25 MIN READ

How to hire freelance React developers in 2024

Updated on March 19, 2024
Platforms to find talented React developers
Toptal

What we liked the most:

  • 98% Hiring Success
  • Fast Matching within 48 hours
  • Risk-Free Trial for up to 5 Days
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X-Team

What we liked the most:

  • Allows you to scale quickly
  • Vetted developers
  • Dedicated account manager
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Arc.dev

What we liked the most:

  • Vetted developers
  • Fast hiring solution
  • Skilled developers
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Kelly Wilson
Written by Kelly Wilson

Strategist and entrepreneur, with experience in hiring developers across various industries. Kelly has established herself as a trusted expert in identifying and recruiting top tech talent. She shares advanced tips on how to identify the right talent, create hiring strategies, develop your tech teams and much more.

Expertise: IT Recruiting, Tech, Marketing

Building dynamic and interactive web applications with React? Our comprehensive hiring guide is here to assist you in finding the best React developers for your project. Discover expert advice, practical tips, and a step-by-step approach to evaluate candidates and build a top-notch React development team. With insights into assessing React skills, portfolio evaluation, and exploring the right talent platforms, our guide empowers you to create powerful and engaging web experiences.

Find the best site to hire the right React developers in under 60 seconds.

We'll ask 9 quick questions to better understand your needs and then provide you with personalized recommendations. No sign-up required.


1. What type of hire are you making?
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Here are the top 5 sites to hire freelance React developers:

Based on facts publicly available as of 01.01.2024

1. Toptal

If your project demands only the best React experts in the world, Toptal is the place to go. Only 3% of applicants can make it through the rigorous tests required just to post your contact information on the website. Whoever you hire, you're guaranteed raw skill and refined expertise, so it's a great choice for any project.

Toptal's goal is to work with you to find a perfect freelancer for your project, at a lower price compared to similar website. You'll have a chance to work with your React.js developer and make sure they're the right fit before bringing them onto your team -- or even into your company.

Key points:

  • A global talent pool increases the variety of skills you can source.
  • Enjoy a risk-free trial for up to 5 days.
  • Completed over 60,000 projects for 25K+ satisfied clients.

2. X-Team

X-Team is a diverse group of motivated developers, ready to join any project. The company puts out an open call to freelancers, allowing the best and brightest minds to become an X-Teamer. React.js is just one of their many specialities at X-Team, and they have React specialists who've worked with companies like Riot Games, Twitter, and Fox.

Discipline, consistency, and responsibility are some of the fundamentals this company is built on, and their basis when hiring senior Reactjs developers. Regular communication and stellar work are a hard guarantee. X-team is a great platform to hire react js programmers because of it.

Key points:

  • X-Team accepts projects that last at least 90 days.
  • Strict vetting procedures eliminate over 99% of developers who apply.
  • A dedicated account manager and fast scaling keep your project on track.

3. Hired

If you want one of the greatest freelancer search engines on the market, Hired is a wonderful platform that seamlessly connects you to experienced developers. Submit interview requests to React specialists that catch your eye, and if you made the best offer, they'll accept and you can begin working with them. The scalable pricing makes Hired suitable for most budgets.

Key points:

  • Pricing options include pay-per-hire and unlimited yearly hiring subscriptions.
  • If you prefer talent-matching services, try Hired’s Technical Sourcing.
  • You can view candidate roles and salary wishlists, along with skill assessment results.

4. Arc.dev

Arc.dev is a community of over 1.5k expert React freelancers from around the globe. When you need a developer quick, the 72-hour guarantee and risk-free trial make this a great choice.

You receive a project manager and a shortlist of candidates which you're free to interview and trial. From there, you work directly with the developer to get your project done. There are no fees except payment to the person you hire. Arc.dev is risk-free, so if you're after senior React freelancers, there's no reason not to try.

Key points:

  • Review talent-matched candidates in 24 hours; hire in 72.
  • Technical and behavioral vetting leaves only the top 2.3% of developers.
  • Find highly skilled freelance or full-time dedicated developers for your team.

5. MobilUnity

MobilUnity is a Ukranian company of over one hundred, all experts in the hiring process. MobilUnity is a little different; rather than acting as a place for developers to sign up, the company looks for them once you put in your application. It completely handles searching for, vetting, and recruiting candidates. All you have to do is interview and choose the React.js developers you like best.

Easily build or extend your development team by choosing the best fits from the shortlist they produce. The fixed-rate outstaffing services means you won't ever overpay, and it's an inexpensive solution. You're in control of your projects, and won't have to go through a middleman once you've hired your team.

Key points:

  • Utilize and manage dedicated development teams that MobilUnity employs.
  • Directly onboard developers within eight weeks, using MobilUnity as a recruiter.
  • MobilUnity also offers BPO services and pay-as-you-go consulting.

Guide to hiring great freelance React developers

“Today, front-end frameworks and libraries are becoming an essential part of the modern web development stack. React.js is a front-end library that has gradually become the go-to framework for modern web development within the JavaScript community” - David Herbert, front-end developer and technical writer

What is React?

According to Wikipedia, React is a free and open-source front-end JavaScript library for building user interfaces or UI components. Created by Facebook in 2011, React can be used as a base in the development of single-page or mobile applications. React makes it easy and seamless to create interactive UIs.

Essentially, React makes it easy to build interactive user interfaces for web apps and mobile apps. React enables building stand-alone UI components and complete user interfaces, including the visual elements and the logic that governs these elements. Since React is a front-end technology and not restrictive, it can be paired with a variety of other technologies for executing the back-end functions too.

This way, React works as an efficient ecosystem of tools and approaches, which justifies itself as having so many different use cases – web app development, mobile app development, static site building, desktop apps development, and even VR app development. The idea of learning once and using it everywhere is still very applicable and true in the case of React.js.

Some of the best sites to hire React developers include Toptal, Arc, Upwork, Guru, and more.

Why is React Development So Popular?

React owes its popularity to its extra simplicity and flexibility. The developer community even refers to React as the future of web development and estimates that more than 1,300 developers and over 94,000 sites utilize ReactJS. Here are some more reasons why React is so popular:

  • React allows developers to write their code within JavaScript.
  • React makes it possible to break the complex UI/UX development into simpler components.
  • React enables developers to take all the content that can change during the application and place it in a single location, aka ‘State’.
  • React uses Virtual DOM which helps developers to know when exactly to re-render or when to ignore some specific pieces of DOM.
  • React enables companies and enterprises to craft apps with better UI to enhance end-user experiences.
React development for businesses
What is React used for?Building user interfaces for web and mobile applications, Creating single-page applications, Developing reusable UI components
Advantages:Component-Based Architecture, Virtual DOM, Large & Active community
Disadvantages:Learning curve, Tooling complexity, Lack of official guidance
Related programming languages:HTML, CSS, JavaScript
Freelancers average hourly rate:$15 to $150 an hour, depending on factors such as skill lever, experience, location and complexity of the project.
Where to hire?Freelance marketplaces, talent platforms, outsourcing firms, development communities, React-specific job boards

Advantages And Challenges of React Development

Pros:

  • ReactJS is easy to learn and use.
  • React makes it easy to create dynamic web applications since it uses JavaScript Extension.
  • React uses reusable components making it easier and faster to build web apps.
  • React benefits from having a JavaScript library.

Cons:

  • React technologies are updating and accelerating rapidly, so there is no time to maintain proper documentation.
  • Developers often complain about the complexity in the learning curve for JavaScript Extension.

Global Websites That Use React

Here are the top 10 websites from across the globe using that use React:

  • Facebook
  • Dropbox
  • Instagram
  • Airbnb
  • Netflix
  • Tesla
  • Reddit
  • BBC
  • Mattermark
  • Salesforce

These websites are a clear indication that React is here to stay.

What is a React Developer?

A React developer is a professional frontend developer that has extensive experience using React and React Native. A ReactJS developer undertakes the responsibility of designing and implementing UI elements for JavaScript-based web applications and mobile applications. 

How to Hire a Great Freelance React Developer

Some of the best sites to hire React.js developers include Toptal, Arc, Upwork, and more. Here is what you need to keep in mind when hiring a React developer:

  • Define your hiring needs: Based on your company’s culture it is crucial to hire like-minded React developers to build a healthy work environment and strong team.
  • Create a hiring funnel: Divide your recruiting process into efficient parts like candidate screening, tests, tasks, and interviews.
  • Use specific tech hiring platforms and tools: A great way to find React developers for hire is to turn to platforms like Toptal, Arc, and more.

Different Options for Hiring React Developers

Essentially, there are three different options for hiring React developers. 

  • Hiring a full-time React developer is wise if you are building an in-house development or tech team. Hiring full-time React developers comes at a higher cost but ensures employee loyalty and better productivity.
  • Hiring part-time React developers makes sense when you do not require a dedicated resource all the time. Hiring part-time Reac developers is a good option when you are looking for student developers or working flexible hours or working in different time zones or remotely.
  • Hiring freelance React programmers comes at the advantage of cost efficiency and flexibility. You can hire the best talent even if they are located in the other side of the world.

How Much Does it Cost to Hire Freelance React Developer?

According to Upwork, the rates of ReactJS developers vary from $15 to $150 an hour. Fixed price contracts depend upon the duration and the scope of the project. Usually, a Full-Stack developer with expertise in MERN Stack Development (MongoDB, Express, ReactJS, NodeJS) will cost more than $100 per hour.

Here are some parameters that can and do affect the cost of hiring React developers:

  • Complexity and scope of the project
  • The geographic location of the freelance developer and the employer
  • Expertise and experience level of the developer
  • Past work experience and brands they’ve worked with

What Skills to Look for Before Hiring a Freelance React Developer

Look for the following qualities in your freelance React developer candidates.

  • Strong technical proficiency
  • Experience with various React frameworks
  • Great communication and soft skills
  • Ability to work independently
  • Highly motivated and reliable
  • Depth in past work
  • Quick problem solving and coding
  • Positive reviews and feedbacks

How Do You Choose The Right Site To Hire React Developers?

Hopefully, you should now have a much clearer idea of where to begin your search for a React specialist. If you're still lost, you could always take our React questionnaire to narrow down your focus a bit more. If you'd rather choose manually from this list, here are a few tips to get you started in your search of React.js developers for hire. First, are you willing to hire remotely? What about offshore? Toptal, Freelancer, and Arc.dev offer services that can match you to a local developer or relocate one. You can usually specify local-only on job posting boards. On the other side of the spectrum, ValueCoders and MobilUnity are specifically marketed as offshore companies. The rest of this list offers stellar remote services, and many come with apps such as instant messaging to simplify communication.

What about budget? Toptal, Arc.dev, Dice, and Gigster are certainly on the upper end of the price range. These sites have the most talented of the bunch but are almost definitely out of reach for smaller companies. ThinkMobiles, Crew, and Hired are a few that work well for small- to medium-sized budgets. And, of course, there are always free services like Upwork, Guru, and Work React Native.

Finally, do you want a team or an individual? And how much control over the hiring process would you like? On one hand, companies like MobilUnity and Gigster take control of the entire process, which may be undesirable, but a cohesive team is ensured. Picking a company like X-Team, ValueCoders, or BrainHub is a good compromise; the developers have likely worked together before and you won't need to worry about disputes or lack of management.

On the other hand, if you use sites like Upwork, Dice, Freelancer, or Stack Overflow, you may have more control, but you're also wholly responsible for turning that team of strangers into an integrated unit. Not to mention vetting applications, interviewing, and other timely activities. These job boards are best suited for individual hiring unless you're up to the challenge.

Top 3 freelance talent platforms
Freelance PlatformTrustpilot scoreKey pointVettingGuaranteeFee to post projectsTalent statusRate & Share
1Toptal4.8High-profile clientsTop 3% Talent. Rigorous VettingPay only if satisfied$500 as a credit for the first projectFreelancersYes
2X-Team4.8High-performing, on-demand teams of developersYes#N/A#N/AFreelancersYes
3Hired4.4Connect with top tech talentYesSeller protectionCan try for freeFreelancersYes

Ultimately, which sites you employ depends on a multitude of factors, such as:

  • How quickly do you need to hire a front-end developer (i.e. your timeline)
  • How much experience do you have hiring front-end developers
  • Whether or not you're equipped to test technical skills
  • How many developers do you need to bring on
  • What level of experience do those front-end developers need
  • Whether or not you're open to remote workers
  • What your budget constraints are
  • How important quality is to your project(s)

Hiring React developers - FAQ

What are the limitations of React?
A big limitation or con of React is the frequent updates in technologies. This means React developers must constantly up their skills, relearn new processes, and learn about new trends and technologies in the React framework. The frequent updates also mean there’s not much documentation or tutorials for every update, so that can leave developers to fend for themselves.
What is the difference between React and Reactjs?
There’s a lot of confusion when it comes to React and Reactjs. React is ReactJs, a JavaScript library used to create single-page simple web applications. React Native is a React JS-based framework primarily used to create and design mobile apps. Both React and React Native are the most popular and widely used frameworks for mobile and web applications.
When to choose React over another language?
Usually, the main reason why web developers from around the world have decided to switch over to React is because of ease of development. Compared to other popular frontend frameworks like Angular & Vue, React is relatively easier to learn. This is one of the main reasons behind the popularity of React among developers in such little time. With React, developers can enable businesses to quickly build software solutions.
What are the React-based frameworks?
A React-based framework offers ready-to-use React components to augment and speed up the software development process. Here are the top 10 React UI frameworks for developers in 2022: React Bootstrap, Semantic UI React, Material UI, React Redux, Blueprint UI, Grommet, Ant Design, Chakra UI, Fluent UI, and Evergreen.

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