DesignRush alternatives, matched to why you're switching
By Jean Luc Poitier, SEO and growth marketing strategist · Clutch Reviews · Updated September 28, 2026 · Grounded in 100 recent DesignRush Trustpilot reviews
Disclosure: this site reviews Clutch and earns a commission if you sign up for it through our links. Clutch is one option below, and we say where it isn't the right fix.
Why agencies look past DesignRush
DesignRush shows a 4.8 on Trustpilot from 308 reviews. Of its 100 most recent (August 2024 to August 2026), 87 came through a review link DesignRush shares, and they average 4.92. The other 13 are organic, meaning they arrived without that link, and they average 3.69. That puts DesignRush slightly ahead of Clutch, whose 135 organic reviews average 3.49 (see our Clutch Trustpilot breakdown), though 13 reviews is a small sample.
The critical organic reviews describe a listing declined with no reason given, an annual fee that brought no clicks to the agency's profile, bid money that wasn't refunded when a lead turned out to be bogus, and spam emails.
“Declined my agency from being listed with no reasons as to why. Sent multiple submissions asking for why and they fail to respond.”Ryan L., DesignRush review on Trustpilot, October 2025
“They charge you an annual fee for posting on the site. In the first 4 months not a single person clicked on a link to our profile nor did anyone visit our site through their product.”Elie S., DesignRush review on Trustpilot, October 2025
“This company is sending spam emails to my business address, likely targeting thousands of other companies as well.”Raymond F., DesignRush review on Trustpilot, September 2024
DesignRush's own pages explain the money complaints. Marketplace memberships (Basic at $200 a month, Advanced at $300) each have a one-year minimum, secured upfront. Agencies bid for leads: bids for projects worth $5,000 to $10,000 start at $50, and the 2 to 5 highest bidders get each lead. The Marketplace FAQ says, "Unfortunately, we cannot provide refunds." If a client goes unresponsive, the bid becomes credits. Sponsorship changes made before the start date also turn into credits, usable within 12 months.
Match a DesignRush alternative to your reason for leaving
| Compared on | Best alternative | Check before switching |
|---|---|---|
| An annual fee brought no profile clicks | Clutch: free Basic profile, or Verified at $499 a year | Verified is billed upfront for 12 months with no early cancellation, and Clutch's terms say sponsorship guarantees no traffic or leads |
| Paid tiers buy a Top 10 ranking | Clutch | Sponsored firms still appear first by default; Clutch says sponsorship doesn't change a firm's Clutch Rank score |
| Your listing was declined with no reason | A free profile on Clutch or Sortlist (Sortlist accepts freelancers) | Free tiers are limited: Clutch Basic has no badge or link to your site from directory pages, and Sortlist's free profiles show competitors |
| Bid money wasn't refunded on a bogus lead | GoodFirms, which has no pay-per-lead product | GoodFirms says it accepts about 23% of applicants, and its terms include no refund clause |
| Your buyers are in Europe | Sortlist | Sortlist+ from €129 a month billed annually, with an annual commitment; opportunities up to €650 each; refunds as credits |
Figures checked against each company's published pages and review-platform listings as of 2026-09-28. “Not published” means the company does not publish that figure.
The 3 best DesignRush alternatives
Clutch
Checked reviews, a $499 paid tierClutch says a human editor reads every review before it goes live, that it rejected 10% of submitted reviews in 2025 for signs of falsified information, and that agencies can't preview or approve their reviews. DesignRush says it authorizes each reviewer through LinkedIn, and its ratings also draw on feedback from other review sites. Both put paying firms on top: DesignRush's paid tiers include a Top 10 ranking, and Clutch lists sponsors first by default, but Clutch says sponsorship doesn't change a firm's Clutch Rank score. Clutch's cheapest paid plan, Verified, is $499 a year; DesignRush's cheapest membership is $200 a month with a one-year minimum. Clutch trails slightly on organic Trustpilot reviews (3.49 from 135 against 3.69 from 13), doesn't publish sponsorship prices, and holds Verified and sponsorship customers to 12 months with no early cancellation.
Full Clutch vs DesignRush comparison →GoodFirms
No lead biddingGoodFirms has no pay-per-lead product, so there are no bids to lose on a bogus request. The listing is free if you're accepted (GoodFirms says about 23% of applicants are), PRO is $49 a month billed annually ($588 a year) for featured placement below sponsors and a Verified Business badge, and sponsorship is listed from $300 a month. GoodFirms also says buyers who post a project get 3 to 5 hand-picked agencies within 72 hours. Its 34 organic Trustpilot reviews average 3.68, and the one-star ones, from 2020 to 2023, describe profiles created without consent and support that stopped answering.
DesignRush vs GoodFirms compared →Sortlist
For buyers in EuropeSortlist matches buyers to agencies from a brief and says it focuses its marketing on the Benelux, French, and Spanish markets, so it suits agencies selling in Europe. Profiles are free and open to freelancers. Sortlist+ costs €129 a month billed annually or €189 billed monthly, with an annual commitment either way, and opportunities cost credits on top, up to €650 each. Refunds come as credits rather than cash, which is also how DesignRush handles bids on clients who go quiet. Sortlist's 38 organic Trustpilot reviews average 2.26, the lowest here.
Clutch vs Sortlist compared →
When to stay with DesignRush
Stay if its project leads already pay back for you, or if you want the feed of US government and education projects that some of its paid plans include. It publishes sponsorship prices, which Clutch doesn't: $500 a month billed quarterly for the top position in a relevant category, with Standard from $2,000 and Premium from $5,000 a month. Its organic Trustpilot reviews average a little higher than Clutch's, though on 13 reviews. BBB rates DesignRush Inc A+ with no complaints in three years (it isn't accredited).
“Design Rush has been a consistent, high-performance partner to help us find qualified customers for our agency's services.”Michael N., DesignRush review on Trustpilot, October 2024
Clutch is the better fit if you'd rather pay $499 a year than a membership from $200 a month, and if you want reviews that Clutch says an editor reads before they go live and a ranking score it says sponsorship doesn't change. The Basic profile is free. Sponsored firms still top Clutch's default lists and its paid plans have no early exit, so read what each Clutch plan includes first.
How we sourced this: on September 27, 2026 we pulled DesignRush's 100 most recent Trustpilot reviews and the 200 Clutch reviews Trustpilot shows without a login. Trustpilot's page data tags each review "Organic" when the reviewer posted it on their own and "BasicLink" when it came through a review link the company shares, and we averaged the two groups separately. DesignRush's prices and terms come from its membership page (September 28, 2026) and Wayback Machine captures of its Marketplace FAQ (May 11, 2026) and sponsorship page (July 5, 2026, which matches the live page). The other companies' figures come from their own pages, checked September 27 and 28, 2026. Quotes are verbatim.
DesignRush alternatives FAQ
What are the best DesignRush alternatives?+
Clutch, if you want reviews that Clutch says an editor reads before they go live, a ranking score it says sponsorship doesn't change, and a paid plan from $499 a year. GoodFirms if you're done bidding for leads, since it has no pay-per-lead product. Sortlist if your buyers are in Europe.
What do DesignRush reviews say?+
DesignRush shows 4.8 from 308 reviews on Trustpilot. Of the 100 most recent, 87 came through its own review link and average 4.92; the 13 organic reviews average 3.69. The critical ones describe a listing declined without a reason, an annual fee that brought no profile clicks, bids that weren't refunded when a lead was bogus, and spam emails.
Is Clutch better than DesignRush?+
Not on reviewer ratings: DesignRush's 13 organic Trustpilot reviews average 3.69, and Clutch's 135 average 3.49. Clutch's case rests on its review checks (it says an editor reads every review and that it rejected 10% of submissions in 2025), a ranking score that it says sponsorship doesn't change, and a cheaper paid entry at $499 a year. DesignRush publishes its sponsorship prices; Clutch doesn't.
Does DesignRush publish pricing?+
Yes. The listing is free. Marketplace memberships are $200 a month (Basic) or $300 a month (Advanced), each with a one-year minimum secured upfront. Lead bids for projects worth $5,000 to $10,000 start at $50, with no refunds. Sponsorship is $500 a month billed quarterly, with Standard from $2,000 and Premium from $5,000 a month.