Hireillo Reviews 

I'm an editorial illustrator, and early in my career I'd often try oddball sites like this. They come across as enthusiastic and helpful, but I couldn't help thinking they didn't really know what they were doing. I tried Hireillo for over a year, (it was so cheap I forgot about it tbh) but never heard from anyone, no clients contacted me at all. Summing up, I'd say Hireillo talks the talk but is really a waste of money.

I've changed careers now, but when I was doing illustration work I absolutely loved HireIllo. I got a handful of real, legitimate job leads some of which I've taken and completed. The site's owner pays close attention and make sure things run smoothly for everyone. He is constantly putting out new resources and promotional meterials for his community. All this for a very low membership price.

Caveat: there is no magic pill or prefect system to dump "1000s of leads in your lap!" Getting real work takes work, and time. You won't sign up and suddenly be overwhelmed with commissions. But if you do sign up, and stay active, it's a great way to support your illustration business.

HireIllo does do lots for you and is another flotation device in the flotilla that is any illustration entrepreneur's business.

Initially, I discovered Hireillo off the back of Darren Di Lieto’s interview with the Illustration Department with Giuseppe Castellano. I’ve been with them a couple of years now. I didn’t have any formal experience in Illustration, only previously having a degree in graphic design. Whenever I tried things out on my own I ended up making mistakes and undervaluing myself.

I decided to use Hireillo to help establish myself in different territories and areas. It’s helped me find what types of clients I’d like to work with, and also networking with other illustrators in other countries.

I did a portfolio review with Darren in 2024, and he was great at identifying what my strengths were, what style I should go in, and encouraging me to look at children’s illustration. I’ve been making progress this year with my own branding, and revamping my portfolio based on the advice Darren gave me. It is a two person team with Darren and Morgan running the show. They’ve been really friendly and approachable with any questions I have in regards to pricing and licensing.

Coincidentally, I’m currently doing a business course with The Good Ship Illustration and Hireillo has been recommended as a resource for illustrators.

Hireillo has been an invaluable part of my illustration career and is largely the reason I've been able to become and stay a full-time illustrator. I've been a member since April of 2017 and honestly was a bit skeptical before I joined, but within a month or two of signing up, I received the highest-paying freelance job I'd ever landed up to that point. That client is now one of my most regular and has been for years. I would say 80-90% of my current client base found me through Hireillo. These are clients/jobs I almost certainly never would have gotten otherwise.

In addition to that, they are incredibly helpful and approachable and get back to you very quickly no matter what you need. I've often asked for help with things like pricing and contracts, and they have always had solid advice that has made any negotiations I've had to do much easier. They also offer portfolio reviews which focus on giving you insight into what you could be doing better. Not only with your work but with business strategy as well. Mine helped get me back on track when I was struggling to figure out what my next steps should be career-wise earlier this year. It's clear to me that they truly care about their members, and give us help tailored to each of us.

Bottom line: I cannot recommend Hireillo more highly! Absolutely 5 stars! They know my work, help promote it, get me jobs, and provide much-needed assistance in a career that can be difficult to navigate.

I've been with Hireillo for over 10 years now, and the service they provide is nothing short of amazing!

Not only have they found me work when things were otherwise very quiet, which has kept my business afloat, they've sent me clients that I've had long and successful relationships with.

They have consistently put in hard work and helped promote my art over many years, and offered valuable insights into dealing with clients, good business practices. They are remarkably approachable and professional, and absolutely lovely people to deal with. They also excel at communication, and get back to you extremely quickly. They never let you feel like "just another member" and ignore you.

I honestly can't recommend them enough. I don't think I've ever thought a company deserved 5 stars more.

Hireillo's a failed illustration promotion site. It's a bit like a pyramid selling scheme, as there are no art buyers really using the site, so we upload our imagery in effect only to attract other illustrators who like us get no work from Hireillo but stick around just long enough to make money for HI-then the cycle repeats. If you are an illustrator currently on the site beware (or relieved) Even a whiff of fact-checking sends the paranoid Hireillo reaching for the cancel subscription button......in my case I got there first!

Think of the famous poster "Labour Isn't Working" a line of people out of work snakes into the distance, and apply it to "Hireillo Isn't Working" and it doesn't seem out of place.

Hireillo claims itself a facilitator of new business for illustrators and this is what they say;"Hireillo helps clients find creatives and connect creatives with clients..... "
"Besides promoting our members and helping connect them with clients and art directors.."
".... for the last 20 years, I’ve been connecting freelance illustrators with clients...."
"Job requests are the projects art directors send me; I assist them with working out their budgets and finding suitable illustrators..."

This would be fine if it were true except it isn't. Other established illustrators I've been friends with have given Hireillo every opportunity to deliver and they failed-these illustrators are at the top of their game and Hireillo couldn't get them any work! Wow. So who do they get work for? You guessed, Hireillo.

Some advice; if you’re an illustrator, reading this here is something to bear in mind; Hireillo has no marketing plan to your target audience. When is the last time you got a commission from a schoolboy off social media?.....a housewife from mumsnet, or some bloke who wants to pay you with potatoes? Don't pay Hireillo anything unless they can prove to you they "actively" promote your work to named art-buyers from design consultancies, publishers, Advertising agencies etc who have a specific budget for buying illustration-when I asked them, they didn't like this question which to me is a red flag and the reason I left.

Hireillos' main problem is obvious, no marketing plan, and its only run by two nerdy coders who in my experience are clueless about illustration.

Hireillo hide behind emails, and are probably the worst "company" I've had to deal with for communication. They hate taking phone calls and do everything to hide their contact details. If you're not buying extras from them, they'll go passive-aggressive on you ignore your news and social media content in favour of other higher-spenders even if that means posting any old shlock which is mostly what it is.

To the uninitiated appearances can be deceptive ;Just because you see agents, or apparently successful illustrators on this or any site does not mean they're getting any work, they're often there just to suggest credibility. Many are plants, given a free pass and shills occupying the spaces from those who've left. For a site boasting a "community" of 500 isn't it strange that the average number of likes for a post on their social media is 3 (usually Hireillo liking themselves) Not very good is it.

The idea of a couple of inexperienced coders lying to illustrators and not providing the Promotion they need whilst playing at being illustrators agents picking and choosing their favourites (usually folks who've wasted even more money with them...) and recommending them supposedly to New business seems pointless when in reality these enquiries are really just time-wasters, they're not coming from creative clients like Art Buyers, Art Directors or Designers, they’re coming from the random flotsam and Jetsam of social media which has no budget for illustration and will never hire you.

Edit; Amusingly, on the very same date, (now there's a coincidence) hireillo has found two illustrators out of a claimed 500 willing to shill on Trustpilot and post five star fake reviews...Hireillo as usual are lying; however over at Reddit you can read the true views of artists;

Reddit Topic Title; Is HAI (Hire an illustrator) or similar services worth it?

"I used their(hireillo) services in the early days of freelancing and have never gotten a single message from clients..." Reddit

"Many of the clients seeking artists there were looking for the least they could pay for the best product..." Reddit

In conclusion; Illustrators hate hireillo even more now it's changed its name. Sad but true, most illustrators on Hireillo are just rearranging the seats on the Titanic.

I am a member of The Association Of Illustrators, I promote my work with them and The Directory of Illustration. I have over 25 years as a leading / award winning illustrator, and I'm having a lot of fun!