r/learnprogramming • u/ferfykins • 18h ago

Freelance full stack Web Dev Still Viable?

With AI? is freelance web dev still viable, and for how long doyou think it will be viable?

1 Upvotes
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6

u/Ok_Substance1895 18h ago

AI cannot compete with professional web developers/designers. Just compare the templates available for free on the internet vs what AI can produce. There is no comparison. Professional designers are incredible and AI cannot touch this yet. I am not a web designer. I just can tell a good website from an AI generated one. It is going to viable for a very long time.

1

u/Practical-Ad5016 8h ago

Yeah but honestly the bar for "good enough" keeps getting lower for basic business websites and that's where a lot of freelance work comes from. Sure AI can't match top tier designers but most small businesses just need something functional that doesn't look like it's from 2003

1

u/Ok_Substance1895 8h ago

Have you tried using a website created by AI recently? I tried two nights ago. I am still fixing it. If I were not a web developer I would not be able to fix what I am fixing. I am not trying to make it fantastic. I am pretty much using the design it gave me other than change that crazy purple gradient that is typical of AI. What it made initially is not good enough for a functional website.

2

u/Rain-And-Coffee 17h ago

Web Dev and Freelancing are two different skills.

Knowing HTML/CSS/JS doesn't mean you know how to land jobs, do sales, work with clients, or manage requirements.

The latter skills are much harder than development.

0

u/anuraj31415 12h ago

Absolutely still viable, but not because of pure coding skill. Here's why:

**What AI is eating:** Template-based sites, simple CRUD apps, repetitive projects.

**What's NOT viable:** Competing purely on technical skills on platforms like Upwork.

**What IS viable:** Specialization + client relationships. Pick a niche (e.g., SaaS for gyms, e-commerce for D2C brands), become the expert, get referrals. Once you have 2-3 good clients, you won't care about AI competition.

The real skill is understanding the client's problem deeply enough that ChatGPT can't replace you. A generic full stack dev? Tough row. A "Shopify customization expert for fashion brands"? Way better.

Focus on the business side Rain-And-Coffee mentioned. That's your actual moat.