Full Stack Developer Vs Specialized Developer: How to Hire Right Developer as per Business Need?

Full stack developers have gained high traction in past few years. With expertise in all the major technologies required to build a mobile app, website, or web app; these developers are leading the world. But how many of you have heard about the saying “Jack of all trades; Master of none”?

According to this popular figure of speech a person who has learned all the skills will not have expertise on anyone. Is this saying true when it comes to the development field? A full-stack developer with a knowledge of all the technologies will not have expertise on anyone. While a specialized developer will have unbeatable expertise on one technology.

And today through this blog we will discuss the difference between a full stack developer and a specialist developer. We will also check when to hire a specialized developer and when to hire a full-stack developer.

Let’s start with a quick introduction!

Full Stack Developer Vs Specialized Developer

There are two elements required to develop an application: frontend and backend. To build and launch your app you will get two options either hire a full stack developer or hire a specialized developer.

A full-stack developer is someone who has knowledge of frontend technologies as well as backend technologies. This one developer can build your entire project.

While a specialized developer is someone who has expertise in either frontend or backend technology and not both. You will have to hire two specialized developers to build your app instead of one. One will be for the frontend and one will develop the backend of the app.

Frontend development involves the look and feel of your application. All the visual parts of your app will be developed by a front-end developer. The backend of an app is the server-side interaction of your application. How your app will work basically depends on the backend.

Which One to Select for your Business: Full Stack Developers or Specialized Developers?

Now the confusion arises is which is more suitable for your business or app idea? To clear this confusion we have listed out the list of skills you will find in a full stack developer as well as in a specialized developer. Moreover; later in the blog, we have also covered some real-time scenarios where you can hire full stack developers or specialized developers. Keep reading till the end and then utilize the knowledge to make an informative decision.

Full Stack Developer Skillsets

A full stack developer knows all the major tools and technologies trends required to develop an application. These developers have knowledge of markup languages (HTML, CSS), frontend and backend technologies, databases like Firebase and MYSQL as well as software testing.

In short, a full-stack developer can play the role of all the major team members required to develop an app except a UI/UX designer. Some full stack developers can also build the UI/UX of an app but not all full-stack developer knows about it. Below are some technologies, languages, frameworks that a full stack developer should know about:

Front-end (client-side) Languages:

• JavaScript
• CSS
• HTML

Front-end Frameworks:

• Angular
• React.js
• Vue.js

Back-end Languages:

• .NET C#, VB, F#
• PHP
• Java
• Node.js
• Ruby
• Python

Back-end Frameworks:

• MVC
• Spring
• Django
• Laravel
• Ruby on Rails

The cost to hire a full stack developer is obviously higher than a specialized developer because you will get all the solutions in one place. Even it is one of the highest paying jobs with an average annual package of more than $110,000. As per the recent statistics by the US Bureau of Labor; by the year 2024, the job opening for full stack developers will reach 853,000 .

From U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Nowadays companies are hiring full-stack developers as CTOs. A Chief technical officer is a person who has the knowledge of all the technologies out there and can manage all of your technical teams.

Pros of Hiring Full Stack Developers

To understand if you really need a full stack developer for your project you will have to understand its positive and negative sides. Let us start with the positive side of hiring a full stack developer:

• Less development time
  When there will be one developer managing and switching between tasks to develop the client-side and server-side of an app then the chances of confusion and miscommunication reduces. The developer will be aware of each aspect and will know exactly is the status of each module. As a result; a lot of time will be saved in meetings, discussions, confusions, and dependencies.
• Cost-effective
  Instead of hiring a whole team of specialized developers, you can hire a full stack developer. One full stack developer will eliminate the requirement of two or more team members. As a result, it will be much economical. You can have a small yet powerful team for your project.
• Faster issue identification and resolving
  As we have talked about above; when a single developer works on all the modules of an app then that person knows about the bugs and issues at each stage. It will be easier for that person to figure out the issues quickly and resolve them because there won’t be extra time required for discussion for meetings.
• Less number of discussions
  As we were saying, you don’t have to take multiple meetings or discussions to cover each aspect of the development. One person knows about each aspect including frontend, backend, database, and even testing. As a result, a lot of time will be saved and the app will be developed quickly.
• Quick Learning abilities
  Full stack learners have the base clear for all the technologies and hence they can learn and update their skillsets easily. As per the requirement of the project, they will upgrade their skillsets.

Cons of Hiring Full Stack Developers

Now that you know the pros or positive side of hiring a full stack developer; let us have a look at the negative side:

• Project tracking difficulties
  When you have a whole team working on the project you can keep a track of each developer’s work and hence easier to track the development process. But when it comes to full stack developers, a single person will be working on all the modules hence instead of tasks the developer will focus on chunks of the development process. As a result, it gets difficult to track.
• Not updated with the latest trends or tools in technologies
  A full stack developer has the knowledge of all the technologies required in application development. But how can one developer learn and stay updated with each and every trend in all the technologies? As a result, a full stack developer will not have the expertise on the latest tools or trends in technology required for your project.
• Availability
  Full-stack developers are not readily available to hire instantly for your project. You will have to spend a lot of your time searching around and finalize a full-stack developer.

Specialized Developer Skillsets

A specialized developer is someone who has gained years of experience or expertise on a single technology or set of related technology. These developers are the all-time choice for troubleshooting or best development practices for a particular area. It can be designing, database management, development, or testing.

The skillset of these developers depends on their expertise or knowledge. For example, a frontend developer will have a skillset including JavaScript, HTML, CSS, TypeScript, etc.

If you want to build a strong team for a long-term project then a specialized developer will be the best choice for you.

Pros of a Specialized Developer

Do you really need a specialized developer or a team of specialized developers? The best way to understand this is by checking the positive and negative sides of hiring a specialized developer. Let’s start with the pros of hiring a specialized developer:

• Easy to allocate resources
  When you will have a team of specialized developers for each module (frontend, backend, database, testing, etc) then resource allocation is simple. Every team member will get a task according to the skills.
• Better quality
  A specialized developer has expertise in its dedicated technology. Hence the end result from each team member will be the best in terms of quality.
• Knowledge about the latest trends and tools
  A specialized developer just has to stay updated with the latest trends on his or her particular technology. Hence it is easier to learn and grow.
• High Availability
  You can find expert, experienced developers for each technology easily. Hence it is easier to hire dedicated specialized developers for your project.

Cons of a Specialized Developer

Now that you know the positive side of hiring a specialized developer; let us have a look at the negative side. Below are some cons of specialized developers:

• The overall cost of project development will be higher
  A single specialized developer can not build your entire application. You will be needing a whole team including someone to develop the client-side app, server sider app, database management, and even testing. Hence the cost will be higher as compared to full stack developers.
• More development time
  The team will have to communicate frequently hence more time investment in communication and meetings. This will result in a higher time requirement for development.
• Higher dependency
  Each team member will be dependent on every other member for different modules. For example backend developer needs UI/UX to connect the server-side with the client-side. The database team will need a client-side structure to work on the framework. Hence higher dependency might lead to more development time.

Still, confused between Full Stack Developers or Specialized Developers? We have some more information for you that will surely help you to make the decision. Below are some scenarios where you can hire a full stack developer and scenarios where you can hire a specialized developer.

When to Choose a Full Stack Developer?

• Tight budget
  If you have a limited budget then hiring a whole team of specialized developers will make a huge hole in your pocket. Instead, you can hire a full stack developer who will manage the entire development process.
• Smaller project size
  If your projects come under the category of small or in some cases even medium projects then you can go for full stack developer.
• Less complex projects
  Projects that are complex in nature require a specialized expert developer to handle the requirements. But if your project is not that complex or even common with basic features then you can definitely go for a full stack developer.
• Time limitation
  A whole team of specialized developers will take more time as compared to a full stack developer. A full stack developer will have zero dependencies and hence no extra time will be required to build the application.
• MVP development
  If you are developing an MVP or need a basic version of your app that you will upgrade after some ROI or funding then a full stack developer will be the best choice for you.

When to Choose a Specialized Developer?

• Huge projects
  If your project has too many modules and features then relying on only one developer will be a bad choice. You will need a whole team of developers who can work on the project together.
• Quality over time
  If time is not a constraint for you but you need the best end results then specialized developers are the best choice for you. You will get an amazing UI/UX, features, functionalities, and bug-free application.
• High complexity
  There are some projects that require high-level experts to develop the functionalities required by the application. In that case, you will need a specialized developer who is aware of all the knick-knacks of technology and project development.

>> Read More: How to Find Best Technology Stack for Your Web App Development?

FAQs About Hiring Full Stack or Specialized Developers

Conclusion

Hiring a developer for your dream project or for a project for your company is a huge decision. The developers decide the quality of your application and hence always make sure to hire best full stack developer or specialized developer as per your requirements.

Full stack developers or specialized developer; both have their own pros and cons. All you have to do is understand your project and your priorities and then make the decision.

If you are looking for a team of reliable resources; it can full stack or specialized developers then we are here for you. Get in touch with us today to hire dedicated developers in every technology.