Many IT professionals in employment toy with the thought: should I work as a freelancer? More freedom, a higher rate, your own boss. But there is also a downside that often stays underexposed in enthusiastic stories. Is becoming a freelancer in IT really the right step for you?
In this article I give an honest weighing of the pros and cons of becoming a freelancer in IT. No sales pitch, because it is not the right choice for everyone. I name both sides, so you can make a substantiated decision yourself.
This blog is for IT professionals in employment considering the switch to freelancing, and for starters in doubt.
Honest disclosure: I place IT freelancers, so I benefit from more self-employed people. That is precisely why I want to be honest about the disadvantages. A freelancer who starts for the wrong reasons is good for no one, not you and not me.
What are the big advantages of becoming a freelancer in IT?
The freedom and the earning potential. As a freelancer, you decide which assignments you accept, who you work for and partly how you arrange your time. In addition, your hourly rate is usually considerably higher than a comparable gross hourly wage in employment, because you carry your own risks.
On top of that, IT is a favourable market for self-employed people. For many specialisms there is structural scarcity, which means there is demand for good people and you have a strong negotiating position. For those who suit entrepreneurship, freelancing in IT offers a lot of room and autonomy.
Do you really earn more as a freelancer?
Your hourly rate is higher, but that is not the same as keeping more. From that higher rate you pay your own tax, insurance, pension and your non-billable time. Whether you keep more net depends on your rate, your billable hours and your costs. Calculate it well with an accountant before you make the step.
What are the disadvantages you often do not hear?
The uncertainty and the responsibility. As a freelancer, you have no fixed income, no continued pay during illness, and no employer who arranges your pension or insurance. You have to absorb all that yourself, and that requires discipline, buffers and a higher rate to cover it.
A few disadvantages that often miss from enthusiastic stories:
- No fixed income; you carry the risk of idle time between assignments
- No continued pay during illness or disability without your own insurance
- You arrange your own pension, insurance and admin
- Acquisition and entrepreneurship cost time besides your craft
- The Dutch DBA Act sets requirements on how you work, with risks on disguised employment
These disadvantages do not make freelancing bad, but they belong to an honest weighing. For those who can carry them and embrace entrepreneurship, the advantages often outweigh. For those who mainly seek security, employment can remain the better choice.
What about the Dutch DBA Act as a freelancer?
That has become a real point of attention. Since 2025, the Dutch DBA Act is actively enforced. If you work long-term and embedded at one client as if you were an employee, that can be seen as disguised employment, with consequences for you and the client. Working genuinely independently is therefore important.
For most IT freelancers this is manageable: work for multiple clients, behave as an entrepreneur, and make sure your assignments are defined. For long-running assignments, the intermediary construction via an intermediary can cover the risk. Want to know whether you run a risk? Read our blog on the Dutch DBA Act risk for IT freelancers.
For whom is becoming a freelancer suitable, and for whom not?
Freelancing suits those who embrace entrepreneurship: those who value independence, can handle uncertainty, and are willing to arrange the business side. Those with a strong profile in an in-demand specialism stand strongest. For that group, freelancing in IT offers freedom and good earning potential.
Less suitable is it for those who mainly seek security and structure, handle fluctuating income poorly, or would rather not be busy with acquisition and admin. That is no weakness; it is a matter of what fits you. Employment offers security that freelancing cannot offer, and that rightly weighs heavily for many people.
Frequently asked questions about becoming a freelancer in IT
Do I really keep more as a freelancer than in employment?
Not automatically. Your hourly rate is higher, but from it you pay your own tax, insurance, pension and your non-billable time. Whether you keep more net depends on your rate, your billable hours and your costs. Have it calculated by an accountant before you make the switch.
Is the IT market favourable for freelancers?
For many specialisms yes. There is structural scarcity of good IT professionals, especially in cloud, security and data, which creates demand and a strong negotiating position. But the market fluctuates, and a favourable market is no guarantee of a constant assignment flow. A sharp, in-demand profile helps.
What is the biggest risk of becoming a freelancer?
The uncertainty: no fixed income, no continued pay during illness, and the risk of idle time between assignments. That requires buffers, own insurance and discipline. Those who handle that poorly feel that uncertainty heavily. Those who can carry it get freedom and earning potential in return.
Should I become a full-time freelancer right away?
Not necessarily. Some start part-time alongside employment to taste the market and entrepreneurship, provided their employer allows it. That way you build experience and a buffer before fully switching. It reduces the risk, although it does require combining two things.
How do I start wisely as an IT freelancer?
Ensure a sharp profile, a substantiated rate, the right insurance and a buffer, and arrange your admin and the Dutch DBA Act well. Get tax advice from an accountant. An intermediary can help you with assignments and the business side, so you have a softer start.
Conclusion: an honest weighing, not an automatic choice
Becoming a freelancer in IT offers freedom and good earning potential, but brings uncertainty and responsibility you have to carry yourself. It is not an automatic improvement over employment, but a choice that suits those who embrace entrepreneurship and can carry the disadvantages.
For whom is it the right step? For those who value independence, have an in-demand profile, and can handle uncertainty. For whom not? For those who mainly seek security and structure; then employment remains a fine and sensible choice.
My advice: make the weighing honestly and calculate it financially with an accountant before you jump. Freelancing in IT is a fine step for the right person, but it is not a choice you should make on enthusiasm alone.
Doubting whether freelancing suits you?
Want to spar about whether freelancing in IT fits your situation and profile? Plan a no-obligation call with me. I think along peer-to-peer, honest about the pros and cons. For your financial calculation, I refer you to an accountant.
Note: this article is general information, not financial or tax advice. For your personal situation, consult an accountant. Regulations around the Dutch DBA Act may change; consult rijksoverheid.nl or belastingdienst.nl.
