Cantina vs Excited: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Excited (4.6/5) edges ahead of Cantina (4.0/5) overall. Excited is the better choice for SaaS/fintech teams, Clutch-ranked specialist, accessible rates. Cantina is the stronger option for financial services, health/life-science — strategic design plus development. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Cantina vs Excited: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Cantina | Excited |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2007 | 2018 |
| HQ | Boston, MA, USA | Lviv, Ukraine |
| Team size | Not published | 100+ |
| Rating | 4.0 / 5 | 4.6 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | A financial-services-heavy client list (Charles Schwab, Fidelity, Empower) delivered through a combined strategy-design-development model | A sustained Top 5 global UX agency ranking on Clutch, with about 70% of reviews specifically citing quality and creativity |
| Pricing model | Project-based (not published) | Fixed project, dedicated team |
| Min. engagement | Not published | $20K (per company website; independently unverifiable) |
| Primary tech stack | Figma, React, Adobe Creative Suite | Figma, Framer, After Effects |
| Industries served | Financial services / fintech, Healthcare, Enterprise transformation | SaaS / B2B software, Financial services / fintech |
Cantina vs Excited: overview
Cantina
Cantina opened in 2007 out of Newton, Massachusetts, later moving into Boston's Seaport Innovation District and then downtown Boston as it grew. The firm pairs strategic design with development for a client list heavy on financial services — Charles Schwab, Empower, and Fidelity among them — plus work in health and life sciences, AR/VR, and machine learning. Unlike many boutiques that lean toward pure design, Cantina positions itself explicitly as a strategy-plus-build shop, taking projects from opportunity identification through delivery.
Excited
Excited opened in Lviv, Ukraine in 2018 and has grown to 100+ designers while holding a consistent spot among Clutch's Top 5 UX agencies worldwide — a repeated ranking, not a one-time placement. About 70% of its Clutch reviewers specifically call out quality and creativity, an unusually pointed signal for review data. The agency deliberately narrows its focus to SaaS and fintech clients, covering UX/UI, product design, branding, and motion design, with delivery experience across 20+ countries.
Services and capabilities: Cantina vs Excited
| Capability | Cantina | Excited |
|---|---|---|
| Product design | ✓ | ✓ |
| UX research | ✓ | ✓ |
| Branding | ✗ | ✓ |
| Web development | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mobile development | ✗ | ✗ |
| Design systems | ✗ | ✗ |
Tech stack comparison: Cantina vs Excited
| Framework / platform | Cantina | Excited |
|---|---|---|
| Figma | ✓ | ✓ |
| Webflow | N/A | N/A |
| React | ✓ | N/A |
| Framer | N/A | ✓ |
| Adobe Creative Suite | ✓ | ✓ |
| Design systems/Storybook | N/A | N/A |
| After Effects | N/A | ✓ |
Pricing comparison: Cantina vs Excited
| Criterion | Cantina | Excited |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | $20K (per company website; independently unverifiable) |
| Engagement models | Fixed project, Dedicated team | Fixed project, Dedicated team |
| Rate transparency | Minimum disclosed | Minimum disclosed |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Accessible |
Target audience comparison: Cantina vs Excited
| Dimension | Cantina | Excited |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | Financial services / fintech, Healthcare, Enterprise transformation | SaaS / B2B software, Financial services / fintech |
| Best use cases | Financial services product redesign for a bank or wealth manager, Health or life-sciences digital product design and development | SaaS product redesign for a growth-stage company, Fintech UX/UI overhaul with motion design polish |
| Typical project type | Fixed project | Fixed project |
Cantina vs Excited: pros and cons
| Cantina | |
|---|---|
| + | Deep, named financial-services client relationships (Charles Schwab, Fidelity, Empower) |
| + | Combines strategic design with development delivery rather than handing off to a separate build vendor |
| + | Nearly two decades of continuous operation since 2007 |
| + | Experience spanning health/life sciences, AR/VR, and machine learning broadens its technical range |
| - | Team size and pricing aren't published, making capacity and budget planning harder upfront |
| - | Financial-services-heavy client list may read as a narrower fit for consumer-only brands |
| - | Boston-only office footprint offers less multi-region delivery than larger studios on this list |
| Excited | |
|---|---|
| + | Sustained Top 5 UX agency ranking worldwide by Clutch, not a one-off placement |
| + | About 70% of Clutch reviewers specifically cite quality and creativity, a strong qualitative signal |
| + | Purpose-built around SaaS and fintech, giving real vertical depth |
| + | Delivery experience across 20+ countries demonstrates broad operational reach |
| - | The claimed 15M+ user reach figure is self-reported and independently unverifiable |
| - | Ukraine-based team carries the same regional-continuity considerations as other Ukraine-rooted studios |
| - | SaaS/fintech specialization means less fit outside those two verticals |
Who should choose Cantina?
A typical fit: financial services product redesign for a bank or wealth manager.
A financial-services-heavy client list (Charles Schwab, Fidelity, Empower) delivered through a combined strategy-design-development model. Minimum engagement starts at Not published. Works best with clients in Financial services / fintech, Healthcare, Enterprise transformation.
Who should choose Excited?
A typical fit: SaaS product redesign for a growth-stage company.
A sustained Top 5 global UX agency ranking on Clutch, with about 70% of reviews specifically citing quality and creativity. Minimum engagement starts at $20K (per company website; independently unverifiable). Works best with clients in SaaS / B2B software, Financial services / fintech.
Decision matrix: Cantina vs Excited
| Your situation | Recommended choice |
|---|---|
| You need full-ownership delivery on a defined project scope | Cantina |
| You need a large dedicated team for an ongoing programme | Cantina |
| Your budget is at the lower end | Compare: Cantina (Not published) vs Excited ($20K (per company website; independently unverifiable)) |
| You need specialist depth in a specific vertical | Cantina |
| 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: Cantina vs Excited
| Use case | Cantina fit | Excited fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Financial services product redesign for a bank or wealth manager | Strong | Limited | Cantina |
| Health or life-sciences digital product design and development | Strong | Limited | Cantina |
| SaaS product redesign for a growth-stage company | Limited | Strong | Excited |
| Fintech UX/UI overhaul with motion design polish | Limited | Strong | Excited |
| Fixed-price product build | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
| Dedicated design team augmentation | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
Verdict: Cantina vs Excited
Excited (4.6/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Product Design projects. A sustained Top 5 global UX agency ranking on Clutch, with about 70% of reviews specifically citing quality and creativity.
Cantina (4.0/5) is worth a look if you need health or life-sciences digital product design and development. If your situation matches that, Cantina is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Cantina vs Excited FAQ
Is Cantina better than Excited?
Excited (4.6/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Cantina's strongest advantage: Deep, named financial-services client relationships (Charles Schwab, Fidelity, Empower). Excited's strongest advantage: sustained Top 5 UX agency ranking worldwide by Clutch, not a one-off placement.
How do Cantina and Excited differ in pricing?
Cantina uses project-based (not published) pricing with a minimum engagement of Not published. Excited uses fixed project, dedicated team pricing with a minimum engagement of $20K (per company website; independently unverifiable). Neither firm publishes a full rate card; a discovery call is required for project-specific quotes.
Which is better for enterprise: Cantina or Excited?
Excited is the larger team and typically the better enterprise-scale choice. For very large programmes, verify team size and compliance coverage directly with each agency before shortlisting.
What are the main differences between Cantina and Excited?
Cantina's primary differentiator is: a financial-services-heavy client list (Charles Schwab, Fidelity, Empower) delivered through a combined strategy-design-development model. Excited's primary differentiator is: a sustained Top 5 global UX agency ranking on Clutch, with about 70% of reviews specifically citing quality and creativity. They also differ in team size (Not published vs 100+), minimum engagement (Not published vs $20K (per company website; independently unverifiable)), and primary industries served (Financial services / fintech, Healthcare vs SaaS / B2B software, Financial services / fintech).
Verify all details directly with each agency before making a decision.