Best freelance developer websites in India [2022]

Aman Saxena

Want to pick up some extra income as a developer? Or is a flexible schedule as a freelancer feeling like a needed change?

Wherever you are in the process, there are lots of opportunities online for freelancer developers from India to work globally. To make things easier, here is a quick guide.

Freelance Developer Websites for Indians: An Overview

If you are looking to be a freelance developer, here some of the best websites to find jobs or gigs from India:

Freelance websites, marketplaces and platforms can be a great way to become a freelancer and get clients from across the globe.
There are many reasons to go freelance as a developer but here are a few popular ones:

  • Setting your own time and schedule
  • Make income on the side or full time
  • Being your own boss
  • Freedom to choose your own clients
  • Taking on more interesting projects

But it can sometimes be tricky to find the right work and the right platform to kick it off. And especially for Indian developers, it is important to find a freelance platform that makes global payments easy and cheap to India.
You will first have to identify the platform that is right for you. If you have an existing portfolio and history of web development some sites may be better for you than someone who is just getting started. And if you are new to development, the sites that allow for easy sign-up and flexible pricing may be the way to go.

👩‍💻 A developer is someone who makes and builds software for the web, mobile or even blockchain. Skills in HTML, CSS, and Javascript are typically expected, but newer and advanced skills are valued to keep up with the changes in the market. ¹

Not all developer jobs are the same. They can be divided into different categories with each having different needs, for example:

  • iOS/Android developer
  • Java developer
  • Shopify developer
  • CSS developer
  • AWS developer
  • Web developer
  • eCommerce developer

And there are many more. But one thing is for sure, developer jobs are not going anywhere and are continuing to grow.

And while this list can help point you in the right direction, it is not meant to be taken as professional advice. Instead, take this list as a starting point to do further research.

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Upwork

One of the global leaders in freelance work, Upwork is a strong option for developers and freelancers from India for high-quality work.

  • 32 different categories of developer roles
  • 20% fee on earnings that reduces the more you earn from the same client
  • Get paid through Payoneer or PayPal in India

Upwork is a strong platform for developers to find high quality work. You can choose whether to get paid by milestones or by the hour, and they manage payments between you and the clients. But to sign up, you will need to pass the Upwork moderation team. ²

Upstack

Upstack is made for developers that are looking to work with startups, and has a global community for hackathons and meetups.

  • Freelancers have to go through an application process
  • Payments come through Payoneer for India
  • 2 week trial period with new clients

Upstack is a platform that helps startup clients find talent, like you, to work on projects. The developer jobs range from full stack, iOS, Drupal, Java and PHP to name a few. Compared to other platforms, Upstack has more of a community focus for developers to connect with each other. ³

Toptal

Toptal has one of the most extensive work options for developers, but they also only take the top 3% of freelancers.

  • Best for seasoned and experienced developers
  • Toptal does not take a cut of earnings
  • Signing up can take 2-5 weeks

As the name goes, Toptal has the top freelance developers for clients. Once you have gone through the screening process, which can include an interview and test, you can start finding jobs through the platform. And while it is a selective platform, Toptal does not take a cut of freelancer earnings. ⁴

People Per Hour

People Per Hour is a freelancer platform where approved freelancers can find tech and programming work by the hour or by the project from clients.

  • Payments to India are through Payoneer
  • 15 proposals a month are free
  • Good site for game developers

On People Per Hour, you will have to put together a profile so clients can discover you through the platform. You can then submit a proposal for the work for the chance to be hired. People Per Hour lets payments come into your dashboard and then you will have to convert and deposit it in India with Payoneer. ⁵

Freelancer.com

Freelancer.com lets freelance developers have flexible pricing and is easy tosign up to start building a freelancing career.

  • Easy for newcomers to enter
  • You can submit your price for the project
  • Paid membership plans are available

Freelancer.com is a good place to start for someone who is new to freelancing or development work. While there is a free package, there are membership plans to help get more visibility with clients. Also, expect a 10% charge on your earnings from Freelancer.com. ⁶

Fiverr

Fiverr has been a global leader in gig work, and the flat fee incentivizes volume work for developers.

  • Payments to India are through PayPal
  • Good options for streaming, crypto and game developers
  • Flat fee of 20%

With a variety of developer categories to plug into, Fiverr is a strong place to start for freelancers to get work globally. Signing up is free, but there is a fee on all earnings. But Fiverr will take care of the invoicing and getting payments from the clients. Plus Fiverr does offer resources to help freelancers navigate and improve their work. ⁷

Guru

Guru is a freelance platform with some of the lowest fees out there, but is geared more towards traditional developer gigs.

  • Payments to India through PayPal or Payoneer
  • Guru’s fee ranges from 9-5%
  • Fee decreases with membership plans.

Guru is a freelance platform that lets freelancers sign up and search for jobs. Programming and developer jobs on Guru are the most popular, with web development and design having the most postings. And while it is free to sign up, you can get more visibility and 40 more bids with a paid membership. ⁸

Truelancer

For more traditional developer work, Truelancer is a platform to discover clients and projects, with a simple to sign up.

  • Easy bank transfers to India
  • 20 free proposals per month
  • Fee is 8-10% of earnings

With Truelancer, you can find work in frontend, backend, PHP, WordPress, Java and API development. Clients are from around the world, and you can also find clients from India. And if you request a bank transfer to your local Indian bank account, there is no additional withdrawal fee. ⁹

Flexiple

An India-based freelance work platform that screens for the best freelancers to match with client projects.

  • Matches your skills with new projects
  • No commission on earnings
  • 3 step application and onboarding process

Flexiple is a good platform for Indian developers to find work and makes it easy to sort work by your skills, career trajectory or role. Gigs and projects include full time and part time work. But the payment model may differ from project to project. ¹⁰

Arc.dev

Arc.dev is an aggregator website specifically for remote developer jobs

  • Arc searches the web for open positions
  • Job recommendations come to you
  • Option to be a Verified Developer

Once you sign up for Arc, you can start getting job recommendations to you or you can search Arc by tech stack to simplify the process. And if you complete Arc.dev’s one time vetting, you can become a Verified Developer to apply faster to jobs and skip initial interview stages. ¹¹

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🔖 Read more: Best Freelance Websites to post & find jobs in India

**Sources used for this article:**
  1. Developer
  2. Upwork
  3. Upstack
  4. Toptal
  5. People Per Hour
  6. Freelancer.com
  7. Fiverr
  8. Guru
  9. Truelancer
  10. Flexiple
  11. [Arc.dev

](https://arc.dev/)

All sources checked as of 22 December, 2021


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