Published: October 2025
If you’re freelancing, are you a solopreneur? Or if you already have a team and plan to grow it, does that make you an entrepreneur?
Both terms have been around for a while, yet many still confuse them or, better said, can’t quite figure out the real difference between solopreneur vs entrepreneur.
We’ve already covered what solopreneurship means (check out the guide). Here, we’ll focus solely on what separates solopreneurs from entrepreneurs in terms of how they think, work, and build their business.
Let’s dive in.
What is a solopreneur?
A solopreneur is a solo player – someone who starts, operates, and manages their business entirely on their own. They might bring in freelancers or lean on tools, but the core stays simple and self-run.
Most solopreneurs build around their own skill set; these are consultants, designers, coaches, devs, niche ecommerce, indie hackers, etc. They’re not chasing investors or trying to hire fast; they’re building something that fits their lifestyle.
What is an entrepreneur?
An entrepreneur, by contrast, is someone who builds a business designed to scale.
Entrepreneurs start alone, too, but their end goal is to grow either by hiring employees, raising capital, or expanding into new markets (think of Brian Chesky at Airbnb or Melanie Perkins at Canva). They are ready to take on greater financial risk because they aim for larger rewards. Entrepreneurs delegate tasks, develop teams, and often seek external investment.
In short, solopreneurs want a business that works for them, while entrepreneurs build businesses that work beyond them.
Key differences between solopreneurs and entrepreneurs
| Aspect | Solopreneur | Entrepreneur |
| Team | Works solo; may hire contractors occasionally | Builds and manages employees or partners |
| Goal | Sustainable personal business | Growth, scale, and long-term expansion |
| Risk | Lower financial risk | Higher capital and operational risk |
| Control | Full control over all decisions | Shared control; delegates responsibility |
| Focus | One main offer or niche | Multiple revenue streams and markets |
| Funding | Self-funded | Often seeks investors or loans |
Let’s get into more detail.
1. Solopreneurs work solo. Entrepreneurs build teams.
Solopreneurs are both founders and employees. They handle sales, marketing, product delivery, and finance. Of course, they may collaborate with freelancers occasionally, but they rarely build a team.
Entrepreneurs, by contrast, focus on building teams and systems. They delegate early, hire specialists, and create structures that can run without them day to day.
Neither model is “better.” It just depends on whether you want to do the work or manage the people doing it.
2. Solopreneurs manage their own income. Entrepreneurs manage payrolls.
Starting a solo business typically needs less capital. If you’re a freelance designer or copywriter, you can launch with as little as a laptop and a few clients.
But when we’re talking about entrepreneurs opening a café or tech startup, we can’t say the same. They need capital. They need payroll. And they need infrastructure.
3. Solopreneurs go deep. Entrepreneurs go wide.
A solopreneur typically focuses on a single, clear offer, such as coaching, content creation, consulting, or product design. However, entrepreneurs build multi-layered businesses: new product lines, teams, or markets.
So, a solopreneur photographer might specialize in portrait sessions and online courses. But an entrepreneur in the same field might build a studio, hire editors, and eventually franchise the brand. Here, we see that it’s not only about ambition, but rather about the direction each chooses.
4. Solopreneurs decide fast. Entrepreneurs decide together.
As a solopreneur, you often make quick, personal decisions. You run the business solo, so there’s no board, no management, no long chain of approvals.
Entrepreneurs play differently. They manage multiple people and moving parts and spend more time aligning operations, budgets, and strategy.
5. Solopreneurs build systems. Entrepreneurs build companies.
Entrepreneurs rely on people to grow their business. Solopreneurs rely on tools and automation – whether it’s AI assistants, no-code apps, or outsourced accounting.
Modern tech has made the solo route easier than ever: with the right tools, one person can handle what used to take a full department. That’s why solopreneurship has become so popular, especially in the post-pandemic years. According to a survey conducted by Intuit QuickBooks, around 56% of solopreneurs launched post-2020. And recent data shows that millions of independent workers now earn six-figure incomes, nearly double the pre-2020 level.
“Okay, that’s clear. But if I’m freelancing, am I a solopreneur?”
A pretty common question, and the answer is: it actually depends on how you freelance.
A freelancer sells their skills to clients, usually per project.
A solopreneur builds a structured business around those skills – pricing, branding, marketing, and long-term systems.
Let’s have a look at an example:
Say you work as a freelance web designer through an agency. In this case, you aren’t a solopreneur but a true freelancer. Yet, if you’re a web designer and you run your own studio, build relationships with clients, and manage multiple income streams, then yes, you’re a solopreneur.
👉 In short, every solopreneur is self-employed, but not every self-employed person is a solopreneur.
Solopreneur vs entrepreneur: Which path fits you?
Only you can know which path feels right. However, a few simple questions can help you choose more wisely.
So, ask yourself:
Do I want to own my craft or build an organization?
Am I comfortable managing others, or would I rather work independently?
Do I want steady control, or scalable growth?
➡️ If you value freedom, focus, and simplicity, solopreneurship fits you better. ➡️ If you are more into delegation, leadership, and risk, then choose entrepreneurship.
Either way, both are about the same thing: taking responsibility for your vision.
Final thoughts
In today’s economy, the boundary between solopreneur and entrepreneur is quite fluid. You can start as a solopreneur and then evolve into an entrepreneur. If you’re at that point (starting to think bigger, exploring fundraising, or simply ready to move beyond solo mode), we can help.
At Waveup, we help founders build everything they need to raise capital: pitch decks, financial models, and investor targeting that actually works.
And for those who prefer to stay lean but still want execution support across fundraising, GTM, finance, and ops, we’ve launched Waves. It’s a flexible subscription that delivers focused outputs in fast sprints, from investor lists to financial models or outbound engines.
Whichever path you’re on, we’re here to assist.
FAQs
If I work alone, does that make me a solopreneur or an entrepreneur?
It depends on your vision. If you’re building a business around your own skills and plan to stay lean, you’re likely a solopreneur. But if you’re laying the foundation to scale, hire, or raise funding, you’re thinking like an entrepreneur.
What’s the difference between a solopreneur and a micropreneur?
A solopreneur builds and runs the business entirely on their own. They may hire freelancers or use tools, but there’s no team. A micropreneur might still keep things small, but they often think in systems: hiring a few people, outsourcing operations, or building something that doesn’t depend entirely on them.
Is a freelancer a solopreneur?
Actually, freelancers can be solopreneurs (but not in all cases). Freelancers who work project-to-project without much structure may not think of themselves as solopreneurs. But once they start building a brand, setting strategy, managing clients, and running the full operation, it crosses into solopreneur territory.
What’s smaller than a small business?
It’s a microbusiness with typically fewer than 10 employees, often just one or two. If going even smaller, you’ve got a solopreneur: someone running the entire business solo.