A big difference between working with a freelancer or software house is in the size of the project and the number of people involved. Hiring a freelancer means collaborating with a single person with a specialized skillset. Working with a software house means cooperating with a team whose members have diverse areas of expertise.

Naturally, there are pros and cons to both choices!

Pros of working with a freelancer

Lower costs
Because you’re paying for the services of a single person, costs will be kept to a minimum.

Flexible hours
Freelancing is mainly a side gig, so your freelancer will be probably available during weekends and evenings.

Direct responsibility
Since the freelancer works alone, they assume direct responsibility for their work.

Cons of working with a freelancer

Longer time to project completion
With just one person on the job, more time is needed for completion.

Limited documentation
Because a freelancer isn’t overseeing a huge project, it’s not necessary for them to draw up documentation outlining their part.

Lack of comprehensiveness
General project details aren’t available to a freelancer. So they don’t really know how their work will fit into your project, whether it will fit into your project, or what is r elevant to your project.

Less creativity
As creative as a single freelancer may be, it’s hard to compete with teams of 3, 5 or even more people who are just as creative.

No office for meetings
Freelancers usually don’t have an office where you can meet.

Technical support and maintenance often not included
After the freelancer has completed their task, that’s it. Technical support and maintenance after deployment often are not part of the deal.

Pros of working with a software house

Comprehensiveness
Working with a team of professionals who have varied skillsets means they can take on more comprehensive roles in your project, even from start-to-finish.

Written documentation
Since a software house offers more inclusive services, written documentation that outlines the scope of the project is also provided.

Technical support and maintenance
After a project is completed, technical support and maintenance is available.

Faster project completion
Even if the project is larger than what you would have assigned a freelancer, because you’re working with a team, a software house is still able to complete it faster.

More experts with diverse areas of expertise
A diverse team of developers, testers, analysts, graphic designers, support engineers, or more - will be applying their areas of expertise to your project.

Dedicated project manager
A dedicated project manager will coordinate all the work.

Office available for meetings
You can visit a software house at their office to discuss any details of your project.

Cons of working with a software house

Higher costs
Since a software house provides more comprehensive services from a diverse team of professionals, this will naturally cost more than the services of a single person.

Less flexibility in terms of schedules and deadlines
A software house has typical working hours from 9-5 Mon-Fri. Urgent deadlines must be communicated ahead of time.

So, freelancer or software house?

It depends on the project. If you have a relatively simple task to complete, then you’ll save costs by going with a freelancer. However, if your project is a little more complicated and needs more comprehensive services, then a software house is your best bet.