Hire the Best Software Developers

More than 3,000 reviews on G2
Rating is 4.5 out of 5.
4.5/5
of Upwork by G2 peer reviewers
Erin W.

Saint Paul, Minnesota

$88/hr
5.0
13 jobs

Before learning software development, I was a marketing and operations executive at a few startups I founded. When my third project was acquired (we developed a video baby monitor with breath detection which was acquired for $25 million) I had the good fortune to go into semi-retirement. That's when I decided to tackle the #1 problem that plagued me through all my projects--unreliable communication and delivery from my technical cofounders, employees and contractors. It was time to become my own technical co-founder, so I spent a few years learning and build now on a stack of React Native for the front end and Xano (a world-class fully managed service) for the back end. Basically, I became the technical resource I needed all those years. Now, instead of busting my chops 70-hours a week with all my assets on the line, I work a comfortable 40-hour work week supporting other entrepreneurs. In addition to guiding clients on how to most efficiently invest in their tech products, I also offer unlimited marketing and operations consulting at no additional cost because the more successful my clients are, the more successful I am. I'm also considering launching a mastermind group for my clients who are early-stage startup founders so they have peer support on any aspect of launching their project. (Hit me up if that sounds helpful for you.) While doing work for a limited number of clients, I also have working on my own projects a small team of developers I hand-picked from a university in Ecuador where I spend part of the year. That's good news for my clients because I can scale up and scale back technical development on demand and have access to some pretty advanced expertise in security, data science, etc.

  • Software Development
  • Software Design
  • User Acceptance Testing
  • User Experience Strategy
  • User Interface Design
  • App Development
  • Web Application
  • Web UI
  • Design & Usability Research
  • Tech & IT
  • No-Code Development
  • Front-End Development
  • Back-End Development
  • Native App Development
Orest A.

Overland Park, Kansas

$49/hr
4.9
673 jobs

You need software that solves a real problem, built right the first time, by people who understand your business and not just your stack. I'm Orest, founder of SoftDoes. We're a U.S.-based custom software firm working with: โ€ข Non-technical founders with a vision โ€ข Technical leaders who need help but not additional headcount โ€ข Business operators solving operational complexity Our team has delivered across healthcare, fintech, construction, legal, real estate, and regulated industries where compliance-readiness is required and getting it wrong isn't an option. Our clients tend to show up in one of three situations: they have a product vision and need someone to build it, they have internal engineering that's stretched too thin, or they have operational complexity that off-the-shelf software simply can't fix. We've handled all three. What we deliver: โ€ข Custom software and SaaS platforms built for scale โ€ข AI implementation and automation built into real workflows โ€ข Web and mobile applications โ€ข Cloud infrastructure on AWS, GCP, and Azure โ€ข Full-stack development across React, Next.js, Node.js, and Python What clients tell us, consistently: we listened, we delivered what we said we would, and they didn't have to babysit us to get there. A healthcare founder went from concept to a live, compliant product in under six weeks. A construction company replaced five fragmented tools with one custom operations platform. A fintech team cut onboarding time in half with an AI-assisted workflow we built in a single sprint. We work best with companies that are big enough to need real software and clear-eyed enough to know that building it wrong the first time costs more than doing it right. If that's where you are, let's talk. ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ U.S.-based. U.S.-led. Kansas City, MO. Services: Custom software development SaaS development Enterprise software Web application development Mobile app development Full-stack development Product development / MVP build Platform modernization / rebuild Systems integration Workflow automation Business process automation API development / API integration Backend development Frontend development AI development AI integration AI automation LLM integration RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) AI chatbot development Document AI AI-powered workflows Prompt engineering AI agents Data extraction automation React Next.js Node.js Python TypeScript JavaScript REST APIs GraphQL PostgreSQL AWS Google Cloud (GCP) Microsoft Azure Vercel Docker Terraform CI/CD Cloud / DevOps keywords Cloud architecture Infrastructure as code DevOps Deployment automation Scalability / performance optimization Reliability engineering Monitoring / observability HIPAA compliance / healthcare software PCI / fintech software SOC 2 readiness (if applicable) Security best practices Compliance-ready systems Audit-friendly systems Role-based access control (RBAC) Operations platform Internal tools CRM/ERP custom build Data pipelines Dashboards & reporting Process digitization Tool consolidation Onboarding automation

  • Software Development
  • Desktop Application
  • Web Design
  • Web Development
  • Front-End Development
  • Back-End Development
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Computer Vision
  • Machine Learning Model
  • Node.js
  • Amazon Web Services
  • Python
  • DevOps
  • CSS
  • HTML
  • JavaScript
  • React
  • API Integration
  • Full-Stack Development
  • API
Surani S.

Ahmedabad, India

$25/hr
4.4
183 jobs

I help startups and operations teams turn messy processes, spreadsheets, and disconnected systems into clean internal and external tools inside Retool. If your team is: โ€ข manually updating spreadsheets โ€ข switching between 5+ tools โ€ข struggling with slow dashboards โ€ข or spending hours on repetitive operational work I built a Retool app that replaces it. Iโ€™m a Certified Retool Expert with 7+ years of experience building production-grade internal & external tools, admin panels, and data dashboards used daily by real teams, not prototypes. What I commonly build: โœ” Operations dashboards โœ” CRM & admin panels โœ” Approval workflows โœ” Billing & reporting systems โœ” Inventory and order management tools โœ” Data visualization & analytics dashboards โœ” Automation panels (email, notifications, background jobs) What you get (this is why clients hire me): โœ” Faster operations (teams usually save 10โ€“30 hrs/week) โœ” One system instead of many tools โœ” Reliable dashboards executives actually trust โœ” Secure user roles & permissions โœ” Clean UI your team can actually use My Retool Expertise: โœ” Multi-page Retool apps & Modules โœ” Complex queries & transformers โœ” Query performance optimization โœ” User permissions & authentication โœ” Staging โ†’ Production deployment โœ” Version control & maintainable architecture โœ” Data & Automation โœ” Retool app embedding into external portal Data, Backend & Automation I donโ€™t only build the interface, I design the data flow behind it. โœ”SQL (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQL Server) โœ”BigQuery & analytics pipelines โœ”ETL & data processing โœ”REST & GraphQL APIs โœ”Scheduled workflows & background jobs โœ”Integrations & APIs I Frequently Connect with Retool Databases & Warehouses PostgreSQL โ€ข MySQL โ€ข MariaDB โ€ข MongoDB โ€ข SQL Server โ€ข Supabase โ€ข Firebase โ€ข BigQuery โ€ข Snowflake โ€ข Redshift โ€ข ClickHouse โ€ข OpenSearch / Elasticsearch โ€ข Athena โ€ข DynamoDB Spreadsheets & Data Sources Google Sheets โ€ข Excel (OneDrive) โ€ข Airtable โ€ข CSV ingestion โ€ข Webhooks โ€ข SFTP feeds Payments & Finance Stripe โ€ข PayPal โ€ข Razorpay โ€ข QuickBooks โ€ข Xero โ€ข Chargebee โ€ข Paddle โ€ข Zoho Books CRM & Sales HubSpot โ€ข Salesforce โ€ข GoHighLevel โ€ข Pipedrive โ€ข Zoho CRM โ€ข Close CRM โ€ข Copper CRM Communication & Notifications Slack โ€ข Twilio (SMS/WhatsApp) โ€ข SendGrid โ€ข Gmail โ€ข Outlook โ€ข Discord โ€ข Telegram Bots Cloud & Storage AWS S3 โ€ข CloudFront โ€ข Google Cloud Storage โ€ข Firebase Storage โ€ข DigitalOcean Spaces Automation Platforms n8n โ€ข Make โ€ข Zapier โ€ข Webhooks โ€ข Scheduled workflows AI & External APIs OpenAI โ€ข REST APIs โ€ข GraphQL APIs โ€ข OAuth2 authentication E-commerce & Operations Shopify โ€ข WooCommerce โ€ข ShipStation โ€ข EasyPost Analytics & Tracking Google Analytics โ€ข Mixpanel โ€ข PostHog โ€ข Amplitude โ€ข Metabase Tech Stack JavaScript โ€ข React โ€ข Node.js โ€ข Python โ€ข AWS Why Clients Work With Me I donโ€™t just execute tasks. I analyze your operations and suggest better workflows before building โ€” many clients end up automating far more than they initially planned. Clear communication, independent work style, and long-term maintainable solutions are my priorities. If youโ€™re looking for a Retool specialist who understands both business operations and technical architecture, send me a message and tell me what process you want to improve. Iโ€™ll recommend the best approach, even before you hire me.

  • Firebase
  • JavaScript
  • MongoDB
  • MySQL
  • API Integration
  • SaaS
  • Web Application
  • Data Visualization
  • Data Analytics & Visualization Software
  • No-Code Development
  • Low-Code Development
  • Low Code & RAD Software
  • Dashboard
  • n8n
  • ETL
Sebastian B.

Iasi, Romania

$45/hr
5.0
9 jobs

AI expert. PhD student in AI/ML. Anthropic certified. I build Claude native: agents, RAG, and automations that ship. 5 years in one domain. 30+ businesses delivered, I also create content on YouTube, Medium and X, because if you do not teach it, you do not really know it. Most "AI engineers" are 6 months in and Googling on your budget. I read the papers the week they drop and ship the patterns the month after. That is what you are paying for. What I build: - RAG chatbots and agents over your docs, PDFs, Notion, knowledge base - LLM fine-tuning on your domain data - Workflow automations replacing 40 to 80 percent of manual ops - Solution architecture before you commit to the wrong stack - Recovery work on stalled AI projects Stack: Claude, LangChain, Azure AI, Hugging Face, Pinecone, Weaviate, Neo4j Graph RAG, Python, Next.js. Response under 4 hours. Weekly Loom demos. Fixed scope after a free 20 minute call. 100 percent Job Success, Top Rated. Send the project. Same day reply with a plan, a question, or an honest pass.

  • Desktop Application
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Mobile App
  • App Development
  • Machine Learning
  • AI Agent Development
  • AI Audio Generation
  • AI App Development
  • AI Audio Generator
  • AI Bot
  • AI Chatbot
  • Python
  • LangChain
  • LLM Prompt Engineering
  • MLOps
Juan Diego H.

Bogota, Colombia

$35/hr
4.9
34 jobs

LATAM Recruiting | AI & Tech Talent | U.S. Startups | SaaS | LinkedIn Recruiting / SDR and sales representatives hires / Virtual assistants Helping U.S. startups and high-growth companies scale smarter and faster by hiring world-class nearshore talent across LATAM from AI/ML Engineers, Software Developers, DevOps, and Data Engineers to product, sales, and operations professionals. Proven experience in LATAM tech recruitment and remote hiring, with successful placements across the U.S., Canada, Spain, France, and Latin America (Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia, and more). Iโ€™m Juan Diego Hernรกndez, bilingual technical recruiter and founder of Sรฉligo Tech, with 9+ years of experience hiring across the U.S., LATAM, and Europe. I'm also part of AI Artisans, a company focused on placing AI talent for growing companies. ๐Ÿ”น Why Work With Me AI-Focused Recruiting Expertise Iโ€™ve recruited for roles across the AI talent spectrum, including: โ€ข AI/ML Engineer, Machine Learning Researcher, Generative AI Engineer, AI Automation Engineer, Prompt Engineer, NLP Engineer, AI Architect, MLOps, AI Product Manager, Applied Scientist, AI Infrastructure/Platform Engineer, Chief AI Officer (CAIO) and more. I understand the AI stack and tools I recruit for: โ€ข LLMs & AI platforms: OpenAI (GPT), Anthropic Claude, Gemini, Groq, LangChain, RAG architectures โ€ข AI Ops & deployment: Docker, AWS, GCP, CI/CD, vector databases, Supabase, PostgreSQL โ€ข AI automation tools & no-code: Zapier, Make, n8n, API integrations โ€ข AI use cases: automation agents, conversational AI, AI-driven SDRs, AI data pipelines, embeddings, fine-tuning, hiring automation ๐Ÿ”น What You Get โœ… AI role clarity that drives business results โ€“ I help define AI roles around outcomes: automation, product enhancement, data intelligenceโ€”not just job titles. โœ… Candidate pipelines that convert โ€“ leveraged through my 50,000+ LinkedIn audience and 300+ recruiter network across LATAM specialized in tech and AI. โœ… AI-enhanced recruiting workflows โ€“ sourcing automation, AI-powered outreach, structured scorecards, technical screening frameworks, and interview systems for AI, engineering, and data roles. โœ… Faster hiring, lower risk โ€“ I've helped startups reduce time-to-hire by 40%+, improve retention, and secure senior AI/tech talent with niche stacks (.Net, Python, AWS, React, Node, TensorFlow, PyTorch, LangChain). โœ… Operational visibility & control โ€“ ATS setup (Greenhouse, SmartRecruiters, Oracle Cloud, Workable, BambooHR, Teamtailor) + weekly reports, dashboards, and employer branding support. ๐Ÿ”น Industries & Regions Served Industries: AI startups, SaaS, fintech, healthcare tech, data platforms, consulting firms, Web3, and real estate tech. Countries Iโ€™ve placed talent in: U.S., Canada, Spain, France, Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia, and more. ๐Ÿ”น Roles Iโ€™ve Successfully Filled AI & Data: AI Engineer, Generative AI Engineer, AI Automation Engineer, NLP Engineer, Machine Learning Engineer, AI Architect, AI Product Manager, MLOps, Data Scientist (AI/ML focus), AI Research Engineer, AI Content Strategist. Software & Infrastructure: Tech Leads, Full-Stack Developers, Backend/Frontend, DevOps, Cloud, SRE, Cybersecurity, Flutter, Mobile, Blockchain. Business & Operations: Product Manager, SDR, Digital Marketer, Virtual Assistant, Executive Assistant, Sales Ops, Customer Success, Finance Analyst. ๐Ÿ“ˆ Impact Delivered โ€ข Built AI and engineering teams in LATAM that saved U.S. startups 50โ€“70% in hiring costs without sacrificing quality. โ€ข Designed scalable hiring pipelines using AI tools, automation, and structured interviewingโ€”cutting time-to-hire by 40%+. โ€ข Advised startups on how to structure AI teams, employer branding, sourcing strategies, and remote-first operations. Beyond engineering, my LATAM recruiting network covers the full talent spectrum U.S. companies need to scale remotely :๐ŸŽฏ Sales & Revenue Roles, SDRs, Account Executives, BDRs, Sales Ops, Customer Success Managers, and Growth Marketers sourced and screened for U.S.-facing, remote-first environments ๐ŸŽฏ Operational & Admin Roles , Bilingual Virtual Assistants, Executive Assistants, Operations Coordinators, and Customer Support specialists vetted for English proficiency, time-zone alignment, and tools like Notion, HubSpot, Slack, and AsanaOne recruiter, one network, every hire. ๐Ÿ‘‰ If you're a founder or hiring leader building AI or engineering teams, I can step in as your fractional AI & Talent Partner bringing you senior talent, a scalable system, and more time to grow your business.

  • Zoho Recruit
  • IT Recruiting
  • eRecruit
  • HR & Recruiting Software
  • SmartRecruiters
  • Recruiting
  • LinkedIn Recruiting
  • IT Sourcing
  • Sourcing
  • Lever
  • Breezy HR
  • Workable
  • Recruiterbox
  • Recruiting Process Consulting
  • Internet Recruiting
Rami S.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

$10/hr
4.8
52 jobs

Are you looking to build a high-performance SaaS platform, automate a complex supply chain, or integrate secure, production-ready AI into your business workflow? Many developers can write code, but very few understand how to seamlessly blend cutting-edge AI/ML systems with scalable, enterprise-grade architecture while ensuring strict data security (HIPAA, PCI-DSS). I am a Full-Stack Developer and AI/ML Engineer with extensive experience architecting end-to-end solutions for SaaS, Supply Chain, Healthcare (HIS/HMS), and custom ERP systems. Whether you need to build an MVP from scratch or scale an existing enterprise platform, I deliver clean, maintainable code and robust infrastructure. ๐Ÿš€ Core Expertise & How I Can Help You: AI/ML & GenAI Integration: Building intelligent RAG systems, custom chatbots, and LLM-powered workflows using OpenAI, Anthropic, LangChain, and Vector Databases (Pinecone, Qdrant). Robust Backend & Architecture: Designing secure, high-throughput microservices and APIs using Node.js (NestJS), Python (FastAPI/Django), and PHP, backed by PostgreSQL, MongoDB, or Redis. Modern, Responsive Frontends: Crafting seamless web and mobile interfaces using React, Next.js, Angular, Vue.js, and React Native. Cloud, DevOps & Compliance: Deploying production-ready applications on AWS/GCP/Docker with CI/CD pipelines, keeping security and regulatory standards (HIPAA, GDPR) at the forefront. ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Technical Snapshot: Frontend: React, Next.js, Angular, Vue.js, React Native, Tailwind CSS Backend: Node.js (NestJS/Express), Python (FastAPI/Django), PHP, Java AI/ML: LLMs, LangChain, Vector DBs, Prompt Engineering, RAG Systems Cloud & Databases: AWS, GCP, Docker, Kubernetes, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis Letโ€™s build something scalable. Click the "Invite to Job" or "Hire" button on the top right, and letโ€™s discuss how we can bring your project to life.

  • React
  • Node.js
  • NestJS
  • Python
  • FastAPI
  • Angular
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Generative AI
  • LangChain
  • Large Language Model
  • Vector Database
  • PostgreSQL
  • Amazon Web Services
  • Docker
  • REST API
  • SaaS Development
  • ERP Software
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Healthcare IT
  • HIPAA

How it works

Post a job for free Post a job

Tell us what you need. Create your own job post or generate one with AI then filter talent matches.

Hire top talent fast

Consult, interview, and hire quickly, so you can meet the freelancers you're excited about.

Collaborate easily

Use Upwork to chat or video call, share files, and track project progress right from the app.

Payment simplified

Manage payments in one place with flexible billing options. Only pay for approved work, hourly or by milestone.

Don't just take our word for it

Software developer hiring guide

Software developers are the architects behind the applications and systems that drive modern business operations. From building customer-facing mobile apps to designing complex internal databases, these professionals translate functional requirements into reliable, efficient code. Hiring a skilled developer allows companies to accelerate digital transformation, automate workflows, and create custom solutions tailored to specific business goals.

What does a software developer do?

Software developers design, build, test, and maintain the software systems that power everything from mobile apps to enterprise platforms. Day to day, they write and refine code, troubleshoot bugs, and roll out new features while ensuring that the software is reliable, secure, and efficient.

They often work with programming languages like Python, JavaScript, Java, or C#, depending on the project and platform. Developers might build user-facing tools, back-end systems, or full-stack solutions that integrate both. Beyond coding, they collaborate closely with designers and other stakeholders to align software functionality with business goals.

The most important skills for a software developer include fluency in at least one or two core programming languages and familiarity with frameworks that support rapid development, such as React, Django, or Spring. Understanding how to work with databases โ€” whether SQL or NoSQL โ€” is another key skill. Developers must also be able to debug code effectively, optimize performance, and stay up to date with evolving technologies.

Soft skills play a big role in long-term success, too, and strong communication is essential. Many developers also maintain portfolios or GitHub repositories to showcase their projects, and certifications in areas like cloud computing or data structures can act as added proof of their expertise.

How to hire a freelance software developer on Upwork

Finding the right software developer requires a structured approach to connect with talent that matches your technical needs and project goals. Follow these steps to navigate the hiring journey on Upwork efficiently.

Step 1: Craft a targeted job post

The quality of your job post directly influences the caliber of developers who apply. A detailed listing helps you stand out to top talent and reduces time spent reviewing unqualified candidates.

  • Clearly outline your project goals, preferred tech stack, and expected deliverables; our software developer job description template can help you define the role clearly

  • Specify the type of application youโ€™re building and the specific problem it solves

  • List must-have programming languages and frameworks, distinguishing them from nice-to-have skills

  • Define the project timeline, including key milestones and your preferred start date

If you'd like help turning your requirements into a clear posting, Upwork's Job Post Generator is powered by Uma, Upwork's Mindful AIโ„ข. Describe what you need, and Uma will draft a tailored job post.

Step 2: Filter and evaluate candidates

A systematic approach to reviewing applicants ensures you identify developers whose skills align with your project requirements.

  • Use Upwork's filters to narrow your search by expertise level, hourly rate, location, and past client ratings

  • Look for developers with verified work history in projects similar to yours, paying attention to client feedback on code quality

  • Check portfolios for live links or GitHub repositories that demonstrate clean, documented code

  • Prioritize candidates who have earned talent badges, indicating strong client satisfaction

Step 3: Interview your top choices

Interviews allow you to assess technical competence and communication style. For developers working on full-stack solutions, specific interview questions can help evaluate their expertise.

Step 4: Agree on scope and begin work

Establishing well-defined terms before development begins protects both parties and sets the foundation for successful collaboration.

  • Choose between fixed-price contracts for defined projects or hourly arrangements for ongoing work; Upwork's contracts and Hourly Payment Protection ensure you only pay for work that meets your standards

  • Set clear milestones for larger projects with specific deliverables for each payment release

  • Agree on a code review process and acceptance criteria before work begins

  • Establish a schedule for regular updates to track progress and address blockers quickly

How much does hiring a software developer cost?

On Upwork, software developer freelancers generally charge between $20 and $100 per hour. Entry-level developers often fall into the $20-$40 per hour range, while highly experienced developers with specialized knowledge can command $100 per hour or more.

The type of project also plays a major role in pricing. A straightforward job like fixing bugs might be completed quickly at a lower cost, whereas building a custom enterprise-grade platform typically requires more time and expertise. Below are typical costs for hiring a software developer on Upwork:

Basic development tasks

$500-$2,000 /project

Entry-level to mid-level
  • Bug fixes and code updates
  • Third-party API integration
  • Simple scripts

Standard application development

$5,000-$25,000 /project

Mid-level to senior-level
  • Custom web application
  • Mobile app MVP
  • Database setup and feature builds

Complex or enterprise development

$25,000-$100,000+ /project

Senior-level or specialist
  • Scalable architecture design
  • Blockchain development
  • Custom enterprise platforms

Ongoing development and maintenance

$4,000โ€“$15,000 /month

Mid-level to senior-level
  • Continuous feature updates
  • Performance optimization
  • Sprint-based development

Technical leadership and strategy

$10,000-$50,000+ /project

Expert or architect-level
  • System architecture design
  • Technical roadmap planning
  • Team mentorship

Frequently asked questions

Is hiring a software developer worth it?

Hiring a software developer is worth it when you need custom software solutions or technical expertise that DIY tools can't provide. Professional developers bring specialized skills that allow you to build scalable, secure systems tailored to your business needs.

What's the difference between a software developer and a software engineer?

While the terms are often used interchangeably, software developers typically focus on building specific applications or features, while software engineers apply broader engineering principles to design scalable systems and architecture. In practice, many professionals perform both roles. The distinction matters less than finding someone with the right technical skills and experience for your project.

How long does it take to hire a software developer on Upwork?

You can post a software developer job on Upwork and start receiving proposals within hours. Many clients interview and hire developers within one to three days, depending on project complexity.

What skills should I look for when hiring a software developer?

When hiring a software developer, look for proficiency in relevant programming languages and experience with the specific frameworks your project requires. Beyond coding, prioritize candidates with strong problem-solving abilities, clear communication skills, and a portfolio demonstrating successful past projects.

Can I hire a software developer for a short-term project?

Yes, Upwork allows you to hire developers for projects of any length, from quick bug fixes to multimonth builds. You can set fixed-price contracts for well-defined tasks or hourly arrangements for projects where scope may evolve.