The 14 Best Outsourcing Software Development Companies

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Hiring third-party software developers can give your staff the technical know-how necessary to finish mission-critical projects or provide maintenance. But hiring external contractors comes with risks. These are our recommendations for the best outsourcing software development companies.
The 14 Best Outsourcing Software Development Companies

Software outsourcing or hiring third-party software developers can give your staff the technical know-how necessary to finish mission-critical projects or provide maintenance. But hiring external contractors comes with risks. These are our recommendations for the best outsourcing software development companies.

Outsourcing software development is an excellent solution for companies looking to expand their business, improve their development services, or for companies looking to scale existing in-house development teams.

Whether there are concerns over developer quality, communication challenges, or the possibility of IP theft, it pays to approach software development outsourcing with great diligence. If you’re wondering how to find the right software development companies to minimize these risks, it's a good idea to check out Developers For Hire for personalized results.

Even without the specific risks mentioned above, finding a skilled development team is always a challenge due to the strong demand for software developers worldwide.

That's why we've also provided you with a comprehensive list of marketplaces and agencies that will help you with software outsourcing based on your project needs, product development, timeframe, and budget. You can also read our guide on everything you need to know about outsourcing software development.

Here are the top 15 solutions for hiring outsourced software developers and outsourced software development companies:

14 Best Talent Marketplaces For Outsourcing Software Development

Compared to hiring a full team via an agency, hiring software developers from a talent marketplace offers the best value proposition for most companies. Talent marketplaces offer you the ability to flexibly staff up-and-down your development services, remove a layer of project management, and better integrate the external developers into your application development.

Below, we’ll explore the top talent marketplaces for outsourcing software development projects and then review software companies.

1. Toptal

Best Service

Toptal is one of the oldest talent marketplaces for software developers (operating since 2010) and is the gold standard for hiring high-quality remote software developers. Toptal prides itself on screening for the top 3% of development talent worldwide, including many developers based overseas. Given many of these developers are both based internationally and set their own rates, you can find excellent value when hiring via Toptal without sacrificing on quality.

Toptal will work hand-in-hand with you to find the right talent for your project. If you’re looking for additional project support, Toptal’s staff can pair you with project managers, product managers, designers, and finance experts to round out your software development team. While offering better value than some of the other options listed, the strong customer support and top quality of developers will place hiring via Toptal at the higher end of budget ranges.

  • Top 3% of development talent
  • Responsive talent matchers
  • Strong customer support
  • High-quality development partner
  • Front-end and back-end software developers

2. Gun.io

Gun.io finds, vets, and staffs engineering talent on technical teams around the world. The service lets you hire full-time, part-time, for a “quick project” (where the team starts and finishes a single project), or “freelance-to-hire,” where you work with a freelancer on a temporary basis with an option to hire later on.

The company sets out to offer the best technical talent in the U.S. with 90% of engineers based in the States. While helpful from a communication standpoint, unfortunately this also means you’ll lose out on the cost benefits of outsourcing to overseas developers. There have also been complaints over added layers of project management when hiring via Gun.io, which further contributes to higher costs compared to other options without a huge value-add.

  • Freelance to hire
  • Primarily U.S.-based engineers

3. Upwork

Upwork is the largest talent marketplace on the web, offering seemingly endless professionals ranging from software developers to freelance content writers to accountants and more. This shotgun approach to hiring means you’ll be able to find nearly anyone on the platform often at budget rates, although controlling for quality may become a tedious task. If you have the time and technical experience to thoroughly vet candidates on your own, Upwork can be a great solution to finding quality talent cheaply; if you’re more time-constrained or less experienced working with developers, it may be worth it to pay for a more curated hiring process. Upwork allows you to hire software developers on a short-term, recurring, or full-time basis.

  • Largest talent marketplace
  • Wide range of talent

4. Gigster

Gigster is an invitation-only network of developers, project managers, and designers with credentials ranging from Olympiad winners to literal rocket scientists. 

The bulk of Gigster's network is in Silicon Valley (70% is U.S.-based), which will result in higher costs compared to options with a more diverse set of developers. Criticism of the company’s sales team suggests that the client base isn’t as robust as that of other marketplaces, which may make the platform a less-than-appealing destination for truly top developers.

  • Invitation-only network
  • Silicon Valley connections

5. Hired

Hired is a tech-focused freelance marketplace that features candidates in 50+ roles ranging from software engineering to DevOps to data analytics in 14 cities worldwide. With strong reviews and a speedy time-to-hire (Hired promises you’ll have your developer up-and-running within 25 days of beginning their process), Hired is a solid option for companies looking to hire quality tech talent quickly.It’s worth noting that, unlike many of the other marketplaces on this list, the Hired talent does not work remotely. This means that the service is only available to companies located in select cities, and that you’ll miss out on cost savings and quality benefits that come from hiring developers out of less competitive job markets.

  • Tech-focused platform
  • Select cities

6. Freelancer

Freelancer allows you to post a job you need completed and receive competitive bids from freelancers within minutes. The open platform allows you to browse samples of applicant’s work and read their profile reviews.

While this transparency is commendable, talent screening is minimal so you’ll end up spending a lot of time sorting through candidates who may not be great fits. That said, this is a decent option for companies with a minimal budget and excess time on their hands.

  • Lots of options
  • Variety of skill levels

Best Full-Service Outsourced Software Development Agencies

While many of the talent marketplaces like Toptal and Gun.io permit you to hire high-quality developers for your software development projects, perhaps you’d rather have the development process handled externally with as little internal oversight as possible. Choosing a software outsourcing company permits your company’s full-time employees to maintain focus on more central business objectives. However, these software development services will typically cost more than hiring your development team à la carte. If this makes sense for your company’s goals, check out some of the full-service software development companies listed below.

7. SimbirSoft

Founded in 2001, SimbirSoft is a Russia- and U.S.-based development agency that offers end-to-end development of IT products including full project development, quality assurance, design and IT security. The firm has received extensive industry recognition for their work helping clients achieve their business goals using technologies including Java, C#, Bitrix, PHP, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, Go, C++, and Swift. The fact that the company has an office in the U.S. will help mitigate some of the challenges of working with a Russia-based firm. To work with SimbirSoft, expect prices starting at $25,000 USD.

  • End-to-end development
  • Multiple programming languages

8. Appventurez

If you’re looking for a cheaper option, Appventurez is a Delhi-based development firm focused on end-to-end design and development for both web and mobile. The company boasts 139+ applications across multiple domains along with supplementary services such as business analysis, UX and UI design, quality assurance, testing, and project management. Expect projects to begin around $5,000 USD.

  • Value-based option
  • 130+ projects completed

9. Theodo

Theodo is a New York, Paris, and London-based agile software development company focused on rapid development of web and mobile software. The firm’s 200+ developers have served clients ranging from McKinsey to Harvard Medical School and are proficient in languages including React, React native, Node.js, Python Django, and D3.js for Data Visualization. While the firm’s credentials are impeccable, expect to pay top dollar for these services.

  • Rapid development
  • Top credentials

10. Jelvix

Jelvix is a Ukraine-based custom software development firm that specializes in digital transformation and software innovation. Founded in 2011, Jelvix goes above-and-beyond the normal scope of development agencies by offering business process analysis along with full-cycle quality assurance and technical support. As their focus is on enterprise clients, projects begin around $50,000 and go up from there.

  • Ukraine-based company
  • Enterprise focus

11. Bitbean

Bitbean is a New Jersey, U.S.-based custom software development agency that offers software consulting, product strategy, UX design, software/web development, and enterprise software solutions. Bitbean has successfully completed projects with enterprise clients such as Walmart, CVS, and United. If you want to check out some of their work, the agency offers case studies through their site.

  • Enterprise clients
  • Software consulting

12. IndiaNIC

With 12+ years of experience in IT, IndiaNIC is a India- and U.S.-based development company focused on mobile app development, web development, UX/UI design, mobile games, VR apps, IOT solutions, and wearable tech. The firm has experience working with smaller startups to enterprise clients; a select number of previous clients can be found on their site. With strong reviews, IndiaNIC could be a good option for companies looking for an end-to-end development solution.

  • U.S. and India
  • Startups to enterprise clients

13. Tkxel

Tkxel is a U.S.-based firm founded in 2008 that serves enterprise, growth companies, and startups across a variety of specialties including (but not limited to) app development, devops, Salesforce solutions, and data science. Check out the company’s Success Stories for a glimpse at how they’ve plugged into drive value for previous clients. Expect projects to begin around $10,000 USD.

  • Startups
  • U.S.-based

14. Infinite Open Source Solutions

Infinite Open Source Solutions (IOSS) is a development firm with offices in India, Italy, and Germany that focuses on mobile app development, blockchain app development, cryptocurrencies, and CMS development, among other areas. With 50+ highly skilled IT experts, the IOSS development team has received positive feedback for their speed of execution and cost effectiveness.

  • Global presence
  • Fast and efficient

What To Remember When Outsourcing Software Development 

Choosing the right place to outsource and hire  from depends on a variety of factors, chiefly hiring budget and execution timeline. You’ll want to make sure that the developers or development agency has experience in the specific project that you’re seeking out, whether that’s a mobile app or a digital transformation, and you’ll want to make sure the developers are well-versed in the language that any existing code has been written in.

Prior to engaging any services, it’s worth checking out reviews online from sources like Trustpilot, Glassdoor, or any relevant industry publications. Things to keep an eye out for include the number of years of experience of the developers and, in the case where you’re evaluating an agency, the founding year (the longer the agency has been around, the more trustworthy they are).

If you don’t know where to start, check out our quick questionnaire that will walk you through the process of finding outsourced software developers.

Ultimately, which company you outsource to  depends on a multitude of factors, such as:

  • How quickly you need to complete your development project
  • How much experience you have hiring and managing developers
  • Whether or not you're equipped to test technical skills
  • The number of developers you need to bring on
  • Whether or not you're open to remote workers
  • What your budget constraints are
  • How important quality is to your project(s)
Thank you for your feedback!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of outsourcing software development?
Outsourcing software development is a popular practice among companies in tech, given its myriad benefits like cost-savings, time-savings, and accessibility to global talents. The cost savings of outsourcing software development to a talented engineer in India, Latin America, or South East Asia cannot be ruled out. Additionally, given the domestic talent shortages, outsourcing enables firms to hire talented developers from across the globe without having to sacrifice quality. Lastly, the process of hiring full-time candidates involves a time-consuming process of finding and interviewing candidates and negotiating compensation, whereas an outsourcing partner helps you with the majority of the recruitment process, resulting in major time and resource savings.
How much does outsourcing software development cost?
The cost of outsourcing software development depends on various factors, such as the number of developers required, the project's complexity, the developers' location, the developers, skill levels of the developers, and more. Asia boasts one of the world's largest IT talent pools. An Indian software developer's rates range from $16 to $52, whereas a Chinese developer's hourly rates vary from $19 to $40. The average hourly range for software development in Europe varies from $20 to $170, whereas software development rates in America are quite high, with hourly rates varying from $50 to $200. Africa is emerging as a new destination for application development outsourcing with hourly software development rates of $20-50.

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