MetaLab vs Fantasy

Between MetaLab and Fantasy, MetaLab is the stronger pick on our scoring: it ranks third of seven at 83 out of 100 against Fantasy at 80, and takes 35 out of 40 on design taste to 33.

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	MetaLab	Fantasy
Editorial rank	3 of 7	5 of 7
Editorial score	83/100	80/100
Design taste (of 40)	35	33
Craft and portfolio (of 25)	22	21
Clutch rating	No Clutch rating	No Clutch rating
Minimum project	$100,000+	Undisclosed
Hourly band	Undisclosed	Undisclosed
Team size (Clutch)	50 to 249	250 to 999
Founded	2006	1999
Headquarters	Vancouver, Canada	San Francisco, United States
Top service	Product Design (40%)	UX/UI Design (20%)
Branding + graphic design share	10%	0%
UX/UI + product design share	65%	20%
Top industry	Not listed	Media & Entertainment (16%)
Largest client segment	Mid-Market (50%)	Enterprise (40%)
Design share of services	75%	30%

In brief

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.

Fantasy

Fantasy is a 250 to 999 person firm founded in 1999 with offices in San Francisco and New York. The record is sparse and its listed mix is thin on design: UX/UI 20 percent, AI development 10 percent, digital strategy 10 percent, for a 30 percent design share, the lowest in this batch. Media and entertainment leads its industries at 16 percent, followed by fintech and retail at 10 percent each. Enterprise and mid-market clients are 40 percent each. There is no Clutch rating, no reviews and no pricing 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 MetaLab if

You want a boutique where the senior designers do the work: MetaLab runs at 50 to 249 people rather than Fantasy's 250 to 999.
You are buying identity, typography and a visual system: MetaLab reports 10% branding and graphic design against Fantasy's 0%.
You are buying interface and product detail rather than a brand: MetaLab reports 65% UX/UI and product design against Fantasy's 20%.
Taste is the deciding factor: we score MetaLab 35 out of 40 on design taste against 33 for Fantasy.
You trust our overall scoring: MetaLab ranks #3 with 83/100 against #5 at 80.

Choose Fantasy if

You need a bigger bench: Fantasy lists 250 to 999 people on Clutch, MetaLab lists 50 to 249.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should you choose MetaLab or Fantasy?

MetaLab, on our scoring. It ranks third of seven at 83 out of 100 against Fantasy at 80, and leads on design taste at 35 out of 40 to 33 and on specialization at 13 out of 20 to 14. Fantasy is the better fit where its own strengths matter more to you: enterprise and luxury brands running large-scale digital transformation.

How do MetaLab and Fantasy differ on price?

MetaLab publishes a $100,000 minimum and an undisclosed hourly rate; Fantasy publishes an undisclosed minimum and an undisclosed hourly rate. One of the two does not publish a floor at all, so a scoping call has to happen before the budgets can be compared honestly. Both figures are self-reported on Clutch and were retrieved August 24, 2026.

How do MetaLab and Fantasy differ on scope?

MetaLab reports 10% branding and graphic design against 65% UX/UI and product design; Fantasy reports 0% and 20%. On bench, MetaLab lists 50 to 249 people on Clutch and Fantasy lists 250 to 999, 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 MetaLab or Fantasy

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