Specialized developers vs full-stack developers
Which developer ought to you employ?

The pace of change in the IT industry is raising standards and skill requirements. Today, a developer must be much more than just an expert in one area. As a result of this demand, full-stack developers are quickly becoming many businesses' first choice.

 

But is it always better to hire a specialist rather than a jack of all trades?

 

It's possible that many of you have the same query. We will attempt to provide some reasonable responses to it in this article. But first, let's talk about what full stack developers and specialist developers are.

 

What is the term "full-stack developer?"

A full-stack engineer is a designer who can work with both backend and front finish of a site and application. Simply put, a full-stack developer is someone who can collaborate with clients during the planning phase of a project as well as work on projects that involve building databases and user-facing websites.

 

A full-stack programmer is a developer with expertise in numerous areas, such as:

 

Backend development (PHP, Java, and NET) UI/UX design Markup languages (HTML and CSS) Databases (Firebase, MongoDB, PosterSQL, MySQL) Software testing (TestComplete, Katalon studio, Postman, Selenium, and other software testing tools) Scalability, architecture, and the project's roadmap

Contrary to popular belief, a full-stack software engineer does not always independently write all of a website's code. He frequently spends most of his time working in a website's front-end or backend code.

 

Furthermore, only a small amount of a full-stack developer's work is code writing. This is due to the abundance of customizable frameworks, tools, and libraries that developers can use rather than writing their own code.

 

Full-stack developers are an appealing option for businesses looking to hire developers because of their proficiency with frontend and backend tools and frameworks.


What exactly is an expert developer?

A developer who is an expert in a single field and whose work focuses on that field is known as a specialist developer, as the name suggests. This doesn't mean that a specialized developer won't know the same things a senior full stack developer does to build and deliver an application.

 

It simply indicates that the specialized developer would be the go-to person for that particular topic, which could include anything from design to database design to domain modeling and entity framework.

 

Specialist versus Full Stack Developer: Pros and Cons We were aware of the fundamental distinction between a specialist and a full stack developer. Let's now examine the advantages and disadvantages of employing them.

 

Let's first examine the benefits and drawbacks of employing specialized developers.

 

Pros of specialized developers:

The fact that you will always receive work of a high quality for all aspects of your project is one of the biggest benefits of working with a specialized developer. This is due to the fact that all specialized developers are proficient in their respective technologies, making their work of higher quality than that of full stack developers.

 

stays up to date on the most recent technologies and trends Because the specialized developers specialize in a particular area, it is simple for them to stay up to date on all the most recent technologies and trends relevant to their particular area of development.

 

Convenient assignment of responsibilities The assignment of responsibilities becomes simple, effective, and accomodating for both the requirements of the project and the members of the team. This is due to the fact that the entire project can be easily broken down into smaller tasks that each specialized developer can oversee.

 

Cons of specialized developers:

Costly Employing two specialist developers for the frontend and backend is more expensive than employing a single full-stack developer who is capable of performing the same tasks.

 

Dependence on Other Members Specialized developers are more dependent on Other Members because they are highly skilled and mastered at performing the tasks of their domain. For instance, one developer can't move forward with a project until the other specialist developer has finished his part of the job.

 

Let's now examine the advantages and disadvantages of employing a full stack developer.

 

Pros of full-stack development:

A full-stack developer is an expert in all phases of software development, including front-end, back-end, QA testing, code architecture, and more. When multiple developers are working on different parts of the product, this versatility makes it easier for full stack developers to quickly identify and resolve omni-purpose issues.

 

Specialized developers must hold a meeting to identify the issue in the absence of a full-stack developer, which would take a long time.

 

Cost: Hiring a single full-stack developer can easily take the place of two or even more specialized developers. As a result, hiring a full-stack developer can cut down on the number of employees needed and, consequently, lower the cost of hiring.

 

Flexibility A full stack programmer has a lot of flexibility because he knows both the client side and the service side, making it easy for him to switch between tasks. By removing misunderstandings between the development teams, the presence of a full-stack developer speeds up development.

 

Backend developers do not need to hold a meeting to explain the problem to front end developers and vice versa when a full stack developer is present.

Cons of full-stack development:

Time management that is risky If multiple full stack developers are working on major parts of a project, irrational time management could be a big problem. This is because there might be a lot of unfinished tasks and a lot of work to do. Because the developers would be occupied with completing the unfinished tasks rather than working on new ones, this could put an end to the entire project.

 

Inability to keep up with the most recent technologies and trends Full-stack developers work in a wide range of fields, making it challenging for them to keep up with the most recent tools, technologies, and trends in every area of expertise.

 

Control of responsibility In a full-stack development team, the developers do not break up their work into smaller ones. Instead, they simply put together project components. This makes it hard for customers and team members to control, check, and most importantly define the project's completion at any given time.

 

When to choose specialized or full-stack developers?

We learned about the advantages and disadvantages of both the dedicated developer and the full stack developer. However, you may still be unsure whether to hire a full-stack developer or a dedicated developer. Let's look at the criteria for choosing between a full-stack developer and a dedicated developer to help you distinguish between the two.

 

The size of the project has a significant impact on which developers are selected. For instance, it makes sense to hire full-stack developers if you are a startup or working on a small project. It's because you have limited resources and a wide range of technologies and tasks at that point.

 

For medium-sized projects, hiring full-stack developers is reasonable. However, it is recommended to hire a large team of specialized developers for large projects due to the necessity of accurately following the documentation process and utilizing the appropriate technologies and tools.

 

Complexity of the project This criterion is very similar to the previous one. This is because hiring a full-stack developer is the best option for any project that has a small number of tasks, clear functionality, and easy implementation.

 

In a similar vein, if the project is of a complex nature—that is, if it entails a large number of tasks—it will be preferable to hire specialized developers who are able to provide solutions that are superiorly competent.

 

Flexibility in the project If the requirements of your project are not clearly defined and can change frequently, full stack developers are the best option for you. Full-stack developers are very good at switching between tasks quickly and simultaneously. Consequently, they can undoubtedly oblige those occasional changes. On the other hand, if you have a team of several specialized developers, it can be hard to change requirements.

 

If your project has strict requirements, you should hire a team of expert developers.

 

Budget As previously mentioned, hiring a full-stack developer is less expensive than hiring a dedicated team. Therefore, full-stack developer is the solution if you're short on money.

 

The quality of the project The quality of the project is a crucial criterion when choosing between full-stack and specialized developers. It goes without saying that you will need to exert more effort in order to produce a solution of the highest possible quality.

 

To create an outstanding solution, complete immersion is required. Additionally, a team of specialized developers is required to achieve this level of immersion.

 

In conclusion

Full-stack developers are an excellent option for a new business. In a similar vein, superior and intricate solutions should be developed by specialized developers.

 

There are advantages and disadvantages to both full stack developers and specialized developers. You must carefully comprehend your own project before making a decision between them and proceed.

I hope this article helped you understand the fundamental differences between full stack and specialized developers, as well as their advantages, disadvantages, and scope.


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