Agency or freelancer: who should build your product?
A good freelancer can be the right call for a small, well-defined job. A studio is the safer call when the product needs design, code and testing together, has a launch date and needs someone accountable after it. Here is how to choose, and what to check in the contract in Kazakhstan. Our websites start from 540 000 ₸.
Websites from 540 000 ₸, price in the contractFreelancer and agency side by side
The differences that decide most projects.
| Freelancer and agency side by side | Freelancer | Agency |
|---|---|---|
| Skills | One person, usually strong in one area | Design, front end, back end and testing in one team |
| Price model | Mostly an hourly or day rate | Often a fixed price per scope |
| If someone is ill or leaves | The project waits for them | Someone else on the team picks it up |
| After launch | Depends on the person’s next project | A warranty and a support offer in the contract |
| Overhead | Lower: you pay for one person’s time | Higher: you also pay for management and review |
Which one fits your project
If most of your answers sit in one column, that is your answer.
- The task is narrow: a feature, a fix, a landing page
- You or your team can manage the work day to day
- The deadline is flexible
- There are no links to accounting, or only simple ones
- The product needs design, code and testing together
- You want one party accountable for the result
- There is a launch date the business depends on
- You need links to 1C, Kaspi, a CRM or card payments via Halyk ePay
What to check in Kazakhstan
These rules are the same for a freelancer and an agency.
- A written contract
Business transactions are made in writing, on paper or electronically, and can be signed with a digital signature (Civil Code, art. 152 para. 1, 1-1 and 2).[1]
- Rights to the code
A computer program is protected by copyright (Copyright Law, art. 7 para. 1). Rights not expressly transferred by the contract are deemed not transferred, and transferred rights are deemed non-exclusive unless the contract expressly says otherwise (art. 31 para. 4, art. 32 para. 4).[2]
- Code written by studio staff
Economic rights to code written as a work assignment belong to the employer unless the contract with the author says otherwise (art. 14 para. 2). So it is the studio that transfers the rights to you, under its contract with you.[2]
- Invoices
A VAT payer issues an invoice when selling works and services, in electronic form (Tax Code, art. 491 para. 1, art. 492 para. 1). A sole proprietor on the simplified declaration is also on the list of those who issue one (art. 208 para. 1 subpara. 7).[3]
We are not neutral here
Pazl is a studio, so we sit in the agency column. We wrote this page to be useful anyway: if a freelancer fits your project better, we will tell you.
What we charge
Starting prices from our price list. We quote the exact amount after the brief and put it in the contract.
Starting prices in tenge from our price list. The exact price comes after a brief and is fixed in the contract.
Related pages
Price models, choosing a contractor and our prices.
Checked on 15 November 2026
- Civil Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan (General Part) No. 268-XIII of 27 December 1994
- Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 6-I of 10 June 1996 "On Copyright and Related Rights"
- Tax Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 214-VIII of 18 July 2025
This is not legal advice. Laws change: before launch, check the current version on adilet.zan.kz and talk to a lawyer or accountant.
Short and to the point.
Is a freelancer always cheaper?
Per hour, usually. Per finished product, not always: a studio’s fixed price includes design, testing and fixes that a freelancer may bill separately or leave out of scope.
Can we start with a freelancer and switch to a studio later?
Yes, if the code lives in your repository and is documented. Ask for that from the first day, whoever you hire.
How do we secure the rights to the code?
In the contract, in so many words: what is transferred (exclusive rights to the code and design), the ways of use, the term and the territory. Rights the contract does not expressly transfer are deemed not transferred. Have a lawyer check the wording.
Can we work with a freelancer who is not registered as a sole proprietor?
A contract with an individual is possible, but the taxes and paperwork for such a payment differ from working with a company or a sole proprietor. Ask your accountant how to handle your case.
What does a website cost at Pazl?
From 540 000 ₸ at a fixed price per scope, with a six-month warranty. We hand the code and access over to you.
Not sure who you need?
Describe the project, and we will tell you honestly whether you need a studio.