SYPartners vs Excited: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Excited (4.6/5) edges ahead of SYPartners (3.9/5) overall. Excited is the better choice for SaaS/fintech teams, top-ranked specialist, accessible rates. SYPartners is the stronger option for large orgs, design within culture/strategy transformation. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
SYPartners vs Excited: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | SYPartners | Excited |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1994 | 2018 |
| HQ | San Francisco, CA, USA (also New York, Los Angeles, and Abu Dhabi) | Lviv, Ukraine |
| Team size | ~196 | 100+ |
| Rating | 3.9 / 5 | 4.6 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | A transformation consultancy — not a pure product-design shop — with a client list (Obama Foundation, Starbucks, IBM, Airbnb) most boutiques on this list can't approach | A sustained Top 5 global UX firm ranking on Clutch, with about 70% of reviews specifically citing quality and creativity |
| Pricing model | Project-based (not published) | Fixed project, dedicated team |
| Min. engagement | Not published | $20K (per company website; independently unverifiable) |
| Primary tech stack | Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, Miro | Figma, Framer, After Effects |
| Industries served | Enterprise transformation, Financial services / fintech, Healthcare | SaaS / B2B software, Financial services / fintech |
SYPartners vs Excited: overview
SYPartners
Founded in 1994 and headquartered across San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, and Abu Dhabi, SYPartners runs about 196 people focused on leadership, strategy, and culture transformation — with design as one tool among several rather than the sole offering. Client relationships span AARP, Airbnb, BlackRock, IBM, the Obama Foundation, Pfizer, and Starbucks, including work on Starbucks' 2018 anti-bias training. Clients looking for pure interface design work should look elsewhere on this list; SYPartners is better understood as a transformation consultancy that happens to use design as a primary tool.
Excited
Excited opened in Lviv, Ukraine in 2018 and has scaled to 100+ designers while holding a repeated spot among Clutch's Top 5 UX firms worldwide. Roughly 70% of its Clutch reviewers specifically name quality and creativity — an unusually direct signal for review data most firms don't get. The firm deliberately narrows to SaaS and fintech clients, covering UX/UI, product design, branding, and motion design, with delivery experience across 20+ countries.
Services and capabilities: SYPartners vs Excited
| Capability | SYPartners | Excited |
|---|---|---|
| Product design | ✓ | ✓ |
| UX research | ✓ | ✓ |
| Branding | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web development | ✗ | ✗ |
| Mobile development | ✗ | ✗ |
| Design systems | ✗ | ✗ |
Tech stack comparison: SYPartners vs Excited
| Framework / platform | SYPartners | Excited |
|---|---|---|
| Figma | ✓ | ✓ |
| Webflow | N/A | N/A |
| React | N/A | N/A |
| Framer | N/A | ✓ |
| Adobe Creative Suite | ✓ | ✓ |
| Design systems/Storybook | N/A | N/A |
| After Effects | N/A | ✓ |
Pricing comparison: SYPartners vs Excited
| Criterion | SYPartners | Excited |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | $20K (per company website; independently unverifiable) |
| Engagement models | Fixed project, Retainer, Dedicated team | Fixed project, Dedicated team |
| Rate transparency | Minimum disclosed | Minimum disclosed |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Accessible |
Target audience comparison: SYPartners vs Excited
| Dimension | SYPartners | Excited |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | Enterprise transformation, Financial services / fintech, Healthcare | SaaS / B2B software, Financial services / fintech |
| Best use cases | Enterprise leadership or culture transformation with a design component, Large organization change management paired with product or brand design | SaaS product redesign for a growth-stage company, Fintech UX/UI overhaul with motion design polish |
| Typical project type | Fixed project | Fixed project |
SYPartners vs Excited: pros and cons
| SYPartners | |
|---|---|
| + | Three decades of continuous operation since 1994 |
| + | Client list (Obama Foundation, Starbucks, IBM, Airbnb, BlackRock, Pfizer) reflects work at the highest levels of large organizations |
| + | 196-person team supports substantial multi-workstream engagements |
| + | Four-office footprint (San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Abu Dhabi) supports large, distributed programs |
| - | Positioned around leadership and culture transformation, not pure product/UI design — a mismatch for clients wanting only interface work |
| - | Enterprise-scale client list implies enterprise-level pricing, though no minimum is published |
| - | Broad transformation-consulting scope means less concentrated product-design specialization than boutiques built around it |
| Excited | |
|---|---|
| + | Sustained Top 5 UX firm ranking worldwide by Clutch, not a one-off placement |
| + | About 70% of Clutch reviewers specifically cite quality and creativity, a strong qualitative signal |
| + | Purpose-built around SaaS and fintech, giving real vertical depth |
| + | Delivery experience across 20+ countries demonstrates broad operational reach |
| - | The claimed 15M+ user reach figure is self-reported and independently unverifiable |
| - | Ukraine-based team carries the same regional-continuity considerations as other Ukraine-rooted firms |
| - | SaaS/fintech specialization means less fit outside those two verticals |
Who should choose SYPartners?
A typical fit: enterprise leadership or culture transformation with a design component.
A transformation consultancy — not a pure product-design shop — with a client list (Obama Foundation, Starbucks, IBM, Airbnb) most boutiques on this list can't approach. Minimum engagement starts at Not published. Works best with clients in Enterprise transformation, Financial services / fintech, Healthcare.
Who should choose Excited?
A typical fit: SaaS product redesign for a growth-stage company.
A sustained Top 5 global UX firm ranking on Clutch, with about 70% of reviews specifically citing quality and creativity. Minimum engagement starts at $20K (per company website; independently unverifiable). Works best with clients in SaaS / B2B software, Financial services / fintech.
Decision matrix: SYPartners vs Excited
| Your situation | Recommended choice |
|---|---|
| You need full-ownership delivery on a defined project scope | SYPartners |
| You need a large dedicated team for an ongoing programme | SYPartners |
| Your budget is at the lower end | Compare: SYPartners (Not published) vs Excited ($20K (per company website; independently unverifiable)) |
| You need specialist depth in a specific vertical | SYPartners |
| 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: SYPartners vs Excited
| Use case | SYPartners fit | Excited fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprise leadership or culture transformation with a design component | Strong | Limited | SYPartners |
| Large organization change management paired with product or brand design | Strong | Limited | SYPartners |
| 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: SYPartners vs Excited
Excited (4.6/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Product Design projects. A sustained Top 5 global UX firm ranking on Clutch, with about 70% of reviews specifically citing quality and creativity.
SYPartners (3.9/5) is worth a look if you need large organization change management paired with product or brand design. If your situation matches that, SYPartners is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
SYPartners vs Excited FAQ
Is SYPartners better than Excited?
Excited (4.6/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. SYPartners's strongest advantage: three decades of continuous operation since 1994. Excited's strongest advantage: sustained Top 5 UX firm ranking worldwide by Clutch, not a one-off placement.
How do SYPartners and Excited differ in pricing?
SYPartners uses project-based (not published) pricing with a minimum engagement of Not published. Excited uses fixed project, dedicated team pricing with a minimum engagement of $20K (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: SYPartners or Excited?
SYPartners 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 SYPartners and Excited?
SYPartners's primary differentiator is: a transformation consultancy — not a pure product-design shop — with a client list (Obama Foundation, Starbucks, IBM, Airbnb) most boutiques on this list can't approach. Excited's primary differentiator is: a sustained Top 5 global UX firm ranking on Clutch, with about 70% of reviews specifically citing quality and creativity. They also differ in team size (~196 vs 100+), minimum engagement (Not published vs $20K (per company website; independently unverifiable)), and primary industries served (Enterprise transformation, Financial services / fintech vs SaaS / B2B software, Financial services / fintech).
Verify all details directly with each firm before making a decision.