Every day, more and more job listings are marked “remote work.” More and more often, we meet people — both in real life and on social media — proudly calling themselves freelancers. And those who, just a few years ago, couldn’t even imagine working anywhere but an office on an uncomfortable chair, are now beginning to look toward remote work and freelancing.

How do you decide which type of work is best for you?

Today, we’ll compare 3 different work formats and explore the key factors that influence the choice.

Self-Discipline

One of the most important things to consider when choosing your path: you need to understand whether you’re capable of organizing yourself.

Everyone’s different. For some, a strict schedule and constant supervision from a manager is a nightmare. Others find it difficult to structure their own workday and workspace.

As a freelancer, you’re both your own boss and your only employee. No one’s going to hover over you or glare at you (well, not all managers are like that, but let’s take the worst-case scenario). But no one will remind you that your deadline is tomorrow either.

In this case, remote work might be the golden middle. You can choose where to work from today — a nearby café or under a palm tree in Thailand. At the same time, you’re likely to have a fixed schedule set by your employer and a clear list of daily tasks.

Starting a Career

To start a freelance career, you need both theoretical and practical skills in your chosen field. Often, a single high-quality course that combines theory and hands-on experience is enough. A great example is the WAY UP course “Frontend Developer: Freelancer's Code”.

You don’t necessarily need a university degree. We’ve never heard of a client asking a freelancer to show their diploma. What matters is your portfolio — and you can start building it during the course.

The challenge, however, is that you’ll have to find and communicate with clients yourself. That means part of your time will go to organizing work rather than doing it. Communication skills, both written and verbal, are a must-have for any freelancer.

Freelancers also have to equip themselves — buying laptops with the necessary specs and any other gear required for the job.

Requirements for offline jobs vary, but generally look like this:

In most cases, the employer provides all the tools. Tasks and assignments also come from a manager.

So, the company provides everything you need — but they’re looking for more than just a specialist. They want someone with a range of skills and qualities that often go beyond qualifications.

Place of Residence

Let’s be honest — it’s hard to find a high-paying office job in a town with a population of just 5,000. Even cities with hundreds of thousands of people often lack opportunities for skilled professionals.

That’s where freelance and remote work shine. A client and contractor, a boss and employee — they can live on opposite sides of the planet. The only obstacles? Time zones and internet speed.

Another bonus of working remotely — you don’t waste time commuting. And that’s a real issue in big cities. Many people spend an hour or more each morning and evening stuck in traffic or squished in public transit.

Working while traveling isn’t a fantasy — it’s a reality for those who fully embrace freelancing or remote work. Just don’t forget the first point: self-discipline.

Environment

Let’s be honest — freelancers often struggle with this. Especially those working 8–10 hours a day with weekends being just a dream. With limited free time, there’s little chance to attend events or make new friends. For many freelancers, even friends become online-only.

Working in a company means you’re always in a social environment. Whether that’s good or bad depends on your personality.

Accessibility

Some of the best examples of freelancers? Moms on maternity leave. Why? Because even with just a couple of free hours a day, they can earn income.

How many companies would hire a mom with a newborn for just a few hours a day? Sadly, very few. Many companies are even hesitant to hire full-time moms of young children, fearing sick days and absences.

Freelance is a paradise for those who don’t need a 24/7 hustle or massive income. A couple of enjoyable hours of work a day — and you still have time to go shopping for a dress or an Xbox game.

Freelance and remote jobs also offer a way to earn for people with limited mobility or others who can’t sit in an office all day due to health issues.

In this way, freelancing levels the playing field. What matters are your skills — not your family status, health, or anything else.

Stability

Many of us were raised with the idea of stability: find a job at a big company, where you know exactly what paycheck you'll get each month. For some, that’s the ultimate comfort.

Remote work offers similar stability. Your income is often steady — and stays the same for a long time.

Freelance is different. Your income depends entirely on you and your ability to secure a steady stream of projects.

But can we really say that working at a company — offline or remotely — is more stable, while freelancing is always risky? We’d disagree.

A company, no matter how big, is a system that can crash. Today you’re cruising on a big ship — tomorrow you might be thrown overboard, unable to swim.

On freelance, you learn to swim from day one. From your very first project. You upgrade your skills, expand your toolkit. At a company, you’re often limited by job descriptions and a fixed set of duties.

If you don’t take risks, you won’t become a successful freelancer. That’s the truth. The choice is yours.

Future Opportunities

“So, are you going to freelance until you’re 70?” — nearly every freelancer has heard this at some point.

In a company, everything seems clear. A career ladder (if the company even believes in such a thing), a growing salary, and a form of stability that often limits more than it comforts.

But what about freelancing?

From our conversations with friends, alumni, and fellow freelancers online and in real life, we can say: many freelancers go on to become entrepreneurs. Some start online schools. Some build teams of fellow freelancers (or rather, remote workers) and scale up, working with bigger, more serious clients.

In short, when it comes to opportunities — just like with freelance overall — it all depends on you, your drive, and your discipline.

Let’s Sum It Up

You could go on forever comparing the pros and cons of freelancing, remote work, and office jobs. But two things need to be clearly understood.

First, no one’s saying you can’t try all the formats and see which one fits you best.

Second, don’t badmouth either offices or freelance until you’ve tried them yourself. Too many people stay stuck in stuffy, air-conditioner-free offices just because they’ve read articles saying freelancing is “evil.”

Try things. Grow. And never give up. Wishing you great clients and awesome managers!