Should I choose fixed price or man-day rate — which is safer?

fixed price: 1) guaranteed total cost. 2) agency works fast. 3) but extra requests = friction.

man-days: 1) flexible. 2) easy to add requests. 3) but the bill can shock you (40 days turns into 70).

i tried both. fixed price made me super angry cause i wanted some changes. with man-days, my money ran out and the agency cut the project short. struggled with both.

Fixed price is recommended for high-scope projects — because there's less conflict. For research or ambiguous projects, use man-days, but with a 'maximum budget' clause.

From a risk management perspective: fixed price = contractor risk. Man-day = client risk. You can insure both (escrowed budget, VAT, delayed payment).

dont ask me what to do theyre all equally bad. i mean but if you want some safety net accept max 3 additional written requests with fixed price, thats it.

This thread is archived.

Thanks for posting.

Ive been down this road, let me tell you. btw every "well look at it later" in a meeting means unbilled work.

Weekly written progress reports are much more useful than asking for dates. If you post the result here it will help others too.

Let me summarize the topic, since several different answers were given. Start with a small trial; don't commit to everything at once.

I was thinking the same thing. If scope grows, either time or budget must grow. There is no third option.

If I were you, I'd go this route.

my quetions are cleared up thanks.

Quick summary for newcomers: If you dont write this down from the start it leads to arguments later.

When you try to change everything at once, nothing settles.

I'm curious too.

Correct.

The cheap-looking path usually ends up costing more later. If it's your first time, start small; scaling comes later.

If I were you, I'd go this route.

I feel the same way. Most time waste accumulates in tasks waiting for approval.

When making a decision, first look at what data you have on hand. If I were you, I'd go this route.

You're right. When making decisions, write down the worst-case scenario too, not just the best.

If code ownership isn't in the contract you have no bargaining power when leaving.

Let me write how its done in practice. If you dont write this down from the start, it leads to arguments later.

If you have questions, write them; Ill answer as best I can.