Cantina vs Spaceberry Studio: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Cantina (4.0/5) edges ahead of Spaceberry Studio (3.7/5) overall. Cantina is the better choice for financial services, health/life-science — strategic design plus development. Spaceberry Studio is the stronger option for budget-conscious SaaS/AI teams, low-commitment subscription. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Cantina vs Spaceberry Studio: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Cantina | Spaceberry Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2007 | 2016 |
| HQ | Boston, MA, USA | Ukraine (also London, UK) |
| Team size | Not published | 12–50 |
| Rating | 4.0 / 5 | 3.7 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | A financial-services-heavy client list (Charles Schwab, Fidelity, Empower) delivered through a combined strategy-design-development model | One of the most accessible entry points in this roster via a subscription model rather than a large upfront fixed-price contract |
| Pricing model | Project-based (not published) | Monthly subscription (dedicated designer) |
| Min. engagement | Not published | $4.5K/month (per company website; independently unverifiable) |
| Primary tech stack | Figma, React, Adobe Creative Suite | Figma, Framer, Webflow |
| Industries served | Financial services / fintech, Healthcare, Enterprise transformation | SaaS / B2B software, Consumer products |
Cantina vs Spaceberry Studio: 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.
Spaceberry Studio
Spaceberry Studio started life in 2016 as MainCode Agency, rebranding to Spaceberry in 2020 — the same continuous team and entity, so 2016 is used as the founding year here. Based in Ukraine with an additional London office, the studio runs 12–50 employees depending on source, and sells subscription-style UI/UX design for SaaS, AI, and mobile apps rather than quoting fixed-price projects — one of two subscription comparators in this roster alongside Eleken.
Services and capabilities: Cantina vs Spaceberry Studio
| Capability | Cantina | Spaceberry Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Product design | ✓ | ✓ |
| UX research | ✓ | ✗ |
| Branding | ✗ | ✗ |
| Web development | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mobile development | ✗ | ✗ |
| Design systems | ✗ | ✗ |
Tech stack comparison: Cantina vs Spaceberry Studio
| Framework / platform | Cantina | Spaceberry Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Figma | ✓ | ✓ |
| Webflow | N/A | ✓ |
| React | ✓ | N/A |
| Framer | N/A | ✓ |
| Adobe Creative Suite | ✓ | N/A |
| Design systems/Storybook | N/A | N/A |
| After Effects | N/A | N/A |
Pricing comparison: Cantina vs Spaceberry Studio
| Criterion | Cantina | Spaceberry Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | $4.5K/month (per company website; independently unverifiable) |
| Engagement models | Fixed project, Dedicated team | Subscription |
| Rate transparency | Minimum disclosed | Minimum disclosed |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Accessible |
Target audience comparison: Cantina vs Spaceberry Studio
| Dimension | Cantina | Spaceberry Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | Financial services / fintech, Healthcare, Enterprise transformation | SaaS / B2B software, Consumer products |
| Best use cases | Financial services product redesign for a bank or wealth manager, Health or life-sciences digital product design and development | Ongoing SaaS product design on a monthly subscription, AI product UI/UX design for a lean startup team |
| Typical project type | Fixed project | Subscription |
Cantina vs Spaceberry Studio: 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 |
| Spaceberry Studio | |
|---|---|
| + | Subscription pricing (from ~$4.5K/month, per company website; independently unverifiable) is one of the lowest barriers to entry here |
| + | Focused specifically on SaaS, AI, and mobile apps rather than spreading thin across many verticals |
| + | London, UK location adds geographic diversification alongside its Ukraine base |
| + | Continuous operation since 2016, spanning its 2020 rebrand from MainCode Agency |
| - | Smallest reported team-size band (12–50) among the boutiques in this roster, limiting capacity for large programs |
| - | Rebranded from MainCode Agency in 2020, so some pre-2020 case studies may appear under the earlier name |
| - | Subscription-only model may not suit clients preferring a single fixed-price contract with a defined end date |
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 Spaceberry Studio?
A typical fit: ongoing SaaS product design on a monthly subscription.
One of the most accessible entry points in this roster via a subscription model rather than a large upfront fixed-price contract. Minimum engagement starts at $4.5K/month (per company website; independently unverifiable). Works best with clients in SaaS / B2B software, Consumer products.
Decision matrix: Cantina vs Spaceberry Studio
| 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 Spaceberry Studio ($4.5K/month (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 Spaceberry Studio
| Use case | Cantina fit | Spaceberry Studio 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 |
| Ongoing SaaS product design on a monthly subscription | Limited | Strong | Spaceberry Studio |
| AI product UI/UX design for a lean startup team | Limited | Strong | Spaceberry Studio |
| Fixed-price product build | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
| Dedicated design team augmentation | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
Verdict: Cantina vs Spaceberry Studio
Cantina (4.0/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Product Design projects. A financial-services-heavy client list (Charles Schwab, Fidelity, Empower) delivered through a combined strategy-design-development model.
Spaceberry Studio (3.7/5) is worth a look if you need AI product UI/UX design for a lean startup team. If your situation matches that, Spaceberry Studio is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Cantina vs Spaceberry Studio FAQ
Is Cantina better than Spaceberry Studio?
Cantina (4.0/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Cantina's strongest advantage: Deep, named financial-services client relationships (Charles Schwab, Fidelity, Empower). Spaceberry Studio's strongest advantage: subscription pricing (from ~$4.5K/month, per company website; independently unverifiable) is one of the lowest barriers to entry here.
How do Cantina and Spaceberry Studio differ in pricing?
Cantina uses project-based (not published) pricing with a minimum engagement of Not published. Spaceberry Studio uses monthly subscription (dedicated designer) pricing with a minimum engagement of $4.5K/month (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 Spaceberry Studio?
Spaceberry Studio 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 Spaceberry Studio?
Cantina's primary differentiator is: a financial-services-heavy client list (Charles Schwab, Fidelity, Empower) delivered through a combined strategy-design-development model. Spaceberry Studio's primary differentiator is: one of the most accessible entry points in this roster via a subscription model rather than a large upfront fixed-price contract. They also differ in team size (Not published vs 12–50), minimum engagement (Not published vs $4.5K/month (per company website; independently unverifiable)), and primary industries served (Financial services / fintech, Healthcare vs SaaS / B2B software, Consumer products).
Verify all details directly with each agency before making a decision.