Search engine optimization, web design, programming, app development, and copywriting: For all of these online services, there are specialized agencies — but also countless freelancers who work independently. This naturally raises the question for clients: Should I hire a freelancer or an agency for my project? In this article, we take a closer look at the advantages and disadvantages of both.
Agencies & freelancers in the online world: Who should you hire?
First, it’s important to note that there are good and bad service providers on both sides — among freelancers as well as agencies. Much more important than simply choosing between “agency or freelancer” is reviewing the actual portfolio and evaluating the quality of previous work. Of course, price also plays a role. While the saying “you get what you pay for” applies up to a point in the online services sector, you don’t always have to spend a fortune to get good results.
The advantages of freelancers
Freelancers work independently and are not employed by an agency. Because they generally don’t have to pay for large offices and maintain complex structures, their services often cost less than those of big agencies — while delivering results that are just as good, since they’re experts in their specific field.
According to the iBusiness fee guide, freelancers may cost up to 17% less than agencies.
Direct contact & lower costs
Another advantage freelancers have over agencies is direct communication. When working with an agency, you often don’t speak directly with the specialist who will be handling your project. With a freelancer, you always know exactly who you’re talking to. And when working with agencies, you can never be sure whether they’ll end up outsourcing your project to a freelancer — and charging you the extra “brokerage fee” you could have avoided by contacting the freelancer yourself.
The advantages of agencies
Hiring an agency usually means having one central point of contact for everything. You don’t have to communicate with multiple different people just to get your online project started or optimized.
As you can see, personal preference also plays a role when deciding between an agency or a freelancer.
Advertising agencies typically offer web design, copywriting, SEO, hosting, and other services from a single source. This is a major benefit, because websites — just like films or music — need a kind of director or producer who brings all the individual elements together into one coherent concept. If this “direction” is missing (and you don’t wish or aren’t able to take on that role yourself), you may end up with a fragmented patchwork project that feels like everyone added a little piece of their own.
Quality & reliability
Another benefit of hiring an agency is the assurance that the project will actually be completed. If a freelancer gets sick or disappears, you may need to find a replacement quickly. Agencies, on the other hand, work with multiple employees or have access to a larger pool of freelancers whose skills they already trust.
This also affects quality. Because freelancers often earn less, many feel forced to accept every project. And naturally, every client wants fast turnaround times. This can lead to freelancers working late into the night after already completing a full day — not the best condition for high-quality results. To be fair, you can address this by giving freelancers more time or paying a bit more.
A third advantage: For larger agencies operating as legal business entities (e.g., GmbH, UG, OHG, KG), the client does not have to pay the Artists’ Social Security Contribution (Künstlersozialabgabe) applicable to independent creative professionals. While this alone doesn’t justify hiring an agency (especially since agencies are generally more expensive anyway), it’s worth considering for large-scale projects with high invoice amounts.
Special case: Agencies for highly specialized online services
Besides full-service advertising agencies that cover multiple areas of online (and offline) marketing, there are also agencies specializing in very narrow fields. These agencies offer the advantage of having several experts working together on one specific type of project. There’s no overarching “director,” but multiple experts reviewing the work typically results in higher quality. The cost will exceed what a freelancer charges, but in many cases, the investment pays off — and this can also be true when hiring a highly specialized freelancer.
Conclusion: It depends on the individual case
If you simply need a few strong articles for a (corporate) blog, it’s often best to hire a freelance writer, editor, or journalist who specializes in that field. Costs are usually lower than working with an agency, and quality is high — provided you choose your provider carefully and pay a fair rate instead of expecting bargain prices.
If your website first needs a strong content concept before writing begins, a content marketing agency or copywriting agency may be the better choice. SEO agencies also play a major role here, as they can help not only with content creation but also with other important aspects of search engine optimization.
