How Does DesignRush's Rating Actually Work?

Within that, the review number itself isn’t a plain average. DesignRush states it calculates ratings using a "Bayesian Statistical Method" that adds a 3.5-star smoothing baseline, which keeps a small handful of early reviews from swinging the score dramatically in either direction. A new or lightly-reviewed profile sits closer to that baseline; only a consistent run of strong, verified reviews moves it meaningfully toward 5 stars.

DesignRush also sells paid sponsorship packages, starting at roughly $200/month, that buy category placement and visibility — including top positions within a relevant category ranking and access to its project Marketplace. That’s a separate lever from the review-driven Base Score described above: sponsorship buys placement and exposure, not a higher rating, and it doesn’t substitute for the verified reviews that actually move the Bayesian score.

• Base Score — a composite of five factors: Reviews (weighted most heavily), Portfolio, Awards/Press, Team Bios, and Top Services.
• Bayesian-smoothed rating — reviews are averaged with a 3.5-star baseline built in, so a handful of early reviews moves the score less than a consistent, larger run of reviews would.
• Specialization matrix — the order and number of an agency’s selected Top Services (up to 10) influence its ranking within specific service categories.
• Verification — every review goes through LinkedIn-based reviewer authorization and, where needed, direct email or phone verification, before it can count toward the score at all.