Projects by IF vs UXDA: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
UXDA (4.3/5) edges ahead of Projects by IF (4.0/5) overall. UXDA is the better choice for Banks/fintech, exclusively financial-services UX. Projects by IF is the stronger option for Tech/public-sector, trust- and policy-aware design. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Projects by IF vs UXDA: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Projects by IF | UXDA |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2016 | 2015 |
| HQ | London, UK | Riga, Latvia |
| Team size | Not published | 25+ |
| Rating | 4.0 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | A design practice built specifically around trust, regulation, and policy work for technology-enabled organizations, with clients spanning Google to the UK Government | The only firm in this list exclusively focused on financial services UX, with 150+ banking and fintech platforms shaped across 39 countries |
| Pricing model | Project-based (not published) | Fixed project, retainer |
| Min. engagement | Not published | $30K (per company website; independently unverifiable) |
| Primary tech stack | Figma, Miro, Adobe Creative Suite | Figma, Sketch, Design systems/Storybook |
| Industries served | Enterprise transformation, Healthcare, Financial services / fintech | Financial services / fintech |
Projects by IF vs UXDA: overview
Projects by IF
Sarah Gold founded Projects by IF in London in 2016, building a strategic design practice around a specific problem: helping technology-enabled organizations design for trust at scale. That focus — spanning product and experience design, digital strategy, regulation and policy work, and technology architecture — has produced client relationships with Google, the UK Government, and Blue Cross Blue Shield, an unusual combination of big tech and public-sector work for a studio this size.
UXDA
Alex Kreger and co-founder Linda launched UXDA (Financial UX Design) in 2015, keeping the team deliberately small — 25+ multidisciplinary specialists in Riga, Latvia. A decade later, that narrow focus has produced 150+ banking and fintech digital platforms defined or governed across 39 countries. There's no branding or consumer-product work here; every engagement is financial-services UX, making UXDA the clearest single-vertical fintech specialist in this list.
Services and capabilities: Projects by IF vs UXDA
| Capability | Projects by IF | UXDA |
|---|---|---|
| Product design | ✓ | ✓ |
| UX research | ✓ | ✓ |
| Branding | ✗ | ✓ |
| Web development | ✗ | ✗ |
| Mobile development | ✗ | ✗ |
| Design systems | ✗ | ✗ |
Tech stack comparison: Projects by IF vs UXDA
| Framework / platform | Projects by IF | UXDA |
|---|---|---|
| Figma | ✓ | ✓ |
| Webflow | N/A | N/A |
| React | N/A | N/A |
| Framer | N/A | N/A |
| Adobe Creative Suite | ✓ | N/A |
| Design systems/Storybook | N/A | ✓ |
| After Effects | N/A | N/A |
Pricing comparison: Projects by IF vs UXDA
| Criterion | Projects by IF | UXDA |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | $30K (per company website; independently unverifiable) |
| Engagement models | Fixed project, Retainer | Fixed project, Retainer |
| Rate transparency | Minimum disclosed | Minimum disclosed |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Accessible |
Target audience comparison: Projects by IF vs UXDA
| Dimension | Projects by IF | UXDA |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | Enterprise transformation, Healthcare, Financial services / fintech | Financial services / fintech |
| Best use cases | Public-sector or government digital service design, Trust-and-safety product design for a technology platform | Bank digital platform redesign, Fintech app UX for a regulated market |
| Typical project type | Fixed project | Fixed project |
Projects by IF vs UXDA: pros and cons
| Projects by IF | |
|---|---|
| + | Purpose-built around trust and regulation-aware design, a genuine specialty few boutiques on this list offer |
| + | Client list combines big tech (Google) with public-sector work (UK Government), demonstrating range within its niche |
| + | Founder-led since 2016 under CEO Sarah Gold, giving a consistent point of view across engagements |
| + | Services span product design through policy and regulatory design, useful for regulated or public-facing products |
| - | Team size isn't published in available sources, making capacity planning harder for large programs |
| - | Trust-and-policy specialization is a narrower fit for clients wanting pure visual or brand design |
| - | Pricing and minimum engagement size aren't published |
| UXDA | |
|---|---|
| + | Exclusive financial-services focus gives it domain expertise generalist firms simply can't match |
| + | 150+ banking and fintech platforms shaped across 39 countries over a decade |
| + | Small, senior 25+ team keeps client relationships direct rather than layered through account management |
| + | A decade of continuous, single-vertical operation compounds domain knowledge over time |
| - | The exclusive fintech focus is a real limitation for any client outside financial services |
| - | $30K minimum engagement (per company website; independently unverifiable) runs higher than most 25-person boutiques |
| - | Small team size (25+) caps capacity for very large, multi-workstream programs |
Who should choose Projects by IF?
A typical fit: public-sector or government digital service design.
A design practice built specifically around trust, regulation, and policy work for technology-enabled organizations, with clients spanning Google to the UK Government. Minimum engagement starts at Not published. Works best with clients in Enterprise transformation, Healthcare, Financial services / fintech.
Who should choose UXDA?
A typical fit: bank digital platform redesign.
The only firm in this list exclusively focused on financial services UX, with 150+ banking and fintech platforms shaped across 39 countries. Minimum engagement starts at $30K (per company website; independently unverifiable). Works best with clients in Financial services / fintech.
Decision matrix: Projects by IF vs UXDA
| Your situation | Recommended choice |
|---|---|
| You need full-ownership delivery on a defined project scope | Projects by IF |
| You need a large dedicated team for an ongoing programme | Check each company's engagement model |
| Your budget is at the lower end | Compare: Projects by IF (Not published) vs UXDA ($30K (per company website; independently unverifiable)) |
| You need specialist depth in a specific vertical | Projects by IF |
| 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: Projects by IF vs UXDA
| Use case | Projects by IF fit | UXDA fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public-sector or government digital service design | Strong | Limited | Projects by IF |
| Trust-and-safety product design for a technology platform | Strong | Limited | Projects by IF |
| Bank digital platform redesign | Limited | Strong | UXDA |
| Fintech app UX for a regulated market | Limited | Strong | UXDA |
| Fixed-price product build | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
| Dedicated design team augmentation | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
Verdict: Projects by IF vs UXDA
UXDA (4.3/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Product Design projects. The only firm in this list exclusively focused on financial services UX, with 150+ banking and fintech platforms shaped across 39 countries.
Projects by IF (4.0/5) is worth a look if you need trust-and-safety product design for a technology platform. If your situation matches that, Projects by IF is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Projects by IF vs UXDA FAQ
Is Projects by IF better than UXDA?
UXDA (4.3/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Projects by IF's strongest advantage: purpose-built around trust and regulation-aware design, a genuine specialty few boutiques on this list offer. UXDA's strongest advantage: exclusive financial-services focus gives it domain expertise generalist firms simply can't match.
How do Projects by IF and UXDA differ in pricing?
Projects by IF uses project-based (not published) pricing with a minimum engagement of Not published. UXDA uses fixed project, retainer pricing with a minimum engagement of $30K (per company website; independently unverifiable). Neither firm publishes a full rate card; a discovery call is required for project-specific quotes.
Which is better for enterprise: Projects by IF or UXDA?
UXDA is the larger team and typically the better enterprise-scale choice. For very large programmes, verify team size and compliance coverage directly with each firm before shortlisting.
What are the main differences between Projects by IF and UXDA?
Projects by IF's primary differentiator is: a design practice built specifically around trust, regulation, and policy work for technology-enabled organizations, with clients spanning Google to the UK Government. UXDA's primary differentiator is: the only firm in this list exclusively focused on financial services UX, with 150+ banking and fintech platforms shaped across 39 countries. They also differ in team size (Not published vs 25+), minimum engagement (Not published vs $30K (per company website; independently unverifiable)), and primary industries served (Enterprise transformation, Healthcare vs Financial services / fintech).
Verify all details directly with each firm before making a decision.