Head to head · Both in our editorial top 7 · Facts retrieved August 24, 2026

Fantasy vs Instrument

Between Fantasy and Instrument, Fantasy is the stronger overall pick: it ranks #3 of 7 on our list at 8.45/10, against #5 and 8.41 for Instrument. Fantasy is best for later-stage companies wanting an AI-forward brand relaunch, not a fast website sprint; Instrument is best for series D+ or public companies with an enterprise brand-campaign budget.

The table below puts their Clutch facts side by side, and the two lists after it say which one to pick depending on what kind of website you are buying.

By Katherine VossLast updated September 2, 2026

Side by side

Fact	Fantasy	Instrument
Editorial rank	#3 of 7	#5 of 7
Editorial score	8.45/10	8.41/10
Clutch rating	No Clutch rating	No Clutch rating
Minimum project	Undisclosed	$250,000+
Hourly band	Undisclosed	$200 to $300/hr
Team size (Clutch)	250 to 999	250 to 999
Founded	1999	2002
Headquarters	San Francisco, United States	Portland, United States
Top service	UX/UI Design (20%)	UX/UI Design (30%)
Web design + development share	0%	20%
Low-code / CMS build share	0%	0%
Branding share	0%	0%
Top industry	Media & Entertainment (16%)	Media & Entertainment (20%)
Largest client segment	Enterprise (40%)	Enterprise (50%)
Design share of services	30%	50%

In brief

Fantasy

Fantasy is a San Francisco firm founded in 1999 with 250 to 999 people and a New York office. It has no Clutch rating or reviews and no published pricing. Listed services are UX/UI design 20 percent, AI development 10 percent and digital strategy 10 percent, a design share of 30 percent. Industries are spread thinly, led by media and entertainment at 16 percent. Clients are 40 percent enterprise, 40 percent mid-market and 20 percent startups. Nothing in the record references web design, web development, branding or CMS work.

Instrument

Instrument is a Portland, Oregon agency founded in 2002 with 250 to 999 people and no Clutch rating or reviews. UX/UI design is 30 percent of its listed work, digital strategy 20 percent, web development 20 percent and video production 10 percent. Its industries are media, B2B services, software and retail at 20 percent each, and clients are split evenly between enterprise and mid-market. The minimum project is $250,000+ at $200 to $300 an hour. No web design, branding or low-code line is listed, and there are no reviews to evidence conversion results.

Which one to choose

Each point below is derived from a fact where the two profiles differ, so the same fact never argues both ways.

Choose Fantasy if

You trust our scoring: Fantasy ranks #3 with 8.45/10 against #5 at 8.41.

Choose Instrument if

You are buying a marketing website rather than product UX: Instrument reports 20% web design and development work against Fantasy's 0%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which should you choose, Fantasy or Instrument?+

Fantasy, on our editorial scoring: it ranks #3 of 7 at 8.45/10 against #5 and 8.41 for Instrument. Choose Fantasy when the brief matches later-stage companies wanting an AI-forward brand relaunch, not a fast website sprint. Choose Instrument instead when the brief matches series D+ or public companies with an enterprise brand-campaign budget.

How do Fantasy and Instrument differ on price?+

Fantasy publishes an undisclosed minimum at an undisclosed hourly rate; Instrument publishes a $250,000 minimum at $200 to $300 per hour. One of the two does not publish a floor, so scope it on a call before comparing totals. Both figures are self-reported on Clutch and retrieved August 24, 2026; they are floors rather than typical project totals.

How do Fantasy and Instrument differ on scope?+

Fantasy reports 0% of its work in web design and web development against 20% at Instrument, so the higher figure is the safer pick when you are buying a marketing website rather than product UX. Their largest service lines are UX/UI Design at 20% for Fantasy and UX/UI Design at 30% for Instrument. On branding, Fantasy reports 0% and Instrument 0%; on low-code and CMS builds, 0% and 0%, which is what decides whether your marketing team can publish pages without engineering.

Other comparisons with Fantasy or Instrument

Clutch facts retrieved August 24, 2026 from Fantasy and Instrument. Editorial scores from our methodology. No paid placements. Every rank on this list is editorially assigned.