IT freelance or permanent job: the comparison.

• A permanent contract (CDI) gives you a fixed salary, full social protection and no admin to handle.
• Freelancing lets you make the most of your skills and choose your assignments, in exchange for more responsibility.
• The employee-partner status offered by Freemakers combines the independence of a freelancer with the protection of an employee.

On a permanent contract, your pay is set in your employment contract: a monthly salary, sometimes topped up with a variable part, bonuses or profit-sharing. It grows with pay rises and promotions.

As a freelancer, your revenue depends on two things: your day rate and the number of days you bill. For example, a day rate of €500 over 200 days means €100,000 of revenue, excluding VAT.

That revenue is not a salary: social security contributions, business costs and, where relevant, management fees come out of it. With equal skills, an IT freelancer can still earn more than an employee, especially in sought-after fields.

A permanent contract remains the most protective option: unemployment insurance, company health cover, disability and life cover, paid leave and pension contributions are all part of your contract.

A freelancer working on their own account is generally not entitled to employee unemployment insurance, and their social protection depends on the chosen status (micro-enterprise, EURL, SASU…). It is up to them to prepare for quieter periods, for example with savings or additional insurance.

With the employee-partner status, you stay free in how you work, but you receive a payslip every month and enjoy the social protection of an employee.

On a permanent contract, your projects, working hours and career largely depend on your employer. In return, you get a stable environment, training and internal promotion.

As a freelancer, you choose your assignments, clients, technologies and day rate. Each new assignment is a chance to discover a new environment and broaden your experience. The downside: periods without an assignment, which you need to plan for.

An employee on a permanent contract has nothing to manage: the employer handles payroll and filings. A freelancer on their own account, however, has to take care of:

• invoicing clients and chasing payments;
• bookkeeping and social security and tax filings;
• insurance, such as professional liability insurance;
• pension and disability cover.

With Freemakers, invoicing, payroll, filings and expense claims are handled for you, so you can focus on your assignments.

A permanent job suits you if stability, a clear framework and career growth within one company are your priorities.

Freelancing suits you if you have in-demand expertise, want to choose your projects and increase your income, and are ready to handle some uncertainty.

If security or admin is holding you back, the employee-partner status is a middle way: the independence of a freelancer, with the protection and simplicity of an employee.