Agencies or individual freelancers, which is better?

To answer this question, we need to understand a few things first. What is an agency, and how is it different from an individual freelancer? An agency is essentially a group of people with or without a hierarchical structure who provide services according to their collective skill sets.

There can be a lot of different agencies, like agencies that provide IT services, agencies that do digital marketing, agencies that have a bunch of designers, artists and many more. The prime difference between an agency and an individual freelancer is mainly in terms of institutional rules.

For example, if you are working with an individual, that individual might not adhere to any rules like a person from an agency. As an agency, there will be some set of rules common for all the persons representing them. This is to avoid chaos and ensure the smooth functioning of an agency.

Also, in an agency, there will be some form of hierarchy, and everyone needs to stick to some decisions made by the agency. With an individual freelancer, a client can have more open conversations and discuss what exactly they need from them.

Also, there is room for the client to request more changes in the freelancer’s work. This might not necessarily be a bad thing because the client might still be evolving with their ideas. This kind of freedom in communication and open collaboration might not be possible with an agency.

When hiring an individual freelancer, you can ask for more changes, and the freelancer can ask for compensation for that in payment, whereas in agencies, there might be fixed rules like only this many changes are allowed. And the negotiation for payments can also be not as flexible.

Also, there might be internal politics among individuals in an agency which might affect the quality of work. An agency is still an institution that has some basic set of rules, but it might not be as regulated as a company or an organization.

Also, to approach an agency, the work should be of a substantial size. It’s better to employ an individual freelancer if you want to edit a 15-sec video for Instagram reels. But there are some advantages to working with an agency.

The prime advantage of working with an agency is the credibility factor. Credibility is much more essential for agencies than for individual freelancers. This means there will be much less room for fraud in an agency because they don’t want to lose their reputation.

An agency can manage larger and long terms projects with ease when compared to individual freelancers. Suppose If your project starts demanding additional tech support or more workers overtime, an agency will manage to get it, which is not the case with individual freelancers. So, it is not a simple one-word answer to choose between an agency or an individual freelancer. Based on the above-discussed factors, you as a customer can choose whichever one is best for you. But if you are worried about the fraudulent, poor quality of work and legal disputes, it is always better to use online freelancing platforms.

Gig4u is one such freelance platform online. Unlike many other platforms, the processing fee in Gig4u is very low at 7%. One of the prime benefits of using Gig4u is it provides options for both individuals and agencies to provide their services. Many other freelancing platforms don’t allow agencies to use their platform.

It addresses all the major problems faced by freelancers, agencies and clients. It is completely secure and has a process that ensures payment security. It provides a safe space to collaborate for both parties.

Since it is a regulated platform with 24*7 customer support, any legal disputes can be easily solved. Also, Gig4u ensures the credibility of both the customers and the service providers. If you are a customer looking for a freelancer service provider or an agency in India, Gig4u is the best place to look for.