The honest version: a freelancer is cheapest and most personal but a single point of failure, an agency is the most resourced but the most expensive and least personal, and a studio sits in between with senior people and a close relationship. The right choice depends on your budget and how much support you want.
A freelancer
- Cheapest, and you work directly with the person doing the work.
- Personal and flexible.
- The risk: one person, so capacity, illness, or them moving on can leave you stuck.
- Quality varies hugely, so references matter.
An agency
- The most resourced, with teams for design, build, and strategy.
- Can handle large, complex projects.
- The most expensive, with overheads baked into the price.
- You often deal with account managers rather than the people doing the work, and can feel like a small client.
A studio
- Senior people doing the actual work, without agency overheads.
- A close, direct relationship like a freelancer, with more reliability.
- Brand and web under one roof, built as one.
- More than a freelancer, less than an agency.
How to choose
- Tight budget, simple site: a trusted freelancer.
- Large, complex, well-funded project: an agency.
- Senior, brand-led work and a close relationship: a studio.
Where we land
russle is a studio, which is the sweet spot for most independent businesses: senior work, a direct relationship, brand and web together, without agency overheads. If that sounds right, send us a line.