Quick Summary
Dedicated developers help businesses of all sizes gain a competitive edge by offering accelerated, cost-effective, and high-quality development.
The cost of hiring app developer depends on several factors like the developer’s location, years of experience, tech stack requirement, and project duration.
Clarity on how hiring costs are calculated helps businesses make informed decisions about augmenting their internal or existing capabilities without missing out on any market opportunity.
Hiring developers from India is considered beneficial because of lower per hour rates compared to Western nations and because of diverse tech talent.
Introduction
If you are looking for the cost to hire developer, you probably know that on-demand hiring is widely preferred for its cost-efficiency and effectiveness over in-house hiring. With the IT outsourcing market projected to reach a market volume of USD 812.71 bn by 2029, it is evident that businesses want faster iterations, reduced time-to-market, and flexibility to adapt to dynamic market changes for constant innovation. While hiring dedicated developers makes this possible, businesses often lack clarity on how their costs are calculated or if they can hire developers within their means, maintaining effective project and budget control.
This blog will help you understand the factors that determine the cost of hiring app developers and help you make informed choices for accessing the right expertise for your projects.
**What is Dedicated Team Mode**l and How Do Dedicated Developers Work?
The dedicated team model enables businesses to outsource software development partly or fully, based on their project needs. This model gives businesses access to a ready-to-deploy software development team that is solely hired for specific projects, and focus entirely on completing it, unlike in-house teams that focus on multiple projects simultaneously.
Businesses can hire a dedicated team (UI/UX designers, developers, testing experts, quality analysts) or individual developers for specific app development parts on a project-by-project basis. The major benefit of this on-demand hiring model is that it enables businesses to access the right expertise tailored to their project needs without interrupting their daily operations, finances, and workflows. As such, businesses can hire developers for niche projects, specific tech stacks, specialized advanced technology implementation, and make the most of market opportunities to stay ahead of the competition.
How dedicated developers work is they directly report to you for the duration of their contract from their respective locations, seamlessly integrate into your existing team and workflows, and function as an extension of your internal development team. As such, established businesses that have their own development teams benefit from this hiring model by responding to evolving market demands that their existing teams are too preoccupied to take, while businesses just starting benefit from having the benefits of an internal development team without investing on one.
Factors Influencing the **Cost of Hiring a Software Developer**
The cost of hiring app developers is calculated based on a combination of factors. Although specific costs will vary based on individual project needs, the following factors determine the cost to hire software developer experts industry-wide:
1. Developer Location
The geographical location of developers influences their hourly rate for on-demand project work. This is because the geographical location determines their cost of living, other socio-economic conditions that impact work, and the availability of skilled experts for specific requirements. Among the regions with the highest developer rates are Western Europe and North America, where junior developers can charge as much as $55-$80 per hour.
In Asian countries, particularly India, the cost for junior developers starts at $15 per hour. As such, the developer cost in India helps businesses economise their hiring and development costs and yet access top-tier expertise for their project needs. With its diverse tech talent and skilled developers for all modern technologies and complex business problems, India offers a credible talent base for present-day developer hiring problems.
2. Tech Stack
The software engineer cost also varies based on the tech stack required for your project. This is because the developer availability depends on the popularity of the tech stack. Popular and well-established tech stacks (such as JavaScript) naturally have more trained developers in a region than emerging and advanced tech stacks. As such, a popular tech stack will cost less than a niche or advanced tech stack. Other factors concerning the tech stack are complexity, meaning a tech stack that does not require extensive architectural understanding or training will cost less than its demanding counterpart.
Additionally, integration requirements, library ecosystem, and maintenance requirements in the long term relate to the tech stack, development time, and hiring costs significantly. If a tech stack has an extensive ecosystem (like React Native), its development will take less time and training, and some tech stacks need extensive post-deployment maintenance (eg, C++) than others, automatically increasing the hiring and development costs.
3. Niche Specialization Requirements
Calculating the developer hiring or mobile app development cost also depends on individual project needs. A project that requires general or popular developer expertise will have significantly lower hiring costs than a project that requires niche expertise. This is because niche tech expertise that is pre-vetted and proven is limited, demands greater specialization training, and extensive experience to master development.
Some examples of specialized expertise include industry-specific or custom software development (such as compliance requirements for fintech or fantasy sports based on regulations in every country), implementation of emerging tech like blockchain to secure transactions, specific API integrations for robust functionality, and so on. These factors automatically increase developer hiring costs as these skills are in-demand, limited, and pivotal to the success of every innovation-focused organization.
4. Project Duration
The cost to hire developer also depends on your project duration. The higher your project duration, the higher the development and per hour costs (though you may get discounts for longer engagement). Conversely, shorter projects may cost less as the developers will complete the task they were hired for and get your app ready for market release. What needs evaluation is whether or not an IT staff augmentation company is offering reasonable short-term project rates or is charging more for on-demand access to expertise.
It is also worth mentioning that prolonged development (longer than necessary for the specific requirement for the project) should be avoided with the necessary technical expertise, knowledge of software development pitfalls to avoid, and an in-depth understanding of industry-specific development requirements.
What Is The **Cost of Hiring App Developers**?
The cost of hiring app developers varies according to the factors mentioned above, as well as the level of developer experience. Mentioned below are the cost for hiring dedicated developers from Sciflare:
Criteria
Sciflare
In-House Hiring
Freelancers
Time to get right developers
24-48hrs
4-8 weeks
1-2 weeks
Time to start a project
24-48hrs
2-4 weeks
1-2 weeks
Hourly Rates
$15-35/hour
$20-50/hour
$10-50/hour
Scalability
48 hrs - 1 week
4-16 weeks
1-12 weeks
Average pricing (Weekly)
1.5X
3X
1X
Training Investments & Benefit Expenses
0
$10,000 - $30,000
0
Project failure risk
Extremely low (97% success ratio)
Low
High
Dedicated Development Support Team
Yes
Some
No
Agile Development Support
Yes
Some
No
Quality Assurance
High
High
Uncertain
Turnover Rate
Medium
High
Low
Infrastructure Needs
None
High
None
Scope of Work
Multiple projects
Specific projects (one at a time)
Multiple, ongoing projects
Communication
Seamless
Seamless
Uncertain
Termination Costs
None
High
None
Engagement Models
Fixed, T&M
Salaried
Fixed, T&M
Where to Find Staff
Sciflare’s Dedicated Development Services
Job boards, LinkedIn
Freelance platforms
**Dedicated Developers for Hire**: Use Case Scenarios
Discussed below are the circumstances in which industry leaders find it beneficial to hire dedicated developers or teams:
1. Lack of internal expertise
Businesses mostly hire a developer for a project when they lack the exact internal expertise. As such, they can hire dedicated developers with expertise tailored to their project needs by tapping into the global talent pool of pre-vetted developers working in credible IT staff augmentation companies. By expanding their reach and partnering with IT staff augmentation companies, businesses can supplement the exact skill gap for their teams and avoid missing out on any market opportunity.
2. Cost-effective software development
Businesses that do not have their own internal teams benefit from hiring developers on demand. This enables them to access the necessary expertise and participate in the competitive market without spending on an in-house team (monthly salary, ongoing benefits, training expenses). Additionally, this model is also time efficient as it eliminates the delay of traditional hiring and gives businesses the necessary expertise when it is needed.
3. Accelerated Development
One of the major benefits of hiring dedicated developers is accelerating development and reducing the time to market. Dedicated developers are trained by the IT staff augmentation companies that hire them and are ready to deploy when the need arises. As such, they can start contributing from day one and with their training, technical expertise, and industry exposure, they can help you get to market faster by streamlining the end-to-end development process.
4. Multiple Projects
Businesses hire a software development team when they have multiple projects going on simultaneously, as is the case with multiple product lines or services across domains. It is natural for internal development teams to be preoccupied in such scenarios, when they are divided between different priorities. This is when hiring dedicated developers or teams helps businesses manage multiple projects and complete each one on time, as well as take up secondary projects that enhance their competitive edge.
5. Custom Software Development
Hiring dedicated developers specializing in specific technologies, frameworks, emerging tech, or industry-specific software development is essential for delivering relevance to users and catering to ever-evolving business requirements as they come. This gives businesses the competitive edge to stay ahead, solve actual problems, and deliver value, enhancing their presence, eliminating operational inefficiency, and unlocking their true potential with the right systems fuelling their growth.
**Key Skills To Look For When Hiring Remote Developers**
As remote work gains increasing prominence among global businesses and developers, it is important to understand that a mixture of technical and soft skills is necessary to evaluate and onboard the right candidates, and make the most of this engagement:
1. Top-tier Technical Expertise
The ideal developers will be proficient in all popularly used and emerging technologies and frameworks, staying on the same pace with their updates. Technical efficiency forms the foundation of their role- be it debugging, testing, modernizing legacy tech, implementing maintenance updates, and so on according to the specific needs of a project. They should have extensive knowledge in theory as well as in practice, with a demonstrated and proven expertise in catering to projects of varying complexity.
2. Problem Solving
While considering the cost to hire developer, it is also important to evaluate them against the key criteria of problem solving. Consider assessing their past portfolio of projects, taking short interviews and coding tests, and asking in-depth questions about specific project requirements to understand how they approach solutions, if they have a proper assessment of your project, and if they can translate your vision into a fully functional solution.
3. Agile Learning and Approach
Software development is constantly evolving with the emergence of new technologies, framework updates, dynamic business requirements, and evolving user needs. As such, remote developers should be able to adapt to evolving project requirements and facilitate Agile development, where the end-to-end development process is collaborative, capable of implementing feedback, and aligned to user demands.
4. Communication
Communication is the cornerstone of any task that involves multiple stakeholders, and more so, in the case of remote teams working across the globe. Remote dedicated developers should proactively communicate to ensure team members are on the same page with development updates, there is complete vision alignment and scope for clarification, and everyone receives important project updates on the go. The ideal development team will also help you set up advanced remote project management tools like Asana and Jira to ensure smooth communication and help you check the progress of the project at any time.
5. Time zone Alignment
When you hire offshore developers, it is necessary to discuss how they will align with your time zone to offer an opportunity to collaborate and discuss important project updates. Reputed IT staff augmentation companies offer time zone flexibility in which their developers work on your project in their time zone, have it ready for review in your time zone, and set up overlapping meeting hours aligning both time zones based on your availability.
6. Team Integration
Remote dedicated developers or teams should seamlessly integrate with your existing team and processes. This is the foundation of the dedicated team model, where the on-demand team or developer functions as an extension of your team and augments their capability for the project at hand.
**How to Hire Dedicated Developers**?
Traditional hiring has its own limitations, such as time-consuming processes, prolonged time to find the right developer, and delayed development. Hiring dedicated developers eliminates these inefficiencies through a quick and efficient 4-step hiring process:
Step 1: Identifying Project Requirements
It is necessary to evaluate your current capabilities and identify specific project requirements to understand the exact skill gap you need to supplement. This will give you an idea of the kind of developer (experience, skill set, and specialization) to search for.
Step 2: Look Globally
Expand your geographical reach and increase the likelihood of finding the right talent tailored to your project needs. You can partner with a reliable IT staff augmentation company to access their pool of pre-vetted developers with proven experience of meeting diverse business needs.
Step 3: Interview Developers
Based on the developers you shortlist from the IT staff augmentation company’s pre-vetted profiles, you can interview developers on a one-on-one basis and even assess their capabilities via short coding assignments.
Step 4: Onboard and Kickstart Development
Based on whoever clears your interview and meets the requirements for the project, you can onboard the developer with 24-48 hours of selection, and immediately kickstart development as they are ready to deploy.
**Is It Better To Hire Developers Full-Time or on Contract Basis?**
While full-time hiring has its own advantages, such as strengthening your institutional expertise, it is important to understand that hiring and maintaining a full-time in-house team is expensive and time-consuming. While deciding between full-time vs on-demand teams, consider the fact that full-time teams need to be paid monthly salaries and require investments in ongoing training over the years. The major benefits of hiring on contract basis are:
1. Flexibility: You can upsize or downsize your development resources based on project needs without making massive changes to your internal team structure and operations.
2. Cost Effectiveness: You only to enter a flexible contract with an IT staff augmentation company and pay for the duration in which their developers work for you.
3. Trained Developers: Dedicated developers are trained by the IT staff augmentation companies that employ them. As such, there is no need to invest in their training as they are ready to deploy and contribute from day one.
4. Pre-vetted Profiles: Dedicated developers from IT staff augmentation companies are pre-vetted and have proven expertise, accelerating hiring for quick deployment.
5. Competitive Edge: The rapid pace of technology and evolving user demands necessitates constant innovation ahead of your competitors. Contractual hiring is on-demand, quick, and effective, and can help you respond to market demand in real time.
Which is the **Best Place To Hire Developers**?
Global industry leaders prefer to hire developers from India because of the wide availability of developers with specialized skill sets and proven development expertise. The Wall Street investor and best-selling author Codie Sanchez recently acknowledged India as a major innovation hub with all the necessary innovation ingredients, including extensive developer talent for complex problems, emphasizing that the country is no longer the IT back office of the past. India’s digital infrastructure, startup ecosystem, and proven ability to solve massive problems at scale (healthcare accessibility, digital payments, financial inclusion, and more) need no introduction to the entire world.
Hiring developers from India is also cost-effective as the software development hourly rate is lower compared to Western nations. Added to this, the extensive talent pool with a proven merit to solve complex problems makes the country a massively preferred hub for global software development hiring and outsourcing solutions.
At Sciflare, we are at the forefront of that innovation with top-tier developers preferred by businesses like Dream 11, Boomer 11, and American Dream 11. Get in touch with us to access the required expertise for your project and bring your vision to life!
FAQs
1. What is the cost to hire dedicated developer in India?
The cost to hire a dedicated developer in India starts at $15 per hour for junior developers. The cost can range between $20-$40 per hour, depending on your tech stack requirement and experience level of the developer required.
2.Can I hire developers for startup from Sciflare?
Yes, you can hire developers for your startup from Sciflare. As an IT staff augmentation company offering custom hiring options, we offer startup-specific expertise tailored to your project and budget needs.
3. Can I get low cost mobile app development without compromising quality?
Yes, absolutely. Our dedicated developers are top-tier technical experts, trained on an ongoing basis. You can save on traditional hiring, training, and salary costs by onboarding them and develop cutting-edge, flawless apps leveraging their proven expertise and significantly save on development costs, avoid software development pitfalls that escalate costs without compromising on quality
