Top UX/UI Design Agencies in 2026: Curated Global List

1. Clay – 14/15

Best for: Startups and enterprises seeking polished, scalable digital products and brand systems powered by UX expertise and emerging technologies.

Why Not: Clay may not be the right fit for businesses that only need fast, low-cost execution or simple production support. Their positioning suggests a high-craft, strategy-led engagement, which can feel heavier than necessary for small iterative updates or purely tactical UX tasks.

Clients: Slack, Facebook, Google, Amazon, Zenefits, Cisco
Budget: $100k+
Hourly rate: $175-$200/hr
Employees: 11-50
Location: San Francisco, CA

Author’s take: Clay feels like a safe bet when you need a high-craft product and brand work with clear, repeated client validation, including strong verified reviews on Clutch. I also like that some third-party reviews point to specific, measurable lifts, which is not common in this category.

Where to Verify: Clutch, DesignRush, Google Maps.
Portfolio: https://clay.global/work

Evidence of Impact: 5/5.
Product Readiness and System Thinking: 4/5.
External Signals: 5/5.

2. Work & Co – 14/15

Best for: Enterprises building mission-critical digital products like apps and platforms, with a focus on hands-on execution and performance.

Why Not: Work & Co is built for product-led organizations with serious shipping ambition. If a business is looking for lighter brand work, campaign design, or exploratory concepting without deep product integration, their model may be more robust than required.

Clients: Apple, IKEA, Google, Epic Games, Mailchimp, Disney, Uber
Budget: $450k+ Hourly rate: $350-$500/hr
Employees: 450+
Location: Brooklyn, Portland, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Copenhagen, Belgrade, Los Angeles, Atlanta

Author’s take: Work & Co’s own writing is unusually direct about outcomes and shipping, which is a good sign if you need a partner built for real product delivery. The caveat is that Clutch lists them as not yet reviewed, so you should lean on references, repeat work, and launch evidence.

Where to Verify: FeaturedCustomers, Clutch, Google Maps.
Portfolio: https://work.co/clients

Evidence of Impact: 5/5.
Product Readiness and System Thinking: 5/5.
External Signals: 4/5.

3. Momentum Design Lab – 13/15

Best for: Enterprises and high-growth startups in need of user-centered, data-driven product design for complex digital systems.

Why Not: Momentum’s pricing and process orientation make the most sense for companies with meaningful product complexity and budget. Very early-stage startups or cost-sensitive teams may find the engagement model heavier than needed.

Clients: Anthem, Southern Company, Live Nation, Kroll Bond Rating, Skillsoft, Capital Bank, AMN Healthcare, Fiserv, Vestmark, ELM, Bitstamp
Budget: $10K–$1M+, with common project sizes of $50K–$200K
Hourly rate: $150–$199/hr
Employees: 10–49
Location: Palo Alto, CA (HQ), New York, London, Sydney

Author’s take: Momentum stands out for strong verified client feedback on Clutch that repeatedly highlights quality, communication, and delivery. The tradeoff is cost, because their Clutch profile signals a higher price point that only makes sense when the stakes are high.

Where to Verify: Clutch, Google Maps, DesignRush.
Portfolio: https://www.momentumdesignlab.com/work

Evidence of Impact: 4/5.
Product Readiness and System Thinking: 4/5.
External Signals: 5/5.

4. UX Studio – 13/15

Best for: Companies looking for research-backed UX/UI design with an emphasis on usability, strategy, and close client collaboration.

Why Not: UX Studio is strongest in research-driven UX and structured delivery. If the primary need is bold visual branding or high-concept creative direction rather than UX rigor, another agency may align better.

Clients: HBO, T-Mobile, Bosch, United Nations
Budget: $10K-$199K
Hourly rate: $50–99/hr
Employees: 50–249
Location: Budapest, Hungary (with a global, multi-national team)

Author’s take: UX Studio has very strong marketplace proof, and Clutch reviews often emphasize responsiveness, professionalism, and day-to-day delivery quality. I would rate them highest when research depth and UX clarity matter most, not when the brief is mainly about big-swing visual branding.

Where to Verify: Clutch, Google Maps, DesignRush.
Portfolio: https://www.uxstudioteam.com/case-studies

Evidence of Impact: 4/5.
Product Readiness and System Thinking: 4/5.
External Signals: 5/5.

5. Mission Control – 12/15

Best for: Fast-growing startups in fintech, Web3, and B2B tech looking for AI-enhanced web design, no-code development, and hands-on strategic support.

Why Not: Mission Control seems optimized for lean, founder-led collaboration. Large enterprises requiring multilayer governance, global coordination, or extensive stakeholder management may need a broader operational footprint.

Hourly rate: $150/hr
Employees: 11–50
Clients: Ambitious startups (fintech, Web3, B2B tech)
Location: Remote, headquartered in San Francisco

Author’s take: Mission Control reads like a lean, senior-led option built for early-stage teams that want fast decisions and async collaboration, which can be a real advantage in founder-led sprints. The tradeoff is that its public proof is still lighter than the bigger agencies, so you will want to validate outcomes through references and recent launches.

Where to Verify: DesignRush.
Portfolio: https://missioncontrol.co/

Evidence of Impact: 4/5.
Product Readiness and System Thinking: 4/5.
External Signals: 4/5.

6. Bakken & Bæck – 11/15

Best for: Companies ready to experiment with AI-driven product innovation, blending technology and design from ideation to launch.

Why Not: Bakken & Bæck appears best suited for teams building real digital products over time. Organizations looking mainly for a short-term marketing site refresh or campaign-focused creative work may not fully benefit from their product-centric approach.

Clients: Google DeepMind, Coinbase, IKEA, Snap, Bloomberg, Foursquare, Rapha, Vipps, CoinTracker, Ramp
Budget: $250k+ Hourly rate: $250-$350/hr
Employees: 51-100
Location: Oslo, Amsterdam, London, Bonn, Barcelona

Author’s take: Bakken & Bæck presents as a true product studio that can support teams from early build to mature product iterations, which usually correlates with build-ready output. The main risk is fit, because their positioning reads best for teams shipping real products, not for clients who mainly want a quick marketing refresh.

Where to Verify: Google Maps.
Portfolio: https://bakkenbaeck.com/work

Evidence of Impact: 4/5.
Product Readiness and System Thinking: 4/5.
External Signals: 3/5.

7. Frog – 11/15

Best for: Large organizations pursuing design-led digital transformation through innovative products, services, and business models.

Why Not: frog’s scale and enterprise orientation can be a mismatch for smaller companies that need lean, fast-moving execution. Their strength lies in transformation and complex programs, which may exceed the scope of simpler product engagements.

Clients: Apple, GE, Microsoft, Nike, Disney, Sony, Intel, Sky, Visa, UBS
Budget: $500k+ Hourly rate: $350-$500/hr
Employees: 2000+
Location: San Francisco, Brooklyn, Austin, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Seattle, Melbourne, Sydney

Author’s take: frog is a strong choice when you need a global partner for brand, product, and service design at scale, especially in transformation contexts. The practical downside is that they have limited visible, verified marketplace reviews, so you will rely more on case work and direct references.

Where to Verify: Clutch, Google Maps.
Portfolio: https://www.frog.co/work

Evidence of Impact: 4/5.
Product Readiness and System Thinking: 4/5.
External Signals: 3/5.

8. Code and Theory – 9/15

Best for: Enterprises looking to merge creativity with engineering to develop sophisticated, scalable digital platforms and brand ecosystems.

Why Not: Code and Theory operates at scale and blends brand with engineering depth. Smaller teams that need a nimble product design partner rather than a large integrated agency may find the structure more expansive than necessary.

Clients: AWS, Microsoft, Marriott, TikTok, Pfizer
Budget: $400K+
Hourly rate: $350–500/hr
Employees: >500
Location: New York, NY (+3 other offices)

Author’s take: Code and Theory looks strongest when you need a large team that can pair creative with serious engineering, and their work examples show the scale they operate at. The watchout is that Clutch lists them as not yet reviewed, so delivery confidence needs to come more from references than marketplace signals.

Where to Verify: Clutch, Google Maps, DesignRush.
Portfolio: https://www.codeandtheory.com/things-we-make

Evidence of Impact: 3/5.
Product Readiness and System Thinking: 4/5.
External Signals: 2/5.

9. Further (DesignStudio) – 8/15

Best for: Brands undergoing transformation or repositioning that need bold, strategic identity systems and global creative execution.

Why Not: Further appears strongest in brand-led and experience-driven programs. Businesses primarily seeking deep product UX optimization or long-term design system stewardship may want a more product-specialized partner.

Clients: Airbnb, Premier League, Alipay, League of Legends, UEFA
Hourly rate: $300–$400/hr
Employees: 230 people
Location: London, New York, Sydney

Author’s take: Further looks strongest for brand-led programs that blend identity, campaign, digital, and experience work under one roof. If you are specifically buying deep UX rigor and ongoing product system stewardship, you will want to validate that depth on the most product-heavy case studies.

Where to Verify: Google Maps.
Portfolio: https://www.further.group/work

Evidence of Impact: 3/5.
Product Readiness and System Thinking: 3/5.
External Signals: 2/5.

10. Beyond – 5/15

Best for: Businesses seeking long-term digital growth through AI-powered strategy, branding, and marketing with a full-service approach.

Why Not: Beyond Studios presents more like a creative and brand-focused studio. Companies that require complex product UX architecture, research infrastructure, or system governance may need a more product-engineering-oriented agency.

Clients: Google, Montblanc, Brompton
Budget: $50,000+
Employees: 51–200
Location: New York, with additional hubs in London, Portugal, San Francisco, and Mexico City

Author’s take: Beyond Studios comes across more like a design and production studio for brand worlds, campaigns, and content, rather than a pure product UX shop. If your goal is complex app flows, research ops, or design systems governance, you will want to confirm those capabilities explicitly up front.

Portfolio: https://www.beyondstudios.co/project-feed

Evidence of Impact: 2/5.
Product Readiness and System Thinking: 2/5.
External Signals: 1/5.