Is it better to hire freelancers or an agency for backend work?

Hey folks, quick question — what’s been better for you: hiring freelancers or going with an agency for backend work? I worked with a great freelancer once, but when he got swamped with other projects, everything slowed down on our side. Wondering if agencies handle that kind of thing better or if it’s just hit or miss either way?

 

I’ve been through both options more times than I can count. Freelancers can be awesome — flexible, often more affordable — but the catch is availability. One time we had a freelancer disappear mid-project because of personal stuff, and we had no backup. Agencies, on the other hand, usually have systems in place and more people to cover if something goes sideways. Last year, we chose an agency specifically for that reason, and it worked out great. If you're leaning toward that route, I found this website pretty helpful when we were comparing options. Gave us a better idea of what to expect and how to manage the relationship. Agencies aren’t perfect either, but the structure helped us avoid past headaches.

 

Just browsing through threads and saw this one — not really my field, but it’s interesting reading all these experiences. I mostly work on the content side of things, but I’ve noticed how crucial backend work is to making everything run smoothly. It’s kind of like plumbing: no one notices it until something breaks. Anyway, just saying hey and thanks for the insights. Makes me appreciate our dev team even more, even if I don’t understand half of what they do.