You’ve finally reached WordPress peak just to realize there’s more to it than meets the eye. You now need a WordPress developer's help in order to achieve your site’s goals.
The question is, should you hire a freelance WordPress developer or work with a WordPress agency? How do you determine the best option for you? How is one choice different from the other? When should you opt for one choice over the other?
By the end of this post you should have the information you need to make an informed choice between hiring a freelance WordPress developer and a WordPress agency.
WordPress agency vs freelance WordPress developer
A WordPress agency and a freelance WordPress developer both exist to solve the same things—WordPress issues. The main difference is that a freelancer is a sole proprietor, and an agency is a company with several employees offering specialized services. In this case, WordPress services.
Who you choose to go with should depend on your needs and budget. WordPress agencies are more expensive than a freelancer for understandable reasons, i.e. an agency has more resources and capacity compared to a freelancer.
WordPress Agency Pros and Cons
A WordPress agency will offer specialized WordPress services. Since WordPress is broad with multiple areas of interest, the exact services offered by an agency will depend on the agency’ position and areas of expertise.
If an agency is big and has the needed resources, it can offer all WordPress needs, i.e. website design, website maintenance, website development, etc. Some agencies are more intentional in their positioning and offer specific services that revolve around a common need.
Agency Pros and Cons
Pros
- Thorough planning on your project
- Dedicated and efficient support
- Quick and timely delivery on projects
- Diverse experience and expertise
- A stable one stop shop for multiple needs
Cons
- WordPress agencies can be costly
- You may be restricted to their set services
- May have to pay for things you don’t need.
- Poor communication between multiple people
- An impersonal and inflexible process
Freelance WordPress developer pros and cons
Freelance WordPress developers are a simple hit or miss. Sometimes you are lucky to get a well-rounded developer capable of assisting you with everything you need and sometimes the incompetence takes over.
Just like WordPress agencies, some freelancers offer specialized services focusing on some areas and some are open to anything that has to do with WordPress. Above all, you want to make sure that the person you choose to work with is capable and will deliver what you are paying for.
Freelancer Pros and Cons
Pros
- Freelance developers are affordable
- Flexible and not tied by rigid offer
- You hire only for what you need
- Have a lot of options to compare and contrast
- They are often niched and expertise
- The services feel more personal
Cons
- Per hour charges may eat into your budget
- May not always be on call due to multiple projects
- May need longer time to complete
- Has limited resources
- No defined ongoing support
- Can sometimes be unprofessional
The best option
There's a lot to consider before you make your final choice, including figuring how exactly you will find a WordPress developer to work with.
The choice should take into account the details, needs and specifications of your WordPress projcet.
When to pick a freelance WordPress developer
- When you have a small one time project
- When you only need help with simple tweaks.
- When you have own WordPress insight and just need someone to follow your set brief
- When you are starting out and want to cut on costs
- When you want to get started right away
- When you want total control over your project
When to pick a WordPress agency
- When you have a big business with multiple needs.
- When you also need input and guidance on what you are set to achieve
- When money is not a problem
- When you don't want to be involved in every details peeratining to your project
- When you don't want the risk of something going wrong with the project
- When you need ongoing help and want to be able to reliably reach out to someone.
- When you want a variety of skills and expertise
Get in touch
If you are still on the fence about a way forward, get in touch with us to find out if we could be an ideal solution for your needs.
