Best Gigster Alternatives for Hiring Developers

When you need software built reliably, but don’t want to manage hiring, team formation, or operational headaches, platforms like Gigster look tempting. They promise to take your idea and deliver a working product using vetted teams, project management, and oversight.

But in the real world, the promise doesn’t always match the experience. In this review, we walk through how Gigster works, what you really get (and don’t), how much it costs, and when you should or shouldn’t use it. We also compare it against alternatives so you can pick the best option for your hiring needs.

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What is Gigster?

Gigster is a managed software development platform. It connects companies to developers for dev projects, but what makes them different is that instead of solo developers, they assign and oversee entire teams (developers, designers, QA, sometimes product managers) to deliver your project end-to-end.

Key features of Gigster

• Fully Managed Model: Gigster assumes responsibility for execution, timelines, quality, and coordination. You mainly communicate with a project manager or point of contact.
  
  
• Dedicated Teams/Staff Augmentation: For some clients, you can add a team that blends into your organization, but still under Gigster’s oversight.
  
  
• AI-Driven Matching & Quote Estimation: Gigster uses internal systems and data from past projects to generate team matches and pricing estimates.
  
  
• Invitation-Only/Vetting of Talent: Not everyone can join. Developers apply and must pass evaluations (technical interviews, portfolio reviews, test assignments) to enter the Gigster network.
  
  
• Service for Mid-Market & Enterprise Clients: Gigster generally positions itself toward clients with fairly large budgets and ambitions (not small ad-hoc tasks).

Gigster Pricing

One of the biggest pain points new clients encounter with Gigster is lack of transparency. Their website doesn’t provide fixed hourly rates or standardized plans. Everything is custom-quoted.

According to their Clutch profile, the minimum project cost is around $52,000. Hourly rates are between $100 - $140+ in many cases. There are no known upfront or recruiting costs and in typical agency style, offer no trial periods. 

Because the quotes factor in project scope, tech stack, timeline aggressiveness, and risk buffers, two seemingly similar projects might have very different price tags at Gigster. What that means is if your project budget is under ~$50 - $60K, Gigster likely won’t be a viable option (especially for smaller MVPs or feature builds). It’s built more for higher-stakes projects.

How to Hire Developers via Gigster

Here’s a step-by-step of how a client typically works with Gigster:

1. Fill out a brief or project intake form on Gigster’s website and submit your project details (scope, features, technologies, timeline) to start the process.
   
   
2. Based on your inputs, Gigster will generate an initial estimate or range. This may involve back-and-forth discussion
   
   
3. A rep walks you through the quote, clarifies deliverables, and finalizes the contract.
   
   
4. Gigster matches developers, designers, QA, etc. to your project. This takes typically days to a few weeks.
   
   
5. Your assigned project manager orchestrates development. You receive progress updates and deliverables via a dashboard or status reports.
   
   
6. Upon project completion, you get the final product, documentation, and sometimes support/transition.
   
   

The difference here is, unlike a freelance marketplace where you pick individual developers and manage them directly, your touchpoint is usually through the PM or project lead.

How Gigster Vets Developers

Here’s what we know about how Gigster devs are vetted:

• Application & screening: Developers submit past work, portfolios, and resumes which are reviewed by Gigster.

• Technical interviews & tests: Applicants are typically interviewed with technical questions and sometimes given test assignments or pairing tasks to assess coding ability and logic.

• Invitation-only / acceptance thresholds: Gigster invites a limited portion of applicants into their talent pool.

• Performance monitoring: Developers in the network may be evaluated over time, and poor performers may be removed or deprioritized.
  
  

This vetting process is stronger than typical freelancing sites, but it’s not perfect—some clients report variability in communication, consistency, or domain fit.

Gigster Client Reviews

G2 reviews reveal that Gigster has the technical expertise for development projects. But they flag two critical requirements. One, you must have a clear plan upfront. If you don't, you're going to hit delays and communication issues. 

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The other issue is friction with meeting times. The US/Europe time difference makes scheduling a logistical hurdle.

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Pros and Cons of Gigster

Pros

Cons

Full project delivery with oversight: you don’t manage every detail

You lose direct control of individual developers (all communication is via project lead)

Strong vetting and quality filter, reducing hiring risk

High cost threshold — not suitable for smaller budgets or MVPs

Dashboard and progress reporting reduce micromanagement effort

Lack of transparency in pricing and breakdowns

Good for clients who want a turnkey solution rather than managing freelancers

Ramp-up and team matching can take up to 3 weeks.

Potential for part-time commitment or high turnover

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Gigster Alternatives

If Gigster doesn’t fully align with your needs, here are solid alternatives.

#1 ReactSquad

ReactSquad helps startups and other tech companies quickly hire dedicated React developers to join their existing teams. Think of them as a staffing agency, but they only deal with one thing: high-quality senior React developers. They offer a fast, reliable alternative to spending months (and dollars) on traditional recruiting or using less reliable freelance platforms.

‍Pricing: Rates start at $75/hr

ReactSquad features

• Fast Hiring: Clients are presented with their top developer choice within 24 hours of inquiry. The developer is ready to start work within 48 hours.
• Rigorous Vetting: All developers go through a multi-stage vetting process including test projects. Devs with less than 5+ years of experience are rejected. 
• Risk-Free Trial Period: They offer a 14-day risk-free trial for clients to assess the developer's fit and performance before committing to a long-term engagement.
• Full-Time Commitment: Because the developers are direct employees of ReactSquad, they are fully committed to the client's project, unlike freelancers who may juggle multiple clients or leave for another company suddenly.
• Time-Zone Overlap: They ensure a working time overlap of at least 4 hours daily with US and EU time zones for easy collaboration.
• Flexible and transparent contracts: They offer flexible contracts, including part-time or full-time, with transparent pricing.
  
  

#2 Toptal

Toptal is a global remote company that operates an exclusive freelance platform. Its main pitch is that it only accepts and provides the "top 3% of freelance talent" to businesses worldwide. They act as a middleman, connecting companies with highly-vetted, elite freelancers across engineering, design, and product.

‍Pricing: Dev rates are often $100-$200/hour. Toptal also requires a $500 initial deposit, refundable if you don’t proceed. There’s also a $79 monthly subscription fee to use its talent services. 

Toptal features

• Strict vetting process: Offers a very rigorous vetting process with multiple screening rounds to ensure highly skilled talent
• Hiring speed: The entire hiring process and start time can take up to two or three weeks.
• Trial Period: Clients get a two-week, no-risk trial period to work with the developer.
• Multiple Tech stack: You can find skilled specialists in various technologies and domains.
• Global Talent pool: Hire developers from over 150 countries

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#3 Arc.dev

Arc.dev is a global talent marketplace that uses AI to connect businesses with pre-vetted remote professionals for both freelance and full-time positions. While it is known for its network of software developers, it also features designers, marketers, product managers, and other roles.

‍Pricing: Rates range between $60-$100+ per hour.

Arc.dev features

• Vetted Global Talent Pool: It maintains a large network of professionals from around the world.
• AI-Powered Matching: The platform uses its HireAI technology to screen applications and match companies with suitable candidates.
• Fast Hiring: Arc.dev typically matches clients with candidates for freelance contracts within 72 hours and for full-time hires in about 2 weeks.
• Flexible Hiring: It supports freelance (hourly pay) and full-time (fee-per-hire) contracts.
• Administrative and compliance support: Arc.dev helps handle the administrative tasks of hiring remote talent, including payment processing and international compliance.
• Risk-Free Trial: The platform offers a risk-free trial period up to two weeks for freelancers, and up to three months for full-time hires.

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4. CloudDevs

CloudDevs is a tech talent platform that focuses on connecting businesses with a network of vetted, remote developers and designers from Latin America.

‍Pricing: The hourly rates for developers generally range from $45 to $75 per hour.

CloudDevs features

• Talent Pool: Access to a pre-vetted network of developers, designers, and other tech talent.
• Specialization (LatAm Focus): The platform heavily focuses on connecting clients with Latin American talent.
• Vetting Process: Uses a multi-stage screening process that evaluates technical skills, English proficiency, communication, and soft skills.
• Flexible Hiring: You can hire talent for various models, including freelance (hourly rates), part-time, and full-time (direct hires).
• Risk-Free Trial: The platform offers a 7-day risk-free trial period.

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5. Andela

Andela is a global technology company that operates as a private marketplace for technical talent. It connects remote engineers from around the world, particularly from emerging markets, with top global companies, often for full-time or long-term engagement.

‍Pricing: Andela generally charges a monthly flat rate for developers, which can range from approximately $6,000 to $15,000 per developer. Engagements are focused on long-term contracts, which are typically signed for at least 12 months.

Andela features

• AI-Powered matching: Uses its Talent Cloud and Talent Decision Engine to streamline the hiring process for clients. 
• Long-term engagements: Andela focuses on year long contracts with clients.
• Global Talent Pool: Access to a vast and diverse marketplace of vetted technologists.
• Compliance & Administration: Andela handles administrative overhead associated with global hiring, including background checks, offers, and compliance.
• Client Support: Clients receive a dedicated Customer Success Partner

The Gigster Alternatives Compared

Here’s a side-by-side comparison between Gigster and the alternatives.

Platform

Hourly Rates / Pricing

Time-to-Hire

Upfront / Extra Fees?

Trial Period

Min. Commitment

Manual Matching?

Gigster

$100 - $140+ or fixed-bid ($52K+ minimum)

Within 3 weeks

❌

❌

❌

❌

ReactSquad

$75/hour

48 hours

❌

14 days

❌

✔️

Toptal

$100-$180+/hour

Within 3 weeks

$500 refundable. 

$79 monthly fee for talent search

14 days

❌

✔️

Arc.dev

$15-$110+/hour

Within weeks

$300 refundable

14 days

❌

❌

CloudDevs

$45-$75+/hour

Within 2 weeks

❌

7 days

❌

✔️

Andela

$6000 - $15000 per month

Within 3 weeks

❌

❌

12 months

❌

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Best Gigster Alternative per Use Case

Here’s which platform to lean toward in various scenarios:

• You want to hire quickly → ReactSquad or Arc.dev
  
  
• Hiring for React-focused projects → ReactSquad
  
  
• You want to hire for the long term → Andela or Arc.dev
  
  
• You want senior developers with 5+ years of experience → Toptal or ReactSquad
  
  
• You need quality devs at an affordable price → ReactSquad
  
  
• You want to hire many devs → CloudDevs
  
  
• Hiring for enterprise-level projects → Toptal

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Conclusion

Gigster is a compelling choice if your aim is hands-off, high-stakes, full-project delivery. You tell them what you want, and they deliver a team and product with minimal micro-management on your end. But that convenience comes with trade-offs:

• You surrender some control over who does what and how the team is managed.
• Costs tend to be high; the minimum threshold excludes many smaller or early-stage projects.
• Transparency and flexibility are weaker compared to pure marketplaces or direct-hire models.
  

If your project is smaller with a tighter budget, or you just want more direct control over the team, an alternative like ReactSquad, Arc.dev, or Toptal may be a better fit. 

If you’re specifically using React for your project, it’s best to go with ReactSquad. The company connects React.js specialists with companies within the US and EU. Their devs have been rigorously vetted and understand startup culture, making them great fits for startups and SMEs. 

Ready to get started? Book a call with the ReactSquad team today.