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Index.dev Review: Pros, Cons, Pricing and Best Alternatives
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Index.dev Review: Pros, Cons, Pricing and Best Alternatives

TL;DR

  • Index.dev connects companies with top remote tech talent from Latin America.
  • Index developers are mostly based in Latin American and Baltic countries.
  • Some good alternatives to Index.dev are ReactSquad, Andela, Lemon, and Turing.
  • ReactSquad is a marketplace of vetted React developers for SaaS startups. 

Index.dev is one of the numerous talent marketplaces that promise to make hiring developers faster and easier. In this article, we’ll cover their pros and cons, pricing, and client reviews to see if it’s worth it. 

We’ve also listed five good alternatives for hiring top remote developers if Index.dev isn’t the right fit for you. After reading this article, you’ll find the right platform for hiring your dream dev team.

About Index.dev

Index.dev is an online recruitment platform that connects companies with remote tech talent from Latin America. It’s a free-to-access platform, so you only pay when you hire a developer. Index was founded by Sergiu Matei in 2019. The company’s headquarters is in London, UK, with offices in USA and Moldova. 

How to hire from Index.dev

There are 3 ways to hire software engineers from Index:

  1. Contract/freelance hiring.
  2. Direct hiring: Pay a finder’s fee to hire full-time talent directly from Index.
  3. Hire a complete software development team.

For contract hiring and hiring an entire team:

  1. Book a call with an Index.dev recruiter to discuss your requirements.
  2. Index’s matching team will provide a list of candidates, or a team proposal, usually within 48 hours.
  3. Select and interview the developers you find interesting.
  4. After making a choice, sign a contract with Index, make an initial deposit, and proceed with the dev or team in a two-week, no-risk trial period.

Direct hiring follows a similar process. The only difference is you will hire the dev full-time and pay an undisclosed finder’s fee based on the developer’s salary.

This whole hiring process typically takes a week to complete. 

Index.dev vetting process

This is how Index screens applications it receives from developers:

  1. Index recruiters check developers’ CVs and backgrounds for relevant experience in remote work and tech skills. 
  2. Index screeners interview and evaluate talent on soft skills and English proficiency. 
  3. Index’s recruiting team conducts technical interviews to test developers’ technical expertise and problem-solving skills. 
  4. Successful candidates are added to Index.dev’s talent pool.

While Index’s vetting process covers soft skills and technical screening, it could be more rigorous by including stricter experience requirements, advanced coding tasks, and multistage technical interviews. These would ensure that even higher-quality developers join the talent pool.

Index.dev Client Reviews

Index.dev has a 4.9 star rating on G2 and 4.6 on Trustpilot, showing that Index generally has a good track record. This customer liked Index’s smooth onboarding process. However, 24 days to complete hiring is way too much time, if you ask us. 

Not all their developers live up to expectation, as this client rated Index 1 star for the quality of talent he hired. This shows that the vetting process could be improved to screen for hire quality devs.

Index.dev Pricing

Index.dev’s developer rates range between $60 and $120 per hour. Index doesn’t charge for posting job opportunities. However, you must pay a one-time undisclosed initial deposit. If you hire, it’s applied as a credit to your first invoice. If not, it is refunded. Index.dev’s billing cycle is weekly or monthly based on the developer’s rate and number of working days in the project timeline. 

Pros and Cons of Index.dev

What makes Index.dev a good platform for hiring? And what are its limits? Let’s find out:


Pros Cons

Flexible hiring options: contract hires and full-time hires

Can be expensive

14-day free trial

Their lenient vetting process affects the quality of devs in their talent pool

Hiring takes about a week

Advance deposit required before you start

Top 6 Index.dev Alternatives

ReactSquad

ReactSquad is a marketplace of vetted React developers for SaaS startups. Our developers are full-time employees of ReactSquad, so you know they’ll be fully committed to your project. We rigorously screen our devs through 3 interviews and 4 weeks of a paid test project. They’re also handpicked by Jan Hesters, our CTO, and guaranteed to deliver consistent high-quality work. 

ReactSquad vs Index.dev



ReactSquad Index.dev

How fast can you hire?

Within 48 hours

Within a week
Hourly rates

$75

$60 - $120

Upfront costs or extra fees?

None

Undisclosed initial deposit
Pros

- Fast hiring process

- Strong vetting process

- Free trial available

- Affordable, transparent pricing

- Flexible hiring options. Hire freelance, full-time, or an entire team

- Fast hiring process

- Free trial available

- Multiple tech stacks

Cons - Flexible hiring options. Hire one developer or a team

- Lenient vetting process

- Can be expensive

- Advance deposit required

Free trial? 1 week 2 weeks
Can you hire many devs? Yes Yes

CrewScale

CrewScale is a tech talent-hiring platform that connects companies to its pool of developers. With a vast network of over 30,000 engineers, CrewScale provides remote tech talent from around the world. They allow full-time hiring, as well as short-term or long-term projects. 

CrewScale vs Index.dev



CrewScale Index.dev

How fast can you hire?

Within 2 weeks

Within a week
Hourly rates

$30 - $90

$60 - $120

Upfront costs or extra fees?

None

Undisclosed initial deposit
Pros

- Flexible hiring options. Hire, full-time, or for long-term and short-term projects

- Free trial available

- 24/7 customer support

- Dedicated account manager

- Flexible hiring options. Hire freelance, full-time, or an entire team

- Fast hiring process

- Free trial available

- Multiple tech stacks

Cons

- Slower hiring process

- AI-based matching is sometimes inaccurate

- Limited tech stacks

- Lenient vetting process

- Can be expensive

- Advance deposit required

Free trial? 2 weeks 2 weeks
Can you hire many devs? Yes Yes

Turing

Turing.com is a developer marketplace that connects companies with top remote software developers worldwide. The platform uses AI algorithms to match companies with the most suitable developers based on their specific requirements. 

Turing vs Index.dev



Turing Index.dev

How fast can you hire?

Within 2 weeks

Within a week
Hourly rates

$100 - $200

$60 - $120

Upfront costs or extra fees?

None

Undisclosed initial deposit
Pros

- Large talent pool

- Free trial available

- Multiple tech stacks

- Flexible hiring options. Hire freelance, full-time, or an entire team

- Fast hiring process

- Free trial available

- Multiple tech stacks

Cons

- AI vetting process affects the quality of devs as AI lacks the human touch

- AI matching is sometimes inaccurate

- Slower hiring process

- Expensive

- Lenient vetting process

- Can be expensive

- Advance deposit required

Free trial? 2 weeks 2 weeks
Can you hire many devs? Yes Yes

CloudDevs 

CloudDevs provides companies with skilled tech talent from Latin America. Its cloud-based platform connects businesses with 8,000+ developers and assigns them to various projects. CloudDevs also gives clients the option to continue working with developers outside the platform after a mutual agreement. This makes them a decent choice for companies that value close collaboration. 

CloudDevs vs Index.dev



CloudDevs Index.dev

How fast can you hire?

Within a week

Within a week
Hourly rates

$45 - $75

$60 - $120

Upfront costs or extra fees?

A refundable deposit of $500. Credited to your first invoice when you hire

Undisclosed initial deposit
Pros

- Work with devs outside the platform.

- Flexible hiring options. You can continue working with your dev outside the platform

- Affordable pricing

- Fast hiring process

- Flexible hiring options. Hire freelance, full-time, or an entire team

- Fast hiring process

- Free trial available

- Multiple tech stacks

Cons

- Advance deposit required

- Customer support could be improved

- Lenient vetting process

- Can be expensive

- Advance deposit required

Free trial? 1 week 2 weeks
Can you hire many devs? Yes Yes

Andela

Andela is a global tech-focused platform that connects companies with software developers from Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Asia. They have a large pool of over 150,000 vetted tech professionals from several countries. Andela is suitable for long-term projects and permanent jobs as all contracts are signed for at least 12 months. 

Andela vs Index.dev



Andela Index.dev

How fast can you hire?

Within a month

Within a week
Hourly rates

$50 - $120

$60 - $120

Upfront costs or extra fees?

None

Undisclosed initial deposit
Pros

- Suitable for long-term projects

- Multiple tech stacks

- Dedicated account manager

- Large talent pool

- Flexible hiring options. Hire freelance, full-time, or an entire team

- Fast hiring process

- Free trial available

- Multiple tech stacks

Cons

- No free trial available.

- Slower hiring process

- Not ideal for short-term projects

- Can be expensive

- AI vetting is often inaccurate and affects quality of talent

- Lenient vetting process

- Can be expensive

- Advance deposit required

Free trial? None 2 weeks
Can you hire many devs? No Yes

Lemon.io

Lemon.io is an online developer marketplace that connects US and EU startups with freelance developers from Ukraine and other Eastern European countries. They’re known for their fast matching process due to the use of an AI engine. But the matching is sometimes inaccurate.

Lemon.io vs Index.dev



Lemon Index.dev

How fast can you hire?

Within a week

Within a week
Hourly rates

$55 - $95

$60 - $120

Upfront costs or extra fees?

A week’s or month’s charge depending on billing cycle

Undisclosed initial deposit
Pros

- Multiple tech stacks

- Fast hiring process

- Large talent pool

- Flexible hiring options. Hire freelance, full-time, or an entire team

- Fast hiring process

- Free trial available

- Multiple tech stacks

Cons

- Very limited free trial

- Minimum commitment of 160 project hours required

- Security deposit required before starting

- Lenient vetting process

- Can be expensive

- Advance deposit required

Free trial? 20 hours 2 weeks
Can you hire many devs? Yes Yes

Best alternatives to Index.dev

Here are the top recommendations for different situations:


Use Case Option 1 Option 2

You want to hire fast

ReactSquad

Lemon.io
You need quality devs at a fair price

ReactSquad

CloudDevs

You want to hire multiple devs

CloudDevs

ReactSquad
You want to hire from anywhere

Turing

CrewScale

You want developers with 5+ years of experience

Turing

ReactSquad

You want to work with developers long-term ReactSquad Andela

If you’re looking for vetted React developers while working with a strict budget, try ReactSquad

Here why:

  • Skilled developers with 5+ years of experience
  • Startup-friendly & transparent pricing at $75/hour.
  • 7-Day no-risk free trial

Book a call today and get matched within 48 hours!

Hire reliable React Developers without breaking the bank
  • zero-risk replacement guarantee
  • flexible monthly payments
  • 7-day free trial
Match me with a dev
About the Author
Nikolas Chapoupis
CEO
I'm Nikolas, CEO of ReactSquad. Jan Hesters and I started this company after struggling to find skilled developers in our previous startup. Now I'm committed to helping SaaS companies scale by matching them with senior React developers in less than 48 hours.

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