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The Scalers Review: Pros, Cons, Pricing and Alternatives for Hiring Developers

Hiring developers isn’t just about finding talent, it’s about setting up your team the right way. The Scalers takes a different route than most platforms by helping companies build full offshore teams instead of hiring one developer at a time. That can be a good fit for businesses that want a long-term managed solution, but it won’t work for everyone. In this article, we’ll explain how The Scalers works, its pros and cons, and some alternatives you might want to check out.

Who Are The Scalers?

A screenshot of The Scalers homepage
The Scalers home page

The Scalers is a global tech services company headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. They specialize in building offshore software development teams in Bangalore, India. Unlike most developer hiring platforms where you can hire any number of developers, The Scalers provides a minimum of 5 developers, with their focus on building teams rather than solo devs. The company handles the dev team’s operations, including office and equipment setup, logistics, payroll, and cultural integration. As a result, The Scalers works best for mid-sized to established small businesses who are looking to scale. 

The Scalers’ Pricing

The Scalers does not publicly disclose specific rates or fee structures on their site. Pricing is customized per client. 3rd party sources, however, suggest that most projects start from a minimum of $50,000, with hourly rates between $50 and $99. 

How to Hire Developers from The Scalers

Scalers states a 4-step process for the developer hiring services:

  1. Fill the contact form with details of what you need. 
  2. A Scalers team member will contact you for a quick discovery call.
  3. After a few days, The Scalers team will prepare a shortlist of developers that match your needs.
  4. You will conduct a final interview with the shortlisted developers and choose your team from this group. 

How is The Scalers’ Developer Vetting Process?

The Scalers uses a lengthy vetting process:

  1. Talent scouts do a proactive search for developers.
  2. Selected candidates take a logical skills test to assess how they tackle complex problems.
  3. A panel of technical experts conducts an in-person practical assessment of the developers.
  4. Developers solve a take-home coding project to assess the developer’s overall technical ability.
  5. Developers undergo an interview with HR to better understand their personalities.
  6. Next, an interview with a Scalers manager to determine whether the developer is a cultural fit.
  7. Successful candidates are added to The Scalers talent pool.

The Scalers Customer Reviews

Despite being founded in 2014, there are very few reviews online about The Scalers. The few ones we found on Trustpilot were from the perspective of employees. And while those reviews were positive, the lack of actual customer reviews makes it hard to assess the quality and value of The Scalers developers. 

The Scalers Pros

  • Access to developers committed to your project
  • The company handles full-stack operations (HR, workspace, compliance)
  • Proven success with long-term partnerships
  • They assign a dedicated “Partner Success Manager” who regularly updates the client. 

The Scalers Cons

  • Physical distance and time zone differences pose a challenge
  • Onboarding is slow, usually taking between 4 - 8 weeks
  • Unsuitable for short-lived or one-off projects
  • Less pricing transparency

5 Best The Scalers Alternatives

Having second thoughts about The Scalers’ suitability for your project? We’ve compiled 5 good alternatives with better advantages to your business's hiring needs. 

#1 ReactSquad

ReactSquad's homepage

We’re a network of strongly vetted React specialists for SaaS companies. Our developers are 100% focused on the React.js tech stack. We’ve served several clients in industries like fintech, e-commerce and energytech. The best part is you get to work with industry-tested experts without having to sacrifice company equity. 

Best for: Startups hiring experienced, affordable React developers without giving up equity. 

What ReactSquad offers

  • Rigorous vetting process: We grill our developers through three interviews and a 4-week paid test project. Each developer is handpicked by Jan, our CTO. 
  • Risk-free trial: 7-day trial. If you’re not satisfied, the bill is on us. 
  • Flexible engagements: You can hire for short term and long term projects. 
  • Transparent pricing: We offer a startup-friendly $75/hour rate. No hidden fees.
  • Fast hiring: Get matched with a developer in under 48 hours.
  • Specialized expertise: 100% focus on React, Next.js, Node.js, and JavaScript frameworks. We don’t accept anyone with less than 5 years of experience.
  • No equity needed: Hire skilled React developers while retaining 100% ownership of your company.

Pricing: $75/hour

ReactSquad vs The Scalers Compared



ReactSquad The Scalers
Pricing/Hourly rate $75 per hour $50 - $99 per hour
Upfront costs? Unknown
How fast can you hire? Within 48 hours 4 - 8 weeks
Any other fees?

Can you hire a team? ✔️ ✔️
Free trial 1 week
Can you request a tech interview, live coding, or test task? ✔️ ✔️
Minimum project duration None Unknown

Where ReactSquad Beats The Scalers


ReactSquad The Scalers
Hiring is completed within 48 hours Hiring may take between 4-8 weeks
You can hire single devs or an entire team You must hire at least 5 developers

#2 Strider

Strider is a tech talent marketplace for finding, hiring, and retaining  vetted remote software developers sourced primarily from Latin America. They have a talent pool of over 70,000 developers skilled across several programming languages. Strider offers flexible engagement models from freelance to full-time teams.

Best for: VC-backed companies who need developers aligned with US time zones.

What Strider offers

  • Large talent pool: 70,000+ developers covering several technologies.
  • Multiple engagement options: You can hire freelance or full-time, or individual versus team models.

Pricing: Devs typically cost $60 - $120 per hour. 

Strider vs The Scalers Compared



Strider The Scalers
Pricing/Hourly rate $60 - $120 per hour $50 - $99 per hour
Upfront costs? Unknown
How fast can you hire? Up to 2 weeks 4 - 8 weeks
Any other fees?

Unknown

Can you hire a team? ✔️ ✔️
Free trial
Can you request a tech interview, live coding, or test task? ✔️ ✔️
Minimum project duration None Unknown

#3 Talmatic

Talmatic is an IT outstaffing and staff augmentation company, founded in 2017, with roots in project outsourcing. And while they can provide individual devs for hire, Talmatic prioritizes the provision of dedicated teams of developers for clients. Talmatic sources engineers from developer agencies based in Ukraine and Eastern Europe. They also assign a dedicated hiring consultant to handle each engagement with the client.

Best for: Mid-market businesses looking to build dedicated remote development teams. 

What Talmatic offers

  • Transparent pricing: Developers charge startup-friendly rates and you don’t have to pay any extra fees. 
  • Fast matching: Talmatic presents clients with developers within 24 hours, but onboarding may take up to two weeks depending on the engagement.

Pricing: Devs typically cost $35 - $50 per hour. Talmatic includes their platform fees in these rates so there are no additional fees to pay.

Talmatic vs The Scalers Compared



Talmatic The Scalers
Pricing/Hourly rate $40 - $75 per hour $50 - $99 per hour
Upfront costs? Unknown
How fast can you hire? Up to 2 weeks 4 - 8 weeks
Any other fees?

Can you hire a team? ✔️ ✔️
Free trial 1 week
Can you request a tech interview, live coding, or test task? ✔️ ✔️
Minimum project duration None Unknown

#4 Andela

Andela is a global talent hiring marketplace that connects companies with skilled software engineers from Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Asia. With a talent network of more than 150,000 professionals across several countries, Andela uses its AI-powered Talent Decision Engine™ and AI-driven assessments to recruit developers into its talent pool and match them with client needs.

Best for: Enterprises that need to scale engineering teams quickly.

What Andela offers

  • Large talent pool: Andela has a pool of nearly 150k developers across many countries. 
  • AI-powered matching: It uses AI to match clients with devs who match their needs.
  • Long term contracts: All Andela client engagements are annual contracts with monthly billing cycles.

Pricing: Andela charges an average monthly flat rate of up to $15,000 per developer. Considering that initial contracts are signed for at least 12 months, you could be paying as much as $180,000 a year. If you choose to hire a full-time developer, you'll pay an extra $50,000 direct hiring fee. 

Andela vs The Scalers Compared



Andela The Scalers
Pricing/Hourly rate $50 - $115 per hour $50 - $99 per hour
Upfront costs? Unknown
How fast can you hire? Up to 2 weeks 4 - 8 weeks
Any other fees?

Can you hire a team? ✔️ ✔️
Free trial
Can you request a tech interview, live coding, or test task? ✔️ ✔️
Minimum project duration 12 months Unknown

#5 X-Team

X-Team is a tech hiring platform that provides on-demand remote software developers to US-based startups and enterprise companies.

Best for: Companies that want to scale their engineering teams with multiple developers.

What X-Team offers

  • Account Managers: Each client is assigned a dedicated account for easier assistance and close collaboration. 
  • Handpicked matching: All developers are handpicked by human recruiters.

Pricing: Around $50 - $100 per hour. 

X-Team vs The Scalers Compared



X-Team The Scalers
Pricing/Hourly rate $50 - $100 per hour $50 - $99 per hour
Upfront costs? Unknown
How fast can you hire? Up to 3 weeks 4 - 8 weeks
Any other fees?

Can you hire a team? ✔️ ✔️
Free trial
Can you request a tech interview, live coding, or test task? ✔️ ✔️
Minimum project duration 3 months Unknown

Quick Comparison of The Scalers & Alternatives



The Scalers ReactSquad Strider Talmatic Andela X-Team
Hourly rates $50 - $99+

$75+

$60 - $120+ $40 - $75+ $50 - $115+ $50 - $100+
How fast can you hire 4 weeks

48 hours

2 weeks 2 weeks 2 weeks 2 weeks

Upfront/

Extra fees?

Free trial

7 days 7 days

Minimum commitment

12 months 3 months

Can you hire many devs?

Manual matching?

Which Developer Hiring Platform Should You Choose?

Here are the best alternatives for different use cases and scenarios. 


Use Case Option 1 Option 2
You want to hire fast ReactSquad Andela
Hiring for React-specific projects ReactSquad N/A
You want to hire for the long term Andela X-Team
You want senior developers with 5+ years of experience Strider ReactSquad
You need quality devs at an affordable price ReactSquad Talmatic
You want to hire many devs ReactSquad X-Team
Hiring for enterprise-level projects X-Team Andela
You want a broad tech stack Andela Strider

Final Thoughts

The Scalers is a solid option if you’re looking to build a larger offshore team and don’t mind the longer setup time. Their model makes sense for established businesses that want a managed, long-term solution. At the same time, the alternatives listed here offer different strengths from faster hiring cycles to more flexible pricing and engagement models.

If your project is built with React.js, it’s best to work with developers who live and breathe that tech stack. ReactSquad’s engineers are senior React specialists who’ve been thoroughly vetted through interviews and paid test projects. With their experience, you get React developers who can start shipping code almost immediately.

Get started with a 7-day trial. Schedule a call with us today!

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About the Author
Jan Hesters
CTO, ReactSquad
What's up, this is Jan, CTO of ReactSquad. After studying physics, I ventured into the startup world and became a programmer. As the 7th employee at Hopin, I helped grow the company from a $6 million to a $7.7 billion valuation until it was partly sold in 2023.

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