Pros and Cons of Hiring Freelance Software Developer
The freelance market has never been as rich before as it is now. By the end of 2027 freelancing is going to be 50% of the general workforce in the US. Canada has acknowledged a 71% growth in freelancers in 2021.
Speaking globally, the number of those who have decided to pursue freelance as a sole and long-lasting career has grown from 18.5 million to 28.5 between 2014 and 2019. March 2019 has shown that Google had 120,000 freelancers contracted as opposed to 102,000 in-house employees.
A separate piece of writing should be devoted to demonstrating the rising popularity of freelance as a new and profitable career opportunity, for both freelancers and employers.
A freelance field of services is quite an extensive tree of possibilities starting from baking cookies for kindergarten birthday parties and smoothly moving towards object-oriented software development.
With the global circumstances pushing people to make involuntary changes and alterations to their professional lives, humanity revealed the beauty of working for themselves, refining their schedule, and prioritizing what matters, still delivering the results that work beneficially on their profiles.
Sure, it is not pinky-perfect for freelancers and has its drawbacks. Businesses opting for hiring a workforce from freelance markets must also see all the benefits and pitfalls that this type of employment stores, as well as possible alternatives to consider for the company’s success and thriving. More on this one is further down the article.
Reasons for Rising Hype of Freelance Services
Freelancing is becoming a household name for the selection of ways people are involved in the working process. It can be a self-sufficient career choice. Specialists choose a freelance path because they see more benefits for themselves in the given life situation. Also, freelancers can be full-day employed people with the main job to do and completing the tasks in-between for some other contractors.
Freelance software development is one of the most utilized freelance specializations. A good freelance developer found via the means of freelance platforms, or by strong recommendation is quite a common experience for the companies to do with. A freelance software engineer might also be a person that does have a full-time position, yet taking up the tasks for personal practice, to hone skills and earn more points to their resume. To hire software programmers, the companies address freelance hubs very often and gain quite a profit from both productivity and finance stuff.
It is needless to say that the global pandemics of 2019 caused not only physical and material shifts but mental as well, especially in overthinking of what the working routine should be looking like. Flexibility has become a key condition to pursue. Remote working has offered some, yet there is still way too much to depend on and to report to. Freelancing does not mean that there is no discipline, or deadlines, or expectations.
A freelance software programmer, a freelance web designer, a freelance copywriter, or an SMM specialist are all obliged to complete the task if announced their competence in doing so, otherwise, their profile will get discarded from the platform as not reliable. However, freelancing puts a lot more perspective on the planning, estimating the amount of work, defining comfortable compensation, etc.
Moreover, freelancing serves well for those professionals who not only decide to take full charge of their working life but to change professions and strengthen their expertise level. In this case real talents, yet with no pudgy portfolios and pudgy experience part on the resume, may work at quite a lower price, but deliver exceptional results. Freelance software developer salary (not always) mostly can please the businesses to hire software developer freelance to have excellent outcomes with the budget-friendly attitude in mind.
In 2021 there was a term made up in the USA following the situation of people’s massive leaving of their jobs either by choice or because of being forced to. The name it has gotten we now know as a great resignation. The tendency is not only common in the US. As a result, lots of specialists around the globe offer their freelance services in quite meaningful and reliable conditions.
Advantages and Disadvantages to Hire a Freelance Software Developer
Freelancing is getting its momentum, due to the balance between those who want to do it and those who want to hire from this community. If the business owner considers hiring a freelance software developer, one must scrupulously back himself/herself up with a deep knowledge of the advantages and disadvantages of the potential experience.
Let’s start with benefits:
- Cost-effectiveness
A freelance software engineer’s salary is believed, and, actually, in most cases, proven to be much lower than the rate of in-house engineers. Also deciding to hire freelance software developer the company cuts its expenses on employment procedures and on organizing the space, buying equipment, providing medical insurance, etc. Freelance software developers’ rates, surely, vary, and to choose the lowest might not be a sensible move, pursuing middle is quite a strategy.
- Huge specialists pool
So many platforms offer a variety of professionals to choose from. Whether the company or a startup needs to hire a junior software developer freelance or a freelance infrastructure software engineer, it will be virtually bombarded with a lot of profiles offering their services colorfully described in a freelance software developer resume obligatory posted and enhanced with the references from the real employees(otherwise, it might be suspicious). To narrow down the list, the seeker must have the exact requirements, so that the platform could help with generating the best options.
- High expertise
Freelance software developer sites have both newcomers to the craft and those who have strong competence in the area due to either being a former employee in the huge company or still involved with such. A freelance software developer for hire that owns a strong grasp of the required knowledge is not a rare situation on the freelance market.
- Flexibility and speed
A software developer freelance is an enthusiastic representative of the development jobs. Meaning, that if he/she gets caught up in the project, he/she may be ready to deliver the outcomes that exceed expectations. Therefore, if there are some fixes or additions…they will feel like doing it instantly.
- Simplified legal moments
To find freelance software developer and contract him/her for the project or a part of it requires as little legal involvement as possible, which also reduces the cost of freelance software developer.
Some drawbacks to watch for:
- Lack of reliability
Even the best freelance software developer site will not guarantee that the candidate the company contracted for the position takes the job 100% seriously. Sure, there are reviews and recommendations, yet there is a possibility of a force majeure that might prevent a freelance software developer hire from completing the task. The consequences will not be huge for the developer, but quite unpleasant for the company.
- Quality
When hiring a development team from a staffing agency or getting a freelance agency software developer, it comes with guarantees that there will be quality control monitoring and a dedicated specialist or a team of such having their focus on the exactly assigned task. The freelance specialists working on themselves might pile up a lot of various tasks to increase a software developer freelance salary. Focus dispersing might influence the quality of delivery in a bad way.
- Security issues
This one might be the most critical that may divert from considering a freelance option. To read through a resume for a freelance software developer will not secure the company whether the data trusted to the specialist will be safe and not distributed to some other parties.
Even though there are some pitfalls to be aware of, freelance opportunities do have some potential for the company to cover its staffing needs.
Pros and Cons of Hiring Developers Through an Outstaffing Company
Hiring freelance specialists has its advantageous facets for businesses. Yet, the drawbacks keep on chasing the decision maker’s mind. To bring more peace to the table let’s have a look at the outstaffing company’s potential, as more reliable and accountable, alongside its advantages and disadvantages.
By contracting the staffing agency the company gets the following benefits
- Profound competency – top-tech talents with access to great technology and equipment with the constant condition of growing and upgrading.
- Full-Stack services – the agency offers a full package of services, starting with consulting and moving towards building up a strategic plan.
- Clear-cut deadline – regular reporting provides a picture of how well the development team follows the defined time frames…and usually, it does to avoid reputation damage.
- Stability – less risk is possible with the staffing agency since before sealing the deal, both parties are ready to face the terms and readiness to stand by them.
- Support and maintenance – staffing companies are determined to build long-term cooperation, that’s why they offer stable and meaningful support for the functionality when the project is complete.
Here are some disadvantages that are needed to be kept in mind:
- Higher cost – a staffing agency software engineer’s hourly rate might be higher than the freelance software developer rate, due to some company embedded payments.
- Lack of flexibility – the corporate world of doing business and that of the freelance one differ a lot since the first one is honed to keep up to working hours and rates according to these hours. Therefore, no way there might be a situation when some middle-of-the-night bug-fixing happens.
- Lack of personalization – having projects entering the company similar to how oranges are moving on the pipeline, may not provide attention to the tiniest specific detail of the next project on the table, which may harm the competitive potential of the client company.
- More stability is offered by the staffing agency, yet when there is a lack of feeling “my project is special” the overall value it is supposed to portray might simply get lost.
Freelancers vs Outstaffing
Having two decent options for augmenting the staffing potential of a startup or a bigger company, it might be useful to sum up the comparative features of both, so that to have a clearer picture of what to pursue:
| Freelance developer | Outstaffing | |
| Cost | An average freelance software developer salary is affordable | The compensation is higher |
| Expertise | It depends on the search requirements | High-profile companies recruit only top-tech talents with a strong expertise in quite various fields. |
| Reliability | Provokes some questions | Supposed to follow the corporate policy |
| Quality | A software engineer freelance salary may engage in several projects losing the gist and value of each. | A reliable team has its focus on one project to be working with. |
| Security | Hard to assure | A contract has the security part transparent and clear for the employees to follow. |
The information provided above does not imply that there is one thing to choose over the other. It just means that freelance might be more suitable for smaller projects with less sensitive data revealing, and contracting an outstaffing company may cover the needs of more complex development needs.
Want to receive flexibility from freelancers, but at the same time guarantees from the Company’s side? Mobilunity suits your requirements perfectly!
Software Developer Freelance Rates in the World
The present-day labor market allows access to specialists in various industries all around the globe. Not only does it allow reaching a high-quality, fully-matching requirements expert, but also being able to meet the most convenient compensation expectations for the top-quality services.
Let’s have a look at the following table to see freelance software engineer rates in several countries around the world for a senior, middle, and freelance junior software developer in hourly net salaries:
| Junior | Middle | Senior | |
| USA | $35 | $57,5 | $80 |
| Germany | $35 | $75 | $95 |
| Netherlands | $35 | $50 | $85 |
| UK | $41,9 | $82,19 | $118 |
| Ukraine | $25* | $40* | $55* |
*Ukrainian salaries are provided based on Mobilunity’s Recruitment Team research on the local job markets. All salaries are net and do not include the service fee (in case of hiring on a dedicated team model). The salaries are provided for comparison purposes and could be not entirely accurate. Contact us to know the exact cost of hiring a developer corresponding to the required parameters.
Obviously, Ukrainian developer hourly rate looks very enticing in terms of contracting IT specialists from there. Given that it has greatly developed IT infrastructure for both outstaffing and freelancing, access to cutting-edge technology, the top-professional pool of specialists, who stand by western values of doing business and performing tech tasks, a software developer freelance rate in Ukraine demands less financial rewards for its talents in comparison with the countries mentioned in the table.
Top Technologies in Freelance Software Development
Honestly, the technologies that are going to be described below are not solely pertaining to freelance software development, yet it is crucial tech skills to seek when looking to hire a talented freelance specialist. The seeker might use the list as indicators of professionalism when roaming the freelance platforms:
- Website Development
- API Development
- CSS
- PHP
- JavaScript
- HTML
- Python
- WordPress
- Web App development
- MySQL
- React
- AWS
- jQuery
It does not mean that all of them should be listed on the developer’s resume. However, if the majority of them are listed in the qualification section and the candidate can actually provide some insights concerning each of them, then the specialist is worth considering.
Brief Review of Popular Sites for Freelance
Platforms that offer freelance services are numerous. It is highly recommended to interact with proven ones that bear an immaculate image and tons of satisfied reviews. A reliable freelance market is more sure to offer reliable and trustworthy developers.
Let’s have a look at the most utilized platforms:
- Upwork
This resource is very appreciated by both employers and freelancers. The candidates are profoundly vetted, and the screening process is serious and precise. The job listings are in constant update and offer the most suitable according to requirements.
- Toptal
Toptal may not have an endless flow of job listings in the feed, yet it offers participation in projects for corporate giants (Salesforce, Microsoft, Bridgestone, etc.) for the top-notch freelancers of the world.
- Fiverr
Fiverr started as a platform for quick gigs, it has grown into a full-stack platform that unites clients and freelancers to work on various sizes of projects. The website is highly appreciated by beginners.
- Guru
Guru is one of the greatest freelance platforms with 800,000 employees listed and over 2 mln freelancers ready to do the job. The database is secured and verified, so there is everything legit about hiring a specialist through this hub. It is free to enter, yet charges when the first payment for the services is delivered.
- Freelancer.com
This is a grand place to be for highly-skilled experts, since the companies that hire are Amazon, IBM, and Google. It has a huge database of users, constantly updated job listings, and interactive functionality for the employer and freelancer to estimate the potential of the skills and the project details.
- People Per Hour
The candidates are certified and properly vetted. The employers may demonstrate the scope of the project for the freelancers to get an idea of what sort of tech-savvy will be needed. People Per Hour does not charge much when the first fee is received, so the clients value it quite much.
Hiring through trustworthy resources decreases risks and moves the chances for success and growing up for both a freelance developer and an employer.
Freelance Software Developer Roles and Responsibilities
Sure thing, developers’ roles, and responsibilities directly depend on the project and its requirements. However, there are some general qualifications and aspects to be in control of.
Responsibilities:
- Designing, building, testing, and deploying software products and their features
- Writing of a clean code
- Documentation management
- Troubleshooting and debugging
Qualifications:
- Degree in computer science or software engineering
- Proficiency in at least two programming languages
- Scripting language proficiency
- Understanding of OOP, algorithms, and data structures
- Front-end and back-end development competency
- Cloud environments expertise
- Linux operating system (at least working knowledge)
Let’s have a look at what might the resume of a freelance middle PHP software developer looks like:
Skills
- Excellent expertise in PHP
- Knowledge of Laravel 5
- Clean code writing
- Fixing bugs
- C# simple interface development
Experience
- CMS (WordPress, Magento, etc.) including modules development
- Linux, macOS
- Databases
- JSON experience
- Full-cycle development experience
- Silex, RabbitMQ, PHP-Daemon programming expertise
Education
- Master’s degree in computer science
A neatly done and precise resume is capable of giving an objective opinion of whether the candidate might cope with everything that the project needs.
Mobilunity as a Trustworthy Provider of Dedicated Software Developers
Deciding between freelance or outstaffing, you might take a look at a Ukraine-based software development services provider – Mobilunity, which has been for more than 10 years a reliable provider of high-profile specialists to deal with any IT staffing shortages and ensure top-professional assistance with development processes of any kind and any complexity. Mobilunity offers efficiency of fintech programmers, information systems consultants and other specialists, and undoubtful quality at a quite reasonable cost.
Such companies as i-doit, XPLG, Zenchef, Paidy, Camptocamp, BYG-E, ICUC, etc. will be living proofs of the excellence of services that this Ukrainian company delivers. The overall number of 200,000 tech specialists with immaculate professional expertise, high business ethics, and respect for Western values are capable of transforming the company’s vision of the product into a practical and winning competition solution on the market.
Conclusion
When the company cannot expand its in-house development team, freelancing or outstaffing might be critical solutions to maximize software development processes and deliver the product satisfying the present day-market needs. Thorough research and analysis of the professionals’ supply out there is the key to choosing the right specialists with the resources at the business’s disposal.
Do you need to hire freelance software developer to augment your team with a dedicated specialist? Get in touch with us!
All salaries and prices mentioned within the article are approximate NET numbers based on the research done by our in-house Recruitment Team. Please use these numbers as a guide for comparison purposes only and feel free to use the contact form to inquire on the specific cost of the talent according to your vacancy requirements and chosen model of engagement.
