The headline difference is not the real one
Contract day rates usually look substantially better than the equivalent salary. Before drawing conclusions, subtract the unpaid holiday, the gaps between contracts, the absence of sick pay and pension contributions, and the time you will spend finding the next role. The gap narrows considerably — though it often does not close.
What contracting genuinely offers
Variety, autonomy, and pace. You arrive to solve a defined problem, you are rarely drawn into internal politics, and you build breadth across organisations far faster than a permanent path allows. For people who are energised by new environments, that is worth more than the rate.
What permanent employment offers
Continuity, progression, and the chance to see the consequences of your own decisions. Some work — building a team, changing a culture, owning a long-running product — simply cannot be done in a six-month engagement.
A practical way to decide
Ask how you would feel with no contract lined up and two months of runway. If the answer is 'that would be a problem', permanent is the right base for now. If it is 'I would enjoy the search', contracting will probably suit you. Neither answer is permanent, and plenty of people move between the two over a career.