Benefits of Hiring a Company rather than Freelancer for Mobile & Web App Development?

Having a great product idea is not great enough to get your business rolling. You need to develop the idea into the minimal viable product (MVP), check on the initial customers’ feedback and further develop the product.

The next crucial move is whom to approach for product development; an experienced and professional software development company or a freelancer.

In today’s competitive market, the go to market time is critical for any product, and who can better assist you than the development team. The globalized market has witnessed the mushrooming growth of specialized service providers and freelancers, all trying to grab a bigger pie of the market.

But every mobile and web app development process is a different project, and there is no standard rule as to when to company or a freelancer. The choice and decision of app development partner is a difficult question for every product owner.

This article aims to bring out the pros and cons of both hiring a company or a freelancer for mobile and web app development, to help you better judge your situation and proceed with suitable app development partner.

A software development company is a legal entity of professionals offering product development and lifecycle services from consulting to product maintenance.

On the other side, a freelancer is a self-employed individual with the specific skill set and working with numerous clients on an ongoing or recurring basis.

• Customer experience:
• The basic purpose of any app development is to provide seamless customer experience to the app visitors, be it a mobile app or a web app development.
• An outsourcing software development company is well equipped to offer services across tech domains and expertise required for a, whereas a freelance will be having limited resources and capabilities to offer.
• Collaborate:
• A company brings its varied experience and assists the entrepreneur, the startup founders or big enterprises in the app development journey. They provide collaborative efforts in technical engagement and support the product owners in product lifecycle maintenance or product migration etc.
• On the contrary, a freelancer cannot join hands and support in the long run. They are more focused on completion of the project, irrespective of its future success.
• Customize:
• Though a freelance can offer customized services still the area of operations are limited as compared to a professional team of varied resources working in a company.
• The web app development company offers sustainability in terms of engagement. The company can be engaged in any project irrespective of the project size and timelines with their team building capability and capacity.
• They offer a professional team of project managers, developers, testing professionals, designers, consultants etc. The app development teams are equipped with latest trends in technology and development methodologies.
• A freelance will never be able to offer expertise across domains as compared to a mobile app development company.

• Connection:
• The app development company has a diverse pool of resources at its disposal and can offer end to end product development and support services for app development.
• The freelancer cannot handle the integrated app development process. Moreover, he is not aware of the new technology and development environment being utilized by the companies.
• Commercial Engagement:
• A freelance might charge lower rates with almost nil operating cost and other overheads but same stands true for an offshore outsourcing company.
• The higher perceived hourly rates offered by the company to provide additional benefits in terms of expertise and experienced team.
• The quality and on-time delivery for app development is the priority for the ideator and company as their credibility is at stake.
• Consistency:
• A project manager is responsible for the entire team of developers and designers working on any project. The projects managed by web app development company are developed within a pre-defined statement of work and legally abiding contract whereas the freelancer would not sign a legal contract with a defined statement of work.
• In case of any concerns raised by the product entrepreneurs, the company offers relief with the project escalation matrix and corrective action. But with a freelance, where are you going to ask for remedy, if they have screwed your project.
• Communication:
• Any app development process involves many aspects to be strategized and developed. This requires internal communication and exchange of ideas to overcome hurdles, which can be easily brainstormed during project meetings.
• The development status reports are shared with the customer at regular intervals and any iteration, if required are performed.
• Credibility:
• The outsourcing company has a track record and references which can be scrutinized and inquired before entering into the development engagement. The individuals struggle to showcase the past work and relevant references.

Summary:

Whether you choose to hire an app development company or a freelancer; all depends on the project requirements in terms of flexibility, timelines, technical expertise needed, efforts and costs involved, security and safety of the app data, performance criteria etc.

In the end, it is not just about the costs involved or the company or the freelance but about having a right match to the product development needs.

An infographic can be made in the en

Below is a small recap of the different characteristics of an app development company versus a freelancer. This will help you understand what each party brings to the table and whether the parameter is critical for your app development process.

App Development Company

Freelancer

Experienced and capable team

Individual person

Diversified skill set

Restricted skill set

Long-standing relationships

One project

Constant updates and support

No enhancements

Mature development process

No precise development process

Adopts industry standards for security and safety

No concern for security and safety

Compliance with statutory legal requirements

No knowledge about statutory legal requirements

Team building capacity

Just one person

Adherence to project timelines

Works according to self-interest

My name is Hemendra Singh. I am Managing Director and Co-Founder of The NineHertz, a Mobile App Development Company. My ideology is that, a clear vision and hard work builds a great company.