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§ Comparison · honest · no "the best"

Small studio vs 50+ agency.

Sometimes a small studio fits. Sometimes a large agency. This comparison explains when each model delivers more for less.

§ 10 objective dimensions

Where differences show

Small studio (aGo)
50+ agency
01 Direct interlocutor
Small studio: you talk to whoever writes the code. Decisions in hours.
Large agency: PM, account, dev manager, dev. Decisions in days or weeks.
02 RFP > USD 200k multi-vendor
Large agency: responds to complex tenders, formal certifications.
Small studio: declines or subcontracts. No dedicated proposal team.
03 Cost structure
Small studio: no account or PM layers. Lower effective hourly cost, less overhead.
Large agency: hourly cost includes account manager, PM, dev manager and dev. Higher overhead.
04 Small project (< 200 UF)
Small studio: profitable and handled by senior staff.
Large agency: unprofitable, assigned to junior or rejected.
05 Diverse stack (Django + WP + Flutter + Next.js)
Small studio: if in repertoire, yes. If not, honest decline.
Large agency: separate teams per stack. More coordination, more cost.
06 Bus factor (resignation risk)
Small studio: bus factor 1-3. Real risk, mitigated with docs.
Large agency: bus factor 10+. PM or dev swap doesn't stop project.
07 Day-to-day execution speed
Small studio: priority change in minutes. Deploy in hours.
Large agency: change implies ticket, sprint, retro. Days of delay.
08 Compliance with enterprise (bank, government)
Large agency: ISO 27001, SOC 2, due diligence passed.
Small studio: case-by-case, no formal certifications.
09 Formal post-project warranty
Large agency: contractual SLA, KPIs, penalties.
Small studio: 30 days bug-fix included, informal relationship.
10 Mid-project scope change
Small studio: quick conversation, budget adjustment if applicable.
Large agency: formal change request, re-quote, weeks.
§ FAQ

Frequently asked questions

If your question isn't here, email us at hola@ago.cl or via WhatsApp.

01 When does a large agency beat a small studio?

Government RFP > USD 200k requiring ISO 27001 or SOC 2 certifications. Project integrating 5+ vendors needing formal orchestrator. Compliance with large bank or pharma demanding due diligence with 50+ people in the company. Service continuity where bus factor < 5 is blocking.

02 When is a small studio like aGo better?

Projects 50-500 UF (CLP 2-19M). Modern stack (Django, Next.js, Astro, Flutter, AI). Client who values iteration speed over process formality. SMBs that want to talk directly with the builder, not an account. Technical decisions defended by the person making them, not by management layers.

03 Can a small studio handle large projects?

Yes, within technical repertoire and as long as the client accepts a lower bus factor than a large agency. When scope exceeds what we can sustain without diluting quality, we say so honestly and recommend collaborating with a freelancer network or going with a large agency. The initial no-cost conversation is precisely to map this before committing.

04 What if Sixto gets sick or leaves?

Real bus factor: 1-3 key people. Documented mitigation: every project has README, ADRs, deploy runbook, automated backups, repos on GitHub with client access. In emergency, client can continue with another studio reading the documentation. Not ideal, but honest.

Do you fit small studio?

Let's talk 20 min. If large agency fits better, we'll point you to one.

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