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Design Subscription Comparison

TDS vs Penji: Which Design Subscription Is Right for Your Business?

Penji and TDS both offer subscription-based design services — but they serve fundamentally different needs. Penji is a high-volume graphic design queue for small businesses. TDS is a senior-led creative department for growth-stage and mid-market businesses that need strategy, photography, and web development alongside design. Here's an honest comparison.

Our verdict If you need simple graphic design tasks at low cost, Penji is adequate. If you need strategic brand oversight, photography, video, web design, or a Creative Director embedded in your business — TDS delivers far greater value despite the higher price point.
TDS DaaS From $3,500 / month
  • Senior Creative Director on every brief
  • Brand strategy included
  • Photography included (Scale & Custom)
  • Video production included
  • Web design & development included
  • Month-to-month — no annual lock-in
  • 48-hour turnaround on standard briefs
  • Unlimited requests & revisions
  • Higher price point than Penji
Penji From $499 / month
  • Low entry price
  • Unlimited graphic design requests
  • Month-to-month
  • Fast turnaround on simple tasks
  • No Creative Director
  • No photography
  • No video production
  • No web development
  • No brand strategy
  • Quality varies by assigned designer
Side-by-Side

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Feature TDS DaaS Penji
Starting Price $3,500 / month $499 / month
Price Range $3,500 – $15,000+ / month $499 – $899 / month
Contract Terms Month-to-month, no lock-in Month-to-month
Creative Director Named CD on every brief — all plans None — dedicated graphic designer only
Photography Included (Scale & Custom plans) Not included
Video Production Included (Scale & Custom plans) Not included
Web Design & Development Included Not included
Brand Identity Design Full system — logo, guidelines, typography, colour Logo and basic brand assets
Brand Strategy Included — positioning, messaging architecture Not included
Turnaround Time 48 hours (standard briefs) 24–48 hours
Revisions Unlimited Unlimited
Designer Quality Level Senior, vetted — Creative Director reviewed Variable — marketplace model
Source Files / IP Ownership Full IP ownership, all source files Full IP ownership
Onboarding 5-day brand immersion Brief onboarding call
Best For Growth-stage & mid-market businesses needing a full creative team Startups & SMBs needing simple graphic design at low cost
Pricing Breakdown

What Does Each Plan Actually Cost?

Service Penji TDS DaaS
Entry-level plan $499 / month $3,500 / month
Mid-tier plan $699 / month $7,000 / month
Top plan $899 / month $15,000+ / month
Creative Director Not included Included — all plans
Photography Not included Included (Scale & Custom)
Video Production Not included Included (Scale & Custom)
Web Development Not included Included
Lock-in Contract None None
Honest Assessment

Pros & Cons of Each Service

TDS DaaS — Pros

  • Senior Creative Director reviews every brief before production
  • Photography and video included at Scale — no extra vendor needed
  • Full brand strategy and positioning capability
  • Web design and development within the same subscription
  • Dual-studio model delivers overnight on Australian business hours
  • 5-day brand immersion onboarding ensures deep brand knowledge

TDS DaaS — Cons

  • Higher monthly investment — not suited to micro-businesses
  • Overkill if you only need simple recurring graphic design tasks

Penji — Pros

  • Very low entry price — $499/month
  • Fast turnaround on simple graphic design requests
  • Unlimited requests and revisions
  • No lock-in contract

Penji — Cons

  • No Creative Director — no strategic oversight
  • No photography or video production
  • No web development capability
  • Designer quality can vary on a marketplace model
  • Not suited to complex brand or campaign work
Decision Guide

When to Choose TDS vs Penji

Choose TDS if you need:

  • A Creative Director embedded in your business
  • Brand strategy alongside design execution
  • Photography and video under one subscription
  • Web design and development included
  • Complex briefs requiring conceptual thinking
  • A full creative department for a fraction of in-house cost

Choose Penji if you need:

  • Simple, recurring graphic design tasks at low cost
  • Social media graphics, banners, and infographics
  • A small business or startup budget (<$1,000/month)
  • No photography, video, or web development needed
FREQUENTLY ASKED

Common questions about TDS vs Penji

Is TDS more expensive than Penji?
Yes. Penji starts at $499/month and targets small businesses needing high-volume, lower-complexity graphic design. TDS starts at $3,500/month and provides a senior Creative Director, brand strategy, photography, video production, and web development — a full creative department, not a task queue.
Does Penji include a Creative Director?
No. Penji pairs you with a dedicated graphic designer, not a Creative Director. TDS includes a named, senior Creative Director who reviews every brief before production begins — providing brand strategy oversight, not just execution.
Does Penji include photography or video?
No. Penji focuses on 2D graphic design tasks. It does not include photography or video production. TDS includes photography and video in its Scale and Custom plans.
What is the contract term for Penji?
Penji operates month-to-month with no lock-in. TDS also operates month-to-month with no annual commitment — both services are flexible on contract terms.
Who should choose TDS over Penji?
Choose TDS if you need strategic brand oversight, photography, video production, web design, or a senior creative lead embedded in your business. Choose Penji if you need a high volume of simple graphic design tasks — social posts, banners, infographics — at a lower monthly cost.

Further Reading

Learn
How to Choose a Design Service
Learn
Benefits of a Design Subscription
Insights
Design Subscription Evaluation Framework
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