IDEO vs Excited: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Excited (4.5/5) edges ahead of IDEO (3.6/5) overall. Excited is the better choice for SaaS/fintech teams wanting an award-winning specialist at mid-market rates. IDEO is the stronger option for enterprises that want design capability built inside their own teams. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
IDEO vs Excited: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | IDEO | Excited |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1991 | 2018 |
| HQ | San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA (offices in the US, UK, and China) | Lviv, Ukraine (also Tallinn, Estonia) |
| Team size | Not published (about a third of staff cut before 2025, per Fortune) | 10–49 (Clutch listing) |
| Rating | 3.6 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | Three decades of human-centered design history, now aimed at building clients' in-house design and innovation capability | A 5.0 Clutch rating across 56 reviews and four Red Dot awards, focused narrowly on SaaS and fintech |
| Pricing model | Project-based, enterprise engagements (not published) | Fixed project, dedicated team |
| Min. engagement | $300K+ (per industry roundups; independently unverifiable) | $10K+ (per Clutch listing) |
| Primary tech stack | Figma, Miro, Adobe Creative Suite | Figma, Framer, After Effects |
| Industries served | Enterprise transformation, Consumer products, Healthcare | SaaS / B2B software, Financial services / fintech |
IDEO vs Excited: overview
IDEO
IDEO's last few years have been rough. Fortune reported in May 2026 that the firm had cut about a third of its staff, closed its Munich and Tokyo offices, and watched revenue fall below $100M from roughly $300M four years earlier. Mike Peng, who joined IDEO in 2006 and helped open the Tokyo studio, became CEO in 2025 and is pushing the firm toward teaching client organizations to run design work themselves. The history is still real: IDEO formed in 1991 from four merged studios, designed the original Apple mouse, and has belonged to the kyu collective under Hakuhodo DY Holdings since kyu first invested in 2016. Industry roundups still put typical minimums near $300K (per industry roundups; independently unverifiable).
Excited
Excited holds a 5.0 Clutch rating across 56 verified reviews as of November 2026, and the agency says Clutch has consistently placed it in the top 5 of its global UX leaders matrix. Founded in Lviv in 2018, it added a Tallinn office and keeps its practice narrow: UX/UI, product design, branding, and motion for SaaS and fintech clients. Its awards shelf has grown too, with four Red Dot, three Webby, two Lovie, and one iF award listed on its site. Clutch reviewers most often mention project management and communication, and the listed minimum is $10K+.
Services and capabilities: IDEO vs Excited
| Capability | IDEO | Excited |
|---|---|---|
| Product design | ✓ | ✓ |
| UX research | ✓ | ✓ |
| Branding | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web development | ✗ | ✗ |
| Mobile development | ✗ | ✗ |
| Design systems | ✓ | ✗ |
Tech stack comparison: IDEO vs Excited
| Framework / platform | IDEO | Excited |
|---|---|---|
| Figma | ✓ | ✓ |
| Webflow | N/A | N/A |
| React | N/A | N/A |
| Framer | N/A | ✓ |
| Adobe Creative Suite | ✓ | ✓ |
| Design systems/Storybook | ✓ | N/A |
| After Effects | N/A | ✓ |
Pricing comparison: IDEO vs Excited
| Criterion | IDEO | Excited |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | $300K+ (per industry roundups; independently unverifiable) | $10K+ (per Clutch listing) |
| Engagement models | Fixed project, Retainer, Dedicated team | Fixed project, Dedicated team |
| Rate transparency | Minimum disclosed | Minimum disclosed |
| Price tier | Accessible | Accessible |
Target audience comparison: IDEO vs Excited
| Dimension | IDEO | Excited |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | Enterprise transformation, Consumer products, Healthcare | SaaS / B2B software, Financial services / fintech |
| Best use cases | Enterprise-wide digital transformation strategy paired with design execution, Large-scale patient experience redesign for a hospital system | SaaS product redesign for a growth-stage company, Fintech UX/UI overhaul with motion design polish |
| Typical project type | Fixed project | Fixed project |
IDEO vs Excited: pros and cons
| IDEO | |
|---|---|
| + | Still the reference point for human-centered design methods, with case studies going back to the original Apple mouse |
| + | CEO Mike Peng has a stated plan to train client teams so they keep designing after IDEO leaves |
| + | Publishes original research, including a 2026 Innovation Quotient survey of more than 250 product and innovation executives |
| + | Membership in Hakuhodo DY Holdings' kyu collective opens the door to sister firms when a project needs them |
| - | Fortune's May 2026 reporting describes a one-third staff cut and closed Munich and Tokyo offices, so ask exactly who would staff your project |
| - | A reported $300K+ typical minimum (per industry roundups; independently unverifiable) keeps it out of reach for startups |
| - | Part of the kyu collective owned by Hakuhodo DY Holdings since 2016, so it isn't a fully independent firm |
| Excited | |
|---|---|
| + | 5.0 Clutch rating across 56 verified reviews, with 5.0 sub-scores for quality and willingness to refer |
| + | Four Red Dot, three Webby, two Lovie, and one iF award (per company website) |
| + | SaaS and fintech focus builds genuine domain depth |
| + | $10K+ minimum and $50–$99 hourly rates (per Clutch listing) |
| - | Clutch lists 10–49 employees, which limits capacity for large parallel workstreams |
| - | Lviv headquarters carries the same continuity questions as other Ukraine-based teams, partly offset by the Tallinn office |
| - | SaaS/fintech focus makes it a weaker fit for healthcare or consumer work |
Who should choose IDEO?
A typical fit: enterprise-wide digital transformation strategy paired with design execution.
Three decades of human-centered design history, now aimed at building clients' in-house design and innovation capability. Minimum engagement starts at $300K+ (per industry roundups; independently unverifiable). Works best with clients in Enterprise transformation, Consumer products, Healthcare.
Who should choose Excited?
A typical fit: SaaS product redesign for a growth-stage company.
A 5.0 Clutch rating across 56 reviews and four Red Dot awards, focused narrowly on SaaS and fintech. Minimum engagement starts at $10K+ (per Clutch listing). Works best with clients in SaaS / B2B software, Financial services / fintech.
Decision matrix: IDEO vs Excited
| Your situation | Recommended choice |
|---|---|
| You need full-ownership delivery on a defined project scope | IDEO |
| You need a large dedicated team for an ongoing programme | IDEO |
| Your budget is at the lower end | Excited |
| You need specialist depth in a specific vertical | IDEO |
| You need staff augmentation or team extension | Neither; consider alternatives that offer staff aug |
| You need consulting before committing to a build | Both may offer discovery engagements |
Use case fit: IDEO vs Excited
| Use case | IDEO fit | Excited fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprise-wide digital transformation strategy paired with design execution | Strong | Limited | IDEO |
| Large-scale patient experience redesign for a hospital system | Strong | Limited | IDEO |
| SaaS product redesign for a growth-stage company | Limited | Strong | Excited |
| Fintech UX/UI overhaul with motion design polish | Limited | Strong | Excited |
| Fixed-price product build | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
| Dedicated design team augmentation | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
Verdict: IDEO vs Excited
Excited (4.5/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Product Design projects. A 5.0 Clutch rating across 56 reviews and four Red Dot awards, focused narrowly on SaaS and fintech.
IDEO (3.6/5) is worth a look if you need large-scale patient experience redesign for a hospital system. If your situation matches that, IDEO is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
IDEO vs Excited FAQ
Is IDEO better than Excited?
Excited (4.5/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. IDEO's strongest advantage: still the reference point for human-centered design methods, with case studies going back to the original Apple mouse. Excited's strongest advantage: 5.0 Clutch rating across 56 verified reviews, with 5.0 sub-scores for quality and willingness to refer.
How do IDEO and Excited differ in pricing?
IDEO uses project-based, enterprise engagements (not published) pricing with a minimum engagement of $300K+ (per industry roundups; independently unverifiable). Excited uses fixed project, dedicated team pricing with a minimum engagement of $10K+ (per Clutch listing). Neither firm publishes a full rate card; a discovery call is required for project-specific quotes.
Which is better for enterprise: IDEO or Excited?
IDEO is the larger team and typically the better enterprise-scale choice. For very large programmes, verify team size and compliance coverage directly with each agency before shortlisting.
What are the main differences between IDEO and Excited?
IDEO's primary differentiator is: three decades of human-centered design history, now aimed at building clients' in-house design and innovation capability. Excited's primary differentiator is: a 5.0 Clutch rating across 56 reviews and four Red Dot awards, focused narrowly on SaaS and fintech. They also differ in team size (Not published (about a third of staff cut before 2025, per Fortune) vs 10–49 (Clutch listing)), minimum engagement ($300K+ (per industry roundups; independently unverifiable) vs $10K+ (per Clutch listing)), and primary industries served (Enterprise transformation, Consumer products vs SaaS / B2B software, Financial services / fintech).
Verify all details directly with each agency before making a decision.