Comparison
A dedicated team or freelancers
A plain comparison of a dedicated team and freelancers, each described from named public sources, with no person or company ranked.
This page sets two categories of support side by side on the same questions. Each statement about a category names a public source, and the sources are listed at the end of the page.
Where WE sits
The team is not a set of freelancers you must recruit, brief and manage. WE does that.
You do not recruit, contract or manage the people on the team. WE does, including any subcontractors it brings in.
WE is probably not the right fit if
- You want WE to give legal or tax advice, keep your books or file your taxes.
Side by side
| Question | A dedicated team | Freelancers |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The team is part of the engagement. The team WE steers works on your company and on nothing else. | The IRS says the keys to telling an independent contractor from an employee are the entire relationship and the right to direct and control the worker. |
| Who it fits | You want a team and a method to carry out the work, and you will keep ownership of the direction. | The GOV.UK Service Manual says a team lacking needed skills may need to hire third parties or contractors. |
| What it asks of a founder | You decide where the company is going. You review the work and set the direction. | The manual also says to make sure there is a plan to pass knowledge from contractors to the rest of the team. |
Questions to ask
A dedicated team
- Who recruits, contracts and manages the people on the team?
- Who answers if a person leaves or a skill is missing?
- What does the founder review and decide at each cycle?
Freelancers
- Who directs the work, and how much control does the founder have over how it is done?
- Who owns the work product, and is that in writing?
- Who covers the gap if a freelancer is unavailable?
Where each fits
A dedicated team
You can make decisions for the company and join a review at each cycle.
Freelancers
It also says to buy only the skills needed and not to lock a service into a long contract with a fixed cost.
Definitions
- Copyright ownership
- Section 201 of the copyright statute says copyright in a work vests initially in the author or authors of the work. Source 2
- Work made for hire
- The same section says that for a work made for hire, the employer or other person for whom it was prepared is considered the author. Source 2
- Right to control
- The IRS says what matters is whether the payer has the right to control the details of how the services are performed. Source 1
Sources
- Independent contractor (self-employed) or employee?, Internal Revenue Service . Accessed October 10, 2026.
- 17 U.S. Code section 201, Ownership of copyright, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School . Accessed October 10, 2026.
- Working with contractors or third parties, GOV.UK Service Manual . Accessed October 10, 2026.
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