Gigster Review 2024: Alternatives and Competitors
Whether you are a co-founder of a startup, a CTO of a growing company, a product owner, or a large organization, at some point, you will face the challenge of finding reliable software developers and managing them.
You naturally want to do everything possible to ensure your project is a success. Hiring good developers from the best platform is a big part of getting it right.
Today, there are a large number of platforms where you can hire a developer or a development team. Platforms such as XB Software, X-Team, Arc, and DevTeam.Space are amongst the most reputable. The real challenge is trying to understand which platform will best serve your needs.
Given that all projects are different and so have different requirements, there is a wide variety of platforms from which you can source developers. To make it easier for you, let’s review Gigster, one of the alternatives to hire freelancers.
Here is a clickable content of this article:
- What Kind of Developers Do You Need?
- What is Gigster?
- The Pros and Cons of Gigster
- When to Use Gigster
- Gigster Alternatives
What Kind of Developers Do You Need?
To deliver real value to this article, let’s start by going over the different development requirements that specific products have to show you where your project fits in.
Once this has been outlined, it will be easy to see if Gigster fits your project needs in terms of the service their platform offers.
Different Types of Projects:
- If your project is a simple one, a set of landing pages, for example, then you will only need a part-time software engineer to do them for you. This can be an individual who is focused on small-scale projects and has the relevant experience for your project. The process can be as simple as purchasing a landing page template and asking them to implement it for you. They will do all the necessary work of connecting them to the email forms, your domain name, and setting up the server, etc. This is a relatively straightforward process and won’t take much time at all.
- For those of you who are planning to build something like a simple corporate WordPress based website, for example, then you will need a professional WordPress developer. This person will most likely adapt one of the design templates that WordPress offers, before writing the backend, setting up the server, and completing all the other required steps to launch your site.
- If you plan to create a more complex website then it is likely that you will need a team of programmers that you will either manage in-house or as a remote dev team. Alternatively, you can simply hire a dev shop who will do the hard work for you. This way you will be able to build a custom-made website, i.e. an online marketplace using AngularJS for the frontend and Node.js for the backend. More than likely, your team will also set up a company blog using WordPress that will allow you to start working on your site’s SEO. For such a project, you will need a professional designer, frontend and backend developers, and a DevOps specialist. If you have never managed a software development project before, it will be both difficult and risky to build the whole team yourself. In this case, the safest option is to get professional help and hire a professional dev team.
- The next step up from building your own website is creating a mobile application. If you don’t already have an experienced team, you will need to hire a complete mobile development team, mobile experienced designer, and web developers for your backend infrastructure and the server environment. Most likely, your project will have both a mobile app (for iOS and Android) and a website. Obviously, such a requirement will increase the complexity of the team you need to put together even further.
- Some larger companies choose to develop complex Java or .NET based software solutions for their enterprise-level SaaS product that incorporates numerous multiple microservices and complex API integrations. These projects sometimes involve some form of data engineering, artificial intelligence integration, or even blockchain-based solutions. Due to the complexity of such projects, you will need a team of top-level experts working for you. This team must have the relevant expertise and experience in cyber-security, containers, high-availability systems, and different server architectures, etc. before it can undertake such a project successfully.
While not all projects fit perfectly into the examples above, these are the most common examples and should give you some idea of what your developer requirements are.
What Is Gigster?
Gigster.com is a platform that helps connect companies to developers. It was co-founded by Roger Dickey and Debo Olaosebikan and is currently based in San Francisco, United States. It is well known in Silicon Valley and investors include Andreessen Horowitz, Marc Benioff, Chris Keene, Basketball star Michael Jordan, Adam D’Angelo, Redpoint Ventures and Ashton Kutcher’s Sound Ventures. Gigster managed to raise 20 million via its Y Combinator funding round.
Last year, the company’s founder and CEO Roger Dickey left the company.
Gigster aims to put an app development team in everyone’s pocket. They market themselves as a smart development service that combines top developers and designers with artificial intelligence.
Gigster claims that by operating an invite-only network of freelancers, it is able to guarantee the quality of its software developers, designers, and project managers. The company proudly boasts of its freelancer`s qualifications.
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Now you understand what type of developers you need and what Gigster offers, we can take a closer look at the platform`s pros and cons. By doing this, you will then be able to tell if Gigster fits your product requirements and understand when or if to use them.
For you to make an educated decision and pick the most suitable software development service for your project, later on, we will outline a table with popular Gigster alternatives, before examining the pros and cons of each one.
The Pros and Cons of Gigster
Gigster`s claim that its developers are stronger than their peers has resulted in numerous companies with software development projects flocking to use its service. After all, a great product requires great developers.
That said, if you`ve ever been involved in a software development project, you will already understand that a project’s success depends on more than just great developers. To ensure a project’s success, an experienced management team and a transparent process are also a vital part of the overall package.
After using its system to match developers to new projects, Gigster assigns a project manager to oversee project development. This project manager will help to reduce the need for companies to micromanage the whole process themselves.
Pros
Let’s get into more details. We will start by looking at the potential advantages of using Gigster:
- Gigster claims to currently have over 400+ approved developers in its database. This means that they can quickly find relevant developers for projects of all sizes.
- The platform assigns a freelance project manager to ensure that projects are progressing as planned and that the developers are doing what they are meant to be.
- Throughout the process, Gigster provides clients with reports as to how the project is progressing.
Cons
While these positives might seem like Gigster is the perfect choice, there are some potential drawbacks to using their service:
- The central issue that has the potential to cause big problems for client companies is that the vast majority of Gigster`s freelancers only work for the platform part-time. So despite the claim that developers from top companies work for them, these individuals are only working for the platform part of their time. All software development projects require dedicated individuals that are focused entirely on the job at hand to ensure they are a success. This is a huge problem.
- Added to the above point is the fact that the project managers that Gigster assigns to their clients are actually freelancers themselves. Having your freelance developers managed by a part-time freelance project manager is certainly not the best solution for client companies. While developers can be quickly replaced, having a project manager let you down can be a total nightmare.
- The cost of using Gigster is high, especially when compared to using other freelancer platforms and even agencies. While some companies will be happy to absorb this cost to ensure managerial oversight (sites such as Upwork don’t offer such a package), it is important that they get accurate quotes before committing to a project. Unfortunately, Gigster relies on an AI-driven project quotation system that estimates the cost of a project based on the few criteria that companies are asked to enter. Some companies might find this unsatisfactory, especially those with serious custom projects. There is an email alternative, but companies should always do their best to give the most accurate estimates possible upfront. This helps you make the best choice.
Now, let’s look at when it’s most appropriate to use Gigster.
When to use Gigster
In these fast-changing times, companies frequently look to streamline internal processes or to diversify their business models by undertaking in-house software development projects. In order to stay ahead of the competition, companies need to be able to change fast.
Even the task of creating a relatively simple web project can involve lots of developers, should the website require multiple features and a complex UI design, for example.
Naturally, since companies only employ full-time staff to handle day to day operations, they are unable to undertake such projects without hiring new staff.
This is where the software development outsource platforms such as Gigster come in. They allow companies to quickly employ skilled specialists, without the need for permanent employment, to undertake the projects that they would not have the personnel to do otherwise.
When it comes to pricing, the cost of using Gigster varies according to project specification and factors such as the number of developers required, etc.
To get an estimate, companies must use their estimate pricing tool that is available on their website. Their basic 4-step process will provide companies with a rough estimate of the total cost.
According to Gigster`s pricing tool, the lowest cost of the most basic project is $52,000. It is worth noting once more that Gigster`s pricing structure does make it an expensive way to undertake project development.
Gigster has recently begun to offer companies cash incentives to help them fund their development costs. The only drawback with this is that companies must agree to give up a stake in their project, something many are not willing to do.
While companies are being asked to trust Gigster with their projects, ultimately they are being built by independent freelancers. This may be not the best option since it raises numerous security and legal concerns.
Concluding this part of the article, should you choose to go with Gigster, we suggest that it is best to make sure that your assigned development team has the relevant skills and experience for your project.
Keep in mind that if you are planning to incorporate newer technologies such as blockchain databases etc., then many developers might lack sufficient experience to foresee roadblocks and problems that might cause problems later on. Be sure to check on this!
Given the drawbacks of using Gigster, it is worth checking out where some of the Gigster alternatives fit in.
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Gigster Alternatives: Comparison Chart
| Gigster | Upwork | Arc (CodementorX) | Scalable Path | DevTeam.Space | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community | Freelance developers | All sort of freelancers | Freelance developers | Freelance developer teams | Field-expert development teams |
| Main Focus | Development | — | Software consulting | Development | Development and support of complex software products |
| Dedicated Account Manager | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Data Driven Agile Process | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Daily project updates | By request | By request | By request | By request | Automated bitesize updates with roadblock tracking |
| Weekly project updates | Yes | No | No | Yes | Data-driven project performance reports |
| Developers work for you full-time | No | Yes/No | Yes/No | Yes/No | Yes |
Thankfully, given the huge amount of competition out there, we always have plenty of other options.
There are numerous competitors to Gigster in the software development industry. Many of these companies have been around a lot longer than Gigster, and so have much more experience.
In order to show you the best alternatives to Gigster, it is a good idea to compare them to their closest competitors. Let’s start with Upwork.
Gigster vs Upwork
Upwork was one of the world`s first freelancer platforms. Formally known as oDesk, the site underwent a massive revamp after it bought out Elance. Sadly, for its freelancers, this meant a whopping fee increase from 10% to a wallet-crunching 20% on all earned income. This has been said to have deeply affected freelancer morale.
Unlike Gigster, Upwork is a general skill freelancer platform that functions as a marketplace for freelancers of all skills and professions.
The Upwork business model takes a standoff approach. The platform aims to simply connect development companies to freelancers and let them get on with it.
Because of this, companies assume full responsibility for the vetting, hiring, and management process. They don’t offer any project managers with their developers.
Upwork allows for both hourly and per-project payment options, whereas Gigster bases its price on the cost of total project completion.
Other than the advantage of potentially picking up a bargain freelancer or two, Upwork has very little to offer in terms of positives over Gigster.
Gigster vs Arc (Formally CodementorX)
Like Gigster, Arc is a freelance platform that is entirely software development focused. They match companies to vetted freelancers for projects, which they promise to do within 72 hours of project submission.
However, unlike Gigster, they offer no managerial oversight in terms of project management. The only service they provide is a daily checkup by their director of technology.
So in essence, they are a specialized version of Upwork that allows companies the peace of mind that their programmers have been vetted by the platform.
Arc has one unique selling point when compared to other standoff freelancer platforms. They offer a code vetting service where companies can have their code reviewed by a group of developers who work as part of the Arc freelancer community.
This service is quite valuable to those companies who have gone the freelancer route but have taken full responsibility for project management. They do not provide project managers. For an additional cost, companies can get their code vetted by Arc to make sure that it is free of bugs and errors.
Freelancers on Arc are, on average, much cheaper than those on Gigster. This is in part due to the fact that Gigster includes managerial oversight as part of their price.
Since Gigster guarantees the overall success of a project, the company will include some degree of code vetting in its commitment. Be aware that this does not necessarily mean that the product will be 100% bug-free.
The real difference between these two comes down to managerial oversight and cost. Gigster offers to take full responsibility for project success, however, this service comes at a significantly higher cost.
Gigster vs Scalable Path
Scalable Path is reported to have a very healthy managerial structure in place within the company. While Scalable Path`s business model is very similar to that of Gigster, there are a number of pros and cons related to their size that are worth noting.
On the plus side, by being a much smaller company, Scalable Path is able to provide a much more personalized and dedicated customer service experience.
Since their project managers are dealing with fewer clients at any one time, they are far better placed to maintain more accurate project oversight.
As a smaller company, Scalable Path is also less expensive than Gigster. Its management offers strong support to its freelancers, something which has helped them to attract and maintain a good group of talented developers. One other bonus is that Scalable Path does not charge any kind of project termination fee either.
The company’s relatively small size does have a few drawbacks, however. Firstly, despite their name, they are not able to offer the levels of scalability that would make them a good choice for enterprise-sized projects.
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Gigster, on the other hand, has enough freelancers to be able to offer large-scale development for those bigger projects that need it.
Gigster`s larger pool of talent also means they have more expertise on hand for those more complicated projects. So if your project has some more difficult features or requirements, Gigster is more likely to have the expertise and human resources to undertake them successfully.
Gigster vs Devteam.Space
It is clear from the comparisons above that none of these platforms offers a comprehensive solution to all types of software development. Most product managers need a good level of flexibility built into their outsource platform.
The best solution to this problem is to engage the services of a dedicated software development company that has developed its own unique approach to software development.
While Gigster does offer this service, it’s model of relying on part-time freelance developers is less than satisfactory for this approach.
DevTeam.Space is a data-driven agile software development platform. Unlike other competitors, DevTeam.Space is exclusively centered on software development, allowing us to focus on coding some of the best products on the planet.
At DevTeam.Space, you`re matched with the most relevant full-time field-expert developer or development teams. The project management process is agile and data-driven.
As a part of the process, you’re guided by a tech account manager and a project manager at no additional cost. During the project development process, you`ll receive daily bite-sized updates and weekly performance reports.
Learn more about the DevTeam.Space process here.
Gigster does offer project reports to its clients, however, DevTeam.Space`s data-driven agile process includes detailed daily, as well as weekly, reports for clients.
Simply by accessing your project dashboard, you can see reports about your project`s ongoing sprints that include everything from project performance scores, team performance breakdowns, and project progress information.
Access to such automation tools means that you will always be 100% aware of exactly where your project is at and how we are performing. This means that all our clients sleep well at night.
DevTeam.Space only hires the best talent and ensures all of our developers are up to date with all new technologies such as machine learning. Depending on a client’s development stage, we can easily scale teams from a single developer to 100s of engineers in a matter of hours.
We guarantee all the work of our developers, so if you are not 100%, you don’t have to pay.
By offering this complete package, DevTeam.Space takes away all the stress and time-consuming effort that goes with complex product development. This means that you can focus your time and efforts on developing your marketing strategy and on business growth.
Several of our past clients have called DevTeam.Space the AWS of software development. Want to find out why? Simply submit your project requirements to learn more.
