Freelancer or Software House – who should you work with?

technological debt
Dawid Brezwan
Latest posts by Dawid Brezwan (see all)

Before choosing the right option, it is essential to identify the difference between freelancing and software house services.

The concept of freelancing relates to a single person handling software development, typically from the shelter of their household. The person usually works for an IT company and is using some extra hours on projects for individual investors. It’s a popular method to earn some additional money and gain experience while pursuing smaller projects.

A software house is a larger organization that deals with dedicated, customized IT solutions for business clients. It does what a freelancer could do, but on a bigger scale. Software house projects are normally more advanced than those contracted with a freelancer.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of hiring a freelancer?

The main reason to hire a freelancer would be the financial one. It’s definitely much cheaper to have just one person work on a project. The other perk of giving the task to a freelancer is a pretty good chance we will be dealing with someone who has a great knowledge of the software. As mentioned above, many of the freelancers out there, work for professional teams as well.  Having all that in mind, we have to be also aware that the whole process will probably be more time-consuming and the result could not be enough if we’d expect a fully customized software. It’s simply not possible to quickly deliver well-developed and complex software if only one person is working on it (after hours)… Overall, leaving an IT project in the hands of an individual developer is quite risky because every sickness, trip or other reason for taking an off day means suspension of the whole procedure with no one to take over!

How a software house could save the day?

The biggest advantage of a software house is… The continuity! The lack of it if dealing with freelancers sends more demanding customers right to companies such as eVolpe Software House. Having an organized team handle the job is much safer and efficient. As a client, you can expect that even if one of the team members gets some time off, your project is being pursued without any disruptions.  A software house operates accordingly to high standards of project planning, so you can be certain everything will be right on track even if someone skipped work that day. You could also await warranty or additional support (even after the software was implemented).

The only disadvantage you could find is probably the price. But that’s only if you are looking at it in terms of what’s objectively cheaper. Obviously, you will pay less for hiring a freelancer. But you will also receive less professional customer service. So those are only apparent savings. In the end, if you’re looking for an experienced, organized and well-equipped unit to deliver a customized software on time – the answer can be only software house!

How about an example to understand it better?

One of the most common examples while explaining IT development is the analogy to a construction project.

Let’s imagine you are building a house for yourself and your family. Even if the single construction worker you hired doesn’t deliver on time, nothing serious will happen. Well, you will probably have to stay at your parent’s house for a little longer (and no one would like that) but no tragedy yet.

Now, let’s say you are responsible for delivering a stadium before the soccer world championships.  The pressure increases, right? The deadline is serious, your bosses are watching you, the whole COUNTRY (!) is watching you… For such investment, you will definitely need an experienced, reliable partner who can assure you of the high level of proficiency and who will take the responsibility off your shoulders.

In conclusion…

When the project is small and there’s no pressure to finish it fast – hire a freelancer.

When your project is rather big and the time factor is important for you – hire a software house.

Dawid Brezwan
Latest posts by Dawid Brezwan (see all)
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