Outsourcing Company vs. Freelancers for Design and Development

Outsourcing business operations have become highly popular these days. Every growing business will sooner or later find itself in demand for creating a professional web design or developing a software. When certain IT tasks arise, performing them will require suitable human resources like professional UI/UX designers or software developers. In such cases, searching for “tech guys” online is a great idea. 

Many businesses prefer to recruit freelancers rather than hiring an in-house team to meet their web design and software development needs. At the same time, outsourcing IT tasks to offshore agencies is another popular option. So what is the principal difference between these two approaches? In this posting, we will compare hiring outsourcing companies vs.freelance specialists for business operations to figure out what are the pros and cons of these two feasible options.

Read also: BENEFITS OF OUTSOURCING

Setting Up Outsourcing Development Team

This approach presupposes that you will hire an outsourcing web design company to remotely delegate IT tasks with minimum risks. It is suitable for businesses with a steady workload and long-term projects. When compared to in-house developers, hiring an outsourcing development team allows for significant money savings. The following are the pros and cons of this choice:

Advantages of offshore software development agencies:

  • Legal guarantees. This means more trust and better transparency in reporting 
  • Reduced time spent on hiring
  • Better working standards
  • Full control over the development process 

Disadvantages of offshore software development agencies:

  • Relatively long hiring
  • Higher costs

Read also: ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS. HOW IT HELPS TRADITIONAL BUSINESS GET DIGITIZED

Recruiting a Freelancer

This model works best if all you need is one or several full/part-time specialists to perform a certain task. In other words, your workload is too small to hire a team of coders. Here are the factors that you need to consider before making a decision to recruit a freelance expert:

Advantages of hiring a freelancer

  • Cost-effectiveness. This model allows you to save a big chunk of your budget 
  • Best-in-class services. You can find a cream-of-the-crop professional your field

Disadvantages of hiring a freelancer

  • Legal issues. There are certain legal pitfalls to keep in mind when you hire a freelance worker. For example, there is no guarantee that he/she will not sell your important data to third parties
  • Lack of control. Freelancers are much more independent compared to in-office workers. This means they are more difficult to control

Read also: HOW TO LAUNCH YOUR PRODUCT WITH OPTIMIZED BUDGET AND TERMS

Should I Recruit a Development Company or a Freelance Developer?

  • Initial Risk

You will have to perform a leap of faith when hiring a freelance developer, especially when hiring for the first time. But things are not that different with web design studios. After all, they are all strangers to you.

  • Reliability

From a perspective of reliability, hiring a web design agency seems a better option as freelancers’ loyalty can be very low.

  • Availability

Sometimes freelancers are unable to squeeze your task into their tough work schedule, which causes unwanted delays. In contrast, an expert web design studio is always available to handle anything that you may want done.

  • Flexibility

Undoubtedly, freelance professionals are much more flexible than web design and development studios as it is often easier for them to quickly adjust their schedule to your requirements and needs. At the same time, professional agencies can provide the kind of stable work that freelancers cannot.  

  • Cost

The price is one of the biggest benefits of hiring a freelancer when compared to recruiting an expert web design studio for your outsourcing needs. Because of overhead costs, their services generally tend to be more costly as compared to freelance specialists.

Agencies vs. Freelancers

Both models provide flexibility in recruiting. Both approaches allow you to save a great amount of your budget as you do not need to rent an office or buy equipment. When it comes to short-term projects, hiring a freelancer seems a better idea. At the same time, long-term tasks require a professional web design agency as only those guys are reliable enough to effectively deal with them. Furthermore, unlike freelancers, outsourcing companies can guarantee that your important data remains safe.

Read also: THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING YOUR OUTSOURCING PARTNER

Any Other Options?

It is also possible to combine outsourcing services with temporary freelance workers. This approach has the potential to offer even more productiveness. However, it requires a strong management board that would have to oversee the workflow, set tasks, provide constant communication, and ensure productivity at the same time.

Key Takeaways

The pros of hiring an outsourcing web design agency are numerous. Recruiting a freelancer is more cost-effective, but slower and riskier option. Besides, there are other factors for you to take into account before making a final decision, such as your specific project requirements, flexibility, and reliability. At Loonar Studios, we believe that outsourcing your IT tasks to a professional web design studio is absolutely a smarter choice. But the final word is up to you, this choice will definitely depend on your specific requirements. Don’t forget to get in touch with us if you have any questions. Good luck!