Looking out for freelancing site for software development? As your tech startup or business grows and keeps adding new features, you’ll feel the need to hire more software developers sooner or later.
If you live in the US or Western Europe and want to hire a developer, you should know that there may not be enough tech talent in your area. Not to mention that if you post a job description, you’ll have to look through hundreds of CVs that aren’t relevant, while the best people won’t be looking for new jobs.
Research from the Korn Ferry Institute says that by 2030, the technology, media, and telecommunications industry will be one of the three major industries in the US with the biggest talent shortage. Also, hiring a developer in-house may be too expensive for short-term projects.
If there aren’t enough tech workers in your area, you could look for and hire freelance developers.
In this article, we’ll list the websites and platforms where you can hire developers online that we think are the best. We’ll also give you some helpful advice on how to hire freelance software developers.
It can be hard to find good help these days, especially in the worlds of development and engineering.
It seems like it can be hard to find the right, qualified, full-time employees and keep them. Freelancing is a great alternative because of this.
Freelancers can be hired to help with a problem or a project that is coming up. The limited connection to freelancers keeps costs low while meeting the needs of your business. Who knows, in the process you might find the perfect full-time developer.
There are a lot of freelancing websites out there on the Internet for you to look through and find the one that works best for you.
This freedom can be good and bad at the same time.
It’s good that there are so many candidates to choose from, but it’s bad that there are just too many to look through. We’ll make this process easier to understand by going over some of the best choices.
13 Crucial freelancing site for software development
1. Upwork
Upwork is a freelance service that works with clients all the way through the hiring process, from posting jobs to getting paid. They want users to have a great time on their marketplace.
The way Upwork works is easy to understand. Start by telling them what kind of work you want done. It can be almost any job, no matter how big or small, how long or short term. People who want the job will apply, so you can compare their profiles, feedback, and portfolios.
Then, you talk to each candidate and choose the best one to join your team and work on the project. You can pay by the project or by the hour. Payments will also be made through Upwork’s system, and Upwork will keep a fee.
2. Guru
Guru is like Upwork in that you can start your search for a freelancer by describing your job and posting it on their website. But unlike Upwork, Guru adds another layer by letting you search for a freelancer based on their specialties, categories, location, feedback, rate, and other factors. This lets the best freelancers stand out from the crowd and not have to keep applying for jobs.
Guru also has a place called Work Room where people can work together on projects. In the Work Room, you and your freelancer can talk about project deadlines and milestones, or you can just talk to each other. The Guru Safepay system or an invoice can be used to make a payment. With SafePay, an employer puts money into Guru’s SafePay account, and Guru pays your freelancer only after you approve the work.
3. Freelance
Freelancer.com is a lot like the other websites in that it lets you list your project and get bids from freelancers. They also have a system for ratings that makes it easier to find the right freelancer.
You can also add upgrades to your project for a fee, such as making it a featured project or having Freelancer’s recruiters help you screen your applicants.
4. Fiverr
Fiverr makes the freelance market smaller by breaking it up into smaller chunks of work. Freelancers make profiles that tell people who they are and what services they offer. The website also lets them make a video introduction. Companies can look through their talent pool by typing in a keyword or going straight to categories like “Web & Mobile Design.”
Most freelancers on Fiverr offer small services for $5, which is how the site got its name. Each job will also have a list of “Gig Extras” that can be added for higher prices.
5. UpStack
UpStack is a network of talented engineers that helps small businesses grow their development teams without hiring new people. Every candidate on UpStack is checked out to make sure they are good at what they say they are good at. Because of this process, only 1% of those who apply are added to the list of freelancers on UpStack. To join this hand-picked group of freelancers, you have to pay a lot. You have to put down a deposit of hundreds of dollars to get started.
6. Toptal
Toptal connects businesses and startups with the best software engineers in the world. The company’s main claim to fame is that you can hire the top 3% of freelance developers from all over the world through them. To do this, they check out all applicants before letting them join their pool of freelance workers.
Toptal’s screening process includes a language and personality test, a timed algorithm test, technical screenings with other Toptal engineers, a test project, and a promise from these freelance developers to keep a perfect track record while working with clients.
As hard as this process is for people who want to be freelance engineers, Toptal wants it to be easy for clients. First, clients tell Toptal how many engineers they need and what kind of technology they are working with.
Then, the Silicon Valley startup will send you a report on how things are going and let you know if there are any possible matches. If you find them, they can join your team right away, even if it’s just for a risk-free trial. Toptal will keep looking for a match until it finds one.
7. Lemon.io
Lemon.io is a group of developers who have been checked out and who you can hire as freelancers. Most of the developers are in Eastern Europe, so their hourly rates for the US are pretty reasonable, between $25 and $45. Before you can hire developers and work with them on your project, you need to buy hours.
Lemon.io focuses on web development and uses technologies like PHP, WordPress, Magento, Drupal, HTML5/CSS3, JavaScript, and node.js. The platform checks the developers based on how good they are overall, how good their English is, and what qualifications they have. If you want, say, an iOS developer, this could be the place to look.
8. GitHub Jobs
Git is used for version control and software development sessions on GitHub, which is a company owned by Microsoft. The service is used by more than 50 million developers, and GitHub Jobs is often used to post different kinds of development jobs. Even though most of the listings are for full-time jobs, there are sometimes ones for freelance work. To post a job, you have to pay $450 per listing.
9. Dice
Dice is a good way to find freelancers because it has more than three million tech professionals signed up on its tech and IT job board. A single job listing costs about $400, which is about the same as some other job boards in this field. However, given how important development work is, this may be worth it for your business.
10. Authentic Jobs
The goal of this job board is to help both big and small businesses find designers, developers, and creatives to fill open positions. The board is made up of part-time, full-time, and freelance jobs, and it has people from many different industries. Unlike other job boards, Authentic Jobs only charges $149 per month to list a job, or $199 per month to list a job as a featured job.
11. Gun.io
Gun.io is a freelance market for developers only that has a strict vetting process that works like this:
The programmers are tested to see if they can work from home.
The developer passes an automated coding test, a live coding exercise, and a technical interview with a member of the engineering team.
The CEO of Gun.io talks to the freelancer about his or her work.
Representatives from Gun.io check with the candidate’s previous clients for references.
12. CodementorX
Codementor is an online marketplace that helps people find live programming help from a professional developer, or “mentor.” It has a side project called CodementorX that lets you hire a freelance coder from the pool of mentors. The hiring process is the same as it is on other platforms.
You specify your requirements.
The CodementorX consultant will reach out to you and help you find the perfect match.
You get a short list of 1-2 developers based on your needs.
You look at the candidates’ profiles and talk to them about the job.
Start a test project with the programmer you’ve chosen.
13. Scalable Path
Scalable Path is a technical staffing agency with thousands of independent software developers and designers from over 138 countries. Scalable Path gives each client one-on-one help with the hiring process and hand-picks candidates based on the needs of the project.
Before that, every client goes through a thorough screening of both their tech skills and their “soft skills.” Scalable Path is also helpful because it lets you hire good developers quickly. Usually, the whole process can take up to three weeks.
Tips on hiring a Software developer
When looking for a developer, whether they’ll be a full-time, part-time, or freelance member of your team, there are a few things you should keep in mind. If you don’t pay attention to the details, you might hire someone with a high salary who doesn’t meet the needs of your business.
Tell people what you need. Development is a very big field of knowledge. What a software developer and a web developer must bring to the table is different. With this in mind, you should make sure your job listings are as detailed as possible to make sure you hire the right person and don’t waste anyone’s time.
Stress how important deadlines are. Setbacks in development can be very expensive. If your company needs the help of a good freelance developer to get things done, you’ll want to make sure they do their work on time. When looking for freelancers, if you can, ask for references from their previous employers.
Hire experts. When looking for a freelance developer, be sure to look at their credentials. If you want to become a developer, you can get different certifications, so make sure to ask to see them. You also want to know about their past jobs and training, among other things.
Be sure to test abilities. It’s one thing to call yourself a developer and something else to actually be able to do the job. Set up a small test to make sure the person you’re hiring is a good fit and knows what they’re doing.
Alternatives to traditional recruitment
Working with a dedicated recruiter is the traditional way to find and hire developers. But you can hire someone directly if you use some other sources.
1. Asking for referrals
Asking for a recommendation is one way to find and hire a developer. You can ask your professional contacts to recommend a software developer who is looking for work and has certain technical skills. Your chances are pretty good, since people who work in IT tend to switch jobs every three or four years in search of new projects and challenges. In the meantime, if you need to start working on the product as soon as possible, you can use a professional website-building platform to meet your needs.
2. Meeting people at tech events online
Signing up for and going to tech events focused on specific technologies has always been a good alternative to traditional recruitment, depending on what you’re looking for. WordCamp is a place where people like WordPress developers hang out. At PyCon, you can meet Python developers, and at JCon, you can meet Java experts.
The Full Stack Europe conference is for people who work on the full stack. Android developers could be found at Google’s official events for Android developers or at the Android Dev Summit. All events moved online in the year 2020, but they didn’t stop happening. Communities on Facebook, Meetup, Eventbrite, and Linkedin can still be used to find online events and get-togethers. Connect with or follow opinion leaders in the software industry or technology you’re hiring for to keep up with what’s going on.
3. Looking at online job boards and platforms for hiring people
You can find great freelancers from all over the world on these remote job platforms. This makes them a great place to find developers at fair prices.
Conclusion
Because there aren’t enough tech workers in the US, both new and old businesses are forced to find other ways to hire. Some of these are referrals, making connections at tech events, and the market for freelance software development.
