A freelancer,
or an agency?
A freelancer usually costs less and you deal with one person every time — the risk is continuity, because if they get busy, get sick, or move on, your support goes with them. An agency-style outfit should offer more continuity and a wider range of skills, but plenty of Perth "agencies" are one or two people trading under a bigger-sounding name, so the label alone tells you less than it should. This is a decision about who does the work, not whether to have it done — if you are still deciding that, see DIY versus hiring someone.
Side by side
| A freelancer | An agency | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Usually lower — less overhead to cover. | Usually higher — more overhead to cover. |
| Who you deal with | Directly, the same person, every time. | Varies — sometimes the person who built it, sometimes an account manager relaying to them. |
| Range of skills | One person’s skillset. Excellent if it matches your job, limited if it does not. | A team, in theory — worth checking that is really true rather than assuming it. |
| Continuity | A real risk. If they are unavailable, your support goes quiet with them. | Should be steadier — confirm the business, not just one person, stands behind the work. |
| Response time | Can be very fast. No layers to go through. | Depends entirely on the size and process of the outfit. |
| Accountability | Often informal — a quote, a reputation, and not much else in writing. | Usually a written scope and a business, not just an individual, behind it. |
| Scale for growth | Can hit a ceiling if your project outgrows their capacity. | Better placed to take on a bigger or more complex build, if the capacity is genuine. |
A freelancer is the better answer when
- The job is straightforward and matches their specific skillset well.
- Budget is tight and a lower overhead genuinely means a lower price.
- You want the same person every time, with nothing in between.
- You have actually checked them out — a portfolio, references, and some evidence they will still be around in a year.
Paying an agency-style outfit is the better answer when
- You want the work backed by a business, not just one person, in case someone is unavailable.
- The job needs more than one skillset — build, SEO, ongoing hosting and security.
- You want a written scope and a clearer process around revisions.
- You are wary of a freelancer disappearing partway through, and would rather that risk sit with a business.
Our honest take
Be honest with yourself about what you are actually comparing, because the labels lie more than the businesses do. We are not a large multi-department agency — small team, and you deal with the founder directly, which in practice looks a lot like hiring a good freelancer. The real difference is that we sit inside a wider IT business, PC Madness Pty Ltd, so hosting and security do not disappear if one person is unavailable — that is a genuine continuity advantage, not a marketing claim. If what you actually need is a large team with in-house specialists we do not have, that is a fair reason to look at a bigger agency instead, and we would rather say so than pretend otherwise.
Common questions
Is PC Madness a freelancer or an agency?
How do I check whether a freelancer will still be around?
Should I just do it myself instead?
What if my job needs a bigger team than either of you have?
Still not sure?
Tell us what you are trying to achieve and we will tell you which way we would go — including if that is not with us.
Prefer to talk? Call 08 6323 2970