The verdict in three sentences
The right choice depends on the duration of your need: an agency to ship fast and safe, a freelance for a tight budget and bounded scope, a salaried CTO once the product becomes your core business. Over 12 months, the total cost gap between the three options can reach EUR 60,000 for the same deliverable. The deciding factor is not the headline day rate but code ownership and continuity.
Day rate and real cost: what you actually pay
The day rate does not tell the whole story. An agency includes a project manager, QA and warranty; a freelance bills only dev time; a salaried CTO adds payroll taxes, equipment and management. Here are the 2026 benchmarks for Berlin.
| Mode | 2026 unit cost | Included | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agency | EUR 500 - 900/day | PM, QA, design, warranty | High daily cost |
| Senior freelance | EUR 350 - 650/day | Dev only | Single-resource, unavailable |
| Junior freelance | EUR 200 - 350/day | Dev only | Variable quality |
| Salaried CTO | EUR 70 - 110k/year | Product vision, team | Long hiring, fixed cost |
| Fractional CTO | EUR 800 - 1,500/day | Tech strategy | Limited availability |
Total cost over 12 months: three scenarios
For the same project (a business platform built then maintained), total cost over a year varies widely by mode. Assumption: ~120 build days then maintenance.
| Scenario | Build (120 d) | Maintenance/year | 12-month total | Code ownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agency | EUR 84,000 | EUR 18,000 | EUR 102,000 | Client (contract it) |
| Senior freelance | EUR 60,000 | EUR 15,000 | EUR 75,000 | Client |
| Salaried CTO | EUR 90,000 (incl. taxes) | included | EUR 90,000 + team | Company |
| Agency + freelance mix | EUR 72,000 | EUR 12,000 | EUR 84,000 | Client |
The senior freelance is cheapest over 12 months but carries continuity risk: if they leave, handover costs EUR 10,000 to 20,000. The salaried CTO only pays off when development is recurring and central.
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Mini case study
Sophie, head of a logistics SME in Lyon, must build a fleet-tracking platform. A one-off 4-month need, then light maintenance. A salaried CTO (EUR 95,000/year loaded) is oversized for a non-recurring project. She picks an agency for the build (EUR 78,000, delivered in 4 months, code handed over and documented) then a freelance on a day basis for maintenance (EUR 1,200/month). Year-1 cost: EUR 92,400 versus EUR 95,000 for a CTO alone, but with no long commitment or management, and with code ownership contracted.
FAQ
Who owns the code in each case? With an agency or freelance, ownership must be explicitly assigned in the contract (rights-assignment clause): without it, you do not own it. With a salaried CTO, the code belongs to the company by default.
Is a freelance really cheaper? On the day rate yes, but it includes no project manager, QA or warranty. On a complex project, the coordination time you handle yourself is a hidden 15 to 25% cost.
When should you hire a salaried CTO? As soon as the web product is your core business and development becomes continuous (roadmap over 12 months). Below that, a fractional CTO (EUR 800-1,500/day) is enough.
Can you mix all three? Yes, often optimal: agency for the initial build, freelance for maintenance, fractional CTO for strategy. This mix cuts cost by 10 to 20% while securing quality.
How do you secure the timeline with a freelance? Break it into deliverable milestones with tied payments, require weekly code pushes to your own Git repo, and line up a backup freelance.
Let's scope your project. Share the estimated duration, scope and a target budget: we recommend the most cost-effective mode and cost the total over 12 months. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
