Top 5 Alternatives to Upwork for Hiring Remote Developers in 2024 

Upwork is a US-based, global online marketplace for freelancers in a wide variety of fields. Since it launched in 2013, the platform’s professional base has reportedly grown by 22.4% annually, reaching 18 million freelancers as of 2024. On the client side, over 827,000 active users post jobs on Upwork, including from many Fortune 100 companies. 

If you’re in the market to hire remote developers, Upwork is a commonly recommended place to get them. However, some things underneath the platform’s popularity and sunny growth statistics call for consideration and, look at Upwork alternatives.

What Are Upwork’s Features? 

Upwork is a talent marketplace where you can post jobs and find competent professionals to handle them. The platform is not popular for nothing, as it has several strengths:

• Flexible hiring: Upwork clients meet the freelancers they need mainly by posting jobs on the app and waiting for candidates to submit proposals. However, if you’d rather not go that route, perhaps because you have spotted specific individuals who meet your requirements, the platform also allows you to invite and interview freelancers directly. 

Upwork is also quite flexible regarding hiring options; its freelancers are available for short-term, long-term, full-time, and part-time work arrangements. 

• Effective freelancer profiling: Upwork makes it easier for you to pre-assess freelancers through detailed user profiles and badges. An Upwork freelancer’s profile will show their background, work experience, ongoing jobs, client feedback, and rating. The badge system adds to this by indicating the credibility and skill levels of various freelancers with designations like ‘Rising talent,’ ‘Expert vetted,’ and ‘Top rated.’ 

Thanks to this combined system, you can significantly reduce screening times.

• Cost-effectiveness: Upwork is a very affordable solution for budget-constrained hiring. The minimum rate on the platform is $10 per hour or task, and most of the freelancers try to be competitive by setting their rates relatively close to this lower bound. However, this does not mean all freelancers on Upwork are that affordable; rates can be as high as $150 per hour or task, especially for ‘Top-rated’ talents. 
• Freelancer Testing: After setting up their Upwork profiles, freelancers must complete an in-house test tailored to their niche before being allowed to use the platform. This test loosely ascertains the freelancer’s current proficiency level in their trade and informs some of their profile details. 

Why Should You Consider Upwork Competitors for Developers?

Word in the Upwork ecosystem is that entropy has begun to set in. The service providers reportedly operate less and less in good faith, client engagement with proposals keeps falling, job payment is at an all-time low, and the platform itself is hemorrhaging money, which can incentivize shady practices. 

Meanwhile, Upwork has been downsizing, notably laying off 15% of its workforce in May 2023. This layoff has undermined Upwork’s customer support system, which has now shifted towards AI, much to the chagrin of the platform’s freelancers. 

But if you’re looking specifically to hire remote software developers and engineers, there are several factors you should consider:

No in-market expertise

Upwork’s global reach is significant, but given their model, they don’t offer in-country help as you’re looking to hire developers for your project. They don’t offer experts to help better understand the talent bar, expertise, and capabilities of the candidates in each country or region.

Lower quality staffing

The software engineers on Upwork are mostly junior to mid-level ones looking for short-term gigs, thanks largely to the platform’s operating model. Senior to elite level developers generally favor more stable, longer-term, and more challenging work – the kind that befits an elite professional’s resume. Thus, you are more likely to find such developers on a platform that specializes in product team building and long-term hiring, which Upwork isn’t.  

Jack of too many trades

Since specialization often means better quality of service, the best developer hiring platforms are tech-focused. Sadly, Upwork is not one of those platforms, as its focus spreads across specialties from content writing and voice-over artistry to graphics design and software programming.

No pre-vetting

Upwork’s in-house test constitutes the barest minimum of talent verification and is easy to cheat. Since the platform has no real vetting procedures, it relies entirely on user reviews to assess its freelancers.  

Drawn-out hiring process

To hire remote developers on Upwork, you must post a job, wait for proposals to pile up, and then assess as many as possible to determine the best candidate. In the past, you’d have had several good proposals within the day and hired your freelancer shortly after. However, given the exodus of skilled developers from the site, you may have to wait for days or weeks before seeing some parsable proposals. 

No perks, no help

Given the way Upwork’s DIY marketplace model works, you don’t get any assistance with sourcing or onboarding your new developers.

Upwork Alternatives to Hire Remote Developers

Given all the salient features that Upwork lacks, it falls short of the benchmark for an ideal remote hiring solution. So, if not Upwork, then what platform beats the benchmarks? Let’s discuss the best alternatives and see.

1. Terminal.io

Terminal is a top-ranking remote developer talent network that enables businesses to find and connect with highly skilled software developers and engineers. Despite being three years younger than Upwork, Terminal has a far more impressive reliability and service quality track record. 

Terminal uses AI technology just like Upwork does, but the difference between the two platforms is in the reason and scope of AI use. Upwork uses the technology primarily due to financial constraints; indeed, the company’s increase in AI reliance followed the 2023 layoffs. And since the layoff roster mainly included support staff, Upwork’s AI capabilities are largely for customer support. 

By contrast, Terminal uses AI not to replace its staff but to augment staff efficiency. Thus, every aspect of the platform’s service, from talent screening and hiring to in-house customer support, combines this technology with the ingenuity of the staff to provide impeccable service. But there’s more:

• Focus on tech: Unlike Upwork, Terminal does not have the problem of spreading its focus too thin. Terminal focuses entirely on offering the best remote hiring service for engineering and talent leaders needing tech talent. Available roles include data science, full-stack development, manual QA testing, QA automation, and DevOps engineering.
• Regional focus: Instead of hiring from just anywhere on the globe, Terminal focuses on the best talents from the fast-emerging hotspots in Canada, Latin America, and Europe. Thus, hiring on this platform affords you tech expertise and cultural diversity in one package.
• Pre-screened, ready-to-go talent: Terminal always has a pool of diverse, vetted software engineers ready to go. Once you place your request, the algorithm scans the pool and finds you up to 5 qualified developers that you can interview for core developer skills right away.
• Cost Savings: The diversity factor aside, Terminal’s focus on the Canadian, Latin American, and European talent nexuses makes hiring more affordable if you’re in the US. This affordability is because of the timezone alignment across these areas, which makes it easier to coordinate workflows remotely and slashes operating costs by up to 40%. 
• Holistic platform: Upwork is a marketplace where you deal directly with the freelancers and handle everything yourself. Terminal takes a more integrated approach, offering close assistance with every step of the hiring process, from sourcing to onboarding. Thus, you can enjoy hassle-free hiring and still rest assured that your new hire will be just who the doctor ordered. 

Furthermore, the company’s proactive involvement in the hiring process allows it to offer a service Upwork doesn’t: assembling developer teams for clients. Indeed, Terminal has successfully built over 125 elite developer teams for major tech companies in the US. 

• Perks available: Much unlike Upwork, Terminal has perks to incentivize hirers. First, if the candidate you hire from the platform fails to meet your requirements – an all-but-impossible scenario – you can invoke the 3-month free replacement offer that’s available and change your hires. Additionally, the first 14 days of a contract engagement with a Terminal developer is a risk-free trial period. 

From these features, it is clear that Terminal has a leg up on Upwork for developer hiring.

2. ZipRecruiter

ZipRecruiter is another US-based remote talent recruiting agency. Its headquarters are in Santa Monica, and it has a local branch office in Arizona and foreign offices in the UK and Israel. 

The platform functions almost similarly to Upwork, requiring developer talent seekers to post jobs. However, unlike Upwork, ZipRecruiter does not have an in-house pool of developers you can hire. Instead, it runs your job through some of the most visited job boards and social networks online to find the best developers for you.

Why ZipRecruiter? 

The following selling points make ZipRecruiter a preferable alternative to Upwork for hiring developers: 

• AI-powered matching: ZipRecruiter uses an AI matching algorithm that scans millions of resumés on job boards and social platforms. The algorithm identifies the best of these resumés and alerts the candidates to apply for the open role. Thus, the candidates you get on ZipRecruiter are more thoroughly pre-screened than on Upwork.
• Vast Network: ZipRecruiter’s operational model affords it a vast recruitment network with a near-inexhaustible supply of remote developers for hire. This expansive network also makes hiring more flexible since ZipRecruiter can easily find workers for contracts of any duration.
• Jack of all trades, but mostly of tech: ZipRecruiter has had its finger on the pulse of the hiring industry and understands that tech professionals are among the highest in demand lately. So, although the platform recruits remote workers across many career sectors, it has many more resources dedicated to hiring digital tech developers than Upwork – or any other non-tech-specialized platforms, for that matter.
• Client incentives: Clients of the platform enjoy up to four days of free trial.

ZipRecruiter Deficiencies

ZipRecruiter is not without its failings, even though the selling points we’ve discussed make it a great alternative to Upwork. 

• Opaque and less affordable pricing: ZipRecruiter users frequently complain about the recruiting network’s relatively intransparent pricing system. To make matters worse, clients often find the prices unfavorable. That is hardly surprising since the platform’s global reach often results in hiring very remote developers with no timezone-based cost benefits for the hirers. 
• Less help with hiring: ZipRecruiter’s algorithmic candidate selection is as much help as you’ll get from the platform regarding developer screening. Once the candidates contact you, you screen and onboard them yourself.
• Less specialization: Despite having more tech focus than Upwork, ZipRecruiter still lags behind dedicated tech talent hiring platforms like Terminal.

3. Index.dev

Index is a global remote talent network that combines operational features of job-posting boards like Upwork and holistic ecosystems like Terminal. Supported by AI tech, Index’s scouts recruit the best developers from tech talent hubs in Latin America, Asia, Central Eastern Europe, and the Balkans. Meanwhile, you can post your tasks and requirements on the Index job board and wait for the algorithm to present the best candidate from the in-house talent pool.

However, like regular job board sites, Index also allows its in-house developers to engage directly with your job postings. This alternative to algorithmic matching affords you more control over talent screening.

Why Index.dev?

Most of Index’s advantages lie in the features it shares with platforms like Terminal. Still, Index is not without its unique selling points. 

• Tech specialization: As a tech-focused remote developer sourcing company, Index can focus on hiring tech talents. Thus, the platform produces results superior to that of the more generalized hubs like Upwork.
• Holistic service: Index’s service covers every stage of the hiring process, from talent sourcing to onboarding, payroll, and compliance. This involvement puts the company leagues above Upwork, especially regarding the degree of convenience afforded to clients. 
• Charge-free hiring: Hiring on Index involves zero upfront costs, hiring charges, and platform fees. The only costs to you are the rates you pay your new hire(s). 
• Free trial: Index offers a 30-day free trial with a full refund if you are dissatisfied with your new developer within that period. 

Index.dev’s Deficiencies

Index has the following points of failure:

• Inflexible hiring: Index does not allow you to hire freelancers or short-term contractors. The platform is mainly focused on long-term and permanent hires.
• Smaller talent base: Due to its stringent vetting and culture-fit standards, Index has a small talent pool. Thus, you’re less likely to find a candidate to meet personalized requirements on the platform.
• High developer rates: Index’s tough requirements mean it only recruits the most elite developers. That is nominally a good thing, but it really means higher developer rates since elite professionals tend to charge higher. 

Additionally, the charge-free hiring rings hollow upon closer inspection. The fees that Index doesn’t charge you will certainly be offset by taking bigger cuts from the contractors’ pay. Consequently, charging you more is the only recourse for these contractors. 

4. BairesDev

BairesDev is a tech solutions platform that provides nearshore and offshore talent-hiring services. With offices across Latin America, the company aims to connect the best software and web developers from this region with tech companies in Canada, the US, and Western Europe.

In addition to providing tech talent for hire, the company also directly offers a spectrum of tech-related services that you can engage for a fee. These services include tech business roadmap design and corporate restructuring. 

Why BairesDev?

BairesDev trumps Upwork in tech talent hiring for the following reasons:

• Timezone-related cost reduction: BairesDev doesn’t say by how much, but its focus on connecting North America and Western Europe to Latin America helps reduce both hiring and operational costs significantly. 
• Team-building focus: BairesDev specializes mainly in curating entire tech development teams, filling roles ranging from project managers and database administrators to QA engineers. Additionally, BairseDev can augment or ‘extend’ your in-house team by supplying extra professionals under its own employ. 
• Rigorous candidate pre-screening: BairesDev’s high pre-screening standards mean you don’t have to worry about the proficiency levels of your potential hires. Mostly, you just have to confirm or disconfirm that the candidates offered match your expertise requirements exactly. 
• Work outsourcing: BairesDev says no worries if you can’t afford to hire a team; you can take the more affordable option and outsource the tasks at hand to the company’s own in-house specialists for a fee.

BairesDev’s Deficiencies

BairesDev clearly has some juicy advantages, but it is not a complete hiring solution, nor is it likely the best fit for your hiring requirements. Here’s why:

• Hiring inflexibility: BairesDev’s team focus becomes one of its weaknesses when dealing with companies requiring individual staff. 
• Your staff, your burden: Once you’ve struck a deal and have received your new developers, everything from that point, including onboarding, compliance, and payment management, is on you. 
• No freebies: BairesDev does not offer free trial periods or other perks.
• TEKsystems

TEKsystems is a US-based global IT solutions provider specializing in full-stack development, tech talent hiring, and unrelated fields like transportation and healthcare. This company boasts over 35 years of reliable service across many sectors.

Why TEKsystems?

TEKsystems trounces Upwork in the following regards. 

• Holistic hiring service: TEKsystems is invested in all stages of hiring remote developers. After supplying the professional talent you need, TEKsystems guides and aids you through management, training, and talent upscaling. This assistance also includes periodic check-ins and project transitioning. 
• Quick hiring: The average hiring time on TEKsystems is 18 days – faster than Upwork nowadays. 

TEKsystem’s Deficiencies

Here are some reasons TEKsystems might not be great for you. 

• Intransparent pricing: TEKsystems does not reveal much information about pricing on its website. 
• No free trials: TEKsystems does not offer trial periods or money-back guarantees, despite its involvement in assuring the right talent fit.
• Inflexibility in hiring: The platform offers no project-based hiring; it focuses entirely on part-time and full-time arrangements. 
• Non-specialization: TEKsystems is not tech-focused. 

Which Upwork Competitor is the Best in 2024

Comparing remote developer networks can sometimes be like comparing apples and mangoes, especially since differences in platform features are often there for a good reason. However, requirement considerations remain paramount on the client side. So, which of the platforms we have discussed is most likely to meet your needs?

The wreath goes to Terminal and its flexible, cost-efficient, transparent, and AI-augmented hiring service. The platform offers the best features of all the other platforms with none of their shortfalls. But talk is cheap, so no more of it. A test drive of Terminal today will demonstrate the superiority of Terminal.io over all its competitors, especially Upwork.