Side by side
Key data on both agencies. The accent dot marks where one leads.
| 14islands | UKAD | |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial score | 68/100 | ●70/100 |
| Hourly rate | €75-125/hr | ●€50/hr |
| Team size | 10-49 | ●100+ |
| Location | Stockholm, Sweden | Stockholm, Sweden |
| Founded | — | 2005 |
| Tier | Free | Free |
| Last reviewed | Feb 11, 2026 | ●May 30, 2026 |
What we said about each
What we said about 14islands
"14islands publishes 20+ projects spanning healthtech (Neko Health—Lovie Gold 2023), luxury (Cartier), fintech (Primer), and sustainability (Breakthrough Energy, United Nations). The Neko Health case documents brand expression design and creative development that filled all clinic spots within hours of launch. Portfolio is oriented toward creative web experiences and branded websites using WebGL, Three."
— UXAgencies editorial team, reviewed Feb 11, 2026
Read full review →What we said about UKAD
"The published portfolio runs to 17 projects framed almost entirely as software engineering and staff-augmentation engagements (East Capital Group, AJ Produkter, GoalEnvision, EntitledTo, Logisk Profil), built on . NET, React and Umbraco, with UX/UI presented as a supporting "Expert Service" rather than the lead discipline. Case studies describe business analysis and platform modernization but stop at qualitative results such as "higher user satisfaction"; you will not find documented user…"
— UXAgencies editorial team, reviewed May 30, 2026
Read full review →Best for
Where each agency measurably leads — on pricing, team capacity, declared specializations, and editorial scoring. Use these to match an agency to your project priorities.
Choose 14islands if you need
- •closer collaboration at a smaller team scale
- •disclosed specialization in Healthcare / AI/ML
- •broader service offering — also covers Web Design and UX/UI Design
Choose UKAD if you need
- •a more cost-effective engagement (~100% lower rate)
- •larger team capacity for multi-stream or enterprise-scale programs
- •disclosed specialization in E-commerce / SaaS & B2B
- •broader service offering — also covers Accessibility and Product Design
Strengths and watch-outs
Both upsides and risks, straight from our editorial assessments.
14islands
✓ Strengths
- •20+ published projects with major clients—Cartier, Google (Interland, Santa Tracker), Neko Health, United Nations, and Primer
- •Multiple design awards: Lovie Gold 2023, Awwwards, CSS Design Awards, FWA—verified design and technical quality
- •In-house technical depth: WebGL, Three.js, React, NextJS—creative technology capability beyond standard web development
⚠ Watch-outs
- •Portfolio centers on branded websites and interactive experiences—limited visible product UX, dashboard design, or SaaS interface work; confirm relevant experience if your project is product-focused
- •Case studies showcase visual outcomes and launch results rather than UX research process or usability testing—if research rigor matters, ask for methodology details
- •Offices in Stockholm and Reykjavík with a 10–49 team—confirm capacity and availability for your project timeline
UKAD
✓ Strengths
- •Long client relationships are documented and verifiable: EntitledTo dates to 2013 and AJ Produkter spans over a decade, supporting the site's stated 95% retention and 50+ long-term partners.
- •Four physical offices are listed with full street addresses (Stockholm, Krakow, Kharkiv, Seattle) and named leadership, with region-specific booking for EU and US.
- •Accessibility work is concretely described: WCAG 2.2 audits using WAVE, Lighthouse and Google Accessibility Scanner, manual NVDA/VoiceOver and keyboard testing, plus follow-up re-audits.
⚠ Watch-outs
- •Confirm whether the engagement you want is design-led or development-led before committing, since the site positions UX/UI and accessibility as engineering- and QA-driven services supporting custom development.
- •Ask for case studies with quantified outcomes (conversion, task-time, adoption, audit pass rates), as the published projects report only qualitative gains.
- •Request examples of UX research and usability testing with real users, since the published material describes business analysis and prototyping but does not evidence user testing.
Service coverage
Where each agency overlaps and where each is unique.
Only 14islands
- •Web Design
- •UX/UI Design
- •Creative Tech
Both
None.
Only UKAD
Industry coverage
Where each agency overlaps and where each is unique.
Pricing math
Estimated cost of a typical 12-week senior engagement (~480 hours), at each agency's published rate.
14islands
Rate: €75-125/hr
€36,000–€60,000
UKAD
Rate: €50/hr
€24,000–€24,000
For most general product engagements, UKAD delivers better ROI per hour. For Healthcare-specific work, 14islands's premium is justified by their declared specialization.
Frequently asked questions
- Which is cheaper, 14islands or UKAD?
- UKAD is cheaper by roughly 100% — €50/hr median vs €100/hr at 14islands. The premium reflects either brand or specialization — see the editorial pull quotes for context.
- Which has more FinTech experience, 14islands or UKAD?
- Both agencies publish FinTech case studies. 14islands has the broader industry stack overall, with disclosed experience in Healthcare, AI/ML, EdTech beyond their shared focus.
- Which scores higher overall, 14islands or UKAD?
- UKAD scores 70/100, 2 points higher than 14islands at 68/100. See our methodology for how scores are calculated.
- Which is faster to engage, 14islands or UKAD?
- 14islands is typically faster to engage — smaller team, fewer procurement gates. UKAD operates with longer lead times (typical 4–6 week onboarding), reflecting larger-scale program work. Confirm engagement timelines directly with each before signing.
- When should I consider both 14islands and UKAD?
- Consider running parallel discovery briefs with 14islands and UKAD if your project spans multiple workstreams, you want competitive proposals to compare scope and approach, or you're undecided between the specialization angles each brings (see the Best for cards above). Most engagements ultimately go with one — but the parallel-brief phase is a low-cost way to validate fit.
Read the full reviews
Side-by-side comparison is a starting point. The full editorial reviews include portfolio analysis, case studies, and the buyer-strength / watch-out detail behind the bullets above.
Comparison last updated July 6, 2026. Most recently reviewed: UKAD on May 30, 2026. How we rank