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There are several factors to consider before a person or company hires software development services either with an independent developer or with a company. Our clients generally have had previous bad experiences and it is because they didn´t have an establish criteria to decide what type of team they required for their project.

In most cases, budget is a predominant factor in the decision-making process of hiring a software developer team, however it wouldn´t be wise to advance with the execution of a software project without first analyzing the required scope and needed lifetime. It is also necessary to include in the planning of the project, the level of support and maintenance it will need. All these factors together with the experience of the team must be considered in order to make the right decision.

With the experience that we have gained in the 10 years of Press Start´s journey, we have learned that the ideal projects for independent software developers are those that have a short lifetime, that only requires one person to execute and needs minimum or no maintenance and support. In contrast, when a project requires two or more programmers, audio, artistic work and / or a long lifetime of more than 3 months, it is advisable to manage them with a software development company who will be able to provide you with all these services along with long term support.

Here are the pros and cons of working with a software development company or an independent developer:

Pros of the software company: It offers you a project manager who will be the person in charge of establishing direct communication with you and within the team, the company is in charge of the hiring process and selection of the ideal team, offers guarantee and long-term development support providing greater confidence to your project. The company also gives you an experienced and multidisciplinary team with extensive knowledge of different and new technologies.

In addition to these aspects, at Press Start we have a team in different countries, which allows us to offer our clients service in different time zones and with fluent English and Spanish languages. ​​Thanks to our versatility and experience gained throughout our multiple software developments in Latin America, the United States and Australia, we can become the technical arm of your company.

Pros of the independent developer: They offer you lower costs, they can be more agile in the development of the project, which leads to greater flexibility and control over the needed iterations. The formality of hiring and communication is significantly reduced, allowing for short time projects to be created in the evenings and weekends. When the project requires a longer development time than initially agreed, it is easier to negotiate and execute these additions with a single developer.

Cons of the software company: Higher costs for the services offered since the costs incurred by a company are higher, more formality in terms of contracts and forms of payment, response times according to the daily schedule established in the company or to the physical place where the team is located. Negotiations tend to take longer, and project start and end dates are stricter given the fixed costs the company incurs with each extra day of unforeseen development.

Cons of the independent developer: Usually in their workload they have more than two or three clients simultaneously, making them unable to dedicate the necessary time to your project. If their personal situation is undergoing major changes, there is a possibility that your job will be left unfinished without notice. They usually do not provide support after the completion of the project, since their commitment ends once the final version is delivered and they may fall short in terms of their technical knowledge.

We hope that our experience captured in this blog will help you make the best decision for your next software project.

If you are planning to develop a digital product, we invite you to schedule a free session with our team here.