Hiring developers from other countries has become popular for companies looking to get quality work at lower costs. The practice of outsourcing, commonly known as offshore development, involves engaging remote professionals from global locations and offering competitive hourly rates. It is a widely adopted standard in business operations. European companies, in particular, are jumping on this trend of hiring offshore developers to stay ahead in the ever-changing tech game.
What is Offshore Development?
Offshore development refers to the practice of outsourcing work to remote individuals or teams located in different parts of the world to benefit from cost advantages and access specialised expertise. In simpler terms, offshore development companies offer services at rates generally cheaper than you’d pay in-house or locally but without compromising quality. It is an intelligent way of engaging diverse developers with skills and the flexibility to size up or down your team as needed.
Advantages of Going Offshore
Several perks to offshore development make it an attractive option:
Cost Savings
Lower hourly rates and operational costs mean you can stretch your budget further.
Access to Talent
It is possible to utilise the abilities of the world’s colossal workforce and attract those with rare tech talents that are difficult to find locally.
Scalability
Your team size can be easily adjusted based on project needs, ensuring you have an appropriate number of staff members.
Time Zone Advantage
You might have teams work in different time zones, but this also lets you maintain the complete life cycle 24/7, making the projects faster and easier to complete.
European Companies Are All In
- European companies are expanding offshore development at the highest rate ever. Industry reports, tech publications, and offshore companies point to this growing trend.
- Market research firms like Gartner and Forrester have highlighted the rise of global software outsourcing, especially among European enterprises.
- Technical magazines and websites are often packed with more stories of European companies having their hands in offshore development, among others.
- Offshore development companies are reporting significantly increasing numbers of European clients, which points out the tendency towards offshore development.
Why This Article?
This is the review article, where we will compare the top 6 European offshore development companies. The aim is to assemble a comprehensive report in which we will learn about each company’s excellent bits and not-so-great bits, the lines of their services, their pricing models, and how customers perceive them. By the end of it, you’ll understand the company, so you can hire a software developer who could perfectly satisfy your project requirements and budget.
In case any business is looking for web platforming, mobile app creation, or any other type of niche tech expertise, our comparison aims to be an essential resource for the different European businesses on the path of their staff augmentation services.
Smart Working
Smart Working is a leading EuropeanIT offshoring company that supplies businesses with remote developers of global standards at a much lower cost than hiring local developers. Julian Rowse, who founded this company in 2020, is a man who has spent over 20+ years working with international developers and seeks to forge relationships between the skilled workforce of rising economies and that of developed nations. On average, the company’s developers have over 6 years of experience working for large UK and US companies.
Smart Working tackles the three significant challenges of software hiring head-on: cost, quality, and retention. The flexible contracts, UK-experts, and excellent ratings make them one of the best IT offshoring companies in the market. For clients, this means testing the waters before committing, getting a new team member onboard within 7-14 days, and offshoring work at a fraction of the cost of an in-house hire. The recruiters are good at discovering the relevant skills and characteristics for a certain job, thus enabling companies to interview, test, and choose confidently.
Pros of Smart Working
- £20/hour for developers with 6+ years of experience.
- Convenient and hassle-free hiring process, usually within 7 days.
- The high retention rate of 96% for developers.
- Expert developers are available in Frontend, CMS, DevOps, Backend, Mobile App, e-commerce, Cloud, Database, AI, and Blockchain. Extensive proficiency in cutting-edge technologies ranging from .NET to Android, Java, React, Python, and beyond.
- UK-based support means long-term results and a highly effective flow of information.
- Transparent pricing covers all legal costs, National Insurance, and pension contributions.
Cons of Smart Working
- A need for more programmers, especially in specific programming languages.
- Don’t help with freelancer developers.
Pricing
- £20/hour all-inclusive fixed rate, no hidden costs or additional fees.
Smart Working has witnessed a rapid growth trajectory, driven by its ability to provide cost-effective staffing solutions to businesses while maintaining high levels of client trust. It offers lower pricing and a high retention rate. The speed and ease of the hiring process and the UK-based support contribute to a smoother experience for businesses looking at offshore full-time teams.
Proxify
Proxify, a London-based agency, is your gold mine for integrating top-level offshore developers quickly and without hassle. Founded by Viktor Jarnheimer in 2018, Proxify boasts a straightforward objective—to connect outstanding developers worldwide with cool projects and simultaneously assist businesses in accessing this game-changing talent without barriers to their success.
Pros
- Competitive pricing begins from €31.90 per developer hour.
- Instant onboarding process with the average duration of contract forming taking merely 2 days.
- Devs selected by a proactive team of 25+ matchers to find the best person for a role.
- A striking 94% success rate characterises it when it comes to the correct match findings.
- This competency-based approach covers approximately 500 skill sets, including backend (PHP, .NET, Python), frontend (React.js, Vue.js, Angular), and some additional technologies.
- Outstanding track record of working with more than 1000 satisfied and 2000 globally experienced candidates in the company’s network.
Cons
- It can be challenging to determine the availability of developers, as there needs to be more supply.
- Their hourly rates play a bit against them.
- Recruitment takes a long time because the most stringent vetting is involved, which may impede immediate hiring.
Pricing
- The rate for hourly services is from € 31.90 to € 49.90 for each dev.
Proxify, since 2018, has concentrated on A-grade talent, speedy remuneration, and remote technologists hiring, which has resulted in quality hiring, speed, and an impactful workforce. Proxify is a reliable option for one of you looking to assemble a competitive remote dev team.
BairesDev
BairesDev is a foremost offshore software development company in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Conceiving in 2009 as a mean to streamline the outstanding 1% of Latin American devs along with the most reputed world companies, they invented the present all-conquering Devs Club with 4,000 software engineers across Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and the US (their office in California since 2012). This was all by 2015 when they already had received over 100k applications and had a 300-strong team. Right now, BairesDev is officially recognised for featuring in the top companies in Silicon Valley in 2023, among many other awards they received for their recent AI achievements.
Pros
- 100+ tech stacks, such as Node.js, Java, React, .NET, Python, C, Rails, etc.
- Rich in talent with numerous software engineers, over 4,000 from over 40 countries.
- Production of full-stack development services – implementing custom software, mobile applications, AI/ML, etc.
- Stand-by QA and test services to ensure your tech is well-protected.
- Heavyweights like Forbes, CNBC, and Fast Company can make breakthroughs for small companies and startups.
Cons
- The high cost associated with them is one of the drawbacks compared to the competitors.
- Some projects may meet roadblocks along the way as a result of such wide publicity.
Pricing
- According to their Clutch profile, their hourly rates range from $50 to $99.
BairesDev is a top-rated offshore development firm boasting high-end quality, dependability, and customer satisfaction as its trademark. However, the fact that their services might be pricier than those of other competitors, it is worth mentioning that their extended expertise of over 100 technologies, adaptability within different service models, and solid track record make them an appealing option for companies looking to expedite their roadmaps with top-notch talent.
YouTeam
YouTeam is a company started by great entrepreneurs who had the same dream and knew the pains of engineering recruitment. After almost hitting the same roadblocks in their last organisation, where they poorly matched technology partners, they created a platform to ensure that companies can do safe hiring of offshore contracting without any hiccups. Nowadays, YouTeam offers the opportunity to an enormous pool of 50,000 middle and senior engineers who are all English speakers, accustomed to and experienced in remote work, and available for full-time and more extended periods.
Pros
- In 14 days, you can either deploy a comprehensive team.
- Access to a channel of 50,000+ middle- and senior-level engineers fluent in English.
- Clients can choose from a pre-screened pool of potential candidates within the first 48 hours.
- One-template contract across all products and a one-month trial for free—legal issues are gone.
Cons
- Clients need more control over the hiring process because the engineers are loaned from the partner agencies.
- The price might be higher than direct hiring, though the quality often proves worthwhile.
Pricing
- Transparent pricing model based on functions, technologies, and seniority.
- According to their Clutch profile, their hourly rates range from $50 to $99.
YouTeam is a go-to option for companies eager to attract the most qualified engineering professionals without involving themselves in the traditional recruitment process. The main benefits of YouTeam are a highly user-friendly hiring process, a pool of professionals pre-screened according to standards, straightforward application of criteria, standardised contracts, and excellent customer support.
Uplers
Uplers is a cool new tech platform that connects global companies with India’s top talent. Born during the crazy pandemic, Uplers had the exciting idea of creating opportunities by tapping into the power of AI, ML, and remote work.
Pros
- Get access to over 1 million deeply vetted Indian tech wizards on the platform.
- Rewarding career paths for India’s brightest tech pros.
- Already being used by hundreds of hot startups and big corporate names.
Cons
- Time zone gaps between Indian talent and clients can make real-time collaboration tricky.
- Cultural and language differences, even with an English-speaking crew.
Pricing
- Transparent pricing for full-time hires – take them on Uplers’ payroll or direct hire.
- Rates start at just $1,500 monthly for talents on Uplers’ books.
Uppers is levelling up businesses by connecting them to India’s tech talent through its innovative platform. Its mission is all about creating opportunities for clients and talent by riding the wave of emerging tech. Uppers connect you with a super-vetted talent pool, enabling flexibility, scalability, and rewarding careers.
Turing
Turing, a technological company providing AI-based tech services founded in 2018 by Jonathan Siddharth and Vijay Krishnan, is the world’s first AI-based tech services company. Their way of thinking derives from the hard work of finding quality international teams for their previous startup. To overcome the constraints of traditional processes, they have a special hiring method with rigorous profile preparation, a stringent vetting process, and a trustworthy administration platform to manage distributed teams of employees.
Pros
- Turing deploys cutting-edge AI and ML algorithms to provide clients with high-technical quality access to an extensive global professional network.
- As revealed by the 95% trial success rate and the 97% engagement success rate, Turing makes businesses’ teams smarter and more productive.
- Turing’s network comprises over 3 million tech professionals from 150 countries, providing a great choice of eligible specialists, technologies, and seniority levels.
Cons
- Due to Turing’s global workforce, clients may sometimes experience difficulties like time zone differences, which can slow down real-time collaboration and communication.
- Turing guarantees English-speaking professionals, but clients must understand the language and cultural divide that can be expressed during project interactions.
Pricing
- Turing offers a two-week free trial of its first on-demand developers so that clients can quickly test fit and capabilities before committing.
As Turing continues innovating and leading the way with the latest AI-driven talent solutions, businesses are set to face the future confidently. One of the pillars of this company’s history has been its commitment to efficiency and excellence, as related to connecting clients to first-rate technical professionals.
Comparative Analysis of Top European Offshore Development Companies
The following table gives a detailed positioning of each company presented in light of its services offered, affordability, the presence of the tech community around it, the pool of talent, hiring procedures, company experience, and so forth.
| Name | Smart Working | Proxify | BairesDev | YouTeam | Uplers | Turing |
| Website | https://smartworking.io | https://proxify.io | https://www.bairesdev.com | https://youteam.io | https://www.uplers.com/ | https://www.turing.com |
| Year Founded | 2020 | 2018 | 2009 | 2017 | 2010 | 2018 |
| Location | London, UK | London, UK | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Mountain View, California, US | San Diego, California, US | Brooklyn, New York, US |
| Pricing | £20 / hour | €31.90 – €49.90 / hour | $50 – $99 / hour | $50 – $99 / hour | $25 – $49 / hour | $50 – $99 / hour |
| Technology Stacks and Expertise | Frontend, CMS, DevOps, Backend, Mobile App, Ecommerce, Cloud, Database, AI, and Blockchain Developers. | Backend, frontend, additional technologies (500+ skillsets) | 100+ tech stacks like Node.js, Java, React, .NET, Python | Custom Software, Mobile Apps, Web Development | Pay Per Click, Email Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Web Design, Web Development | AI Consulting, Cloud Consulting & SI, Web Development, Custom Software Development |
| Pool of Developers/Talent | 1 million+ Talent Network | 2000+ globally experienced candidates | 4000+ software engineers from 40+ countries | 50,000+ middle and senior engineers | 1 million+ Talent Network | 3 million tech professionals from 150 countries |
| Retention Rates and Employee Turnover | 96% developer retention | 94% success rate in matching | – | – | 12% employee turnover (2023) | 95% trial success rate, 97% engagement success rate |
Smart Working: The Premier Choice
Smart Working catches European businesses’ eye when searching for suitable offshore development providers. Of course, all the organisations that we compared have their good points. Still, Smart Working stands out from the crowd by its unique mix of factors, such as competitive pricing, core knowledge of IT, and a smooth hiring experience. Smart Working also has a solid local presence in the UK.
This team has a wide range of skills in the latest and most advanced software platforms—.NET, Android, Java, React, and Python, to name just a few—thus, it can take on almost any task. It is UK-staffed, and effective communication and long-term teamwork are a given. But here’s what makes Smart Working the lead of the business: its stress-free hiring process, which gets new programmers onboarded and ready to roll in just a week. In addition to that efficiency, its astonishing developer retention rate is about 96%, which is a formula for assured smooth project execution and continuity.
