Xcoder Model VS Developer Hiring Platforms
Comparison of Xcoder with other developer hiring platforms
Pricing (Upfront Fees, Pricing Options)
The majority of outstaffing companies such as Xcoder don't charge upfront fees, while developer hiring platforms as freelance services (Upwork, Freelancer), job boards (Github, Stackoverflow), and matching platforms (Gun.io, TopTal) often require an initial deposit.
Pricing options also differ — with an outstaffing vendor, you'll have to pay developers' salary plus the vendor's fee. With freelance services, job boards, and matching services you'll either pay a fixed price or agree on an hourly rate. Project outsourcing (IBM, Accenture) pricing model is either a fixed price or hourly rate.
Opportunity to Build a Team
You can build a fully-fledged remote development team with the help of an outstaffing vendor, at the same time it's impossible to build a dedicated team with freelancers or developers you hire via job boards and matching services.
The same goes for project outsourcing — the vendor takes full responsibility for your project, so you don't know the developers working on your project personally.
Cooperation Reliability and Security
It's safer to opt for collaboration either with an outstaffing or project outsourcing vendor. Vendors like Xcoder support a high security level, keep up with the latest safety requirements, and have multiple international certifications that attest top expertise.
However, if you decide to manage the process yourself and hire developers with the help of developer hiring platforms — job boards (Github, Stackoverflow), freelance (Upwork, Freelancer) and matching services (Gun.io, TopTal) you will always be under a threat of data breaches, missed deadlines, etc.
Level of Client Engagement
Cooperation with a remote dedicated development team is similar to having an on-site team, meaning collaboration with an outstaffing vendor requires a high level of the client's involvement. Concerning collaboration with project outsourcing companies like IBM and Accenture, you won't have the opportunity to manage developers working on your product, yet, you'll have to approve some mid-project accomplishments, so the level of involvement is either medium or low.
If you collaborate with freelancers or developers hired via developer hiring platforms, the level of engagement depends on your needs. You can either keep developers under strict control or fully rely on their expertise and work ethics.
Final Decision in Hiring
If you hire developers with an outstaffing vendor, you're the one to make the final hiring decision. The vendor will pre-select the candidates and manage the initial screening to save your time, while you'll be the one to interview and choose the best-fitting candidates.
Concerning freelancers and developers hired via job boards or matching services, you're also the one to make hiring decisions. However, if you're non-technical, better consult with a professional in the field before making a decision. And finally, if you opt for collaboration with a project outsourcing company, you don't take part in the hiring process and don't get to know the developers working on your product development.
Widespread Use Cases
Outstaffing model is commonly used by small and medium companies that are looking to hire developers, however, can't do it locally because of local tech talent shortage. Such developer hiring platforms as freelance websites, job boards, and matching services best fit companies that have minor or short term software development needs and don't have IT at the core of their businesses.
Project outsourcing works best for large companies that have predictable requirements, as far as making changes in the development process will drag down additional expenditures.
Team Setup
If you cooperate with an outstaffing or project outsourcing vendor, your remote dedicated team will either be collocated or distributed depending on your local team structure (e.g. if you have few developers working in your in-house team and the rest of the development team on the vendor's side — the team is distributed; in case the whole development team works remotely in the vendor's office — the remote team is collocated).
Freelancers and developers you hire via job boards or matching services make up a dispersed team, as you may have freelance employees working from all around the world.
Level of Developer's Integration
A high degree of remote developer integration is only possible if you opt for collaboration with an outstaffing vendor. You'll be the one to manage your remote developers with the tools and methods you love. At the same time, dedicated developers will only work on your product development full-time and feel like an integral part of your local team.
Hiring freelancers on such developer hiring platforms as Upwork and Freelancer, using job boards and matching services like Github and TopTal, or outsourcing a project to vendors as IBM and Accenture won't provide you with a dedicated team that can be easily integrated into your company. Freelancers usually juggle several other projects, while developers working on your outsourced project don't think of the big vision standing behind your product.