Freelancer, agency, or us? Here's the answer we'd give a friend.

$2–4k — the cheapest route, and honestly unbeatable value if you pick well.

$8–15k — polished output, but office rent and account managers are in that number.

3–8 weeks — fast when you're their only client, slow when you're one of five gigs.

8–16 weeks — layered approvals and internal queues stretch every round.

A lottery — some freelancers are brilliant; many resell the same template.

Consistent and professional, though often conservative and by-committee.

One person wearing every hat: design, code, QA, PM and support.

Yes on paper — in practice juniors build while seniors pitch the next client.

Direct and personal — a genuine freelancer advantage. No middlemen.

Through an account manager. Answers arrive translated, and a day later.

The classic risk — many vanish once the final invoice clears.

Reliable, but usually behind a monthly retainer contract.

Capped at one person's hours. Phase two waits for their calendar.

Can genuinely scale with you — at agency rates for every extra hand.

Project stalls completely — there is no one else who knows the code.

Covered eventually, but expect handover friction and a reset on context.

Rarely offered; usually an ad-hoc email agreement, if anything.

Standard practice — proper paperwork is an agency strength.

Often upfront bank transfers with little recourse if things go wrong.

Formal invoicing and terms — safe, if slower-moving.