When it comes to software development many companies, startups and entrepreneurs faced up with a choice: work with an agency or freelancers. I have been working as a freelancer and as an agency manager, I know differences in workflow. Also, I have managed many web development projects with freelancers and agencies. Summing up my experience, I want to highlight key points while working with both.

Cost:
Hiring an independent freelance developer is cheaper than working with an agency because the cost doesn’t include expenses for rent, sales, project management, and social package. If you don`t expect your project to be profitable, it is better to work with a freelancer.

Quality:
Agencies have talented teams to help deliver results for clients. If there is an issue, an agency has a large team who can work together to solve the issue. Also, testing is more efficient if it is done by a team than by independent developer. If you need high-quality products it is better to work with an agency.

Reliability:
Freelancers might become unwell, go on holiday or have an emergency. This can stop them from continuing the project you’ve hired them for. Agency won`t stop the workflow because other team members can replace a person who can`t continue work. Also, you might build a long-term work relationship with a good agency. This will help secure more future projects.

To sum up, if you are going to start your next project, consider that low price of working with a freelancer can head to additional cost for redevelopment bad-codded projects. I had a lot of clients asking to fix projects, developed by not professional freelance developers. Sometimes there was only one option for our agency — rewrite all project from the mockup. If the quality of your web application will affect your revenue and you want to continue project development for a long-term, it is better to choose agency than a freelancer.