Comparison updated November 2026
Side by side
Key data on both agencies. The accent dot marks where one leads.
| COBE | UX&I GmbH | |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial score | 77/100 | ●85/100 |
| Hourly rate | €140-195/hr | €150-199/hr |
| Team size | ●50-99 | 10-49 |
| Location | Munich, Germany | Berlin, Germany |
| Founded | — | 2014 |
| Tier | Free | Premium |
| Last reviewed | Feb 11, 2026 | ●Jul 1, 2026 |
What we said about each
What we said about COBE
"COBE's portfolio shows 15+ project case studies spanning enterprise products (BMW Group Data Portal, Vodafone GigaTV), design systems (Porsche Holding carlog), and consumer apps (jö Bonus Club, Kickbase, Garden). The BMW Group case documents in-depth research—remote interviews across Europe, China, and the USA—plus a User Experience Identity framework and full design-to-development delivery. Client testimonials from BMW Group's Product Owner and RMV's Head of Marketing confirm working…"
— UXAgencies editorial team, reviewed Feb 11, 2026
Read full review →What we said about UX&I GmbH
"Nine published success stories follow one pattern: UX&I builds the client's internal UX capability—a discovery program, a UX-writing practice, a design-system governance model—then hands it off, several ending with the client's own team taking over. The methods are real (continuous discovery, story mapping, heuristic evaluation) and a few stories quantify effort (d. velop: 100+ user interviews, 4."
— UXAgencies editorial team, reviewed Jul 1, 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 COBE if you need
- •larger team capacity for multi-stream or enterprise-scale programs
- •disclosed specialization in E-commerce / Media
- •broader service offering — also covers User Research and UX/UI Design
Choose UX&I GmbH if you need
- •closer collaboration at a smaller team scale
- •disclosed specialization in SaaS & B2B / AI/ML
- •broader service offering — also covers UX Audit and Product Design
- •a higher overall editorial score
Strengths and watch-outs
Both upsides and risks, straight from our editorial assessments.
COBE
✓ Strengths
- •15+ published case studies with enterprise clients and real testimonials from BMW Group, RMV, and Messe München
- •BMW Group case documents full research process—international user interviews, UX identity framework, and iterative design
- •End-to-end delivery (research → design → development → QA) with an 80-person in-house team
⚠ Watch-outs
- •Case studies vary in depth—BMW Group is detailed but others are primarily visual showcases without process documentation
- •Published case studies don't include specific business metrics—ask for measurable outcomes before committing
- •Website is English-focused but team is Munich-based—confirm language capability for DACH-market projects if needed
UX&I GmbH
✓ Strengths
- •Ranked the most-recognized UX firm in Germany (2025 German UPA report), backed by 37 staff across five offices since 2014 and TÜV Rheinland certification—an established, low-risk vendor.
- •Works at the top of the German enterprise market—10 of the country's 15 largest companies per the agency's published client list, including Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Allianz—so large-organization procurement and complexity are familiar ground.
- •Structured for multi-year transformation over one-off projects: engagements like One Data and METRO ran three or more years.
⚠ Watch-outs
- •No product-level UX metrics (conversion, task completion, adoption) in published work—ask for outcome evidence if that's how you'll judge success.
- •The website and published case studies are in German, though the client base includes US tech firms—request English-language case studies if you need to evaluate the work yourself.
- •The model centers on strategy and enablement at €150-199/hr—if you need hands-on production of a fixed screen set, clarify who executes and the scope up front.
Service coverage
Where each agency overlaps and where each is unique.
Only COBE
- •User Research
- •UX/UI Design
- •App Development
Both
None.
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.
COBE
Rate: €140-195/hr
€67,200–€93,600
UX&I GmbH
Rate: €150-199/hr
€72,000–€95,520
Pricing is comparable between the two — choose based on specialization rather than cost.
Frequently asked questions
- Which is cheaper, COBE or UX&I GmbH?
- Pricing is comparable: COBE at €168/hr median vs UX&I GmbH at €175/hr. Choose on specialization rather than cost.
- Which has more Automotive experience, COBE or UX&I GmbH?
- Both agencies publish Automotive case studies. UX&I GmbH has the broader industry stack overall, with disclosed experience in SaaS & B2B, AI/ML, FinTech beyond their shared focus.
- Which scores higher overall, COBE or UX&I GmbH?
- UX&I GmbH scores 85/100, 8 points higher than COBE at 77/100. See our methodology for how scores are calculated.
- Which is faster to engage, COBE or UX&I GmbH?
- COBE is typically faster to engage — smaller team, fewer procurement gates. UX&I GmbH runs a larger team and more procurement steps, which usually means longer lead times. Kickoff availability is the number that actually varies, so ask both for their current start date before signing.
- When should I consider both COBE and UX&I GmbH?
- Consider running parallel discovery briefs with COBE and UX&I GmbH 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.