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iPhone App Development
By: Manish Shewaramani

Software Outsourcing Company v/s In-house Team v/s Freelancers - Which is Better to Hire iPhone app Developers

Today, the app development market has grown so big that not only many people can develop an app, but there are too many ways you can choose/hire iPhone app developers for your project.

We have seen CIOs and Managers get quite confused when it comes to hiring developers to build mobile apps. The confusion is both obvious and invalid. It is obvious for the people who don’t know how the mobile app business works. A straight forward answer to this question is, “It Depends.” It depends on your requirements, needs, and desires.

We all know that in software development changes are inevitable. Because of this “change,” you might as well have to consider another model. For example, you have hired an offshore development firm to build a mobile app. While the development was going, you found that for the app to work well, you need to develop a new module. If this new module requires the skills which the offshore company cannot provide, then you’ll have to rush to another company or hire a freelancer or work out with the in-house team.

Before we proceed to identify which model is the best, it is essential to know that there is nothing like “a perfect choice.” Of course, there can be “a better choice” when it comes to choosing a hiring model.

Three Options to Hire iPhone app Developers – Choose the One Smartly

1. Offshore Software Development Company

Offshore development is often suitable for large size or long-term projects. Offshore development firms can provide you developers on full-time as well as part-time basis. Hiring these remote developers can save you a lot of bucks. If you’re looking for a reliable yet cheaper development center, then offshore software companies can be your best bet.

Pros

1. Before you hire iPhone app developers from an offshore company, they sign a legit contract which has deadlines, privacy policy, development cost, etc. written on it.

2. Offshore companies save your time on recruiting talent by providing you a team of hard-working professionals and subject matter experts.

3. The quality of work is guaranteed in offshore development companies because of their experience and expertise.

4. For offshore companies, you don’t need to check their performance every now-and-then. Companies hire only talented people who are beyond questionable.

5. Hiring developers from third-world countries like India, Vietnam, South Africa, etc. can help you save money to a great extent.

Cons

1. The most prominent drawback of hiring an offshore company is dealing with the time difference. It becomes a huge barrier for companies and their clients.

2. It might take a bit longer for you to hire iPhone app developers from a company than to hire freelancers because unlike freelancers, you can’t hire developers from a company on the click of a mouse.

3. Hiring a dedicated developer might be a bit costly than hiring a freelancer. It won’t be a huge concern for you if you’re not on a tight budget.

2. In-house Team

Similar to outsourcing software companies, an in-house team is also recommended for long-term projects. You can have great control over an in-house team rather than outsourcing companies or freelancers. Based on your requirement changes, you can increase or decrease your team capacity. An in-house team is a better choice if your project demands you to communicate with developers continuously.

Pros

1. You’ll be able to engage more often and better with your team members because of their all-time physical presence on the floor. Because of it, the collaboration will also increase.

2. Another benefit of the in-house team is that they dedicatedly work on your project only and not any other.

3. Communication is more effective as the team members are physically present all the time, and there won’t be any language barriers as they will be from the same country and culture.

Cons

1. The cost of having a full-time in-house team is higher as you’ll not only have to pay the developers a handsome amount but also require a proper infrastructure to execute the process.

2. Recruiting new people to your organization to do a specific job full-time is a tough job as not every employee you hire is going to have the required skills and talent.

3. Your dependency on the people you hire will become a huge concern if any one of them falls sick and take leave. In that case, you’ll need to hire a replacement which may or may not be a good fit for the project.

4. You’ll need to consider a part of your revenue to train the new hires. Even though they have the required skill set if you want your project to be a success, then you’ll have to train the employees regularly.

5. After the project completion, the maintenance of the software is also crucial. For that, you’ll again need to hire people which is costly even though you hire them ‘on-call.’

3. Freelancer

Hire a freelancer if your project size is small or you need someone to finish a half-done task, or you require a developer to fix a few bugs in your new software. For these applications, freelancers can be not only a cheaper option but also an efficient option.

Pros

1. Freelancers are economical to hire. The pricing models of freelancers is mostly based on time, which means they’ll cost you by the hour. However, if your project turns big with time, freelancers will no longer be an economical choice.

2. Finding a perfect fit for your project requirements is easy as there are millions of options available.

3. Freelancers can work out of office hours as well, which will help you to develop software faster.

Cons

1. As freelancers work alone, they don’t have the exposure to work in teams. An essential element of software development is learning. But, as freelancers have less exposure to other developers, they won’t be able to learn and implement the same in your project.

2. In a way hiring a developer can be easy because of platforms like Upwork, Freelancers, and more. But, it is also tough as you’ll need to decide based on factors such as nationality, experience, etc.

3. Freelancers are called “Free” because they are indeed free spirits. They cannot make them available for you all the time. They lack discipline. A majority of freelancers care more for their income rather than your company reputation.

4. Most freelancers work from their homes. And, a significant disadvantage of working from home is that a home can also be full of distractions which can deteriorate the quality of work.

5. Your idea is valuable, and not all freelancers understand it. Sharing your idea with a freelancer whom you haven’t met or even seen his/her face without signing an NDA can be dangerous. Unlike companies, freelancers don’t have a well-structured NDA to protect your idea.

Verdict

As you can see, every hiring models have their pros and cons. Choosing from any of these models will entirely depend on your needs and desires. Still confused? Go with an offshore software development company as they have Triple “E” or EEE. Offshore companies have the required expertise, experience, and are also economical. Freelancers might be cheaper than companies but, they don’t provide the true value which offshore companies do. If you think budget is a huge concern you can check out different engagement models to hire iPhone app developers which every offshore development company offers.

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