SolidGigs vs Designhill: curated leads or a design-specific marketplace?

Choose SolidGigs when you want predictable fixed-cost external opportunity curation. Choose Designhill when design contests and 1-to-1 projects fit how you win design work.

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At a glance

Free contest entry is not guaranteed compensation

Designhill currently says designers can enter contests for free. But contests are competitive. A designer is paid when they win or otherwise qualify for payment under the applicable project/contest rules. Free entry does not guarantee selection, work or earnings.

We are not inventing a flat Designhill designer commission

Current Designhill Terms say designer registration can carry an annual subscription charge and that Designhill retains commission from design-payment flows, with commission depending on the designer’s chosen subscription option. The current logged-out public material we reviewed does not expose one reliable universal designer commission percentage or one universal annual designer-subscription price, so this page does not manufacture either figure.

Contest money is paid upfront—but contest types matter

Current help says the contest holder pays the contest amount upfront before launch. Contests can be refundable or guaranteed. A guaranteed contest is non-refundable to the customer and commits the prize budget to a winner/distribution outcome under the current rules; it does not mean every entrant gets paid.

Handover comes before release

After selection, the winning designer uploads the required final/source files and completes handover. Current help describes a 14-day handover and automatic-release language when the client does not close the handover, but a more specific nonpayment article narrows the explicit assurance to guaranteed contests. We therefore do not represent 14 days as an unconditional universal payout SLA.

Current payout is not instant

Current payout help lists PayPal or Payoneer, a $50 minimum payout request, and a stated 3-day review period after money reaches the Designhill e-wallet before withdrawal request. After a withdrawal request, current guidance says transfer processing can take 48 hours to 10 working days. That processing window is not a guaranteed final bank-arrival time.

1-to-1 projects have two payment modes

Current 1-to-1 help distinguishes Pay and Hold—the default mode that holds payment until work is finished and the client releases funds—from Pay Now, which releases funds to the designer immediately. They do not have identical timing or protection.

The 5% 1-to-1 fee is client-side

Current Designhill 1-to-1 guidance says clients pay a 5% payment-processing fee on top of invoiced amounts. That is a client-side processing fee and is not evidence of a 5% designer commission.

Winning-design rights transfer in handover

For a winning contest design, copyright/ownership and required source files transfer through the handover/Design Transfer Agreement process. A nonwinning design does not automatically transfer to the customer merely because it was submitted.

Which fits you?

Important limitations

• Neither service guarantees leads, contest wins, projects, clients or earnings.
• Free Designhill contest entry does not establish fee-free earning or guaranteed compensation.
• The checked current Terms make designer commission dependent on the subscription option; the reviewed logged-out public material does not establish one reliable universal designer commission percentage or annual subscription price.
• Guaranteed contests commit the prize budget under the applicable rules but do not mean every entrant is paid.
• The checked 14-day handover language is not represented as an unconditional universal payout SLA.
• Current payout guidance includes a $50 minimum request, a stated 3-day review period and transfer processing that can take 48 hours to 10 working days.
• The 5% 1-to-1 payment-processing fee is client-side and is not evidence of a 5% designer commission.
• Winning-design rights transfer through the handover process; nonwinning submissions do not automatically transfer merely by being entered.

Sources checked

• SolidGigs current service/pricing
• SolidGigs Terms
• Designhill Terms & Conditions
• Designhill free contest entry
• Guaranteed contests
• Designer payout guidance
• 1-to-1 payment options

Publication status: Last checked September 5, 2026. Refresh due October 5, 2026. Designhill contest, subscription, commission and payout rules can change. Production deployment remains separately unproven under issue #369.