Penji vs Kimp: An Honest Side-by-Side Comparison

TL;DR

Penji vs Kimp comes down to how each service structures its plans. Penji starts at $995/month and scales by active workstreams, reserving video, Slack collaboration, and senior creative direction for its higher tiers. KIMP starts at $698.50/month (introductory rate) and includes web, app, and UI design, unlimited brands, unlimited team members, and a flat 24-hour turnaround on every plan, with video available as a standalone or combined plan. Teams that want senior art direction and can pay for it may lean toward Penji, while teams that want broad design coverage at a lower entry cost will get more from KIMP.

Most marketing teams outgrow their design capacity long before they outgrow their budget. A single in-house designer can only turn around so many requests a week, and every unfilled request pushes a campaign launch back further. Freelance marketplaces patch the gap temporarily, but each new freelancer means a fresh round of briefing, revisions, and quality checks.

Unlimited design subscriptions removed that ceiling by swapping headcount for a flat monthly fee. Penji and KIMP are two of the most established players running that model, and this comparison lines up their pricing, turnaround times, and service scope side by side. For more on how flat-fee design teams operate day to day, KIMP’s graphic design services page covers the full scope.

Key Takeaways

• Penji starts higher and scales by workstreams. Its Essentials plan costs $995/month for 2 active workstreams, while Agency Partner runs $1,995/month and Dedicated Team starts at $4,500/month.
• KIMP starts lower and bundles more design types by default. Its Graphics plan runs $698.50/month (discounted from $1,397/month for the first 4 months) and includes web, app, and UI design from day one.
• KIMP includes unlimited brands and unlimited team members on every plan, while Penji reserves multi-brand rollout support and Slack collaboration for its higher tiers.
• Turnaround favors KIMP’s flat 24-hour promise across all plans, whereas Penji’s timeline shifts from 1 business day on Essentials to real-time collaboration on Dedicated Team.
• Video work is a separate purchase decision with Penji (locked on Essentials, limited on Agency Partner), while KIMP sells a combined Graphics + Video plan at $848.50/month.

Penji vs KIMP: Feature Comparison

1. Penji: Workstream-Based Pricing With Tiered Creative Leadership

Penji sells three plans — Essentials, Agency Partner, and Dedicated Team. It prices each around how many projects run at once rather than how many designs you receive. Consequently, the value you extract depends entirely on how consistently you keep the queue full. Penji employs designers across 20 or more countries, and it positions AI-assisted ideation as a feature on every tier.

Key features:

• 2, 3, or 4 active workstreams depending on plan, with unlimited queued-requests behind them
• Self-managed briefs on Essentials; an Art Director joins on Agency Partner; a Senior Art Director leads on Dedicated Team
• Front-end development and full AI-video production, but only on the Dedicated Team plan
• 30-day money-back guarantee, no contracts, and 15%–20% discounts for quarterly or yearly billing

Pricing: $995/month (Essentials), $1,995/month (Agency Partner), starting at $4,500/month (Dedicated Team)

Best for: Agencies and larger marketing teams that need senior creative direction and are prepared to pay for it.

2. KIMP: Unlimited Design and Video Under One Flat Fee

KIMP takes a different approach: instead of gating features by tier, it bundles the two major design formats — graphic design and video design — into separate plans as well as a combined plan. Every plan ships with unlimited requests, unlimited revisions, and unlimited brands, so scaling a second product line or client account never triggers a new contract. KIMP pairs a dedicated design team with a dedicated project manager on every subscription, and it manages the whole workflow through KIMP360, its own project-tracking platform.

Key features:

• Unlimited requests and revisions across print, digital, illustrations, GIFs, and Canva designs
• Website, app, and UI design included on the base Graphics plan, not reserved for a separate higher tier
• Free stock images (and stock video and audio on the combined plan)
• Source files delivered with every project, so you retain full ownership

Pricing: $698.50/month for Graphics, $848.50/month for Graphics + Video, $698.50/month for Video-only (all reflecting a limited-time 50% discount off standard rates for the first 4 months)

Best for: Startups and growing brands that want broad design coverage — including web and UI work — without paying extra for it.

How the Turnaround Times Actually Compare

Penji’s turnaround improves as you move up its plans, starting at 1 business day and reaching real-time collaboration on Dedicated Team. KIMP instead holds a flat 24-hour turnaround across Graphics, Video, and the combined plan. So a startup on the entry tier gets the same delivery promise as an enterprise client. If your team needs same-day output without upgrading to a $4,500-a-month plan first, that flat structure removes a decision point Penji forces you to make.

Where Each Platform Draws the Line on Scope

Penji locks short-form video, motion graphics, and Slack collaboration behind its Agency Partner and Dedicated Team plans. That structure works if your immediate need is strictly static graphics. But it becomes a limitation the moment a campaign calls for a reel or an animated ad. KIMP’s Graphics plan already includes basic GIFs, landing page designs, and full website, app, and UI design, then layers in video editing, animation, and motion graphics once you add the Video component. The video design services page outlines exactly what that combined plan covers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Penji or Kimp cheaper for small businesses and startups?

KIMP’s entry-level Graphics plan costs $698.50/month during its current promotional period, compared to $995/month for Penji’s Essentials plan. Beyond the sticker price, KIMP includes unlimited team members and unlimited brands at that tier, while Penji reserves some collaboration features for higher plans. For a small business or startups managing one or two brands, KIMP’s base plan covers more ground per dollar.

Does Penji or Kimp include video design?

Both platforms offer video, but they package it differently. Penji locks short-form video on Essentials and only unlocks limited long-form editing on Agency Partner, reserving full AI-video production for Dedicated Team. KIMP sells a standalone Video plan and a combined Graphics + Video plan at $848.50/month, giving you editing, animation, and motion graphics without an enterprise-tier commitment.

Can I cancel a Penji or Kimp subscription anytime?

Easy cancellations are one of many things that subscription-based design service providers make possible. So, yes, both companies advertise no-contract, cancel-anytime terms. Penji backs this with a 30-day money-back guarantee across all three plans. KIMP likewise lists “no contract” on its Graphics, Video, and Graphics + Video tiers, so you are not locked into a term commitment with either provider. 

Penji vs Kimp: The Bottom Line

KIMP and Penji both replace hiring an in-house designer with a flat monthly subscription, but they split the value differently. Penji charges more at every tier and gates video, Slack, and senior creative direction behind its higher plans. KIMP, by contrast, includes web, UI, and unlimited team access on its base Graphics plan, then adds video as a straightforward upsell rather than a locked feature. If your priority is broad design coverage at a lower entry cost, see current KIMP pricing and book a consultation to match a plan to your workload.