Agency or senior freelancer? It depends on who really writes the code, and who answers when it breaks

For software houses and companies with a Laravel system to grow, fix or secure. Categories and differences, no names.

What does an agency offer, and what does a senior freelancer?

Agency: a team with account manager, project manager and developers of different levels; the ability to parallelise, a contract with a company, and the risk that whoever writes the code is not whoever you met. Senior freelancer: one person with fourteen years of code who joins your repository, works with your pipeline and answers in person; capacity limited by their days, no intermediary, a transparent day rate.

When does the agency pay off?

The project is large and parallel: several fronts at once, with a fixed deadline, needing five people for six months.
Design, marketing and formal project management are also needed.
You want a contract with a structured company and the ability to replace people.

When does the senior freelancer pay off?

There is already a team, and someone is needed to raise the level: slow system, legacy code, PHPStan and tests, application security and NIS2 on the code side.
You want to talk to the person who writes the code, not to the person who narrates it: the count of days is the count of work done.
You need before-and-after numbers, not slides: the first week is by the day and can be stopped.
The code must stay yours and readable: tests, CI, documentation, and the ability to carry on alone.

The sums, with public rates?

A senior Laravel developer by the day costs from 600 to 800 €, application security and penetration testing from 700 to 900 €, applied AI and industrial systems from 850 to 1,100 €. An agency usually bills a rate per role that includes management and margin; the honest comparison is on the days of whoever really writes the code. Full rates are on the pricing page.

The questions to ask anyone, before signing

Who writes the code, and can I talk to them?
How do you join our repository: branches, code review, tests, CI?
What do I keep if we stop after a week?
How do you measure before and after?
Who is responsible for a vulnerability found later?

The detail pages: senior Laravel developer for software houses, slow Laravel application, PHPStan on legacy code.

The next step is small: 30 free minutes on your data, with a document of today's numbers that stays yours. Then decide with the numbers, not with the brochure.

Frequently asked questions

Can a senior freelancer work inside our team?

Yes: they join the repository with your pipeline, work by ticket, do code review with your developers, a test before every fix. The code stays yours.

What if the freelancer is not available?

Starts are scheduled one at a time, and the work leaves tests, CI and documentation: your team or another person can continue without starting over.

How much does a senior Laravel developer cost per day?

From 600 to 800 euros a day; security and penetration testing from 700 to 900; applied AI and industrial systems from 850 to 1,100. The first week can be stopped and leaves the report anyway.

Does an agency cost more?

It depends: the rate per role includes management and margin, and the person writing the code is not always senior. The honest comparison is on the days of whoever really writes, with before and after in writing.

Can I have both?

Yes, and it happens often: the agency on the large project, the senior on the delicate points (performance, legacy, security) or as reviewer of the delivered code.

How do we start with a senior freelancer?

With 30 free minutes and read access to the repository: you get a document with the three points to start from. Then a week by the day, which can be stopped.