Yes, I think it is a tradeoff between the two. Since this thread is about individual contractors (not big consultancies), for customer it might be easier to con

Yes, I think it is a tradeoff between the two. Since this thread is about individual contractors (not big consultancies), for customer it might be easier to control hourly rate contractor. Because it is easier to spot if someone is creating extra work. As opposed to assessing whether a final project not only works, but is up to customer's quality standards (whatever those might be).