, San Francisco, Berlin, and Austin) | Riga, Latvia |
| Team size | 24 partners plus their teams (total not published) | 25+ |
| Rating | 4.0 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | A 24-partner, no-CEO structure unique among the studios in this list, and the world's largest independent design consultancy by its own claim | The only studio in this list exclusively focused on financial services UX, with 150+ banking and fintech platforms shaped across 39 countries |
| Pricing model | Project-based (not published) | Fixed project, retainer |
| Min. engagement | Not published | $30K (per company website; independently unverifiable) |
| Primary tech stack | Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, React | Figma, Sketch, Design systems/Storybook |
| Industries served | Consumer products, Enterprise transformation, Media & entertainment | Financial services / fintech |
Pentagram vs UXDA: overview
Pentagram
Five founding partners — Alan Fletcher, Theo Crosby, Colin Forbes, Kenneth Grange, and Mervyn Kurlansky — started Pentagram in London in 1972, and the firm still runs on the same unusual structure more than five decades later: 24 practicing-designer partners, each running their own team, sharing overhead and profits, with no single CEO. Pentagram calls itself the world's largest independent design consultancy, working from London, New York, San Francisco, Berlin, and Austin across graphics, branding, products and packaging, and digital experiences — a broader scope than the pure product-design specialists elsewhere in this list.
UXDA
Alex Kreger and co-founder Linda launched UXDA (Financial UX Design) in 2015, keeping the team deliberately small — 25+ multidisciplinary specialists in Riga, Latvia. A decade later, that narrow focus has produced 150+ banking and fintech digital platforms defined or governed across 39 countries. There's no branding or consumer-product work here; every engagement is financial-services UX, making UXDA the clearest single-vertical fintech specialist in this list.
Services and capabilities: Pentagram vs UXDA
| Capability | Pentagram | UXDA |
|---|---|---|
| Product design | ✓ | ✓ |
| UX research | ✗ | ✓ |
| Branding | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web development | ✗ | ✗ |
| Mobile development | ✗ | ✗ |
| Design systems | ✗ | ✗ |
Tech stack comparison: Pentagram vs UXDA
| Framework / platform | Pentagram | UXDA |
|---|---|---|
| Figma | ✓ | ✓ |
| Webflow | N/A | N/A |
| React | ✓ | N/A |
| Framer | N/A | N/A |
| Adobe Creative Suite | ✓ | N/A |
| Design systems/Storybook | N/A | ✓ |
| After Effects | N/A | N/A |
Pricing comparison: Pentagram vs UXDA
| Criterion | Pentagram | UXDA |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | $30K (per company website; independently unverifiable) |
| Engagement models | Fixed project, Retainer | Fixed project, Retainer |
| Rate transparency | Minimum disclosed | Minimum disclosed |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Accessible |
Target audience comparison: Pentagram vs UXDA
| Dimension | Pentagram | UXDA |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | Consumer products, Enterprise transformation, Media & entertainment | Financial services / fintech |
| Best use cases | Brand identity and digital product design bundled into one engagement, Packaging or physical-product design alongside a digital product | Bank digital platform redesign, Fintech app UX for a regulated market |
| Typical project type | Fixed project | Fixed project |
Pentagram vs UXDA: pros and cons
| Pentagram | |
|---|---|
| + | Owner-partners are the practicing designers and primary client contacts, not a layer of account management above the design team |
| + | Over five decades of continuous, independent operation since 1972 |
| + | Five-city studio footprint (London, New York, San Francisco, Berlin, Austin) |
| + | Scope spans branding, packaging, and digital product design, useful for clients wanting more than pure UI work |
| - | Broader branding-and-identity focus means less concentrated digital-product-design specialization than boutiques built around SaaS or app UX specifically |
| - | Team size and per-partner capacity aren't published in a way that's easy to compare against other studios |
| - | Pricing and minimum engagement size aren't published |
| UXDA | |
|---|---|
| + | Exclusive financial-services focus gives it domain expertise generalist studios simply can't match |
| + | 150+ banking and fintech platforms shaped across 39 countries over a decade |
| + | Small, senior 25+ team keeps client relationships direct rather than layered through account management |
| + | A decade of continuous, single-vertical operation compounds domain knowledge over time |
| - | The exclusive fintech focus is a real limitation for any client outside financial services |
| - | $30K minimum engagement (per company website; independently unverifiable) runs higher than most 25-person boutiques |
| - | Small team size (25+) caps capacity for very large, multi-workstream programs |
Who should choose Pentagram?
A typical fit: brand identity and digital product design bundled into one engagement.
A 24-partner, no-CEO structure unique among the studios in this list, and the world's largest independent design consultancy by its own claim. Minimum engagement starts at Not published. Works best with clients in Consumer products, Enterprise transformation, Media & entertainment.
Who should choose UXDA?
A typical fit: bank digital platform redesign.
The only studio in this list exclusively focused on financial services UX, with 150+ banking and fintech platforms shaped across 39 countries. Minimum engagement starts at $30K (per company website; independently unverifiable). Works best with clients in Financial services / fintech.
Decision matrix: Pentagram vs UXDA
| Your situation | Recommended choice |
|---|---|
| You need full-ownership delivery on a defined project scope | Pentagram |
| You need a large dedicated team for an ongoing programme | Check each company's engagement model |
| Your budget is at the lower end | Compare: Pentagram (Not published) vs UXDA ($30K (per company website; independently unverifiable)) |
| You need specialist depth in a specific vertical | Pentagram |
| You need staff augmentation or team extension | Neither; consider alternatives that offer staff aug |
| You need consulting before committing to a build | Both may offer discovery engagements |
Use case fit: Pentagram vs UXDA
| Use case | Pentagram fit | UXDA fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand identity and digital product design bundled into one engagement | Strong | Limited | Pentagram |
| Packaging or physical-product design alongside a digital product | Strong | Limited | Pentagram |
| Bank digital platform redesign | Limited | Strong | UXDA |
| Fintech app UX for a regulated market | Limited | Strong | UXDA |
| Fixed-price product build | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
| Dedicated design team augmentation | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
Verdict: Pentagram vs UXDA
UXDA (4.3/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Product Design projects. The only studio in this list exclusively focused on financial services UX, with 150+ banking and fintech platforms shaped across 39 countries.
Pentagram (4.0/5) is worth a look if you need packaging or physical-product design alongside a digital product. If your situation matches that, Pentagram is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Pentagram vs UXDA FAQ
Is Pentagram better than UXDA?
UXDA (4.3/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Pentagram's strongest advantage: owner-partners are the practicing designers and primary client contacts, not a layer of account management above the design team. UXDA's strongest advantage: exclusive financial-services focus gives it domain expertise generalist studios simply can't match.
How do Pentagram and UXDA differ in pricing?
Pentagram uses project-based (not published) pricing with a minimum engagement of Not published. UXDA uses fixed project, retainer pricing with a minimum engagement of $30K (per company website; independently unverifiable). Neither firm publishes a full rate card; a discovery call is required for project-specific quotes.
Which is better for enterprise: Pentagram or UXDA?
UXDA is the larger team and typically the better enterprise-scale choice. For very large programmes, verify team size and compliance coverage directly with each studio before shortlisting.
What are the main differences between Pentagram and UXDA?
Pentagram's primary differentiator is: a 24-partner, no-CEO structure unique among the studios in this list, and the world's largest independent design consultancy by its own claim. UXDA's primary differentiator is: the only studio in this list exclusively focused on financial services UX, with 150+ banking and fintech platforms shaped across 39 countries. They also differ in team size (24 partners plus their teams (total not published) vs 25+), minimum engagement (Not published vs $30K (per company website; independently unverifiable)), and primary industries served (Consumer products, Enterprise transformation vs Financial services / fintech).
Verify all details directly with each studio before making a decision.