Title: 25k stipend + 9 LPA at Service-Based vs 25k stipend + 7 LPA at Product-Based — which is better?
Hey everyone, I’m currently deciding between two offers. Option 1 is a service-based company offering a ₹25k/month internship stipend and ₹9 LPA full-time CTC, while Option 2 is a product-based company offering the same ₹25k/month internship stipend but ₹7 LPA full-time CTC. Since the stipend is the same, the main difference is the company type and the full-time package. For someone at the beginning of their software development career, which option would you choose? I’m particularly interested in learning and technical growth, quality of projects/work, work-life balance, career growth over the next 2–3 years, brand value/resume impact, and how easy it would be to switch companies later. Also, is the extra ₹2 LPA worth choosing the service-based company over the product-based one? Assuming both roles are for a similar software developer/engineering position, which option would you recommend and why? I’d especially appreciate opinions from people who have experience working in both service-based and product-based companies.
Posted Sep 13, 2026, 6:13 AM UTC