Agency Developer vs. Freelancer: Which Path Should Be Best For You?

Freelancer vs. agency developer

Due to the sudden rise of digital marketing, most business organizations are making mobile marketing and e-commerce a high priority.

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Hence, the job opportunities for web developers have been increasing constantly since the last few years. Nevertheless, as you may already know, the more choices or opportunities you have, the more challenging it becomes to choose one among them.

Nowadays, the majority of web developers generally opt for two common paths, which are – working for an agency and freelancing.

Both of these options have their own advantages, but, before opting for either of them, you would have to consider their cons too. So, if you are being torn apart between these two lucrative choices, then we can help you with it.

In this write-up, we will be discussing both the career options in an elaborate manner. Furthermore, to make your job of taking the final decision even easier, we will also be providing some of the advantages and disadvantages of them.

So, if you read the whole piece thoroughly, then you will surely be able to understand the aspects of freelancer vs. agency developer.

Hence, let us get started with it.

Working as an Organizational Web Developer

As the name suggests, an organizational web developer works for a particular agency and is devoted to it. They work on both the front-end and the back-end of the systems and get a reasonable salary for their hard work.

There was a time, most people used to opt for working for an agency as the job is more secure and safe. But, because of the uprising of the freelancing market, it is not considered to be the best possible option nowadays.

However, it still has its own pros and cons, which make them the best option for some people and the worst for others. So, if you want to know more about the aspects of freelancer vs. agency developer, then make sure to read this section meticulously.

Advantages

Unlike working as a freelancer, the job of an organizational web developer is highly structured and stable. Furthermore, you would also not have to worry about any type of inconsistency or uncertainty with this option.
If you do work for an established agency, then they would provide you with a constant stream of work and a reasonable yet steady income.
With a consistent flow of work and learning the resources and development opportunities, you will also be able to create a strong portfolio while working for an agency.
Hence, as you can understand, with this, your overall work efficiency would increase by quite a mile. Furthermore, your income would also become a lot more stable and secure. However, to reach that point, you would have to work for an agency for at least a year or two.
Be it coding or designing, you will be hired in a company for a particular or specific skill set. Therefore, if you join an agency for your own cause, you will only be using your dominant skills for doing your works.

Furthermore, in a company, there will be a lot more people who will be working with you. Thus, with them, you will learn more about team working by collaborating with others, which will be quite beneficial for you.

Disadvantages

If you have a specific skill set, then the agency would only provide you with some particular kind of works. Therefore, you would not have the flexibility of choosing between the types of projects.
Hence, as you can understand, by working for an organization, you will not be able to venture deep into the world of web development. This, in turn, will make you a one-trick pony and affect your growth as a web developer quite massively.
Furthermore, while working for an agency, you will definitely acquire a reasonable fee. However, your expense, too, will increase, as you would have to go to your office by paying for transportation, lunch, and many more.

Working as a Freelancer

In the world of web development, freelancing is a modern concept. However, due to its flexibility and handsome income, many people are opting for this option.

So, here are some of the pros and cons that you should know about freelancing to distinguish between aspects of freelancer vs. agency developer.

Pros

As mentioned before, working as a freelancer can be quite flexible. You can get to choose when you work or how you work. Furthermore, you would also get to choose your own projects as a freelancer. Therefore, you can both earn quite a lot of money and improve your skills while doing it.
Moreover, as a freelancer, you will also be able to set your price, which can be higher than the regular workers. If you have a high level of expertise and are quite experienced, then you can earn more than double or triple than an organization web developer.
The development skills, currently, are quite high in demand in the world of website development. So, for that, you can either be selective while choosing the work or be adventurous and try to make yourself more versatile. This will be easier for you as a freelancer as you will be able to contact directly with your clients.

Cons

As a freelancer, you will be starting from the point of zero. Hence, building up your reputation and improving your skills can be quite difficult and challenging at first.
If you are opting for freelancing, then only doing the web development tasks will not be enough for you. Besides that, you would also have to oversee the jobs of sales, marketing, accounting, customer support, etc. Controlling all these can be quite difficult if you are alone.
Also, as a freelancer, you will not be able to enjoy constant streamline of workflow. So, having an irregular and unbalanced income can be quite stressful for a few people.

Which One is Better for You?

So, now the question comes to the mind: which one is better between the freelancer vs. agency developer. Honestly speaking, this usually depends on the type of job you are looking for.

As a freelancer, you will get a lot of freedom, which will be quite rare if you are working as an agency developer. However, with flexibility, a lot of responsibilities will also come for you if you work as a freelancer.

Furthermore, being a freelancer, you will also have control over your rates, projects, and schedule. However, as you would have to do everything alone, all of these can be quite a burden for you.

While an organization generally lacks in the aspects of control and creativity, it makes everything up with its overall consistency and structure.

Furthermore, if you are thinking about working as a freelancer, then the beginnings can be quite tough for you. However, once you have built a hefty amount of reputation, you will be able to earn a lot of money.

On the other hand, working as an organizational web developer would not be as challenging as working as a web developer at first.

However, if you want to increase your income, then you would have to create a robust portfolio, which might take years to achieve. These are a few things that you need to keep in mind while choosing between the freelancer vs. agency developer.

Conclusion
When talking from a general viewpoint, both options can be quite excellent for the aspiring web developers. So, make sure to keep your needs and all the previously-mentioned pointers in your mind while choosing either of them.