Whether you own an emerging startup or an established business, you’ll probably require a web developer or mobile app developer at some point.
However, finding and hiring developers that fit your company’s needs can take months! So you may choose to find developers online — ones that can instantly join your project.
But with hundreds of websites available today, how do you know which one is right for you?
Don’t worry.
In this article, we’ll make this process easier by highlighting the 13 best websites to find developers online, along with the key features, pricing, and user ratings for each. Additionally, we’ll give you four actionable tips to help you choose the right developer.
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Let’s get started.
Top 13 websites to find developers online
Searching for developers online is no easy job.
While there are several websites to choose from, some of them can be scam websites. These sites generally host inauthentic job listings and inexperienced developers.
As a result, genuine opportunities and developers often go unnoticed.
To ensure this doesn’t happen to you, find and hire a developer using these top 13 authentic sites:
1. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the go-to platform for several employers and job-seekers.
It provides employers easy access to talented developers. Here, you can actively source passive candidates or post a job description for organic ones.
And most developers often choose LinkedIn for their job search since they can enable alerts for specific titles, such as an Android developer.
Key features
- Facilitates searches for local and remote developers.
- Allows you to post a job on your company page to attract the right talent.
- Enables reaching out to passive candidates.
- Makes it easy to view shortlisted candidates’ profiles, portfolios, and exact technical skills.
- Offers quick reference checks.
Pricing
LinkedIn offers a free plan.
You can also opt for a paid Premium plan which is free for the first month. After that, it costs $119.99/month.
User ratings
- G2: 4.2/5 (3800+ reviews)
2. Stack Overflow
Developers and coders use Stack Overflow’s online community to discuss topics, such as Java, full-stack development, graphic design, and many more.
To find a developer here, you can explore different profiles and reach out to individual members.
Alternatively, you can post on the platform’s job board for a fee.
Key features
- Assists with creating personalized job profiles.
- Enables you to request a free demo from shortlisted candidates.
- Supports ATS (Applicant Tracking System) integration.
- Matches you with qualified candidates using AI (Artificial Intelligence) algorithms.
- Allows you to post jobs as well as search, save, and message suitable candidates.
Pricing
Stack Overflow for Teams offers a free version for up to 50 members. Its paid plan starts at $6/user per month.
User ratings
- G2: 4.3/5 (120+ reviews)
3. Toptal
A Silicon Valley-based startup, Toptal is known in the industry as an exclusive and elite freelancing platform.
You’ll find developers from all over the world here, but most are from Europe and the Americas.
Key features
- Tests all applicants for their technical expertise, professionalism, communication skills, and integrity.
- Provides personalized candidate recommendations.
- Matches you with a freelance developer within 24 hours.
- Gives an option to work with multiple potential candidates before finalizing.
- Allows experts to move on-site temporarily.
Pricing
Toptal offers a two-week free trial period. Following this, you need to make an initial deposit of $500 which is refunded if you decide not to move forward with the hiring process.
Additionally, you’ll also have to pay individual developer fees, which can range from $60/hour for freelancers to $4800+/week for full-time developers.
User ratings
- G2: 2.3/5 (5+ reviews)
4. Dice
Dice hosts over 3 million unique profiles on its well-established tech and IT job board.
All members are experienced and proficient in their respective fields of app development, software development, and more.
Key features
- Offers multiple developer job posting packages.
- Provides branding options, such as sponsored content, visible banners, etc.
- Utilizes applicant matching and candidate screening.
- Allows you to preview resumes and track applications.
- Promotes job posts for a month across the platform and other partner sites.
Pricing
Dice charges $495/job posting, with discounts for bulk packages.
User ratings
- G2: 4.2/5 (50+ reviews)
5. Guru
Guru hosts an extensive network of freelancers. You can search for specific developers based on their location, categories, feedback, fees, specialties, and more.
It also provides an online collaboration and communication space called Work Room.
You can make payments by creating an invoice or using their Guru Safepay system.
Key features
- Gives free access to user profiles and portfolios.
- Hosts an extremely user-friendly platform.
- Allows free and unlimited job posting.
- Pays the freelancer only after you approve their work.
- Provides a comprehensive project management dashboard.
Pricing
Guru allows you to post job listings at no cost but charges a 2.9% handling fee for each invoice.
User ratings
- G2: 3/5 (15+ reviews)
6. Arc
Arc, a sub-project of Codementor, is a freelancing platform where you can choose coders handpicked by Arc mentors.
All developers go through a rigorous vetting process. Additionally, platform consultants shortlist candidates for you to interview.
Key features
- Specifies English fluency as a vetting requirement for each developer.
- Helps you hire developers in 24-72 hours.
- Offers free remote job postings for development projects under 10 hours.
- Handles all paperwork between you and the developer.
- Integrates with Toggl so you can review your project progress.
Pricing
Arc offers a two-week free trial period.
The website doesn’t take any service fees. You only pay the freelance developers, who may charge $60-$100+/hour.
User ratings
- G2: N/A
7. Lemon.io
Lemon.io, previously known as Coding Ninjas, is primarily focused on providing remote developers to startups.
Their screening process includes English language proficiency since most of their developers are in East Europe. As such, Lemon is ideal for remote work projects.
Key features
- Connects you with a freelancer within 24 hours.
- Provides free project estimates.
- Avoids bidding wars for on-demand freelancers by offering flat rates.
- Ensures fast turnaround times by helping you hire a freelancer and have them working in a day or so.
- Provides a reliable customer support team.
Pricing
The standard freelance software developer rate at Lemon is $35-$55/hour.
User ratings
- G2: 4.4/5 (20+ reviews)
8. Gun.io
Gun.io hosts elite software developers who are tested and screened thoroughly.
Each developer goes through four separate assessments: a coding challenge, an interview about the developer’s expertise, a technical interview, and a character assessment.
You can hire Gun.io freelancers on a short-term freelance basis or as long-term (part-time or full-time) employees.
Key features
- Hosts a wide variety of talent, e.g., back-end developer, iOS developer, etc.
- Provides a speedy hiring process – within 48 hours.
- Ensures chosen developers are dedicated solely to your project.
- Presents only highly experienced candidates.
- Helps you switch developers if needed.
Pricing
Most Gun.io developers charge $75-$150+/hour. The platform’s service fees are included in these freelancer base rates.
User ratings
- G2: 4.5/5 (15+ reviews)
9. Authentic Jobs
Authentic Jobs has been slowly rising in popularity and is also used by The New York Times recruiters.
Primarily focused on front-end development, you’ll find web, design, creative, and mobile app developers here with ease.
These web professionals are fluent in programming and coding languages such as CSS and HTML, respectively.
Key features
- Helps you find various web professionals, such as computer science graduates and web design freelancers.
- Connects you with international tech talent.
- Offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Provides discounts for educational institutions and non-profit organizations.
- Adds social media visibility to every job posting with options to boost exposure.
Pricing
Authentic Jobs offers two paid plans. The Standard plan is $149/month, while the Featured plan is $199/month.
User ratings
- G2: N/A
10. Codeable
Codeable is a WordPress-specific freelance platform.
All developers here are proficient in the programming language – PHP. Additionally, they’re well-versed in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Codeable provides customized estimates for each project, removing the need for bidding wars. This way, you can start collaborating with the PHP developer within 24 hours.
Key features
- Gives free project estimates.
- Accommodates all WordPress needs, from creating a new e-commerce site to maintenance and troubleshooting.
- Ensures completion of urgent projects without compromising on quality.
- Arranges quick responses from available developers.
- Provides an online workroom for freelance work discussion with developers.
Pricing
WordPress developers may charge $70-$120/hour. This base rate includes the 17.5% fixed platform service fee.
However, these prices are subject to change depending on skills required, developer experience, and project complexity.
User ratings
- G2: N/A
11. PeoplePerHour.com
PeoplePerHour is a freelance website that provides three methods to recruit both remote and local talent.
You can post a job and wait for organic applicants or search the platform’s roster and contact the freelancer directly. The third method is Offers (unique to PeoplePerHour), where freelancers offer express jobs delivered within five days.
Key features
- Screens proficient and suitable candidates.
- Gives access to expert profiles without any service fee.
- Presents detailed freelancer profiles, including portfolios, skill breakdowns, reviews, and more.
- Allows you to post freelance jobs for free.
- Offers video chat capabilities.
Pricing
There are no registration or signup fees for employers.
Instead, PeoplePerHour charges freelancers a commission fee for every successful transaction. This fee is dependent on lifetime billing per buyer.
User ratings
- G2: 3/5 (20+ reviews)
12. Upwork
Upwork has made a name for itself as a mainstream freelance marketplace. You’ll find many experts here, such as software engineers, Python developers, and more.
To attract the best freelancer, you should ask applicants to complete tests and assessments.
Key features
- Allows you to filter through programmers and software developers using Upwork’s rating system.
- Helps you find the ideal freelance web developer within your budget.
- Enables you to hire talent for small segments of your project.
- Provides weekly progress reports.
- Pays freelancers only after they complete the project or tasks.
Pricing
Upwork offers a free and a paid plan with a flat 3% payment processing fee. The paid plan is $49.99/month.
User ratings
- G2: 4.6/5 (1600+ reviews)
13. Fiverr
Fiverr provides high-quality freelancers in various domains at affordable rates. It allows you to browse through thousands of profiles to find the right person for your development team.
Most freelancers here offer shorter-duration services for $5. However, they may often add “Gig Extras” for higher fees.
Key features
- Allows you to browse profiles and portfolios for free.
- Enables you to search for available freelancers using keywords, e.g., front-end developer.
- Offers various pricing options as freelancers set their own prices.
- Provides instant customer support.
- Supports different business needs like digital marketing, logo design, etc.
Pricing
While there are no subscription fees, Fiverr charges employers a 5% service fee/order.
User ratings
- G2: 4.3/5 (120+ reviews)
Honorable Mention: GitHub
A Microsoft subsidiary, GitHub is the world’s largest application development platform and web-hosting service.
It used to offer an official job hosting service, GitHub Jobs. However, that’s going defunct on August 19, 2021. Now, you’ll have to comb through profiles and reach out to potential candidates individually.
4 foolproof tips to help you choose the right developer
Regardless of the platform you choose, it’s important to be mindful of certain details before looking for and hiring a developer.
Here are four tips to help you out here:
- Define your project requirements: Have a defined idea of what skill sets the web designer or developer should possess. You should also clarify your available budget and specific project requirements.
- Confirm developer credentials: Confirm listed skills through online coding tests. You can also check the developer’s portfolio, LinkedIn profile and ask for references.
- Set clear objectives: Have a clear set of objectives and defined goals and convey them to the developer during the initial hiring process. You also need to establish an open communication line with the developer.
- Emphasize deadlines: Be upfront about the deadlines to ensure your web development project finishes on time. You can keep track of the developer’s progress by using productivity management tools such as Time Doctor.
Trusted by big companies as well as small businesses, Time Doctor can help you:
- Track total hours worked on each task.
- Access real-time productivity reports.
- Track idle time during an active project.
- Set up shifts and work schedules.
- Pay employees through the in-built payroll management feature.
Explore more Time Doctor features to see how they could benefit your company.
Wrapping up
Hiring an experienced and qualified developer doesn’t need to be complicated.
With the help of the websites mentioned above, you’ll be able to find your ideal developer in no time.
Just remember that each website caters to a different audience. You’ll benefit the most when you’re clear about what kind of web development services you require.
Andy is a technology & marketing leader who has delivered award-winning and world-first experiences.