Freelance Translators VS Translation Agency

freelance translators vs translation agency:
Endgame

No matter how much leggings manufacturers insist, ONE SIZE CANNOT FIT ALL—and this is especially true when it comes to translation and localization. Maybe that one agency whose ad crossed your way has 20 years of experience and a spotless 5-star rating. But do they know the first thing about RPG gameplay? Whether you’re launching a new title or a DLC, you’ll face the eternal dilemma: Should you hire a freelance translation team or go with a full-service localization agency? Let’s get that settled here and now.

round 1:
Cost-Effectiveness

Freelancers ✅

No middleman = more money in your pocket. Of course, freelancers have business expenses. They invest in software, hardware, and continued professional development, plus taxes. But they can offer lower rates than agencies since they don’t have overhead costs.

agencies ❌

Convenience comes at a premium. Most agencies have physical offices that comes with renting and utilities expenses. Plus project management, accounting departments, snacks, stationery items and whatnot, salaries, and other overhead expenses.

round 2:
Communication

Freelancers ✅

No endless email chains with account managers or chatbots—just you and the translator. Faster feedback, quicker revisions, and a personal touch.

agencies ❌

More communication hoops to go through if you need to implement a quick change or get an update on your project.

round 3:
Scalability

Freelancers ❌

If you need 20 languages at once, managing multiple freelancers can get chaotic. You might need to manage them yourself, put someone on your team in charge, or hire an external PM to run the whole crew. In the best case scenario, you hire a translator that works with a team 😉

agencies ✅

Launching in 30 languages next month? No problem—agencies have huge databases and hot lists with hundreds of linguists they can reach out to on a short notice. Sure, that comes with a certain disadvantage that we’ll see below.

round 4:
Niche expertise & consistency

Freelancers ✅

Since they’re independent, the vetting process is on you. But then, you’ll be vetting a translator based on the specific niche expertise you need, and you’ll know exactly the quality that translator can offer, and the translator will get to know your game inside out, which will favor the style, tone, and terms consistency.

agencies ❌

Agencies handle dozens of linguists and large work volumes. Even if they assign the most fitting translators to your project, they need to assign based on availability, and your game will get passed between multiple hands, losing that personal touch and ending up with a mix of tone and styles despite reviewers’ efforts.

round 5:
Multi-service

Freelancers ❌

Translators will translate. Sometimes they might have other skills and offer them along their professional services, but that’s not common. Freelancers tend to have hyper-specific skills, so you might need to make more hires.

agencies ✅

Agencies are the one-stop shop. Need dubbing, subtitling, cultural consulting? You can probably find it all under the same roof, especially if you work with a loc agency focused on videogames.

final round: which one wins?

|That depends on what features you value the most and your specific project. If you have a humongous volume and you need it FAST, then you’ll probably need an agency. On the other hand, are you launching a cozy, narrative-driven game with word puns and whatnot? Better call Saul… I mean, a freelance translator that will cuddle your game and pour their soul into every wordplay. Ultimately, consider this:

Freelancers = Ideal for indie devs, tight budgets, and games with strong narrative voices (think visual novels or story-driven RPGs).
Agencies = Best for large-scale projects, multiple Spanish variants, and full localization suites (like AAA titles with voice acting).

Or move like a PRO! Use freelancers for core translations and an agency for QA and voiceovers. An OP hybrid strategy!

At Linguacy we strive to offer the best of both worlds, getting rid of clunky corporate layers and bringing agency-level quality and scalability. We work hard to turn our cons into pros with higher value. That way we are more personal than an agency, but also more reliable than a loner translator. Let us know if you need us to be the heroes for your next quest!