Choosing how to hire: the three engagement models
Order a service, accept a custom offer, or post a job. They differ in who does the work of matching — and that decides which one suits you.
Every paid engagement on AutoGineer ends up in the same place: a contract, funded escrow, milestones, approval, release. What differs is how you get there. There are three routes, and the honest way to choose between them is to ask who should do the work of matching — you, the expert, or the market.
| Route | Best when | Who sets the price | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order a service | A packaged offering already matches your need | The expert, in advance | Fastest — no negotiation |
| Accept a custom offer | You have talked to an expert and want it scoped to you | The expert, for you specifically | Fast — one decision |
| Post a job | You are unsure who or what you need, and want options | You set a range; experts bid | Slowest — proposals take time |
Order a service
A service is a fixed, pre-priced offering an expert has published and the platform has reviewed — scope, price, delivery time, and the number of revision rounds are all set before you arrive. You are buying a known thing, so there is nothing to negotiate and no proposal to wait for. This is the right route when the offering plainly matches your need.
Accept a custom offer
If you message an expert about something that does not fit a packaged service, they can send you a custom offer: their scope, their price, their timeline, written for your situation. You accept or decline. This is the right route when the conversation has already happened and you want it written down properly rather than restarting as a public job.
Post a job
Posting a job describes the problem and lets approved experts come to you with proposals. You get competing approaches and prices, which is genuinely valuable when you do not yet know what the right solution is — and costs you the time it takes for proposals to arrive. Jobs are the only route with a free allowance (3 by default) before a subscription is needed.
You can change route
Nothing locks you in. A conversation that started on a job post can end in a custom offer, and an expert you found through a job can be hired again later by ordering their service directly.
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