Two platforms. Two models. One decision that could make or break your roadmap. Andela gives you vetted talent for the long haul. Gigster assembles a full-stack team to ship the product for you. But which is more efficient, scalable, and founder-friendly? Let’s break it down into costs, timelines, control, and trade-offs so you can make the call with clarity.

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About Andela

Andela is a talent marketplace that connects startups and enterprise companies with IT talent from Asia, Africa, and South America. It uses an AI-powered engine to match these businesses with qualified engineers. Andela also uses AI in its vetting process to assess the skills of developers before they are added to its network.

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About Gigster

Gigster is a software development platform that connects startups and enterprises with a global network of freelance developers, designers, and project managers. The platform also uses AI to assemble fully managed teams to deliver software products for businesses. Gigster doesn’t allow customers to manage the dev team directly. They are assigned a project manager who oversees the project throughout the contract. 

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How to Hire a Developer at Andela

1. Submit a hiring request on Andela’s website and share your project requirements, the developer role, and the skills and experience you want. 
2. Andela utilizes AI-powered matching algorithms to provide a list of candidates.
3. Review the candidates' profiles and conduct interviews to assess their technical and cultural fit for your project. 
4. Select the candidate who best meets your requirements. Andela will facilitate the onboarding process to allow you to get started with your developer. 

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How to Hire a Developer at Gigster

1. Fill out a form with your project idea, and you’ll receive an AI-calculated quote.
2. A Gigster rep will contact you to discuss your idea further, finalize the quote, and state the deliverables. If you’re satisfied with the quote, you sign a contract.
3. Your project is shared with Gigster’s Talent Network, and developers vie for a spot on your team.
4. Gigster selects the best team for your project, and work begins. You can monitor the progress of your project through your personal dashboard.
5. Once your project is finished, the final deliverables are handed over to you.
6. You pay Gigster, and they handle payments to the developers.

Andela’s Vetting Process

1. Candidates submit their profiles, including work history and technical skills.
2. An AI-powered test evaluates written and spoken English communication skills.
3. Candidates complete coding challenges via the 'Qualified by Andela' platform, focusing on real-world scenarios.
4. Senior Andela engineers conduct one-on-one sessions to test deep technical knowledge and problem-solving.
5. Recruiters assess the communication, collaboration, and professionalism of the candidates.
6. Andela verifies past employment, projects, and claimed achievements.
7. The top applicants are accepted into the Andela talent network.

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Gigster’s Vetting Process

Gigster operates an invite-only network, which allows it to regulate the quality of talent that comes through. Every invited talent, however, is still vetted before being added to the talent pool. Here’s Gigster's full vetting process: 

1. Candidates submit details about real projects they’ve built.
2. Applicants are screened based on the quality of past projects and skills.
3. Experienced Gigsters interview candidates for 30+ minutes on real-world questions.
4. Gigsters review the candidate’s past code. 
5. Selected developers join a real client project alongside others 
6. Based on trial performance, developers are invited into the network.

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Andela’s Pricing

All Andela contracts are signed for at least a year. The company sends its clients monthly bills, ranging between $8000 and $20,000, depending on the project, tech stack, and developer’s experience. 

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Gigster’s Pricing

Gigster doesn’t display prices on its website as it offers custom quotes per project. The quote depends on the project's complexity, tech stack, and deadline and covers Gigster’s transaction fees.

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Andela Pros & Cons

Pros

• Uses AI for fast matching
• Access to vetted developers
• Large talent pool

Cons

• AI struggles to assess emotional intelligence, teamwork, and communication, which are key for matching good candidates. 
• Not ideal for short-term projects. All contracts are signed for at least a year.
• No free trial available
  
  

Gigster Pros & Cons

Pros

• Provides a dashboard for tracking your project’s progress
• Gigster provides an entire team for your project, including developers, designers, and project managers

Cons

• The development team can take up to 3 weeks to form
• The minimum project price is $52,000, according to Clutch, which is pricey for startups on a tight budget. 
• Does not offer any free trial
• You cannot directly manage the dev team. You must rely on your assigned project manager for updates. 
• Almost all developers are part-timers, and can leave your project before it’s completed.

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Andela vs Gigster Compared: Key Differences

Here’s a head-to-head matchup between Andela and Gigster. 

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Which should you choose?

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What is the Best Alternative to Andela and Gigster?

Andela’s AI engine speeds up the matching process but cannot understand the human nuances that can't be seen in online tests, which makes its matching imperfect. Gigster doesn’t allow you to manage your dev team directly, which isn’t suitable for companies that want more autonomy and direct control of the team. Plus, a starting project quote of $50,000 is steep for most startups, don’t you think?

ReactSquad is the best alternative to these two. We’re a marketplace of vetted React.js developers for SaaS startups. We are 100% focused on the React.js tech stack, making us specialists in all types of React projects. Our highly experienced engineers were vigorously vetted through 3 interview rounds and a paid test project before being handpicked by our CTO.

We also offer:

• Transparent pricing of $75 per hour.
• 7-day no-risk free trial

Ready to hire your next React developer? Schedule a call today.

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See the pros, cons, and use cases before you commit.