Both Fy! and Desenio are popular choices for buying wall art online in the UK, and on the surface they look fairly similar — both sell art prints and framed art, both have gallery wall tools, both run regular sales. But they are built on quite different models, and that difference matters depending on what you're actually looking for.
This is an honest comparison of both. We'll cover the art itself, pricing, framing, delivery and who each is best suited to.
The fundamental difference
Desenio is a Swedish company with an in-house design team based in Stockholm. The art you buy from Desenio is created by Desenio's own designers and a small number of collaborating artists. It's a curated, trend-led collection, consistent in style, with a strong Scandinavian aesthetic running through most of it.
Fy! works differently. Every piece of art on Fy! comes from an independent artist. There are over 5,000 artists on the platform from around the world, each selling their own work. When you buy from Fy! you're buying directly from the person who made it, with Fy! handling the printing and fulfilment.
That difference shapes everything else about the two companies — the range, the pricing, the feel of the product, and who you're really buying from.
The art and range
Desenio has a tightly edited collection with a recognisable house style. You'll find a lot of minimalist illustration, black and white photography, Scandinavian typography and clean abstract work. It's very on-trend and consistently well-curated. If you know you want a certain clean, modern look and you want everything to feel like it belongs together, Desenio makes that easy.
The limitation is that the range reflects one design team's taste. If you want something more expressive, more niche, more personal or simply different from the Scandi-minimalist mainstream, you'll hit the edges of their catalogue fairly quickly.
Fy! has a much broader and more varied range precisely because it reflects the tastes of thousands of different artists. You'll find everything from bold maximalist illustration to quiet botanical photography to vintage film posters to abstract oil painting. The collection grows every day as new artists add work.
The breadth also means Fy! suits more specific or personal searches better. If you're looking for a Japandi landscape print, a cycling illustration, a specific city map or something that genuinely feels like it could only hang in your home, the chances of finding it on Fy! are higher.
Winner for range: Fy! — not because Desenio's range is poor, but because 5,000+ independent artists producing original work will always offer more variety than a single in-house studio.
Price
Both sites run frequent sales — typically 40 to 50 percent off — so it's worth comparing sale prices rather than full retail.
Desenio is generally positioned as an affordable option. Unframed prints start very cheaply, particularly at smaller sizes. Adding a frame increases the cost but the overall price for a framed print is still competitive. This is part of their appeal — decent quality at a low entry price.
Fy! prices vary more because each artist sets their own royalty rate. On average, Fy! prints tend to be slightly higher priced than Desenio at comparable sizes, particularly for framed options. You're partly paying for the independent provenance of the work and the made-to-order production model rather than mass-produced stock.
Winner for price: Desenio, particularly at the entry level. Fy! offers better value at the mid to upper end where quality and originality matter more.
Print and framing quality
Desenio prints are printed on good quality paper and customer reviews are generally positive about the crispness of the image. Their frames are sold separately from the prints, which gives you flexibility but means you need to assemble the two yourself. The frames use perspex rather than glass, which is lighter and shatterproof but can look slightly less premium than acrylic glazing.
One consistent theme in Desenio UK reviews is that delivery via Evri has caused problems for some customers — damaged prints, delayed orders and difficulties with returns have come up repeatedly in recent feedback.
Fy! prints on 220gsm museum-grade paper using fade-resistant inks. Framed prints are sold as a complete ready-to-hang product with sustainably sourced solid wood frames, crystal-clear acrylic glazing, archival backing and pre-mounted hooks. Everything arrives assembled, so there's nothing to put together.
Every Fy! order is made to order and shipped from the print lab closest to you — UK, US, Europe or Australia — rather than from a central warehouse. This keeps shipping distances short and means the print is fresh rather than sitting in stock.
Winner for framing quality: Fy! — the ready-to-hang framed print is a more complete and consistent product, and the made-to-order model means better freshness and quality control.
The artist question
This is where the two companies are most different, and it's worth being direct about it.
When you buy from Desenio, your money goes to a Swedish commercial company. There's nothing wrong with that, and their in-house team clearly produce work people like. But the art is a commercial product created to sell, not an individual artist's original work.
When you buy from Fy!, part of what you pay goes directly to the artist who made it. There are over 5,000 independent creators on the platform, many of them running small creative businesses. Buying from Fy! is a more direct way to support original creative work.
If that matters to you — and for a lot of people it does — it's a meaningful difference.
Winner: Fy! — if supporting independent artists is part of why you buy art, Fy! is the more aligned choice.
Side by side
| Fy! | Desenio | |
|---|---|---|
| Art source | 5,000+ independent artists worldwide | In-house Stockholm design team |
| Range | Very broad, grows daily | Curated, consistent Scandi aesthetic |
| Print quality | 220gsm museum-grade paper | Good quality paper, well reviewed |
| Framing | Ready-to-hang, solid wood, acrylic glazing | Sold separately, perspex glazing |
| Production | Made to order, shipped from nearest lab | Pre-produced stock |
| Price | Mid to upper range | Budget to mid range |
| Delivery UK | Standard, ships from UK lab | Via Evri — mixed recent reviews |
| Returns | Free returns and replacement policy | Standard returns process |
| Artist support | Direct royalty to each artist | Commercial in-house model |
So which should you choose?
Choose Desenio if you want affordable, on-trend Scandinavian-influenced prints, you're happy to frame things yourself, and you're not too concerned about where the design comes from.
Choose Fy! if you want original work from independent artists, you want a wider and more varied range, you'd rather have a fully finished ready-to-hang product, or supporting individual creators matters to you.
The two companies serve slightly different needs. Desenio has built its reputation on affordable, consistent design. Fy! is the better choice when originality, quality and supporting independent art are the priority.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Is Fy! or Desenio better for wall art in the UK?
It depends on what you're looking for. Desenio is better for budget-friendly, trend-led Scandinavian prints. Fy! is better for original work from independent artists, wider variety, higher framing quality and a ready-to-hang product. For most people buying art they genuinely want to live with long-term, Fy! offers a more considered and original option.
Q: Is Desenio cheaper than Fy!?
Generally yes, particularly at smaller sizes and for unframed prints. Desenio's entry price point is lower. Fy!'s prices reflect the independent artist model and the higher specification of the ready-to-hang framed product. Both run regular sales of 40 to 50 percent off.
Q: Does Desenio use independent artists?
Desenio's core collection is designed in-house by their Stockholm team, with some collaborations with external artists. They do not operate as an open marketplace for independent artists in the way Fy! does. On Fy!, every piece of art is sold by the individual artist who created it.
Q: Are Fy! prints better quality than Desenio?
Fy! uses 220gsm museum-grade paper with fade-resistant inks, and framed prints use solid wood frames with acrylic glazing. Both companies produce prints customers are generally happy with, but Fy!'s framed product is more complete — it arrives assembled and ready to hang with better specified materials overall.
Q: Which has a bigger range, Fy! or Desenio?
Fy! has a significantly larger range because it draws from the work of over 5,000 independent artists worldwide. Desenio has a carefully curated collection with a consistent house style. If you know you want the Scandi-minimalist look, Desenio's curation can actually be helpful. If you want more variety, more niche themes or more original work, Fy! wins on range.
Browse Fy! art prints: www.iamfy.co/collections/art-prints Browse Fy! framed art: www.iamfy.co/collections/wall-art Try the AI Gallery Wall Designer: www.iamfy.co/a/gallery-wall
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