Perhaps, the most important decision that every business has to make for app development is having to choose between freelancers and web development companies. The growth and success of a business in today’s world depends a lot on its digital appearance. Therefore, it is crucial for a business to select the right technology partner who can transform the business’s dream into reality.
At a time like this, when the world is dealing with difficult situations created by the pandemic, one may consider hiring a freelancer to save money or a web development company for the quality. But can the freelancer or the web development company really be trusted for breathing life into your idea? The truth is that you would find many software development companies and freelancers on the internet who look promising and make you believe that they are the best for your business.
Selecting the best one out of so many of them is a daunting task.
So this post is to help you solve the confusion between freelancer vs web development company and what to choose.
Freelance Web Development
Freelance web development is a development service provided by a freelancer who works independently for different companies. A freelancer usually has various projects in hand and different deadlines for each project. The freelance developer works remotely from home and is generally paid some money in advance and the rest on completion of the project. Freelancer developers can be hired from trusted platforms such as Upwork, Toptal, Hired, GitHub Jobs, etc. You can also hire app developers Melbourne
What are the merits and demerits of hiring a freelancer?
Like every coin has two sides, hiring a freelancer for web development also has its pros and cons. However, if you hire a professional freelancer from a reliable source, you may be able to leverage the benefits that freelance web development offers.
Merits
- Cost-savings – Freelancers charge a much lower amount for web development as compared to web development companies. If you have an extremely low budget for web development you can consider hiring a freelancer.
- Flexibility – Freelancers are available to work as and when required. The flexibility is an advantage for a business in case the time zones and locations of the business and freelancer differs.
- Speed – Professional freelancers are dedicated to delivering their projects on time so as to work on more projects. Therefore, their work is fast and the results are delivered quickly.
- Numerous options – The platforms where you can hire freelancers from have a wide pool of freelancers with unique skills. Therefore, it is easy to find freelancers based on your requirements.
Demerits
- Lack of professionalism – Freelancers aren’t bound by a contract and work independently, therefore they may lack professionalism which may affect the quality of web development.
- No maintenance and support guaranteed – Since freelancers have multiple projects they work on for different clients, they don’t usually provide any support or maintenance after delivering the web app.
- Delivery delays – There’s always a risk of delayed deliveries or no delivery of the project. Freelancers work at their will and monitoring their work is difficult.
- Lack of quality – Web development requires a team of developers with different specializations to come together and develop an app. It is difficult to find a freelancer that possesses multiple skills to handle all the processes on his own. The freelancers further hire other people to complete parts of the development process which may affect the quality of the project.
- Miscommunication risks – Miscommunication is bound to happen due to the lack of regular face-to-face contact with freelancers. When a freelancer hasn’t completely understood your requirements, he will not be able to deliver the project as per your expectations.
Web Development Company
A web development company is a professional company that houses a team of qualified developers with different specializations and skills. The company handles web development from start to end. Web development companies can be found on platforms such as Clutch, LinkedIn, and GoodFirms.
What are the merits and demerits of hiring a web development company?
A web development company may be the right choice if you require professional developers that have varied specializations. There are a few demerits also associated with hiring a web development company. Let’s have a look at the merits and demerits.
Merits
- Organized process – Software development companies followed an organized web development process and require less monitoring.
- Timely delivery – A good reputation and review are important for the companies and they ensure the projects are delivered on time.
- Support and maintenance – These companies also provide technical support and maintenance after the delivery of the application.
- Enhanced quality – The immense experience in the industry enables software development companies to develop quality projects.
- Latest technology stack – Web development companies are updated with the latest technologies and use the modern technology stack for web development.
Demerits
- Costly – The services offered by software development companies are costlier than those provided by freelancers. This may be because of the location or reputation of the company. However, the high cost also ensures quality.
- Less flexible – Web development companies aren’t available 24*7 as they have fixed working hours. This may be inconvenient for some businesses that are based in a different time zone.
- Longer delivery time – Unlike freelancers, web development companies take a longer time to deliver projects due to the complex internal processes.
What to choose between the two?
Having drawn a comparison between freelancers and web development companies, choosing between the two seems to depend on your business requirements. Since both sides have their own pros and cons, therefore, it cannot be guaranteed that a web development company will develop a better app when compared to a freelancer or vice-versa. Therefore, while choosing you can consider what factors are more important for your business and decide accordingly. For instance, if your budget is extremely low and there is no way you can hire a company, a freelancer is the best choice for you.