Work & Co vs AKQA: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Work & Co (3.7/5) edges ahead of AKQA (3.6/5) overall. Work & Co is the better choice for premium brands, design paired with front-end engineering. AKQA is the stronger option for fortune 500 enterprises, design within a global agency network. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Work & Co vs AKQA: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Work & Co | AKQA |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2013 | 1994 |
| HQ | Dumbo, Brooklyn, NY, USA | London, UK |
| Team size | 425+ | ~6,000 |
| Rating | 3.7 / 5 | 3.6 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | A client roster (Apple, IKEA, Nike, Disney) out of proportion with its ~425-person headcount, delivered through an engineering-heavy design-and-build model | A 6,000-person, 50-country agency network with more than half the Fortune 500's top 20 as clients, now part of WPP's AKQA Group |
| Pricing model | Fixed project, dedicated team | Enterprise consulting engagement (project-based or retainer) |
| Min. engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Primary tech stack | Figma, React, Next.js | Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, React |
| Industries served | Consumer products, Enterprise transformation, Healthcare | Enterprise transformation, Consumer products, Financial services / fintech |
Work & Co vs AKQA: overview
Work & Co
Work & Co launched in Dumbo, Brooklyn in May 2013 under five co-founders — Gene Liebel, Felipe Memoria, Joe Stewart, Mohan Ramaswamy, and Marcelo Eduardo — and has since opened offices across the US, Latin America, and Europe. At roughly 425 people, its client roster (Apple, IKEA, Google, Mercedes-Benz, Pfizer, GoFundMe, Nike, Disney) is out of proportion with its size, a result of an engineering-heavy model that keeps design and front-end build inside the same team. Accenture Song acquired Work & Co in 2023.
AKQA
Ajaz Ahmed launched AKQA in London in 1994 at 21, before finishing university, betting early on the commercial web. The firm stayed independent until WPP acquired it in 2012, and in 2020 WPP merged it with Grey Group to form AKQA Group — the agency now runs roughly 6,000 people across 50 countries. More than half of the Fortune 500's top 20 companies have been clients, and AKQA has broadened well past its web-agency roots into product and spatial design and, more recently, AI-driven experience work.
Services and capabilities: Work & Co vs AKQA
| Capability | Work & Co | AKQA |
|---|---|---|
| Product design | ✓ | ✓ |
| UX research | ✗ | ✓ |
| Branding | ✗ | ✓ |
| Web development | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mobile development | ✓ | ✗ |
| Design systems | ✗ | ✗ |
Tech stack comparison: Work & Co vs AKQA
| Framework / platform | Work & Co | AKQA |
|---|---|---|
| Figma | ✓ | ✓ |
| Webflow | N/A | N/A |
| React | ✓ | ✓ |
| 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: Work & Co vs AKQA
| Criterion | Work & Co | AKQA |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Engagement models | Fixed project, Dedicated team | Fixed project, Retainer, Dedicated team |
| Rate transparency | Minimum disclosed | Minimum disclosed |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Mid-market |
Target audience comparison: Work & Co vs AKQA
| Dimension | Work & Co | AKQA |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | Consumer products, Enterprise transformation, Healthcare | Enterprise transformation, Consumer products, Financial services / fintech |
| Best use cases | Flagship consumer app redesign for a global brand, E-commerce platform rebuild with heavy front-end engineering | Fortune 500 digital product design bundled with brand and marketing work, Enterprise experience design backed by a large global network |
| Typical project type | Fixed project | Fixed project |
Work & Co vs AKQA: pros and cons
| Work & Co | |
|---|---|
| + | Client roster (Apple, IKEA, Google, Nike, Disney) is exceptional relative to headcount |
| + | Design and engineering under one roof cuts the hand-off risk of splitting vendors |
| + | 425+ people across the US, Europe, and Latin America give real multi-region capacity |
| + | Consistent record shipping flagship consumer digital products |
| - | Now part of Accenture Song, which shares a parent with the Accenture Song entry elsewhere in this pool |
| - | A premium client base implies premium pricing even without a published minimum |
| - | Less vertical specialization (fintech, healthcare-specific) than boutiques built around one niche |
| AKQA | |
|---|---|
| + | 6,000 people across 50 countries make it one of the largest networks in this pool |
| + | More than half of the Fortune 500's top 20 companies have been clients |
| + | Three decades of history, from an independent 1994 startup through its current WPP-backed scale |
| + | Broadened beyond web design into product, spatial, and AI-driven experience work |
| - | Fully absorbed into WPP's AKQA Group since 2020, so clients are hiring a large network agency, not an independent studio |
| - | Enterprise scale and pricing are less accessible to startups or small product teams |
| - | Broad, agency-network positioning means less concentrated product-design specialization than boutique studios |
Who should choose Work & Co?
A typical fit: flagship consumer app redesign for a global brand.
A client roster (Apple, IKEA, Nike, Disney) out of proportion with its ~425-person headcount, delivered through an engineering-heavy design-and-build model. Minimum engagement starts at Not published. Works best with clients in Consumer products, Enterprise transformation, Healthcare.
Who should choose AKQA?
A typical fit: fortune 500 digital product design bundled with brand and marketing work.
A 6,000-person, 50-country agency network with more than half the Fortune 500's top 20 as clients, now part of WPP's AKQA Group. Minimum engagement starts at Not published. Works best with clients in Enterprise transformation, Consumer products, Financial services / fintech.
Decision matrix: Work & Co vs AKQA
| Your situation | Recommended choice |
|---|---|
| You need full-ownership delivery on a defined project scope | Work & Co |
| You need a large dedicated team for an ongoing programme | Work & Co |
| Your budget is at the lower end | Compare: Work & Co (Not published) vs AKQA (Not published) |
| You need specialist depth in a specific vertical | Work & Co |
| 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: Work & Co vs AKQA
| Use case | Work & Co fit | AKQA fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flagship consumer app redesign for a global brand | Strong | Limited | Work & Co |
| E-commerce platform rebuild with heavy front-end engineering | Strong | Limited | Work & Co |
| Fortune 500 digital product design bundled with brand and marketing work | Limited | Strong | AKQA |
| Enterprise experience design backed by a large global network | Strong | Strong | Both equally |
| Fixed-price product build | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
| Dedicated design team augmentation | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
Verdict: Work & Co vs AKQA
Work & Co (3.7/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Product Design projects. A client roster (Apple, IKEA, Nike, Disney) out of proportion with its ~425-person headcount, delivered through an engineering-heavy design-and-build model.
AKQA (3.6/5) is worth a look if you need enterprise experience design backed by a large global network. If your situation matches that, AKQA is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Work & Co vs AKQA FAQ
Is Work & Co better than AKQA?
Work & Co (3.7/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Work & Co's strongest advantage: client roster (Apple, IKEA, Google, Nike, Disney) is exceptional relative to headcount. AKQA's strongest advantage: 6,000 people across 50 countries make it one of the largest networks in this pool.
How do Work & Co and AKQA differ in pricing?
Work & Co uses fixed project, dedicated team pricing with a minimum engagement of Not published. AKQA uses enterprise consulting engagement (project-based or retainer) 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: Work & Co or AKQA?
AKQA is the larger team and typically the better enterprise-scale choice. For very large programmes, verify team size and compliance coverage directly with each company before shortlisting.
What are the main differences between Work & Co and AKQA?
Work & Co's primary differentiator is: a client roster (Apple, IKEA, Nike, Disney) out of proportion with its ~425-person headcount, delivered through an engineering-heavy design-and-build model. AKQA's primary differentiator is: a 6,000-person, 50-country agency network with more than half the Fortune 500's top 20 as clients, now part of WPP's AKQA Group. They also differ in team size (425+ vs ~6,000), minimum engagement (Not published vs Not published), and primary industries served (Consumer products, Enterprise transformation vs Enterprise transformation, Consumer products).
Verify all details directly with each company before making a decision.