In-House Developer or Freelancer: Who to Hire?

The labor market is changing and evolving thanks to freelancers. Many skilled professionals decide to give up on traditional working hours, so they can focus on projects and milestones and rediscover themselves.

There are benefits of both full-time employment and freelance contracts. Many companies decide to combine the two approaches to maximize the business benefits. Still, many are undecided about freelancers and insist on full-time and part-time working hours.

At the same time, many companies use freelance platforms so they can hire a developer, IT expert, content writer, copywriter, graphic designer, or any professional they need. The main benefit of hiring freelancers is paying for actual completed work and having the results delivered right on time. Also, you can hire developers from all around the world and find the most suitable talents for your project.

That’s why we choose to talk about the benefits (and disadvantages) of hiring a freelance developer but also of being a developer freelancer.

Pros and Cons of Hiring Freelance Developers

When hiring a full-time developer, there are many additional expenses for the company besides the salary.

IT companies choose freelancers so they can save money on training, paid benefits, taxes, and health insurance. These payments are mandatory for full-time employees. Freelancers offer their services, and they are paid for the very same service as negotiated with the client. So, it leads to these benefits:

1. Hiring The Right Person

There is no need for personality estimation, productivity checks, or small talks. If you need to hire laravel developers, you do that. If you need to hire java developers, you reach out directly to them. There is no process of recruitment and interviews since you know exactly who you need and what’s your budget for that project.

2. Talented Freelancers Open to Work

The main benefit of hiring a freelancer is the access to many specialized talents who can complete the project on time. They always deliver exceptional work without using benefits such as corporate computers, desks, and office supplies, and they don’t ask for a permanent position at the company.

3. Diversity and flexibility

Freelancers work when they want and can come up with a schedule that fits their habits and still be more productive than in-house developers. Sometimes they are available on weekends, which means fast reaction and immediate bug fixes.

Additionally, diversity is beneficial because of different approaches to tasks, work culture, and education, which leads to better business solutions.

4. Multi-skilled Developers

Many freelancers decide to focus on more programming languages and frameworks, so they can easily get hired on top-paid projects. They work on improving their skills all the time. Because of that, recruiters can easily hire react native developers who are also skilled in JavaScript, React JS, or any other framework or programming language. These people can adapt to demanding tasks and complete them successfully.

At the same time, these are some of the cons of hiring a freelance developer:

• They are not loyal to the company and may work for your competition
• Lack of supervision
• Inconsistency when it comes to delivered quality of work
• Payment limitations and keeping a tab on many payment methods
• They may not be available when you need them urgently
• Different security issues

So, it’s crucial to find the balance and make the right decision. Sometimes, in-house developers are a better choice because they are committed to company projects and milestones and get paid regularly for that.

Pros and Cons of Being a Freelance Developer

Flexible hours and being your own boss – that’s what you get when you choose to be a developer freelancer. You don’t have employee benefits like paid taxes, sick days, paid vacation, or maternity leave. But, many developers claim they earn enough to let themselves skip a few days to go on a vacation, pay for private healthcare, or even go for a maternity or paternity leave and offer their services after a few months.

1. You Are Flexible and Independent

You don’t have to depend on the desk, working hours, and rude coworkers. Freelancers are mostly independent, and they can work on a flexible schedule. That means you don’t have office politics, no meetings, no distractions, and no pressure.

You can even choose to work fewer hours if you are on vacation and have complete control over that decision.

2. You can Choose the Clients Alone

When working in a company, you are determined to meet their clients, and you need to get used to many rules, protocols, and working procedures. But, as a freelancer, you can choose the right clients and set a deal with those you want to work with.

Or we can say that you are also interviewing them, as they do to you. That can precisely tell if you are a good match or not. Many freelancers have long-term clients and still manage to keep their flexible hours and independence.

3. You Are Building an Exceptional CV

Freelance projects are relevant to your job history. You can prove you have the needed skills for a job position, even if you later decide you want to try full-time commitment.

Employers also appreciate the freelance experience, making it relevant when making a decision on who to hire.

4. You Can Take Some Time Off

Freelance developers are well-paid, and if you are so, you can surely take some time off if you feel too tired. On the other hand, this is a little complicated when you have a long-term client, but we are sure you can figure this out.

And let’s see the potential cons of freelancing as a developer:

• You have to pay self-employment taxes
• Some deductions can be higher than expected
• You pay for your insurance yourself
• You are not eligible for employee benefits
• Sometimes it isn’t easy to find a good client
• Some payment methods may not work in your country
• Projects may end earlier than expected
• You will mostly work alone at home
• You may feel isolated

Again, it’s up to you to find the balance and make the right decision at the particular moment. The good thing is that the experience counts, and you can always apply for a developer 9-to-5 job and get hired immediately. Also, you can still keep some of your side gigs, just in case.

The Final Words

We tried to cover every possible aspect to help you decide if you need an in-house developer or if you can hold onto freelancers. Also, we hope we helped developers to decide if they still want to stick to their freelance projects or may want to try something new and enjoy the employee benefits.

No one can ever answer whether it’s better to be or to hire a freelancer or offer a full-time job to a developer. It all depends on the current conditions, budget, availability, and the real needs for that job position. We also hope that companies will recognize the benefits of hiring freelancers.

Additionally, we suggest trying the hybrid way, by mixing both in-house developers and freelancers at the same time, to maximize productivity, efficiency, and the number of completed tasks.