As your tech startup or business grows, you may need to expand your team.

However, it can be a challenge to hire developers if you live in the US or Western Europe. Your area may have a talent shortage, and in-demand devs will have work coming to them. They don’t need to apply for jobs.

One of the solutions to hire developers is to find freelance software developers. Freelance developers can be available when you need them at a rate that suits you. They also have a broad range of experience, and you can hire them for specific jobs rather than as full-time hires.

However, you may need help if you want to hire freelance developers for part-time or full-time jobs. The hiring process can be exhausting. Posting a job online means you’ll have to go through hundreds of CVs, which costs time and money. Hiring freelance developers who aren’t the right fit can also cost your company thousands of dollars. 

The good news is we can help. Here at Gun.io, we’ve helped hundreds of companies – from Fortune 500s to startups – find freelance software developers with years of experience. And because we know communication is vital, we’ll help you hire freelance developers fluent in English.

This means you can trust us to hire a software engineer (or three) for all your company’s needs.

Why choose Gun.io

Find freelance software developers vetted by our team of senior engineers

Developers on our platform go through a rigorous screening process. This screening includes an algorithmic screening, a background check, and a live technical interview with one of our senior engineers. As a result, approximately 100 developers get to work with Gun.io clients each month out of 1,000 who apply.

Hire fast

Hire freelance web developers in 13 days or less (our average time-to-hire).

Hire from a trusted pool of talent   

Hundreds of companies – from startups to Fortune 500s – have been served through our platform. Moreover, 70% of currently engaged developers have 10+ years of software experience.

Hire developers

Find freelance software developers with Gun.io

1. Build your ideal candidate

Tell us the skills you require and chat with our talent team.

2. Receive your candidates

In 3-5 business days, you’ll be sent a shortlist of the best freelance web developers for hire. There are no job posts or stacks of resumes to review—just a shortlist of great matches ready to work. 

You can then decide which candidates you’d like to chat with, and we’ll arrange the intro calls. One of our team will also sit in to help answer any questions.

3. Get started

Once contracts are in place and you’re ready to hire a freelance developer, we’ll connect you. You can then work together as you see fit. We also support both parties as needed and handle hours tracking, billing, and payments.

At Gun.io, we want you to be 100% satisfied, so we’ll help you find freelance software developers again if you have any problems.

Hire a software engineer

What is a software engineer?

Software engineers apply their programming knowledge to build software solutions. They design and develop computer games, business apps, and operating systems. (There are countless other specialities.)

Defining the different types of freelance developers

Developers come in different shapes and sizes. Which one do you need for your project? You’ll have to identify this at the outset. If you want to hire a software engineer, this is a key factor (although we can help you with hiring at Gun.

Different types of freelance developers include:

#1: Front-end developers

Front-end developers are responsible for the user side of the software (i.e. the part users interact with). This includes layouts, visual interfaces, and program aesthetics. Common problems they deal with include browsers not loading correctly, incorrect font, and cache loading. And the programming languages they use are HTML, React, CSS, and JavaScript.

#2: Back-end developers

Back-end developers specialize in the server side of the software (i.e. applying logic to help the software run). This includes database creation, database storage, and caching systems. Ultimately, a back-end developer ensures that a website works correctly. Programming languages they use are C++, PHP, SQL, Perl, Ruby, and Python. 

#3: Full-stack developers

A full-stack developer can work on both front-end and back-end development. They can handle databases, websites, and help teams on the planning phases of projects. They’re skilled in most (if not all) of the languages mentioned above.

#4: Web developers

Web developers specialize in creating web apps and websites. They know many of the languages mentioned above, and they tend to specialize in one or two of the following: Swift, Java, and Go. 

#5: WordPress developers

WordPress developers are web developers who work exclusively in WordPress. WordPress is an online content management system, and WordPress developers use the site’s plugins and features to create websites.

#6: Mobile developers

Simply put, mobile developers write code for apps that run on mobile devices and tablets. These developers can help you launch and/or maintain an app. The development languages they tend to specialize in are Java, Android, C#, Swift, and Python, to name a few.

#7: Data scientists

These developers create software solutions that help companies collect, analyze, and deliver actionable insights from data. They specialize in statistical analysis and creating predictive models to scale businesses. As for languages, they tend to specialize in Scala, SQL, R, and Python.

#8: DevOps engineering

DevOps engineers are responsible for overseeing and managing relationships between company operations and the development team. Their main task is to work with the development team in building, implementing, and maintaining software.

3 steps on how to find freelance software developers

Before you hire a software engineer, you should know what your job entails. This will help you find your perfect developer. (But again, we can help you with this if you’re not sure where to start.)

Here are some important steps to consider:

Step #1: Identify what tasks you need from a developer

The most crucial step is to figure out what tasks require a developer. These tasks can range from basic designing to more complex solutions. Below are some common tasks that require a developer:

• Web design
• Developing and maintaining WordPress websites
• Creating and maintaining apps
• Analyzing large sets of data
• Backend security and system checks
• Setting up and integrating new technology
• Creating and maintaining databases

Step #2: Understand what type of developer you need

All developers are different, so their skill sets reflect this. Check out the different types of software developers above and the problems they can help you fix.

Step #3: Choose Gun

If you’re not sure about steps #1 and #2, that’s okay! Feel free to skip these steps. Here at Gun, we’ve helped hundreds of companies – from startups to Fortune 500s – hire world-class talent in days. Contact us today to learn more!

Alternatives to traditional recruitment

If you’d prefer to go it alone and find freelance software developers without our help, here’s where you could look:

#1: Ask for referrals

Tap into your network and ask your contacts if they can help you hire a software engineer who’s looking for a job. Your chances are quite high. That’s because developers tend to change jobs once every 3–4 years (if not sooner) in search of new projects.

#2: Network tech events

WordPress developers go to WordCamp. Python developers go to PyCon. You get the idea. There are also popular tech events like South By Southwest, where developers like to hang out (which we go to as well!)

Failing these, there are plenty of online events and meetups taking place through Facebook, Eventbrite, and Linkedin communities.

#3: Browse coding platforms and communities

GitHub is a community of engineers sharing their software code. You can see real code samples and even offer a job to someone who’s coded something similar to the product you’re building.

You can also connect with developers on Stack Overflow. It’s a place where developers ask for coding advice and share tips. The StackOverflow community may help you find the best engineer for your project.

FAQs

How much does it cost to find and hire freelance developers with Gun.io?

We get a lot of questions about how to hire developers and how much they’ll cost. The short answer is this: If you have a budget, we can design a solution to suit your needs. But planning for a future headcount is much easier when you have numbers and data. 

With this in mind, we don’t have standard prices on Gun.io. Instead, we offer flexible retainers based on your needs, the project, and the developers’ salary expectations. This price includes Gun.io’s fee, and you’ll see the total price upfront on developers’ profiles. There are no extra fees.

To help you move forward and hire developers, we’ve gathered data from recent hires on the Gun.io platform. These numbers represent the averages and ranges for developer costs within their respective experience and geography bands. 

This data is a great place to understand how companies you’re competing with think about their investment with each hire.

We recommend using this data as a guide. You’ll still need to consider other factors to determine what will best meet your needs.

How is Gun.io different from other software developer hiring platforms?

We make the hiring process feel effortless, whether for full-time or part-time roles. That’s because we streamline the hiring process, from sourcing and vetting candidates to matching you with freelance software developers.

Our clients appreciate our quick and easy hiring experience, with an average time-to-hire of 13 days. In addition, we’ve implemented a strict vetting process and have built a network of top developers. As a result, our developers have an average of 10+ years of experience.

Here’s a percentage breakdown for approved devs in our network:

• < 7 years: 11%
• 7-9 years: 26%
• 10-19 years: 47%
• 20+ years: 16%

Can I hire developers part-time?

Yes, you can! At Gun.io, you can hire developers on a full-time, part-time, or contract-to-hire basis. 

Of the three, contract-to-hire is a favorite among our clients and developers. This is because contract-to-hire lets you roll the developer onto your project to see if they’re a good fit before hiring full-time.

Does Gun.io only provide hiring services, or can I get project management support for my project too?

Yes, you can (again!) Gun.io can help you hire developers on a full-time, part-time, or contract-to-hire basis, and provide project management support. 

We facilitate intro calls and support both parties as needed throughout the engagement. We also handle hours tracking, billing, and payments.

Meet available, vetted talent today

So are you ready to find freelance software developers? If so, we’ve got you covered. Click the button below so we can help you on your talent hunt today!