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An experienced independent developer is a good fit for a business app between $6,800 and $56,000 (€6,000–€50,000)excl. VAT: one point of contact, lower overhead. An agency brings a multidisciplinary team; an IT services firm brings headcount for large programs. The right choice depends on the size of the project, not the provider’s status.
The type of provider affects the price, responsiveness and continuity of your project as much as their technical skills. There is no universal right answer: an IT services firm is oversized for a management app used by 30 people, and a single independent developer is not suited to a transformation program spanning several teams. Here is an honest comparison, including my own limits.
The three profiles in one table
| Criterion | Independent developer | Agency | IT services firm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical project size | Business app, internal tool, prototype takeover | Web and app projects with design, content, marketing | Large programs, integration into the IT system, staff augmentation |
| Point of contact | The developer themselves | A project manager, several contributors | A sales rep, a project manager, consultants |
| Overhead | Low | Medium | High |
| Responsiveness | High, quick decisions | Varies with workload | Formal processes, slower |
| Continuity if someone leaves | Depends on the contract and documentation | Covered by the team | Covered by headcount |
| Ability to scale up | Limited | Medium | High |
The independent developer
This is the most direct model: the person who understands your need is the one who writes the code. Fewer intermediaries, less information lost, less overhead in the quote.
The limits are real. Capacity is that of one person, which caps the size of projects and the number running in parallel. And continuity is a fair question: what happens in case of a long absence? The answer lies in three guarantees to require:
- Transfer of the source code and rights after payment; see what to require in the contract on code ownership.
- Hosting and accounts in your name, not the provider’s.
- A mainstream, documented technology, so another developer can take over.
The agency
An agency brings together complementary profiles: project manager, designer, developers, sometimes copywriters and SEO specialists. That is an asset when the project combines a public website, brand image and an application.
The downside: coordination costs built into the quote, and a sales contact who is not always the person doing the work. I ran a digital agency for ten years, so I know this model from the inside: it is excellent for multidisciplinary projects, less efficient for a business tool where the key is understanding a process and turning it into screens.
The IT services firm
A large IT services firm (called ESN in France, formerly SSII; see this Journal du Net definition, in French) has substantial headcount, formal quality processes and can assign several teams to one program. It answers structured tenders and meets the requirements of large accounts.
For a company of 10 to 250 employees that wants a focused business app, this is often oversized: overhead and heavy processes weigh on a project worth a few tens of thousands of euros. An IT services firm becomes relevant for a full ERP with several hundred users, heavy integration into the IT system, or a need for several full-time developers over a long period.
Where I fit, and when I am not the right choice
I work as a consultant and developer: I handle scoping and development myself, with 17 years of experience and more than 800 projects supported, including ten years running an agency. My price list targets projects between $6,800 and $56,000 (€6,000–€50,000)excl. VAT, plus platforms quoted case by case, such as Nooxup V2, a delivered SaaS platform.
I am not the right choice if you need several full-time developers for a year, 24/7 on-call support, or a provider who can replace your IT department. In those cases, an IT services firm or an in-house team is a better fit, and I will tell you so in our first conversation.
Criteria that matter more than status
Whatever the profile, check:
- projects actually delivered, visible and comparable to yours;
- a detailed quote, broken into batches, with a clear scope;
- a method: scoping, mockups, testable deliveries;
- the clauses on ownership and reversibility;
- the person who will actually do the work, not just the one selling it.
For the same scope, price differences between these profiles mostly come from overhead and the number of people involved: project manager, sales rep, designer, developers. That is neither good nor bad in itself. The question to ask yourself is simple: does your project need all those people? For a business app used internally, the answer is often no; for a program that touches several departments and several tools, it is often yes.
The full checklist is in how to choose a development partner.
Where to start
- Estimate the size of your project: the estimator gives you a range in one minute.
- Choose the right profile for that size, using the table above.
- Consult two or three providers of the same profile, on the same requirements document.
If your project fits my price list, the 30-minute discovery call is free and with no commitment.
Frequently asked questions
What is an IT services firm?
A company that provides IT services, often consultants placed with the client or development teams on large projects. In France they are called ESN (formerly SSII). They mainly serve mid-sized and large companies.
What happens if my independent developer becomes unavailable?
This is the main risk, and it is managed through the contract and the method: source code and rights transferred to the client, hosting in your name, documented code on a mainstream technology. That way, another developer can take over without starting from scratch.
Is an agency more reliable than a freelancer?
Not automatically. An agency offers continuity if a developer leaves, but your project may also be passed from hand to hand. Reliability comes first from projects actually delivered, a clear quote and the clauses on code ownership and reversibility.
Can we mix types of providers?
Yes. A company can give its business app to an independent developer, its website to an agency and its infrastructure to an IT services firm. Responsibilities then need to be clearly defined, especially for the connections between tools.