If you’re early in the process of outsourcing medical writing support, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by options. Should you go to a full-service medical communications agency? Or hire an experienced freelance writer directly?
As someone who has worked extensively with global agencies and directly with individual clients as a freelancer, I’ve seen the pros and cons of each model up close. And I can tell you from experience: the right fit depends on what you’re trying to achieve.
If you’re looking for specialist medical writing, faster turnaround, and more flexible pricing, a freelancer is often the better choice. If you need support for a large or complex healthcare project, with multiple services and team members, a medical communications agency may be the right fit. You can also combine both for a tailored, hybrid approach.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through:
- The core differences between freelancers and agencies
- Real-world healthcare scenarios where one works better than the other
- What a hybrid approach looks like in practice
- Tips to help you choose the right model for your current needs
Agency vs. Freelancer: What’s the Real Difference?
If you’re not sure which one is right for your healthcare writing needs, start by thinking about what matters most: budget, complexity, turnaround time, and how involved you want to be.
Let’s break down the key differences so you can make an informed decision based on what you actually need right now.
| If you need… | A Freelancer Might Be Best | An Agency Might Be Best |
| Direct access to the person doing the work | You’ll work one-to-one with the writer, making communication clear and efficient. | You’ll likely work through a project or account manager, not directly with the writer. |
| Deep expertise in a specific area of medical writing | Freelancers are often dedicated to medical writing, and can even specialise in niche areas like HEOR, CME, or rare disease content. | Agencies offer broader but sometimes less focused expertise across services. |
| Cost control and flexibility in pricing | Freelancers are generally more budget-friendly, with project- or hourly-based fees and minimal overhead. | Agencies typically have higher fees to cover staff, admin, and infrastructure. |
| A flexible workflow that fits around your systems | Freelancers can usually adapt to your tools, timelines, and preferences. | Agencies often have set processes and tech platforms that you’ll need to follow. |
| Support for one-off tasks or specialist deliverables | Ideal for smaller projects, ad hoc work, or overflow writing. | Best for complex or multi-channel campaigns needing full support. |
| A consistent, personal working relationship | You’ll build a direct relationship with the person delivering the work. | Your point of contact is typically a manager, with less day-to-day writer interaction. |
In short, agencies offer structure and scale; freelancers offer flexibility and focus.
When a Freelancer May Be the Right Fit
If you need specialist expertise, faster turnaround, or a cost-effective solution for focused writing tasks: go with a freelancer.
Freelance medical writers can offer exactly what you need, when you need it, without the overheads or layers of communication you’d get with a larger team.
Here are a few situations where hiring a freelancer makes sense:
1. You need specialist knowledge
Many freelance writers specialise in medical writing, or they have carved out a niche – whether that’s oncology, rare diseases, HEOR, regulatory, or CME. If your brief calls for depth over breadth, a freelancer can often bring sharper, more up-to-date expertise than a generalist agency team.
Real example: A client brough me in as they needed support on a pharma oncology campaign. They needed me to provide the clinical writing and health literacy angle, as they didn’t have those skills in-house.You’re working to a tight timeline
Freelancers are often more agile and able to onboard quickly. With fewer internal approvals or project management steps, work can start sooner and move faster.
2. You want more control over costs
If you’re managing a fixed budget or prefer to scale spending based on actual need, a freelancer’s per-project or hourly model gives you more visibility and flexibility.
3. You need someone who can plug in with minimal fuss
Freelancers are used to working across tools and workflows. Whether that’s using your preferred style guide, joining a Slack channel, or reviewing drafts in shared docs. There’s typically less friction and more adaptability.
When a Medical Communications Agency Makes Sense
If your project is large, complex, or requires multiple skill sets and stakeholders: an agency is likely the better choice.
While freelancers are great for focused support, there are times when the scale and structure of an agency could be helpful.
Here’s when it makes sense to go down the agency route:
1. You need end-to-end support on a complex project
Agencies are built to handle big-picture strategy alongside delivery. If you’re launching a product, running an omnichannel campaign, or coordinating multiple content types, an agency team can manage the moving parts for you.
Example: A global med affairs team needed consistent messaging across HCP decks, patient materials, and internal training tools. An agency handled the brand alignment, project management, and design, while I contributed as a freelance writer on key deliverables.
2. You need regulatory oversight and formal review pathways
For high-risk, heavily regulated content (think safety communications or submissions), an agency with internal QA processes, MLR familiarity, and medical directors can offer an added layer of protection and rigour.
3. You lack internal bandwidth to manage writers
If you don’t have time to brief, chase, or consolidate feedback from multiple contributors, agencies offer project managers who handle that for you. You’ll get structured timelines, built-in reviews, and a clear single point of contact.
Hybrid Models: Getting the Best of Both
You don’t have to choose one or the other: many healthcare teams find success by combining freelancers and agencies.
This blended approach can give you flexibility without losing structure, and expertise without overstretching your budget.
Here’s how it can work:
1. Use freelancers to complement your agency team
If your agency is leading strategy or managing a big campaign, you can bring in a freelance writer for overflow work, specialist deliverables, or to cover a gap in expertise. It’s a great way to scale without overloading internal teams or adding permanent headcount.
Tip: Make sure the freelancer is looped into the agency’s tools, timelines, and brand guidelines from the start. A short onboarding call can go a long way
2. Test ideas with a freelancer before scaling via agency
Not sure if a new format or initiative is worth a full agency push? Start with a freelancer. You can pilot a concept, say, a new patient resource or thought leadership piece, at lower cost and with quicker turnaround and decide later if you want to work with an agency.
3. Coordinate freelancers in-house for more control
Some of my clients prefer to act as their own mini agency. They build a trusted pool of freelancers and manage the workflow internally. If you have a comms lead or marketing project manager in place, this can give you more budget control and direct oversight.
Key Questions to Guide Your Decision
The right choice depends on what you’re trying to achieve, how much support you need, and how involved you want to be.
Here are five key questions to help guide your thinking:
- Do I need specialist knowledge or broad support across content types?
- How complex is the project: are there multiple stakeholders, formats, or phases involved?
- Am I looking for a long-term partner or short-term flexibility?
- Do I have someone in-house who can manage freelancers, or do I need that done for me?
- Is budget flexibility important, or am I prioritising a ‘done-for-you’ model?
This isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation: many clients find the best approach is to mix and match based on the project, not just the provider.
What It’s Like to Work With a Freelancer Like Me
Clients describe working with me as collaborative, reliable, and refreshingly straightforward.
When you work with a freelancer, you want clarity, communication, and confidence in the quality of the work. That’s exactly what I aim to provide. Here’s a look at what the process typically involves, and what clients have said about it:
Clear onboarding, fast grasp of the brief
From the start, I make it easy to get going. A short call or brief is all I need to understand your goals, audience, and timelines.
“Your intuitive approach to problem-solving and quick grasp of new briefs has been instrumental to the success of our projects.”
— Founder, Medical Education Company
Direct communication and proactive collaboration
You’ll work directly with me, without layers of account management. That means faster feedback loops, clearer expectations, and less friction.
“Rachel has been a pleasure to work with – she is extremely collaborative and can move between multiple tones of voice with ease. Her industry knowledge has been invaluable to the team & greatly appreciated by the client.”
— Director, Strategy and Creative Advertising Agency
High-quality, healthcare-focused writing
I bring years of healthcare writing experience so you don’t have to explain the basics. Whether it’s a patient factsheet,a white paper or a launch toolkit, I know how to tailor content to meet regulatory and communication goals.
“She has great knowledge of the industry and subject area, so I really trust her judgement and know she will complete all projects to a high standard.”
— Managing Director, Med Comms Agency
“Rachel is a tremendously talented and dedicated writer who can take complex scientific information and turn it into something simple, clear and purposeful… and delivers the work on time!”
— Head of Digital Solutions, Leading Healthcare Communications Agency
Working with me is like having a strategic partner: I want to help you create content that works.
FAQ: Agency vs. Freelancer for Healthcare Writing
What’s the difference between a freelancer and an agency?
A freelancer is usually a single expert (like me!) who works directly with you – writing, editing, and delivering content with minimal layers. An agency is a larger setup with teams, account managers, and broader services. If you want direct collaboration and flexibility, a freelancer might suit you better. If you need lots of moving parts managed in one place, an agency could be the right fit.
Can a freelancer act like an agency?
To a point – yes, a freelancer can act like an agency. I often partner with designers, editors, or other specialists when needed, and can coordinate small projects end-to-end. But I’ll always be transparent about what I can take on solo and when something might benefit from a larger team.
Are agencies better for regulatory writing?
They can be, especially if your project requires multiple review layers, a full QA process, or support from medical directors. But many freelance medical writers have strong regulatory backgrounds and are used to working within formal medical-legal review processes. It really depends on the complexity and internal resources of your team.
Is it more affordable to hire a freelancer?
Usually, yes, freelancers are more affordable than agencies. Freelancers don’t come with the overheads that agencies do, so you’re only paying for the actual writing work, not the structure around it. I offer clear, project-based pricing or day rates, which helps clients control costs and avoid surprises.
Can I use both a freelancer and an agency?
Definitely. In fact, some of my favourite projects have been hybrid, where a client works with an agency for strategy and design, and brings me in for the writing. It allows you to get deep expertise without overstretching your budget or timelines. It’s all about building the right mix for your needs.
Final Thoughts: Choosing Between a Freelancer and a Medical Communications Agency
Deciding between a freelancer and a medical communications agency has to align with your goals.
Here’s a quick summary to help guide your decision:
✅ Choose a freelancer if:
- You need deep, specialist expertise (e.g. HEOR, CME, regulatory content).
- You’re working with a lean team or a limited budget.
- You want flexible, direct collaboration without layers of management.
- You have a specific project that requires fast, focused delivery.
✅ Choose a medical communications agency if:
- You’re managing a multi-channel or large-scale campaign.
- Your project needs internal project managers or a broader creative team.
- You want one provider to coordinate multiple moving parts (writing, design, strategy).
- Regulatory oversight and formal QA processes are a priority.
✅ Consider a hybrid approach if:
- You want an agency for long-term strategy and structure but need a freelancer for agile content creation.
- You’re scaling up gradually and want to test ideas or formats before investing heavily.
- Your in-house team can manage the workflow but needs extra hands with specialised skills.
Before hiring anyone, make a short list of your actual needs: project scope, turnaround time, preferred level of involvement, and internal capacity. Then choose the model (or mix) that best fits how you want to work, not just what’s available.
Still weighing your options? Feel free to get in touch, I’m happy to share work samples, talk through your goals, or help you decide whether freelance, agency, or a hybrid model makes the most sense for your team.
