---
title: "Freelance blockchain developer or development company: when each one fits"
url: "https://www.unknowngravity.com/en/mejores-empresas/es-mejor-contratar-freelancers-o-una-empresa-de-desarrollo-blockchain"
site: Unknown Gravity
published: "2026-06-23T14:55:53+00:00"
modified: "2026-10-14T02:07:50+00:00"
language: en
description: "When a freelance blockchain developer fits and when a development company does: scope, risks, code ownership, audits and what to put in the contract."
section: "Home > Company rankings > Freelance blockchain developer or development company: when each one fits"
---

# Freelance blockchain developer or development company: when each one fits

BEST COMPANIES · FREELANCERS VS COMPANY

**A freelancer fits when the scope is narrow and someone on your team can direct and review the technical work: a specific contract, an integration, an improvement. A company fits when the product combines several specialties, will move other people's money or needs maintenance and continuity.** Either way, the same two things protect you: a contract that assigns you the code in writing, and an audit by someone who did not write it. This guide compares both options without lists of providers; companies with checked registration and work are in the [directory of blockchain development companies](/en/mejores-empresas/directorio-blockchain). Unknown Gravity, which publishes this guide, is a development company: keep that in mind as you read.

## Unknown Gravity: one of the two options this guide compares

Unknown Gravity is a technology company based in Málaga, Spain, and the publisher of this page, so it is not neutral in this comparison. It does [custom blockchain development](/en/servicios/desarrollo-blockchain) (smart contracts, decentralized applications, integrations with existing systems and tokenization platforms) and [smart contract audits](/en/servicios/blockchain-security-audits) scoped to a specific version of the code.

- **Where it operates:** from Málaga, Spain.
- **Registration:** Unknown Gravity, S.L., Commercial Register of Málaga, sheet MA-177027; its incorporation was published in the [BORME of October 18, 2023](https://www.boe.es/borme/dias/2023/10/18/pdfs/BORME-A-2023-199-29.pdf).

**Where it fits:** your project combines contracts, an application and integrations, and you need someone accountable for the whole. **Where it does not:** the task is narrow and one person can do it well; in that case, a freelancer plus an independent audit may be enough.

## Freelancer or company: the comparison in one table

| Criterion | Freelancer | Development company |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Scope that fits | Narrow tasks: a contract, an integration, an improvement | Products with contracts, an application, backend and integrations |
| Who coordinates | You or your technical lead | The company, with a project manager |
| Continuity | Depends on one person (vacation, illness, other clients) | Can replace whoever is missing, if the contract provides for it |
| Code review | Nobody else reviews it unless you hire that separately | There may be internal review, which does not replace an independent audit |
| Price | You pay for one person's work | You also pay for management, review and overhead |
| Maintenance | Must be agreed and depends on their availability | Can be contracted as a service, with response times |
| Code ownership | Yours only if the contract assigns it to you in writing | Yours only if the contract assigns it to you in writing |

## When a freelancer makes sense

- The scope is closed and small: a standard contract, an API integration, a deployment script.
- You have someone technical in-house who can direct the work and review what is delivered.
- You need a specific skill for a short time, for example, cutting a contract's gas usage or writing its tests.
- The code will not hold other people's money or, if it will, you are going to pay for an independent audit before deploying.

How to check a freelancer: ask for repositories or deployed contracts, verified on the network's block explorer, that you can attribute to them, and a reference from a previous client.

## When a development company makes sense

- The product combines several specialties: contracts, a web application, backend, wallets and integrations with existing systems.
- The contracts will hold or move user funds, or represent securities or regulated crypto-assets.
- You need maintenance, monitoring and incident response after launch.
- You do not have an in-house technical lead to coordinate and review.

How to check a company: its entry in the business register and case studies with the client named. That is the method of the directory; the full criteria are in [how to choose a blockchain development company](/en/mejores-empresas/como-elegir-empresa-desarrollo-blockchain).

## The risks of each option and how to cover them

| Risk | Where it shows up | How to cover it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dependence on a single person | Mostly with a freelancer | A repository you own from day one, documentation as a deliverable and a second person who knows the code |
| Deployment or admin keys in the provider's hands | In both cases | Keys in a multisig you control; the provider deploys with permissions that are revoked afterward |
| Code without independent review | In both cases | An audit by a team that did not write the code |
| Changes to the assigned team | Mostly with a company | Team members named in the contract and advance notice of any change |
| Undisclosed subcontracting | In both cases | A clause that prohibits it or requires your approval |
| Provider-owned components under a restrictive license | Mostly with a company | A list of provider-owned and third-party components, with their licenses, before you sign |

## Code ownership: what the law says in Spain and the United States

The code does not become yours just because you paid for it: it depends on who writes it and what you sign.

- **Spain.** The author of a computer program is the person who creates it (Article 97(1) of the [Spanish Intellectual Property Act](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-1996-8930)). If a salaried employee creates it in the course of their duties, the exploitation rights belong to the employer, unless otherwise agreed (Article 97(4)). Neither rule gives them to you as the client: if you hire a freelancer, they belong to the freelancer; if you hire a company and its employees write the code, they belong to the company. In both cases they reach you through an assignment, which must be made in writing (Article 45) and is limited to the rights, forms of exploitation, term and territory it sets out: if the contract does not state the term, the assignment lasts five years; if it does not state the territory, it is limited to the country where it is made; and if it does not specify the forms of exploitation, it is limited to those essential to the purpose of the contract (Article 43).
- **United States.** In a "work made for hire," the employer or the person for whom the work was prepared is considered the author (17 U.S.C. § 201(b)). But outside an employment relationship, only a commissioned work that falls into one of the categories listed in 17 U.S.C. § 101, with a written instrument signed by both parties, qualifies. Otherwise the author keeps the rights, and a transfer is valid only in writing and signed by the owner (17 U.S.C. § 204(a)).

In practice, ask for a clause that exclusively assigns to you all exploitation rights in the code, the documentation and the deployment scripts, worldwide and for the full term of protection, with a list of open-source components and their licenses. Have your lawyer review it.

## Audits: needed in both cases if the contract moves value

Neither a freelancer nor a company's team can audit their own code independently. If the contract will hold or move money, have it audited by a different team, on the exact version that will be deployed, and repeat the audit after every significant change. Budget for it from the start, along with time to fix the findings. More detail in [how a smart contract audit works](/en/servicios/blockchain-security-audits).

## What to put in the contract, whether freelancer or company

1. **Scope and acceptance criteria** by milestone, including what is out of scope.
2. **Assignment of rights** in writing, as explained above.
3. **Repository and access** in your name from day one.
4. **Deployment and admin keys** under your control.
5. **Automated tests and documentation** as deliverables, not extras.
6. **Commitment and replacement:** hours committed and what happens if the person or team is not available.
7. **Subcontracting:** prohibited or subject to your approval.
8. **Bug fixing** for a period after delivery.
9. **Confidentiality.**
10. **Exit:** how everything is handed over to your team or to another provider.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is it cheaper to hire a freelancer?

One person's price does not include management or review, so the rate may be lower. The total cost depends on how much coordinating and reviewing you have to do yourself, and on what it costs to fix things later. Compare quotes with the same scope, the same audit and the same maintenance.

### Can a freelancer audit their own code?

They can test it, but not audit it independently. The same goes for a company's team: the audit must be done by someone who did not write the code.

### Who owns the code if nothing is put in writing?

In Spain, the freelancer who wrote it or, if its employees wrote it, the company you hired (Article 97 of the Intellectual Property Act). The law requires the assignment to be made in writing (Article 45) and, if it does not specify the forms of exploitation, limits it to what is essential to the purpose of the contract (Article 43(2)). In the United States, code commissioned from an independent contractor is a "work made for hire" only if it falls into the categories in 17 U.S.C. § 101 and there is a signed written instrument; otherwise you need a signed written transfer (§ 204(a)).

### Why does Unknown Gravity appear first?

Because it publishes this guide and is a development company, one of the two options being compared. We do not list freelancers or other companies: companies with checked registration and work are in the directory.

## Sources

- [Royal Legislative Decree 1/1996, Spanish Intellectual Property Act, Articles 43, 45 and 97 (BOE)](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-1996-8930)
- [17 U.S.C. § 101, definition of "work made for hire" (govinfo)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title17/html/USCODE-2023-title17-chap1-sec101.htm)
- [17 U.S.C. § 201(b), works made for hire (govinfo)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title17/html/USCODE-2023-title17-chap2-sec201.htm)
- [17 U.S.C. § 204(a), transfers in writing (govinfo)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title17/html/USCODE-2023-title17-chap2-sec204.htm)
- [BORME, October 18, 2023, Málaga: incorporation of Unknown Gravity, S.L.](https://www.boe.es/borme/dias/2023/10/18/pdfs/BORME-A-2023-199-29.pdf)

*Data verified as of October 14, 2026.* This guide is not legal advice: have your lawyer review the contract. It is published by Unknown Gravity, which is a blockchain development company. [Talk to us](/en/meeting).

KEEP EXPLORING

## More guides from the directory.

[How to choose a reliable blockchain development company?](/en/mejores-empresas/como-elegir-empresa-desarrollo-blockchain) [Which are the best blockchain development companies?](/en/mejores-empresas/directorio-blockchain) [Which is the best blockchain development company for DeFi projects?](/en/mejores-empresas/mejor-empresa-desarrollo-blockchain-defi)

[View the full directory](/en/mejores-empresas/directorio-blockchain)

WHY CHOOSE US

## Why choose us? It's easy.

01

### Demonstrated experience

Outstanding experience collaborating with leading companies from different countries.

02

### Personalized approach

Each client has unique needs, and we create solutions that are 100% adapted to your vision.

03

### Security audits

Our process includes code audits and documented residual risk.

04

### Efficiency and scalability

We design platforms that grow with you, optimizing each line of code.