An agency is one way to staff a software build. A solo developer, small studio, contractor network, low-code specialist, or in-house hire may fit a different scope. Compare the work and coverage you need before comparing prices.
Last updated: October 2026
Direct collaboration on a defined web, mobile, or SaaS build.
I work across React, Next.js, Flutter, Supabase, Firebase, Stripe, and Webflow. The BookBed and Callidus case studies explain specific booking and clinic workflows. We can use your requirements to define the release, responsibilities, and handover.
A focused product or integration where one developer’s skills and availability match the scope.
A compact team when the work needs several disciplines.
A studio can combine design, engineering, and testing. Ask who is assigned to your project, which work is subcontracted, and how decisions and reviews are handled. Team size or location alone does not establish price or quality.
Concurrent design and engineering work, or delivery that needs coverage across several roles.
An individual specialist sourced through an intermediary.
A network may help with sourcing and engagement administration. Review the actual person’s work, availability, and technical fit. Confirm the provider’s current fees, replacement terms, and contractual responsibilities directly.
An existing team that needs a particular skill or help sourcing a contractor.
Use configured features where they fit; scope custom behavior separately.
Map the required workflow against the platform before committing. Include custom integrations, permissions, export limitations, and ongoing subscriptions in the decision. A quick prototype does not by itself prove that the production requirements fit.
A workflow that maps well to a platform and can be validated before custom development expands.
Ongoing ownership within your organisation.
An employee can build product context over time and contribute across an ongoing backlog. Hiring, management, specialist support, and continuity still need planning. Compare that commitment with the duration and volume of work you expect.
A sustained engineering roadmap with someone available to manage and support the role.
Choose around the work: one accountable developer for a focused scope, a team for parallel specialist work, or an employee for sustained internal ownership. Compare written proposals against the same acceptance criteria. None of these models guarantees a lower price, faster delivery, or better quality.
Choose around the work: one accountable developer for a focused scope, a team for parallel specialist work, or an employee for sustained internal ownership. Compare written proposals against the same acceptance criteria. None of these models guarantees a lower price, faster delivery, or better quality.
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Give each candidate the same user journeys, integrations, platforms, and acceptance criteria. Separate the first release from later ideas. Ask each proposal to identify assumptions, exclusions, client responsibilities, and the process for scope changes.
A lower total can reflect less testing, narrower support, or a different interpretation of the requirements. Resolve those differences before treating the numbers as comparable.
Ask who will review technical decisions, handle releases, and respond when the primary developer is unavailable. A solo engagement needs a clear handover and access plan. A team engagement needs named responsibilities and a clear escalation path. Neither structure removes delivery risk.
Agree on repository access, environments, documentation, credentials, and ownership in the engagement terms. Identify the person responsible for ongoing maintenance. Before switching providers, review the current code and outstanding obligations so the next team can estimate the work it will inherit.
Share the workflow, integrations, and release you have in mind. I can assess whether my skills and availability fit the work.
For a project enquiry, include what you’re building, its current stage and your target date.