If you are like most entrepreneurs, you are always looking for ways to make the budget stretch further. One area where you can save a lot of money is by hiring the same talent for less. In this blog post, we will discuss 10 ways you can find affordable developers.

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1. Look for developers in countries with a lower cost of living.

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There are many talented developers who live in countries with a low cost of living. By hiring developers from these countries, you can get high-quality work at a fraction of the cost. Finding these developers can be trickier than hiring in your local community, since you might not know which university they went to, and what skill level you can expect.

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One way to find such developers is by partnering up with experts in the emerging talent markets, such as Hashlist.

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2. Use freelancer websites or marketplaces

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There are many freelancer websites, such as Upwork and Freelancer, where you can find developers from all over the world. You can post your project on these websites and receive bids from developers.

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On these platforms, it's really easy to compare the bids and the quality of the candidates, and most of these marketplaces also provides you with a history of reviews for each candidates.

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However, if you are planning for a long term engagement, we recommend you look further, since the margins these freelance markets take can really cut into your budget in the long run.

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3. Use social media & communities (Slack, Linkedin and Twitter work the best!)

Social media is a great way to find developers who are willing to work for lower rates. Try searching for groups on Facebook or LinkedIn that are related to your industry.

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You can also post a status update on your personal profile asking for recommendations for developers. Many people might reach out to you directly if they are interested in your project.

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From our experience, we have noticed that the best communities can be found on Linkedin, Twitter and Slack.

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However, please be aware that people tend to view new members very sceptically since they don't want to be "sold". Instead, you have to befriend people in the community in a genuine way before discussing potential employment opportunities.

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4. Ask your friends and colleagues.

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If you know anyone who works in the tech industry, ask them for recommendations for developers they know that might be interested in a job switch. Many times, they know someone who is looking for side work or is willing to accept a lower rate to work on your project if it's interesting enough

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You might also encounter people doing coding just as a hobby but might be brilliant developers underneath that could never be found on the open market.

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5. Online job boards (Hashlist, RemoteOK, Relocate.me, WeWorkRemotely)

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Post a job on one of the following job boards: Hashlist, RemoteOK, Relocate.me, WeWorkRemotely.

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Developers that have moved to a lower cost of living country or are willing to take a pay-cut to relocate to the country of their dreams might be great candidates for your position.

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The initial investment might seem big (500-1000€/posting) or €1499/month for the least expensive Hashlist subscription. However, when you look at the long-term cost savings of paying a less expensive salary for the upcoming years, the investment is usually worth it.

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6. Use developmer-specific forums.

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There are many developmer forums, such as Github and Stack Overflow, where developers write about their current open to work status and what industries they would like to work in. Do a boolean search on Github for example: type:user looking for work.

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You can usually also find the developer's contact information through their profile or the github API

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7. Attend online and offline conferences.

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Conferences is one good way of getting in touch with many developers at the same time. We recommend the offline ones since you can really get a feel for the person. In this case, you'll have to fly to the city where the conference is held, which may add to the costs.

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If you choose to attend conferences, make an effort in trying to make a list of potential candidates beforehand. This helps you strike up a conversation and remember them easier after the event.

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8. Use agencies that specialize in affordable development.

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If you use a development agency, you can usually find quite goo deals. However, we have usually noticed that the less you pay, the less you get when it comes to agencies.

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Less expensive agencies often perform work that seems solid on the get go but when your product or app expands, there's often need for an entire rewrite since the original code quality wasn't up to par.

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Having said that, some people that we have spoken to have been lucky in finding a trusted and affordable agency that they work with year in and year out.

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9. Hire a recent graduate.

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Recent graduates are often eager to get their foot in the door and are willing to work for lower rates. Consider hiring a recent graduate from a coding bootcamp or college.

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Please keep in mind that you will most likely have to spend more money on employee training in this case, which might become just as expensive as hiring a senior developer in the first place.

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10. Negotiate your rates by offering other benefits.

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You may be able to get a lower rate if you are willing to offer other benefits such as equity, paid vacation, parental leave or fully remote work.

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During a recent Stackoverflow study, it was shown that developers in 2023 are much more interested in benefits over just a high salary, and many even prefer to work part-time to enjoy other parts of life.

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In conclusion

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All-in-all, compromising on quality is something you should never do, even though you might find a developer with a lower rate. We recommend that you don't lower your hiring standards even though you might be able to get a cheaper deal, because in the end, a cheaper deal will produce cheaper results. 

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Instead, look for an inexpensive deal. A deal where you get the same for less, while keeping your hiring standards high.

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If you want to get all of this, in an all-in-one tech hiring platform, you should give Hashlist.com a try!

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