Freelancer Versus App Development Company

Okay, before we delve into the debate of choosing between a freelance app developer and a professional, registered company, we first need to understand why apps are important and why businesses need to be cautious and do not fall prey to just the affordability factor. The tag “Cheap” can be disastrous in the long run. 

According to Statista, almost 49% of the world’s population owns a smart phone. In sheer numbers it translates into roughly 4 billion. Imagine the power of an App using the above data as a prism. It literally offers unimaginable access to a large number of potential consumers. In simple terms, an App can attract millions of untapped smart phone users across the globe or within predetermined geographic boundaries. 

Now that we have understood the commercial and business strengths of an App, let us talk about the pros and cons of App Development Service Provider and a Freelance Developer.

Freelance App Developer Strengths -

Affordability –

Frankly, a freelance app developer can only offer just one advantage; price point. Yes, it is an open secret that a freelancer has nil overheads, doesn’t have to pay government taxes, uses pirated software and development kits, and most of all is a solo operator, at least in the majority of the cases. All this leads to cost savings which is instantly passed on to the customer.

App Development Service Provider Strengths -

A development company on the other hand offers a long list of benefits. We will talk about them in detail.

Technology & Infrastructure –

App development companies maintain a decent number of designers & developers, each a specialist in their respective domains. These technical folks work on latest development platforms, use state of the tools and follow industry standard coding practices. There is a strict hierarchy in place where everyone is responsible and answerable. It simply means, as a customer, your App is built with the best technologies and coders who are certified and responsive. Your App will not start to malfunction because of pirated components or those with restricted functionalities.

Success Begets Success –

Unlike freelancers, a company not just develops an App; it walks that extra mile to turn it into a success story. It is this additional effort which fetches them a string of new projects which in turn attract yet another set of fresh orders. A successful App developer boasts dozens if not hundreds of reviews and testimonials because of these roaring hits on App Stores. Failure is simply not acceptable in a commercial App development environment.

Planning, Design & Execution –

As mentioned above, a commercial or dedicated app development company has a definite hierarchy in place. So, what does this actually mean? In simple words, each member of this business enterprise has a designated role. From brain storming, to mockups and to the final execution, a customer is regularly updated by the project manager. As a result there are no goof ups, delays or cost escalations.

Security and Accountability –

Security is an absolute must for those who are seeking a developer to build insurance, medical or informative Apps. A freelancer is incapable of offering secrecy or security due to technology, monetary and experience constraints. In the final stages of App development and even post deployment, an App developer constantly monitors the performance which also includes database integrity and security. In such a scenario sharing sensitive information with someone who is not under any legal obligation can prove fatal in the long run.

In general, freelancers are not accountable because of nonexistent agreements, missing non-disclosure legal documents and even basic tax related invoices. App contracts with such entities are typically verbal in nature and therefore not accountable.

Extended Services –

Developing and launching an App is just one phase of exploiting and exploring untapped reservoir of consumers. The second phase is reaching out these potential sales entities. Just like a website, even Apps need marketing efforts. This includes end user marketing and App Store marketing or optimization. An agency has readymade infrastructure for such a task. You don’t have to seek a third party service for marketing your App. A freelancer will not provide an in-house solution. However, this solo developer may subcontract and thereby compromise your app and data.

Solo is Scary –

Freelance app developers work solo. What if this person falls sick? Maybe migrates to a new city or worse still has finally decided to quit freelancing and take up a regular job. Imagine yourself as a customer in such a situation. It will simply jeopardize your entire business plans and scheduling. It could be catastrophic for your future goals. Unlike App development agencies, solo operators typically copy paste code from several ready projects. So, if the parent code is faulty, the child code will also reflect the same drawbacks; that is, your digital product.

Embrace not Hand Shake –

Development agencies don’t shake hands after the project is completed. On the contrary they embrace a lifelong relationship. For you, as a customer, it means a rock solid development ally who is always ready to trouble shoot your app and associated technology related troubles. Scaling up and platform migration with agencies is yet another advantage which you cannot ignore. It is imperative in these digital times to choose a developer who offers integrated services under one roof as most of the business and commercial tasks these days are intertwined. This is where a development agency shines bright.

Conclusion -

As a business entity looking for an App developer, if your only constraint is affordability then opting for a freelancer should be your choice. However, and as mentioned above, you have to make sure that your developer has the right set of qualifications and experience. For example, many freelancers specialize in either Android or iOS platform. Does it conflict with your preference? These are some of the stumble blocks one needs to be careful about.

On the other hand, a App development agency has no such restrictions. In fact, business enterprises are better off with App development companies because they offer appropriate suggestions which can actually bring down the final cost. For example, it might be a great idea to go for a Hybrid App variation instead of a dedicated, single platform product.

The use of mobile Apps has now extended to areas such as communication, education, hospitality, insurance, banking and even space and research. These are highly sensitive and data dependent domains. If you are part of this group, it is advisable that you opt for an enterprise solution provider, such as Exavibes, one of the best mobile app development companies in Mumbai.