Clay vs MetaLab

Between Clay and MetaLab, Clay is the stronger pick on our scoring: it ranks second of seven at 87 out of 100 against MetaLab at 83, and takes 37 out of 40 on design taste to 35.

The table below puts their Clutch facts side by side, and the two lists after it say which one to pick depending on whether you are buying identity, interface, or both.

Side by side

Fact	Clay	MetaLab
Editorial rank	2 of 7	3 of 7
Editorial score	87/100	83/100
Design taste (of 40)	37	35
Craft and portfolio (of 25)	24	22
Clutch rating	4.8 / 5 (32 reviews)	No Clutch rating
Minimum project	$50,000+	$100,000+
Hourly band	$150 to $199/hr	Undisclosed
Team size (Clutch)	10 to 49	50 to 249
Founded	2009	2006
Headquarters	San Francisco, United States	Vancouver, Canada
Top service	UX/UI Design (30%)	Product Design (40%)
Branding + graphic design share	20%	10%
UX/UI + product design share	30%	65%
Top industry	Fintech & Financial Services (40%)	Not listed
Largest client segment	Enterprise (70%)	Mid-Market (50%)
Design share of services	80%	75%

In brief

Clay

Clay is one of the few studios in this batch where branding is a named, weighted practice. Its tagline calls it a UI/UX design and branding agency in San Francisco and lists Facebook, Google and Slack among clients. Clutch puts UX/UI design at 30 percent, web design 30 percent, branding 20 percent and low-code 10 percent. Enterprise is 70 percent of the client base and fintech 40 percent of industries. Founded 2009 with 10 to 49 people across San Francisco, New York and Austin, it charges $150 - $199 / hr with a $50,000+ minimum.

MetaLab

Metalab's own line is simple: we make interfaces. It describes itself as the team behind interfaces used by billions of people, working since 2006 with companies it names as Slack, Coinbase, Amazon, Google and TED. It is 50 to 249 people in Vancouver and Victoria, and its mix is product design 40 percent, UX/UI 25 percent, branding 10 percent, custom software 25 percent, a 75 percent design share. Mid-market clients are half the book. The minimum project is $100,000+; hourly rates are undisclosed. There is no Clutch rating or review on record.

Which one to choose

Each point below is derived from a fact where the two profiles differ, so the same fact never argues both ways.

Choose Clay if

You want a lower published floor: Clay starts at $50,000 against MetaLab's $100,000.
You weight review volume: Clay has 32 Clutch reviews to MetaLab's 0.
You want a boutique where the senior designers do the work: Clay runs at 10 to 49 people rather than MetaLab's 50 to 249.
You are buying identity, typography and a visual system: Clay reports 20% branding and graphic design against MetaLab's 10%.
Taste is the deciding factor: we score Clay 37 out of 40 on design taste against 35 for MetaLab.
You trust our overall scoring: Clay ranks #2 with 87/100 against #3 at 83.

Choose MetaLab if

You need a bigger bench: MetaLab lists 50 to 249 people on Clutch, Clay lists 10 to 49.
You are buying interface and product detail rather than a brand: MetaLab reports 65% UX/UI and product design against Clay's 30%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should you choose Clay or MetaLab?

Clay, on our scoring. It ranks second of seven at 87 out of 100 against MetaLab at 83, and leads on design taste at 37 out of 40 to 35 and on specialization at 14 out of 20 to 13. MetaLab is the better fit where its own strengths matter more to you: late-stage or category-defining companies that want an established, full-service partner.

How do Clay and MetaLab differ on price?

Clay publishes a $50,000 minimum and $150 to $199 per hour; MetaLab publishes a $100,000 minimum and an undisclosed hourly rate. That puts Clay in first at 2 times the lower floor, so the entry ticket, not the day rate, is usually what decides this one. Both figures are self-reported on Clutch and were retrieved August 24, 2026.

How do Clay and MetaLab differ on scope?

Clay reports 20% branding and graphic design against 30% UX/UI and product design; MetaLab reports 10% and 65%. On bench, Clay lists 10 to 49 people on Clutch and MetaLab lists 50 to 249, which is the difference between senior designers on the work directly and the capacity to run several workstreams at once. Buy identity from whichever leads the first pair of numbers, interface from whichever leads the second.

Other comparisons with Clay or MetaLab

Clutch facts retrieved August 24, 2026 from Clay and MetaLab. Editorial scores from our methodology. Editorially independent. No studio paid to be included or ranked.