Side by side
Key data on both agencies. The accent dot marks where one leads.
| Aivan | Reaktor | |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial score | 55.3/100 | ●63.5/100 |
| Hourly rate | Contact for rates | Contact for rates |
| Team size | 50-99 | ●250+ |
| Location | Helsinki, Finland | Helsinki, Finland |
| Founded | — | — |
| Tier | Free | Free |
| Last reviewed | May 30, 2026 | May 30, 2026 |
What we said about each
What we said about Aivan
"Aivan's freely visible portfolio runs to roughly 35 projects across two pages, and the published work is overwhelmingly industrial and product design (Ponsse forest harvesters, Axopar and Brabus boats, Stadler trams, Iittala and Fiskars tableware), brand identity, and retail and interior spaces, with deep process visible on the physical side: the Ponsse cabin case documents operator interviews, observation, co-creation workshops and VR prototyping. Screen-based digital UX is named but not…"
— UXAgencies editorial team, reviewed May 30, 2026
Read full review →What we said about Reaktor
"Reaktor publishes 60-plus freely visible case studies spanning aviation, health, finance, gaming, industrial, public sector and retail, and the design work holds up alongside the engineering: the Cathay Pacific in-flight system case cites 1,000-plus iterative passenger tests, accessibility-led design across 14 screen types, and Red Dot, iF and German Design Award wins, while the adidas ecommerce case documents research, design sprints and prototyping next to outcomes like 60% faster page…"
— 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 Aivan if you need
- •closer collaboration at a smaller team scale
- •broader service offering — also covers Product & Industrial Design and Brand & Identity Design
Choose Reaktor if you need
- •larger team capacity for multi-stream or enterprise-scale programs
- •disclosed specialization in Healthcare / E-commerce
- •broader service offering — also covers User-Centric Design and Digital Product Consulting
- •a higher overall editorial score
Strengths and watch-outs
Both upsides and risks, straight from our editorial assessments.
Aivan
✓ Strengths
- •Operating since 2007 from Helsinki with 26-plus design awards listed (including Red Dot Best of the Best, iF Design Award and the Kaj Franck Design Prize) and blue-chip clients such as Kone, ABB, Fiskars, Iittala, VR and Stadler Rail.
- •Documented human-centered process on physical-product work: the Ponsse harvester-cabin case shows operator interviews, field observation, co-creation workshops, ergonomics study and VR prototyping.
- •Ungated, English-language portfolio of roughly 35 projects spanning product, brand and spatial design, so you can review craft and breadth before contacting them.
⚠ Watch-outs
- •Digital UX is referenced (Aktia, Brabus configurator, Agora pickups) but no readable case study, UI screen or research artifact is published for it; ask to see screen-based work, the team behind it, and a documented UX process before scoping any app or software project.
- •Most cases carry no dates and few quantified outcomes; request project years and measurable results for two recent engagements comparable to yours.
- •Published rates and team size are not stated; confirm headcount, the specific people assigned, and a budget range early.
Reaktor
✓ Strengths
- •60-plus ungated case studies across aviation, health, finance, public sector and retail, with named enterprise clients including Cathay Pacific, adidas, HBO, Nasdaq, Varian and ABB.
- •Documented design-research practice on flagship work (1,000-plus passenger tests and accessibility design across 14 screen types on Cathay Pacific), plus multiple international design awards.
- •600-plus staff across 8 offices in 4 countries (Helsinki, Turku, Tampere, Seinajoki, Amsterdam, Lisbon, New York, Tokyo), with 30% of employees over 13 years tenure for continuity on long programs.
⚠ Watch-outs
- •Most published cases emphasize awards, traffic volumes and engineering performance over usability research findings; ask for the research artifacts, testing methods and before-and-after UX metrics behind a comparable project.
- •Reaktor positions as a full-lifecycle strategy-design-engineering-AI consultancy, so confirm how much of the proposed team is dedicated UX/design versus engineering and strategy before committing.
- •No public rates are listed and engagements appear consultancy-scale; request a staffing plan and budget range early to confirm fit for a design-led rather than transformation-scale scope.
Service coverage
Where each agency overlaps and where each is unique.
Only Aivan
- •Product & Industrial Design
- •Brand & Identity Design
- •Spatial & Interior Design
Both
None.
Only Reaktor
- •User-Centric Design
- •Digital Product Consulting
- •Data & AI Services
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.
Aivan
Contact for rates
Reaktor
Contact for rates
Pricing is comparable between the two — choose based on specialization rather than cost.
Frequently asked questions
- Which scores higher overall, Aivan or Reaktor?
- Reaktor scores 63.5/100, 8.2 points higher than Aivan at 55.3/100. See our methodology for how scores are calculated.
- When should I consider both Aivan and Reaktor?
- Consider running parallel discovery briefs with Aivan and Reaktor 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 8, 2026. Most recently reviewed: Aivan on May 30, 2026. How we rank