Software Development Consultant vs Developer – Which One to Choose?

Do you have a keen interest in developing a career in the software field?

Well, software development won’t be the only option you have. From writing a software solution from scratch, you might soon be asked to coordinate many different aspects of the coding world as a software consultant. So, it’s your choice whether you want to become a software developer or a software development consultant.

Although these two positions hold great potential! Their whole workflows and the roles in a project are truly complementary. If you’re facing problems in choosing the most suitable option, this blog is for you.

This article will help you walk through both shoes and give you an idea of the key roles and responsibilities of both designations. Let’s start one by one!

Who is a Software Developer?

A developer is a person who knows how to solve software problems through coding. They could be both freelancers or developers working in some software development consultant company, or any other organization as in-house staff. 

As every project is unique, its coding needs would be unique too! It may vary widely from project to project and throughout a period, you must also focus on frameworks, networking, testing, or maintenance more than on using a specific language to create a complete solution to a software-related problem.

Another aspect that as a software developer you’d be faced with is choosing between front-end and back-end development. These two are different job profiles with unique roles and responsibilities. 

While the nominal job of a software developer is to write code, he/she may also encounter requests to do tasks like – Software architecture design, documentation or maintenance, cloud or networking infrastructure, and many more functions.

A career path is easier to envisage if you are proficient enough to handle other aspects beyond the job that is related to ‘pure coding’.

Who is A Custom Software Development Consultant?

Being a Software Development Consultant required broader knowledge than just coding. It’s a collection of neighboring fields that sometimes overlap, and encompasses technologies, and equipment to collect, elaborate, store, and transmit data. From advising on the software design and architecture to ensuring the right efficiency has been given to the project, the security of software systems works fine, it complaints to all standard regulations, designed as per to meet customers’ expectations, and built based on the geographical requirements, there are a lot of factors that a software development consultant has to look for. 

Production of infrastructure and seamless business assessments to meet specific goals are also important, and all of this must be carried out exclusively for each unique project.

Furthermore, the ability to work in difficult environments and with multiple teams at once where the consultant must gain acceptance as a temporary leader is essential for the success of any project.

So, being a custom software development consultant or working as a tech expert in a software development consultant company is much more complex than being a software developer. However, it’s a rewarding job too. 

We have also shared a brief distinction between both job profiles, let’s have a look below!

Software Developer vs Software Development Consultant – A Brief Differentiation

Custom Software Developer

1. A software developer develops programs that run on computers. These programs can vary based on their functionalities.
2. They are usually responsible for performing a specific task or focusing on a single area of a project that is ‘coding’. And that’s why many developers specialize in specific frameworks.
3. Software developers focus on developing project-specific software and apps. While others may also specialize in developing software systems that help manage devices and networks. They work in collaboration with internal teams to ensure the software meets its goals.
4. A software developer will have the flexibility to adjust project timelines based on the time he needs to complete the coding part.
5. Developers typically work internally for certain companies with a single focus on achieving both short and long-term objectives.

Custom Software Development Consultant

1. A consultant works externally for companies and assists them with their software development processes.
2. From software planning to design and construction stages, software development consultants are responsible for the seamless execution of each stage in the development lifecycle.
3. Custom software development consultants meet with clients to discuss a company’s software usage, gather their requirements, and advise them accordingly on technology and features they can implement. Also, help them in decisions regarding software investments and sales.
4. Whereas a software development consultant may require exceptional time management skills to complete each project on time.
5. On the other hand, the development consultants perform external or independent work as contractors for certain companies.

Conclusion

The above differentiation would help you analyze what work each of those roles does and in the project lifecycle where they are most active. A consultant is more in touch with the business, whereas the developers’ focus remains on the product. So, one should –

Choose the Software Development Consultant line if they aim to work for diverse technical and practical knowledge and choose the development role if they love converting a solution on paper into a robust and clear codebase.

Cloudester is the most promising software development consultant company with years of experience. We have a team of professional software developers, QA analysts, consultants, and everyone that you need to hire for your next software project. Let’s connect with us to discuss your project requirements and find a perfect solution to take your business to new heights.