Is there a difference between a Freelancer and a Contractor?

[Mushroombump]

Is there a difference? I think Freelancer sounds better (IMHO), but most Agencies use Contractor.
I've spoken to two Agents last week and one of them wanted to know if i was interested in Freelance work or Contract work!!

[PAH]

Tell them you're a freelance contractor.

Contractor seems to be the term I hear all the time now but I'm sure in the early days when I started (over 10 years ago) that freelance contractor was a common term.

Not sure if there's a distinction to worry about, as long as I am free to choose the contracts I want and work via my own limited company and not be tied to one agency or have to go through their PAYE/Umbrella service I don't much care how they want to class it.

[NickFitz]

A number of people seem to draw the distinction on the basis that a freelancer finds their own clients and contracts directly with them, rather than working through agencies.

In other words, a freelancer is running a real business, whereas a contractor is just a glorified temp. There, that should ruffle a few feathers

[Mason Boyne]

Whatever happened to "Freelance Informer"?

[ThomasSoerensen]

A number of people seem to draw the distinction on the basis that a freelancer finds their own clients and contracts directly with them, rather than working through agencies.

In other words, a freelancer is running a real business, whereas a contractor is just a glorified temp. There, that should ruffle a few feathers

WNFS

[Spacecadet]

A number of people seem to draw the distinction on the basis that a freelancer finds their own clients and contracts directly with them, rather than working through agencies.

In other words, a freelancer is running a real business, whereas a contractor is just a glorified temp. There, that should ruffle a few feathers

Not kidding: About 50% of my clients have been direct and about 50% of my time spent contracting has been spent working directly for those clients

So what does that make me??

[PAH]

Whatever happened to "Freelance Informer"?

Sleeping with the fishes for grassing on us to the IR35 mob.

[PAH]

So what does that make me??

A freelance contractor!

[doodab]

Not kidding: About 50% of my clients have been direct and about 50% of my time spent contracting has been spent working directly for those clients

So what does that make me??

A jammy git.

[PAH]

A number of people seem to draw the distinction on the basis that a freelancer finds their own clients and contracts directly with them, rather than working through agencies.

Maybe you're right. I did start of finding my own contracts, before I got lazy after that work dried up and fell into trawling jobserve etc, so maybe that's why in the early days I remember the term 'freelance contractor' being common.