Independent worker or group of consultants? This tough choice depends on the product's distinct aspects, budget planning and expectations for quality and delivery dates. Let's analyze basic concepts and differences, selection criteria and tips that will help decide.

Pros and Cons of Freelancing

An independent specialist is hired to perform specific tasks. This is often a Web Development Freelancer, a mobile application engineer, a Software Development Freelancer, a UX/UI creator, etc. Let's consider the main perks of hiring a freelancer.

• Low cost of services. Such an employee charges less than a Company, since they don’t have office, administrative, and personnel expenses.
• Individual approach. The contractor interacts directly with the client, making understanding the business’s needs easier.
• Quick start. The specialist gets to work without lengthy negotiations or agreements, especially with objectives clearly defined.

At the same time, there are disadvantages of such collaboration.

• Dependence on One Person. If the contractor becomes unavailable, the work risks coming to a stop.
• Risk of Missed Deadlines. Without a Manager's oversight, the employee may fail to meet the delivery dates.
• Limited Competencies. One coder lacks all the necessary qualifications to master the project, like backend, frontend, design, and testing.
• Management Problems. Single employees might not stick to the established procedures, so the guarantees of work completion are weaker than those of contracting organizations.

Before hiring, carefully evaluate your requirements, potential risks, and person’s level of responsibility.

Agency: Upsides and Downsides

The agency is engaged in software creation and also design, marketing, analytics.

What are the advantages of collaboration?

• Team Approach. Several specialists are involved in the task, ensuring the quality of results.
• Scalability. If you need to expand the team, the Company will involve additional people right away.
• Reliability. A Manager is in charge of a contract and clear guarantees for delivery.
• A Wider Range of Services. Organizations have UX/UI designers, marketers, QA engineers, and others, simplifying the product creation.

In addition to the mentioned benefits, there are drawbacks to such a partnership.

• Higher Cost. The organization has to invest in a team, office, and administrative overhead.
• Less Flexibility. Bureaucracy and formal processes can slow down the process.
• Longer Approvals. In large Companies, decisions pass through multiple levels of management.
• Lack of a Personalized Approach. The client becomes one of a variety, which can result in less attention to detail and individual needs.

If you are creating a website or a small mobile application, a freelancer will be a good option. But it is best to contact a custom Software Development Agency if you are working on large projects, where quality, scalability, and guarantees are important. The key is to select, focusing on the assessment of your business’s assignments.