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Full Stack vs. Specialized Developers – Which One You Should Hire?

Published: Feb 27, 2020  |   | 

Full-Stack vs Specialized Developers

Technology evolves rapidly and your enterprise has to keep pace with the growing competition. A robust corporate website, a seamlessly performing mobile app, or both can help you deal with increasing competition while leveraging the benefits of advancing technology. But here a question arises- which type of developer is better for your web or app project- a full stack developer or a specialized developer? Let’s discuss the answer to this question in this article.

But, before comparing these developers, here is their introduction. You must have heard a figure of speech- Jack of all. Well, this phrase implies completely to the full stack developer. This type of developer can handle more than one task at once. They are multitalented people and manage the entire project single-handedly. No wonder they are becoming a preferred choice for many enterprises these days. However, it is fair to mention that it is not always wise to hire full-stack developers.

Who are full stack developers?

It is true that a full-stack developer can work with both backend and front end of your company’s website and application. Such developers are well-versed in various technology domains like Vue.js, Angular, React, PP, .NET, UI/UX design, and HTML. Many full-stack developers have a good command over databases like MongoDB and MySQL as well as software testing. A full-stack developer focuses on the back end or the front end code of any website.

Who are specialized developers?

Excellent knowledge of both front-end development and back end development technologies makes the full stack developers a choice of many enterprises. But, in web and mobile app development, a ‘p implies q’ situation is rare, and many times you need to hire specialized developers who can address the complexity in a better way than full-stack developers. These developers have great insights into a particular domain. It is, therefore, necessary to hire the best suitable developers for your project.

Comparison- Full Stack Developer vs Specialize Developer

Simply put, a full stack developer specializes in both the front-end and the back-end and a specialized developer is expert in either the front-end or the back-end of the website or an application. The selection between the full stack developers and specialized developers for your project is based on different aspects. Let’s go through the pros and cons of both these types of developers to clear your doubts about the hiring process.

Full Stack Developers- Why should you opt for them?

Pros

• Quick Identification

They can identify and fix the issues quickly. It is because they have experience of all the stages of software development and they know the phases where the issues may occur. In other words, they are ready to tackle the problematic situation at every stage of front-end and back-end development.

• Quick Learners

Full-stack developers are quick learners of new concepts. They just want to increase their knowledge across different technology domains. It is also possible to train them quickly for particular project requirements.

• Cost-Effective

As compared to hiring a front-end developer and a back-end developer separately, a full stack developer is a cost-effective option. In other words, a full stack developer can replace two or more developers. You can make a small but powerful team consists of full-stack developers to save more bucks.

• Reduced Time

time saving


Full stack developers can easily handle multiple tasks to save development time. They can easily switch from the client-side to the server-side thereby eliminating the confusion between both sides. We can say that a full-stack development is more independent as compared to a specialized development.

• Reduced Efforts

You need to handle a small team when you hire full stack developers for your project. Therefore, meetings and discussions are less and they can give more time to development. It also reduces the efforts of you and developers.

Cons

• Lack of Insights

Though full-stack developers are ‘jack of all’ type of professionals, they cannot keep up with the latest trends and technologies as compared to their specialized peers. A full stack developer may face trouble in integrating the latest feature on your website or app.

• Difficulty in Project Management

At times, multitasking may create issues in project management. A full-stack developer handles a huge part of the project alone and it is difficult to measure the milestone or completeness of the project when you assign a project to full stack developers.

• Average Service

Full stack developers can quickly identify the problem, but if the issue is complex they may not able to fix it. You need expert advice to address complexity and issues. There, such developers may not assist you completely.

• Availability Issue

It is difficult to get full stack developers if you want to expand your existing team. As compared to dedicated developers, the availability of full stack developers is less. What’s more, you just cannot replace them in the middle of the project as they handle a big part of the project.

Also Read- Ten Factors to Consider for Better and User-friendly App Design in 2020

Specialized Developers- Why should you hire them?

Pros

• High Quality

Specialized developers have great insights into their domain. Therefore, they can provide high-quality work. As compared to full stack developers, specialized developers can give a better output.

• Expert in Latest Trends

Specialized or dedicated front-end developers are well-versed with the latest trends in their domains. They can keep themselves updated with technological advancements in their specialization field. It ultimately improves the overall quality.

• Easy Allocation

You can easily allocate roles and responsibilities to specialized developers. It is easy to divide the task into small parts and allocate the same to dedicated developers.

• Easy to Hire

A reputed and reliable software development partner can assist you to hire dedicated developers for your project. You can easily expand your team as and when necessary.

Cons

• Higher Cost

You need to hire more specialized developers as compared to full stack developers. It can increase the development cost.

• More Dependency

Specialized developers have to depend on other developers because they can handle only a single aspect of project development.

• Lack of Coordination

If you are unable to communicate with your team of dedicated developers regularly, a lack of communication may hurt your project.

Let’s have a quick roundup of various situations when you should choose a full-stack developer or a specialized developer.

When to hire full-stack developers?

• Small Projects with Low Complexity

As mentioned in the cons of full stack developers, they just cannot handle complexity because of the lack of insights. If your project size is small to medium, you should hire a full stack developer. Also, low complexity projects can be easily handled in a short time by such developers.

• Low Budget

The hiring of full-stack developers is economical as compared to the same for specialized developers. If the budget is low for development, it is better to hire full stack developers.

• Startups and Small Businesses

Usually, startups and small businesses have time and budgetary constraints. On the other hand, their project requirements are also less as compared to large companies. Therefore, full stack developers should be an ideal choice for them.

When to hire specialized developers?

• Large and Complex Projects

Large and long-term projects with higher complexity can be effectively handled by specialized developers. Such projects demand in-depth knowledge and domain expertise. Dedicated developers have good experience in handling such projects and they can easily deal with the complexities of large projects.

• Quality Requirements

Premium quality projects or high-quality software solutions need deep insights. If you want to get high-quality output from your project, you should prefer a team of specialized developers.

Concluding Lines

Full-stack developers can be a great choice for startups and small enterprises. Med-sized and large companies that require top-notch IT solutions should go for specialized developers. As full stack and specialized developers have their pros and cons, it is necessary to understand your project’s requirements to make the right choice.

At Semaphore, we offer flexible engagement models to hire full stack developers or specialized developers. We have in-house teams of experienced developers for both web and mobile app development. Send us your project requirements at info@semaphore-software.com to get free consultancy for selecting developers for your upcoming project.