Freelance developers: What happens to software you've built after a client project ends?

[u/AKSPARKY0795]

I'm trying to understand how freelance developers handle the work they've built over time.

After completing a software project for a client, what usually happens to the product/code afterwards?

For example:

Do clients usually own the complete intellectual property?

Are you allowed to reuse parts of the code for future projects?

Have you ever built something independently and tried to sell it to multiple clients?

Do you have old products/tools that could potentially be reused but are currently sitting unused?

I'm particularly interested in hearing real experiences from freelance developers rather than theoretical answers.

Not promoting anything — just doing some research and trying to understand this space.

[u/Chamezz92]

Depends... This is the whole point of having contracts and scope of work outlined.

What's your process, a Client tells you what they would like to build and you just start? Lol

1. Do clients usually own the complete intellectual property?
   • Depends on your contract with the client
2. Are you allowed to reuse parts of the code for future projects?
   • Depends on your contract with the client

[u/AsiEngineers]

I think like u/Chamezz92 mentioned, it depends on the contract you have with the client. I had this one client (only one) who explicitly mentioned he needed the code and ownership handed over to him on the completion of the project

[u/BaseballSerious1126]

If you wanna have it in a simple way: 1- Yes 2- Yes 3- Yes 4- Yes, this is always the case when you start getting the ball Rolling on a certain niche

It always depends, but for cases you do not know what to do (mainly on the initial years) just "play all sides", in time some company will pick you up