Comparison
MVP development options compared.
Freelancers, agencies, or a 1-Day Sprint? Here's how they stack up for getting your MVP to market.
Feature comparison
What you get with each option.
| Feature | Freelancer | Agency | BuildrLab Sprint |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed-fee pricing | |||
| Delivery in 1 day | |||
| Senior-level team | |||
| Source code ownership | |||
| Production-grade CI/CD | |||
| Analytics & monitoring | |||
| Documentation & handoff | |||
| Clear scope upfront | |||
| No hourly billing | |||
| Guaranteed delivery |
YesPartialNo
Detailed breakdown
Pros, cons, and best fit.
Freelancer
Individual contractors on platforms like Upwork or Toptal
Pros
- Lower hourly rates
- Direct communication
- Flexible engagement
- Quick to start
Cons
- Variable quality and reliability
- Single point of failure
- Limited scope capability
- Hourly billing uncertainty
- No production-grade infrastructure
- Minimal documentation
Best for
Small, well-defined tasks with clear specs
Traditional Agency
Full-service development shops with project teams
Pros
- Full-service capability
- Dedicated project managers
- Design and development together
- Ongoing support options
Cons
- High overhead costs
- Long timelines (weeks/months)
- Scope creep and change orders
- Junior developers on your project
- Lock-in through complexity
- Unclear pricing
Best for
Large projects with flexible timelines and budgets
BuildrLab 1-Day Sprint
Fixed-fee MVP delivery in 24 hours with senior team
Pros
- Fixed fee—no hourly surprises
- Delivered in 1 day
- Senior engineers only
- Validation-ready from day one
- Full source code ownership
- Clear scope and documentation
- Guarantee: working MVP or don't pay
Cons
- Limited scope per sprint
- Requires clear requirements
- Not for complex multi-month projects
Best for
Validating ideas fast with validation-ready MVPs
Decision guide
Which option is right for you?
Choose a freelancer if...
- You have a very small, well-defined task
- Budget is your primary constraint
- You can manage the project yourself
- Quality variability is acceptable
Choose an agency if...
- You have a large, multi-month project
- You need design and development together
- Budget flexibility is high
- You want ongoing retainer support
Choose BuildrLab 1-Day Sprint if...
- You need to validate an idea fast
- You want fixed, predictable pricing
- You need validation-ready from day one
- You want senior engineers, not juniors
- You value clear scope and documentation
- You want source code with no lock-in
Ready to ship fast?
Book a scope-lock call and see if your idea fits in a 1-Day Sprint.