Storytelling is an integral aspect of a successful VC fundraise. A pitch deck is a visual tool that founders can leverage to tell their stories.
However, as a founder, it can feel like you’re getting pulled in a hundred different directions, and finding the time to build the pitch deck might feel impossible (or design just might not be your strong suit). Thankfully, there are countless resources, tools, and options to help you get your pitch deck designed and shared with potential investors.
Pitch Deck Design Options
There are countless options when it comes to finding the right person or resource to help with your pitch deck design. Depending on what your needs and budget are there are plenty of options — ranging from free to tailored services that will help build your dream pitch deck.
As we mentioned in our post, Pitch Deck Designs That Will Win Your Investors Over, some investors are not looking for an overly designed pitch deck so be sure you understand what your needs are before determining your pitch deck design option. A few popular options that we’ll touch on:
- Use a template
- Hire a freelancer
- Use specialized deck design service
We’ll touch on pricing, popular services, and more below:
How Much Does a Pitch Deck Design Cost?
Having someone else help you create your pitch deck might sound great but you are probably thinking, “how much is this going to cost?” Of all of the expenses associated with running a startup, pitch deck design might find its priority towards the bottom of your list.
However, there are countless free and inexpensive options but more expensive and involved options if you are in a financial position to spend more on your pitch deck. Depending on how much you weigh the importance of a well-designed pitch deck might also help determine how much you’d like to spend.
Use a Template
A natural place to start when determining how to design your pitch deck is with a template. This is generally the cheapest option but will put more of the work on your shoulders as a founder. If you’re comfortable with design tools and have a good idea of what content you’d like to include, this could be a great option. As more companies go through successful fundraises, the options and tips here continue to evolve and improve.
Free Templates
The best place to start is with a free template. There are countless different libraries and options to browse through. Even if you don’t find the perfect template that is free, you will be able to find inspiration for a design that you can take to a freelancer or use to build your own template.
Related Resource: Tips for Creating an Investor Pitch Deck (with Free Template)
Paid Templates
If you’re not finding the perfect template for your startup, you might want to take a look through different paid templates. There are options that are more involved and can help you take a free template to the next level. Beautiful.ai is a tool that uses its design expertise to help anyone look like a design pro. With their paid services you’ll have the ability to pull on hundreds of individually designed slides.
Their pricing starts at $12 a month and goes up to $46 a month depending on your design needs.
Related Resource: 18 Pitch Deck Examples for Any Startup
Have a Pro Review Your Deck
If you think you have your deck ready to go, it might be helpful to have someone review it to make sure it is up-to-par. Depending on your immediate network, there might be free or somewhat inexpensive options here.
On one hand, if you have existing investors or a founder friend who has raised capital before, have them check things out to make sure it looks good to go. On the other hand, there are paid options that will review a deck for you. Base Templates has a service for $149 where they offer expert design feedback to make sure you can confidently kick off your raise.
Hire a Freelancer
If you’ve browsed through different templates and have decided you want to create a more custom pitch deck, it might make sense to find a freelancer to help. There are varying options when it comes to freelancers.
Mid Tier Pricing
Thanks to tools like Fiverr and Upwork you can browse through a marketplace of different freelancers and find the perfect person for your budget and needs. There are hundreds of options less than $300 on Fiverr. You can find a well-reviewed freelancer for anywhere between $50 and $200 on Fiverr. For example, this freelancer (with all 5 star reviews) starts at $60 but is upwards of $260 for a 15 slide pitch deck.
Between Fiverr and Upwork there are hundreds of other options that fall in that price range as well.
Premium Pricing
Of course, if you’re willing to spend more and would like to find a more tailored fit for your business there are options as well. Using Upwork, we were able to find some more premium options that take a more tailored approach and work on an hourly rate so you know exactly what you’re getting. The hourly rate for top-ranked designers ranges anywhere from $100-$200 an hour. For this freelancer, they charge $175 an hour and look to take about 3 or 4 hours for a project.
These options can still keep you below/around $1,000 but will give you a more custom approach and hands-on experience.
Use a Specialized Design Service
Taking things one step further and you can find a specialized design service. Across the board, these will be a more “premium” service and a higher price point. The price here can vary quite a bit but is more difficult to find information on until you start a conversation with a specific service or firm.
For example, we found an agency on Upwork that charges $3,500. They complete the project from start to finish and help with any specific content you’ll need throughout the process. Another example is the 4th & King agency. While we don’t have information on their pricing they come highly recommended and have helped some of the most successful startups and venture capitalists build their pitch decks.
Another option is finding an individual designer in your network that might be taking on more work. This will really allow you to take a more custom approach and have a more hands-on approach during the entire process. We have seen companies use individuals that will help build branded deck templates that they can use for investor pitches but also other use cases (sales & marketing pitches, product pitches, webinars, etc.)
Easily Share Your Pitch Deck with Visible Decks
All in all, there are countless design options available for you and your startup. Depending on your design skills, budget, and need for a polished pitch deck should determine what option is best for you.
A good starting place is any free template to get the inspiration flowing. To learn more about building your template check out our post, Tips for Creating an Investor Pitch Deck (with Free Template).
Building and designing your pitch deck is only half the battle. Once you have your deck ready to go it is time to hit the ground running and start pitching/sharing your deck with potential investors.
We offer a dead-simple way to share your pitch deck. Decks are completely integrated with our fundraising CRM and leading investor updates platform. You’ll be able to set customized sharing permissions, notifications when investors view your deck, upload new versions without clicking a button, and understand how potential investors have engaged with your content.
Learn more here or give Visible a free try for 14 days here.
