Need to hire React.js specialists or full stack engineers and unsure where to start from? In this blog post, we’ll explore the ten best websites to hire developers for your startup in 2024. These platforms can provide talent that fit your needs and budget. Let’s dive in.

ReactSquad

Hire senior React developers at affordable rates

• Qualified, senior developers with 5+ years of experience
• Affordable and transparent pricing at $75/hour
• Get matched with a developer in 48 hours

Let’s talk about your project

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. Jan Hesters, our CTO, handpicks each developer after they’ve passed 3 interviews and 4 weeks of a paid test project. This gets you access to top developers without the overhead costs of traditional hiring. 

How hiring with ReactSquad works

1. Book a call on our website to tell us what you need.
2. We’ll match you with a developer who fits the bill within 48 hours.
3. We’ll set up a brief call to introduce your dev and proceed if they’re a technical and cultural fit for you. 
4. Start your project with a 7-day no-risk free trial. 

Pricing

Transparent pricing of $75/hour with flexible monthly billing. No extra costs or hidden charges.

Pros

• Fast matching: Get a dev within 48 hours.
• Developers have 5+ years of experience 
• 7-day no-risk free trial

Cons 

• We specialize exclusively in React.JS projects. So if your project requires another tech stack, we’re not the right fit.

Gun.io

Gun.io is designed to connect companies of all sizes with reliable software engineers. The platform has features like a talent directory, project management tools, and a payment system to streamline your hiring process. Gun.io also allows you to hire either a freelancer or a full-time employee.

How hiring with Gun.io works

1. Book a sales call on their website to discuss the skills you’re looking for.
2. The recruiting team will present you with a list of candidates who match your requirements.
3. You can then interview the candidates to see who fits best with your team 
4. Sign a contract and a 2-year non-solicitation agreement with your preferred dev to complete the hiring process.

Pricing  

Gun.io doesn’t have a fixed pricing model. Instead, they create custom retainers based on the size of the project and the developer’s rates. Their developers typically charge between $75-$150 a month. This means you could pay anywhere between $15,000 and $40,000 monthly.

For full-time hires, Gun.io charges an additional fee of 20% of the developer’s negotiated first-year salary at your company.

Pros 

• Every developer undergoes a background check and is vetted by a senior developer.
• They offer flexible pricing packages tailored to fit your budget.
• If you’re not satisfied with your hire, you can swap talents.

Cons 

• Can be expensive. 
• No free trial is available, especially considering the high retainer fee.
• The hiring process can take over 2 weeks.

‍Toptal

Toptal is a hub for finding skilled developers around the world. They’re known for having a notoriously strict vetting process. This allows them to charge clients higher-than-average rates for developers. They also offer a one-week free trial to test developers before committing. 

How hiring on Toptal works

1. Fill out a form on their website specifying the type of talent you need.
2. A recruiter will reach out to you to understand your technical needs better.
3. Toptal recruiters search for a match and notify you within a few days, but it can also take up to three weeks.
4. Once you’ve chosen a dev, complete the hiring process and start a 7-day free trial with the freelancer.

Pricing

Hiring a freelancer on Toptal normally costs between $100 and $200 per hour. Additionally, there’s a $79 monthly subscription for using their talent search platform.

Pros 

• Their talent pool has people skilled in different technologies.
• You can hire talent for both short and long-term projects.
• Strong vetting process involving portfolio reviews, coding tests, technical interviews, and coding projects.

Cons

• If you need a developer urgently, waiting up to three weeks might be too long.
• Expensive. Most developers charge over $100 per hour. 

Lemon.io

Lemon.io is another platform that connects you with vetted freelance developers. Their developers are based in Eastern Europe, making it easier for real-time collabs in EU time zones. 

How hiring on Lemon.io works

1. Fill out a form on Lemon’s website stating what kind of dev you want.
2. A sales representative will reach out to gather more details about your project.
3. After you submit your project details, they’ll try to match you with a developer within 48 hours.
4. Once you’ve chosen your dev, fund your Lemon account with an initial deposit to start working with them.

Pricing

Lemon.io’s developer rates range between $55 to $95 per hour. But they require a minimum commitment of 160 work hours so expect to pay at least $8,800 monthly. You must also make an initial deposit before beginning your project. This amount is equivalent to one week’s or one month’s cost of your project, depending on your billing cycle. 

Pros

• Access to pre-vetted developers. Vetting includes manual profile reviews, English skills, and a live coding test.
• The matching process is fast, often within 48 hours.
• Affordable rates: Their fees are generally between $55 to $95 per hour.

Cons

• Matching can be slow for projects that require rare tech skills.
• You must commit to at least 160 hours for any project. 
• Advance payment is required to start. It’s equivalent to 1 month or one week’s work.

Flexiple

Flexiple is a platform that runs a network of freelance developers specifically to work with growth-stage startups. It leverages AI technology to match pre-vetted developers with companies. While this leads to fast matching, it often results in mismatches due to AI’s limitations in understanding human dynamics.

How hiring on Flexiple works

1. Create an account on their website and click “Hire Developers” to share details about your product needs with them.
2. Flexiple’s AI will send a personalized recommendation of devs based on the information provided.
3. You get to interview the recommended candidates to see who fits your project best.
4. If you’re satisfied with your choice, Flexiple handles all the paperwork to get started.

Pricing

Their hourly rates can range from $50 to $100, depending on the developer’s experience and the specifics of your project. 

Pros 

• Their fees are relatively affordable compared to other platforms.
• 7-day no-risk free trial

Cons

• AI matching often presents inaccurate matches due to the lack of the human touch.

Guru

Guru is a versatile platform offering freelance talents with various tech skills. It allows clients to post jobs free of charge and freelancers submit their quotes for the job. Guru is popular because it’s open to everyone — both experienced devs and newbies are welcome. However without a vetting process, you can’t guarantee the quality of talent that apply for your job. 

How hiring on Guru works

Guru provides two main hiring options for hiring:

1. Search and browse: You can manually search and browse through available profiles to find the right freelancer.
2. Post a job: Alternatively, you can post a job and wait for freelancers to apply. This platform puts you in control of the entire hiring process with little assistance from Guru.

Pricing

Freelancers set their rates, so you’ll find a wide range. Prices are typically between $20 and $100 per hour. Guru also charges a 3% fee on every transaction, meaning if you’re paying a dev $8000 for a project, you’ll pay an additional $240. Lastly, you can boost the visibility of your job listing for $29.95 per month.

Pros

• Large talent pool with over 300,000 developers to choose from.
• Some dev rates are suitable for small budgets.

Cons

• Guru doesn’t vet its freelancers, so you’ll need to do your own due diligence which takes a lot of time. Arc.dev is a platform that helps businesses connect with developers for full-time and part-time roles. Their developers are based in Latin American regions, making them accessible in real-time to companies in the USA. Arc allows you to either add temporary staff to your existing team or build a new dev team from scratch.
• How hiring on Arc.dev works
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  1. Book a call on their website to discuss your dev needs.
  2. Arc.dev matches you with pre-vetted developers who fit the bill.
  3. Interview shortlisted candidates for cultural fit.
  4. Make your choice and start working with your developer.
• Pricing
• On their pricing page, they state that their freelance developers charge between $15 and $110+, although very experienced developers charge more. 
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• Arc also requires an initial deposit of $300. If you hire a developer, this amount is credited to your first invoice and refunded if you don’t proceed after the free trial.
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• For full-time hires, you pay Arc a fee-per-hire equal to about 20% of the developer’s first-year salary.
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• Pros 
• • Relatively fast recruitment within a week.
  • 14-day risk-free trial for freelance hires.
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• Cons 
• • Complicated pricing system.
  • The hiring process can take up to two weeks.
  • Refundable security deposit of $300 required to start a project.

Arc.Dev

Arc.dev is a platform that helps businesses connect with developers for full-time and part-time roles. Their developers are based in Latin American regions, making them accessible in real-time to companies in the USA. Arc allows you to either add temporary staff to your existing team or build a new dev team from scratch.

How hiring on Arc.dev works

1. Book a call on their website to discuss your dev needs.
2. Arc.dev matches you with pre-vetted developers who fit the bill.
3. Interview shortlisted candidates for cultural fit.
4. Make your choice and start working with your developer.

Pricing

On their pricing page, they state that their freelance developers charge between $15 and $110+, although very experienced developers charge more. 

Arc also requires an initial deposit of $300. If you hire a developer, this amount is credited to your first invoice and refunded if you don’t proceed after the free trial.

For full-time hires, you pay Arc a fee-per-hire equal to about 20% of the developer’s first-year salary.

Pros 

• Relatively fast recruitment within a week.
• 14-day risk-free trial for freelance hires.

Cons 

• Complicated pricing system.
• The hiring process can take up to two weeks.
• Refundable security deposit of $300 required to start a project.

Upwork

Upwork is a general freelance website for hiring skilled professionals, including freelance software engineers. It is one of the largest freelance platforms as it is open to everyone. Upwork is mostly used for short-term projects.

How hiring on Upwork works

• Start by posting a job or product with your requirements.
• Upwork displays your job ad to freelancers whose skills match your job.
• Freelancers bid for your project with proposals.
• After interviewing and selecting your preferred candidate, you can start the contract.

You can also review freelancers' profiles and invite them to apply for your job.

Pricing

Developer fees on Upwork are between $29 and $100 per hour. In addition, Upwork charges a 7.99% service fee (known as Client Marketplace Fee) on each transaction. In addition to that, you pay a one-time $15 Contract Initiation Fee for each new contract with a freelancer.

Pros 

• Easy and quick access to a large talent pool.
• Reasonable pricing by developers.
• Safe and secure payments.
• Quick customer support.

Cons 

• No clear vetting process, so you need to spend a lot of time to find good picks.
• There are hidden charges that can ramp up your fee quickly.

Revelo

Revelo connects US companies with vetted Latin American developers who can work within US time zones. With over 300,000 vetted tech talents available, Revelo is a decent option for finding freelance developers to work with.

How hiring on Revelo works

1. Fill a form on Revelo’s website to give details of the developer you want.
2. Revelo will send you a list of the best-fitting candidates within five days. 
3. Interview the shortlisted candidates from their platform. If you want, you can interview them for cultural fit and technical skills. 
4. Choose your developer and sign the contract. Then, the developer starts working with you in a two-week free trial.

Pricing

The exact developer rates aren’t disclosed, but they provide a calculator to show how much it will cost to build a team. However, the only way to get this result is to provide your name and email address, which raises questions about their transparency with pricing. We also know there’s an additional fee of $2,500 on top of the monthly developer salaries.

Pros 

• 2 weeks free trial available.
• Revelo handles payroll, paperwork and compliance tasks.

Cons 

• Lenient vetting process. It involves a 45-minute chat with a Revelo rep. If the rep is satisfied, the candidate is added to the talent pool. 
• The extra $2,500 per month charge is higher than the industry average.
• The lack of pricing transparency can be a drawback. 
• The time to hire a developer can exceed 2 weeks.

Scalable Path

SScalable Path is a platform that connects companies with freelance software developers and designers from several countries.

How hiring on Scalable Path works

1. Chat with a senior dev who helps you craft a job post that describes your project.
2. As developers apply for the job, Scalable Path’s senior developers interview the applicants and screen them for their suitability for the role. 
3. Scalable Path’s team presents a list of hand-picked candidates for you to review. 
4. After choosing your dev, Scalable Path helps with onboarding and finalizing the contract.

This whole hiring process can take up to 3 weeks. 

Pricing

The hourly rates for developers on Scalable Path generally range between $50 and $70.

Pros 

• No recruitment fees: You don’t have to worry about extra recruitment charges.

Cons 

• Limited reviews: Scalable Path has few online reviews. While the few are positive, the lack of reviews could suggest that the platform is not yet widely used.
• Minimum commitment of 150 hours. 
• The hiring process can take about 3 weeks, sometimes more.

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Other Ways To Hire Freelance Software Developers

If you're looking to hire freelance developers, several alternative methods exist beyond traditional platforms. Here are some options:

Job boards and Remote working platforms

Job boards and online communities specifically for developers can be excellent places to connect with top talent. Some popular options include:

• Flexjobs
• RemoteOk
• Inclusivelyremote
• Authenticjobs.com
• Freelancer
• Indeed
• Adzuna
• Jooble
• LinkedIn

Newsletters

Newsletters like No CS Degree, SitePoint, and Software Lead Weekly reach a large audience of developers. Sponsorship fees for these newsletters can be quite affordable, sometimes as low as $200, making it a cost-effective way to attract talented developers.

Coding platforms and communities

In communities like GitHub and StackOverflow, developers share tips, tricks, and best practices and build great software. These communities can be fantastic places to connect with top talent and find developers who can bring your project to life.

Ask for referrals

Sometimes, the best way to find a great developer is through word-of-mouth. Tapping into your network can be incredibly effective—recommendations from people you trust can be more reliable than online reviews. LinkedIn is useful for this, as it allows you to reach out to your connections and get referrals from people with firsthand experience with the developers they recommend.

Tips for hiring a developer

Regardless of your chosen platform, follow these tips when hiring a freelance software developer:

Define your project requirements

Identify the programming languages and technical tools your project needs. Understanding the technical aspects will help you communicate effectively with your potential developer.

Define the length of the project

Some platforms are better for short-term projects, while others are ideal for long-term commitments. Clarifying the project duration will help you pick the platform that aligns with your needs.

Decide on the experience level for your project.

You’ll also need to determine the appropriate experience level based on your project needs—whether you need a beginner, mid-level, or senior developer. 

Choosing the right experience level will place your project in the hands of capable expertise.

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Every platform mentioned in this blog post has its own set of pros and cons. For instance, if you need a cheap developer and have the time to search for a good one, Upwork might be a good fit. If you have a large budget to pay premium rates for skilled devs, Toptal is worth considering.

However, if you want to ship code fast with reliable, affordable React.js, Next.js or Remix experts, ReactSquad is here to help. 

Book a call and get matched with a dev within 48 hours.

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