Pentagram vs ANML: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Pentagram (4.0/5) edges ahead of ANML (3.8/5) overall. Pentagram is the better choice for brands wanting identity, packaging, digital design. ANML is the stronger option for B2B, healthcare, AI startups — small senior team. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Pentagram vs ANML: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Pentagram | ANML |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1972 | 2012 |
| HQ | London, UK (also New York, San Francisco, Berlin, and Austin) | United States (specific city not published) |
| Team size | 24 partners plus their teams (total not published) | ~10 (per LinkedIn) |
| Rating | 4.0 / 5 | 3.8 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | A 24-partner, no-CEO structure unique among the studios in this list, and the world's largest independent design consultancy by its own claim | One of the smallest teams in this list, offering the highest senior-to-client ratio for B2B, healthcare, and AI work |
| Pricing model | Project-based (not published) | Fixed project |
| Min. engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Primary tech stack | Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, React | Figma, Sketch |
| Industries served | Consumer products, Enterprise transformation, Media & entertainment | Healthcare, SaaS / B2B software |
Pentagram vs ANML: overview
Pentagram
Five founding partners — Alan Fletcher, Theo Crosby, Colin Forbes, Kenneth Grange, and Mervyn Kurlansky — started Pentagram in London in 1972, and the firm still runs on the same unusual structure more than five decades later: 24 practicing-designer partners, each running their own team, sharing overhead and profits, with no single CEO. Pentagram calls itself the world's largest independent design consultancy, working from London, New York, San Francisco, Berlin, and Austin across graphics, branding, products and packaging, and digital experiences — a broader scope than the pure product-design specialists elsewhere in this list.
ANML
ANML (Animal) has operated since 2012 with a team so small — LinkedIn lists roughly 10 employees — that it barely registers next to the larger names in this list. No specific HQ city appears in available sources, so it's treated here simply as US-based. The trade-off for that scale is direct access: clients work with senior people from day one, on a deliberately narrow set of engagements concentrated in B2B, healthcare, and AI.
Services and capabilities: Pentagram vs ANML
| Capability | Pentagram | ANML |
|---|---|---|
| Product design | ✓ | ✓ |
| UX research | ✗ | ✓ |
| Branding | ✓ | ✗ |
| Web development | ✗ | ✗ |
| Mobile development | ✗ | ✗ |
| Design systems | ✗ | ✗ |
Tech stack comparison: Pentagram vs ANML
| Framework / platform | Pentagram | ANML |
|---|---|---|
| Figma | ✓ | ✓ |
| Webflow | N/A | N/A |
| React | ✓ | N/A |
| Framer | N/A | N/A |
| Adobe Creative Suite | ✓ | N/A |
| Design systems/Storybook | N/A | N/A |
| After Effects | N/A | N/A |
Pricing comparison: Pentagram vs ANML
| Criterion | Pentagram | ANML |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Engagement models | Fixed project, Retainer | Fixed project |
| Rate transparency | Minimum disclosed | Minimum disclosed |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Mid-market |
Target audience comparison: Pentagram vs ANML
| Dimension | Pentagram | ANML |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | Consumer products, Enterprise transformation, Media & entertainment | Healthcare, SaaS / B2B software |
| Best use cases | Brand identity and digital product design bundled into one engagement, Packaging or physical-product design alongside a digital product | B2B SaaS product design for a small, senior team, Healthcare product UX with a boutique studio |
| Typical project type | Fixed project | Fixed project |
Pentagram vs ANML: pros and cons
| Pentagram | |
|---|---|
| + | Owner-partners are the practicing designers and primary client contacts, not a layer of account management above the design team |
| + | Over five decades of continuous, independent operation since 1972 |
| + | Five-city studio footprint (London, New York, San Francisco, Berlin, Austin) |
| + | Scope spans branding, packaging, and digital product design, useful for clients wanting more than pure UI work |
| - | Broader branding-and-identity focus means less concentrated digital-product-design specialization than boutiques built around SaaS or app UX specifically |
| - | Team size and per-partner capacity aren't published in a way that's easy to compare against other studios |
| - | Pricing and minimum engagement size aren't published |
| ANML | |
|---|---|
| + | 13 years of continuous operation since 2012 |
| + | Very small (~10 person) team means direct access to senior designers on every project |
| + | Focused specifically on B2B, healthcare, and AI rather than spreading across unrelated verticals |
| + | Boutique scale keeps overhead — and likely pricing — lower than mid-size studios |
| - | HQ city is not explicitly published in available sources, making delivery-location verification harder |
| - | A ~10-person team caps capacity for large or multi-workstream programs |
| - | Minimum engagement is not published, so budget planning requires a direct conversation |
Who should choose Pentagram?
A typical fit: brand identity and digital product design bundled into one engagement.
A 24-partner, no-CEO structure unique among the studios in this list, and the world's largest independent design consultancy by its own claim. Minimum engagement starts at Not published. Works best with clients in Consumer products, Enterprise transformation, Media & entertainment.
Who should choose ANML?
A typical fit: B2B SaaS product design for a small, senior team.
One of the smallest teams in this list, offering the highest senior-to-client ratio for B2B, healthcare, and AI work. Minimum engagement starts at Not published. Works best with clients in Healthcare, SaaS / B2B software.
Decision matrix: Pentagram vs ANML
| Your situation | Recommended choice |
|---|---|
| You need full-ownership delivery on a defined project scope | Pentagram |
| You need a large dedicated team for an ongoing programme | Check each company's engagement model |
| Your budget is at the lower end | Compare: Pentagram (Not published) vs ANML (Not published) |
| You need specialist depth in a specific vertical | Pentagram |
| 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: Pentagram vs ANML
| Use case | Pentagram fit | ANML fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand identity and digital product design bundled into one engagement | Strong | Limited | Pentagram |
| Packaging or physical-product design alongside a digital product | Strong | Limited | Pentagram |
| B2B SaaS product design for a small, senior team | Limited | Strong | ANML |
| Healthcare product UX with a boutique studio | Limited | Strong | ANML |
| Fixed-price product build | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
| Dedicated design team augmentation | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
Verdict: Pentagram vs ANML
Pentagram (4.0/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Product Design projects. A 24-partner, no-CEO structure unique among the studios in this list, and the world's largest independent design consultancy by its own claim.
ANML (3.8/5) is worth a look if you need healthcare product UX with a boutique studio. If your situation matches that, ANML is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Pentagram vs ANML FAQ
Is Pentagram better than ANML?
Pentagram (4.0/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Pentagram's strongest advantage: owner-partners are the practicing designers and primary client contacts, not a layer of account management above the design team. ANML's strongest advantage: 13 years of continuous operation since 2012.
How do Pentagram and ANML differ in pricing?
Pentagram uses project-based (not published) pricing with a minimum engagement of Not published. ANML uses fixed project pricing with a minimum engagement of Not published. Neither firm publishes a full rate card; a discovery call is required for project-specific quotes.
Which is better for enterprise: Pentagram or ANML?
Pentagram is the larger team and typically the better enterprise-scale choice. For very large programmes, verify team size and compliance coverage directly with each studio before shortlisting.
What are the main differences between Pentagram and ANML?
Pentagram's primary differentiator is: a 24-partner, no-CEO structure unique among the studios in this list, and the world's largest independent design consultancy by its own claim. ANML's primary differentiator is: one of the smallest teams in this list, offering the highest senior-to-client ratio for B2B, healthcare, and AI work. They also differ in team size (24 partners plus their teams (total not published) vs ~10 (per LinkedIn)), minimum engagement (Not published vs Not published), and primary industries served (Consumer products, Enterprise transformation vs Healthcare, SaaS / B2B software).
Verify all details directly with each studio before making a decision.