The 12 Best Software Development Companies of 2024

Let me start by saying that this list of the “best software development companies out there” may be a bit different from what you’re used to seeing online.

That’s mostly because I don’t think you can simply select five, 10, or 15 software development companies and say they are the best. Just like you can’t say that someone would be the perfect co-founder for any startup. It’s actually a disservice to anyone looking for the best possible partner.

But before I show you how I’m solving that in this article, let me give you a bit more context regarding my perspective:

I’ve spent my entire career working in tech. I started out working in a marketing agency that served some of the biggest tech companies in Portugal such as Novabase & Glintt.

For the last four years, I’ve been working at Altar helping over 60 projects across three different continents. Ranging from early-stage startups that have gone on to raise money from the likes of Tiger Global to enterprise-level organisations like IBM.

My experience has shown me that alignment, team composition, money and the time you have to complete your roadmap all have their own intricacies and all play a vital role in the decision you’re about to make.

In other words, your software development needs are unique to your specific situation.

So, instead of keeping the list generic, I’ve split it into three categories to try to help you narrow down your search right out of the gate.

I’ve also included some tips and tricks on how to successfully choose a software development company for your business — as well as some stories from founders who’ve already done it successfully.

But before I get to the list, I want to go through the factors you should consider before onboarding a software development company.

What to Look for in a Software Development Company

On top of choosing the right type of software development company for your needs, you also need to ensure that the software development company you do business with is both reputable and compatible with your startup.

To do that, there are several key factors you need to assess, starting with your mindset as you go into the process.

1. Alignment Mindset

Successfully working with a software development company is a two-way street. To be successful you need to reach full alignment.

When it comes to finding and onboarding an agency, you need to treat them with the same parameters as you would internal employees. In other words, look at soft skills as much as you do hard skills. They need to be passionate, fully committed and obsessed with creating a shared vision for your project. They need to be transparent about resource allocation and roadmaps.

We’ll dig into these factors further down the list but it’s important to keep this in mind as you begin your search.

Moreover, as you work with a software development company, you need to keep ensuring that you’re fully aligned at every step of the process — and the agency you’re working with should be doing the same.

Your partner needs to speak your “language”. I don’t mean this literally (although that’s a big help). I mean they need to understand your vision and business and that they have a mindset that aligns with your working culture.

It’s a critical factor that can make or break a business relationship.

Now let’s dig into the more technical things you need to look for in a software development company.

An Entrepreneur’s Advice

As a founder starting out, I was challenged, I was pushed and I was given support by the agency I worked with. In the same way, my other co-founders pushed and challenged me throughout our journey.

At times we truly felt that they cared more about our success than maybe we did. Not only do they have a deep understanding of the field of software development, but they possibly have a deeper understanding of what a successful product should encompass.

That’s what you need to find if you want a successful partnership.

Haider Baig, CEO & Founder, Curve

2. Tech Expertise

There are no two ways about it, you need to make sure that the software development company that you hire has the right technical expertise to tackle your project.

By this I mean, do they work in the right technical stack for your startup’s needs?

Choosing the right tech stack is a business decision that, if made poorly, can cause a lot of headaches down the road — and you need to be part of the conversation.

That said, I wouldn’t take on this decision alone. Even if you know the basics of tech, I would highly recommend bringing in a technical advisor to help with your advice.

Unfortunately, many agencies will still try and talk you around to using their favoured tech stack even if it’s not right for you. And, if you’re non-technical, it can be hard to spot whether the agency you’re talking to is doing exactly that or not.

Once you have an idea of the technology you should be working with, you can then target agencies that use those technologies.

Which is where the third item on this list, experience, comes in.

But, before we get to that, I want to make one last point about the technical expertise of the agency you’re talking to.

And that is, beware the generalist.

Rarely, a good software development company (or a skilled developer for that matter) will be an expert in every tech stack on the planet.

Smart technologists will focus their efforts on mastering one or two stacks. An example of this is a company that specialises in Javascript frameworks.

For that reason, if a company turns around to you and says “We can code all stacks and technologies” avoid them like the plague.

They may well be able to “code in all stacks and technologies” but the results will most likely be extremely average — if you’re lucky.

If you’re unlucky, you’ll be left with an unusable platform that will have to be rebuilt from scratch.

3. Experience

It’s critical to understand the previous work of an agency before you sign on the dotted line.

First, examine their portfolio. It will give you a good initial insight into the problems they have solved and, more importantly, the technology required for those solutions.

I would also recommend requesting case studies (if they’re not already available on the agency’s website) so that you can dive deeper into specific projects. Especially those that are relevant to your own in terms of tech requirements.

That said, it’s not enough to go on their portfolio alone. One of the quickest ways to get a peek behind the curtain of a software development company is to talk to their previous clients.

This information should be relatively easy to find, especially if the company has case studies on their website.

You can also ask the agency directly for the contacts of previous clients. Most reputable companies will be happy to do this — and if they’re not there may be questions in there as to why that is.

You should also take into consideration the credentials of the team itself. The qualifications of the individual developers, project managers, product experts, designers etc.

Again, I would suggest asking the software development company for some information on who might be working on your project.

4. Compatible Pricing

If you’re like the majority of early-stage startups on the planet you’ll understand it when I say every penny counts.

Each dollar/euro/pound you spend needs to provide value — and software development will be a significant chunk of your investment.

You must find a software development company that’s compatible with your budget and runway.

But remember, ‘compatible’ doesn’t always mean ‘cheapest’.

Choosing a development company merely because it offers the lowest rates can be a dangerous pitfall. The old adage, ‘you get what you pay for’, is often true in the world of software development.

Extremely low prices translate to low quality, missed deadlines, poor communication, or even worse, a project left unfinished.

On the other hand, high prices do not guarantee the best quality either.

A high price tag could simply reflect a company’s overhead costs or its brand reputation, rather than its ability to deliver superior-quality software.

Hence, compatible pricing is about balance. It’s about finding a development company that can deliver high-quality software at a cost that aligns with your budget.

This requires careful evaluation. Ask potential partners for detailed proposals and breakdowns of their pricing. This should include their hourly rates, cost per milestone, and any additional charges for services like maintenance or support.

Also, consider the pricing models they offer, whether it’s fixed price or time and materials.

A fixed-price model can be more suitable for projects with clear and unchanging requirements.

However, as an early-stage startup, you may want to go for a time-and-materials model. It’s what works best when project requirements are likely to change and evolve.

Which brings me to my next point, flexibility.

5. Flexibility

Startups, by their nature, are fast-paced and dynamic. They are continually maturing, adapting to market trends, and pivoting when necessary.

And big corporations are now starting to follow these same trends to stay competitive in an evolving market.

This means that the requirements of their software development can change frequently and sometimes dramatically.

Therefore, it’s crucial to choose a software development company that can demonstrate a high degree of flexibility.

Flexibility in a software development company means that they are prepared to adapt their strategies, methodologies, and practices based on your startup’s evolving needs.

This can take many forms, from being able to scale their resources up or down based on the project’s demands to adjusting project timelines as priorities shift.

You need to make sure that, during the development process, they’ll be comfortable adding new features, modifying existing ones or even removing features if needed.

Moreover, you need to make sure that the development methodologies they use are also flexible by nature.

Bringing me swiftly to the importance of bringing in an agency that uses a Lean approach.

6. A Lean Approach

The Lean Approach in software development is characterised by a focus on creating minimum viable products (MVPs) — functional yet minimal versions of a new product or service that are designed to gather user feedback early and often.

This means you can test your assumptions about your product and market, learn from user feedback, and make necessary adjustments before significant resources are invested.

A software development company that embraces the Lean Approach will focus on delivering an MVP first, and then iteratively building on it based on real-world user feedback.

They understand that ‘perfect is the enemy of good enough’, and prioritise getting a functional product in the hands of users as quickly as possible.

In addition to building MVPs, a Lean software development company will focus on continuous improvement.

They will collect and analyse user feedback, conduct A/B testing, and use other data-driven methods to continually refine and improve the product.

This iterative approach allows for constant learning and adapting, which is crucial in the rapidly changing startup environment.

Another aspect of the Lean Approach is the principle of eliminating waste.

This means that the software development company should focus on streamlining processes and avoiding unnecessary work.

This can include anything from eliminating redundant meetings to using automation to speed up routine tasks.

7. Passion & Commitment

The software development company you choose to help you build your startup product must be passionate.

It may sound obvious, but it’s a vital factor to look for in an agency.

More than understanding your business vision, they need to be excited by it — otherwise, full alignment will simply be impossible.

More than that, if they’re excited and passionate about what you’re trying to achieve, they’ll be far more likely to commit fully to your startup.

If they don’t fully commit, you’ll end up with sub-par results — it’s as simple as that.

One of the easiest ways to find out if the software development company you’re talking with actually cares about your project is to see if they say yes to everything you bring to them,

If they do, then they just want your project done so they can go and cash your check.

On the other hand, if they challenge your ideas, share their experience and expertise and help you mould your vision it shows that they want to help you build the best product for you and your startup.

This will make it far more likely that you build a high-quality product, which translates to increased chances of success once you launch.

An Entrepreneur’s Advice

Outsourcing successfully is about the joint ownership of the outcome of your product.

It’s about you coming away from the experience with a product that you’re proud of. It’s about the agency feeling proud that they’ve delivered an amazing product to you.

That is a successful relationship.

At each milestone, you should be able to look back knowing you’ve achieved something better than you expected.

Adil Kurt-Elli, CEO & Founder, Synch

8. A Structured Roadmap

Another obvious yet important point is centred around ensuring the software development company you’re speaking with will have a structured roadmap in place for your product.

If they don’t, deliverables will quickly get lost in the process and you’ll be left behind schedule and over budget.

So you need to ensure that the agency you’re talking with can give you a clear idea of the roadmap they intend to put in place before you jump into bed with them.

9. Transparent Communication

Lastly, communication needs to be on your mind if you’re considering working with a software development company.

Full alignment is impossible without transparent communication (from both sides).

The first step is to outline and agree with them on how you’ll communicate — whether it’s email, Slack, etc.

Next, you need to agree on the frequency of that communication (weekly, bi-weekly, etc.) as well as the process behind communicating any urgent matters that arise throughout the project.

I recommend that all of this is agreed upon, once again, before you kick off the process and formally onboard them.

10. Avoid a Lock-In

Be vigilant to prevent falling into the trap of a “lock-in nightmare”, which can take two forms:

Legal Lock-In

Ensure that your intellectual property (IP) rights aren’t compromised once the project concludes. If you want to maintain the option to collaborate with other entities in the future, or even bring operations in-house, it’s essential to sign an agreement that allows you to transfer your code to other service providers.

Regrettably, there are some unscrupulous organizations that still employ these archaic consulting tactics. Be mindful of the terms you’re agreeing to. The intellectual property should either be entirely yours, or the software development company should own it but grant you a perpetual license without additional charges.

Without such provisions, you could end up in an involuntary partnership, forcing you into a legal entanglement or worse, losing your ability to utilize the code down the line.

Code Lock-In

Engaging with a software development firm that doesn’t adhere to industry norms may result in them being the only ones who can decipher your platform. This means you could find yourself bound to them, unable to transfer your product to other providers as they wouldn’t be able to comprehend your code. It’s essential that the software development company complies with industry best practices for project management and documentation. The most effective way to ascertain this is to refer back to their experience and track record. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

11. Leverage Your Partner’s Expertise

Sure, you could onboard a software development company, provide them with a list of desired features, and let them get on with it — you might end up with a half-decent product.

However, a top-tier, seasoned agency would have assisted in the growth of numerous businesses across various sectors.

So, why not leverage the valuable insights they can offer you?

From product to technology, a dedicated software development company that participates actively and pushes your notions will enhance your product.

This serves as a tremendous resource for your company, and you should aim to utilize their knowledge to enrich your own whenever possible.

With all that said, let’s get to the list.

The Best Software Development Companies Based on Your Specific Needs

As I mentioned, every business is looking for different things when it comes to development.

Some are looking for a team of people to help with everything, including product, design and development. For example, a founder with a business vision, who needs a full team behind them to turn that vision into a reality.

Others have already undertaken the product rationale, have already narrowed it down to a list of features and just need a team of developers to bring it to life. For example, a business leader who already has an internal team of product managers who have already got a well-defined feature list.

Lastly, some are simply looking to augment their team with highly-skilled IT professionals to fill in the gaps in their team. Such as a growing SME who’s simply looking to beef up their development team to help them grow their business and take it to the next level.

Those are the three categories for this list.

In the interest of full transparency…

The criteria from this list were not only taken from technical reviews from platforms such as Clutch & Goodfirms.

My team and I also looked at organic signals and market presence.

As we operate in this industry, we used our experience to look into each company’s portfolio to ensure they’re established and have a proven track record.

This is not a sponsored list and neither I nor Altar.io will receive affiliate income from any of the companies listed should you choose to work with them.

I also want you to know we are on this list, for reasons I will disclose in that specific section.

I wanted to bring it to light here, however, as most similar articles not only list themselves in a shady way — but also share a list of companies mostly unknown.

And It makes sense. You get in front of a lot of potential buyers, without the true competition around.

I’m actually listing the other top dogs in the game.

After four years of leading the market efforts here at Altar, these are the companies that consistently show up in listings, awards, review platforms, etc. They’ve been around for a long time, with consistent work delivered. Most of them I’ve actually benchmarked when finetuning my own strategy.

I’m listing them for two reasons:

One, I’m sure you will be well served regardless of who you chose, so you’re actually getting the value you were looking for.

Two I’m ok with a bit of competition as long as I have a chance to explain why I’m the best option.

And although I know some people from these companies, at the time of writing this article, none of them even knew they’d be here.

Full Solutions from Ideation to Product & Development

Let’s start with the best options for you if you’re looking for a full turnkey solution for your business.

The companies below do more than simply execute on a list of features.

Instead, they try to understand what you want to build and try to help you shape and develop the best possible version of your product, taking an active role in all stages

Their services go beyond software development alone and often include product and UX/UI services to help you with the full process of bringing a product to life.

Altar.io

Pricing: $50 — $99/hr
Minimum Project Size: $25,000+
Location: Portugal
Team Size: 40+

As you may have noticed by the logo on the top left corner, I’m part of the first name on this list. And although this is a common practice in similar lists, one thing makes this different: I have zero issues disclosing it.

We have won multiple awards for our work, from topping Goodfirm’s “Industry Leaders Matrix” to winning Clutch’s “Top Global Service Providers” award multiple years running.

Moreover, I have a quick clip from former HSBC managing director turned entrepreneur, Adil Kurt-Elli, that can help you understand why.

As well as a string of testimonials that speak for themselves, with clients often referring to us as their “extended team of co-founders.”

This doesn’t come as a surprise as it aligns completely with how we undertake projects here.

Our leadership team is made up of ex-startup founders who have all been in your shoes. In short, the startup ecosystem is in our DNA.

Since 2015, we’ve designed and built high-quality, user-centric software products for entrepreneurs and business leaders.

But our entrepreneurial experience also allows us to add extra layers of value to your journey. This is why we’re often referred to as an extension of your team as opposed to a supplier.

It’s this ethos of working, and the proven processes we’ve developed, that have resulted in our clients achieving funding from firms like Tiger Global and winning awards like “Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in the World”.

We’ve worked with early-stage startups like Apiax & Fave that have gone on to disrupt their sectors as well as industry-leading enterprises like IBM and Coca-Cola.

The process at Altar.io begins with an in-depth session with product experts to outline your business’s product vision, leading to the development of user stories for your Minimum Viable Product (MVP).

This shapes the key screens and the comprehensive UX/UI design. Post-approval, initial implementation can start, progressively delivering app modules for continuous testing. Subsequent to rigorous bug-fixing and final testing, your MVP is market-ready.

Following the launch, Altar will leverage user feedback to consistently enhance your product.

Services: Custom Software Development, MVP Builder, Product Rationale, Scoping & Development, UX/UI Design, AI Development, BI & Big Data Consulting & SI.

Tech: NodeJs, Angular, NextJs, Express, Flutter, React, Vue, Kubernetes, Docker, CircleCI, TensorFlow, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, InfluxDB, DynamoDB, Ledger, RabbitMQ, AWS SQS, ELK, EFK, EKS

What Clients Are Saying

“They truly are a one-of-a-kind and exceptional organization. At times we truly felt that Altar.io cared more about our success than maybe we did.

Not only do they have a deep understanding of their field of software development, but they possibly have a deeper understanding of what a successful product should encompass.”

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Haider Baig, Co-Founder, Curve Communications

Brainhub

Pricing: $50-$99/hr
Minimum Project Size: $25,000+
Location: Poland
Team Size: 50–250

Brainhub is a Poland-based software development company that focuses on digital acceleration.

On top of developing high-quality software, they assign business analysts to their cross-functional teams to help you achieve your objectives more efficiently.

They’ve worked with clients such as National Geographic and Paradox Interactive and have won a slew of awards such as the Deloitte Rising Star Award and Forbes Diamond Award.

Services: Web Development (JavaScript, .NET, TypeScript, Node.js, React.js, Electron.js, React Native, NestJS), Mobile App development, UX/UI Design, Product Development

What Clients Are Saying

“The team has been great at achieving our goals. The team excels at communicating, collaborating, and meeting deadlines.”

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Emily Chambers, Senior Product Manager, The Business of Fashion

You Are Launched

Pricing: $25 — $49/hr
Minimum Project Size: $25,000+
Location: Cyprus
Team Size: 50–250

You Are Launched is a software development company that focuses on scalable custom MVP App Development.

They are lean startup evangelists who focus on wise development by focusing on the product and the features that are absolutely necessary to bring your MVP to market as quickly and as budget-friendly as possible.

They’ve launched over 70 startups with 20 of them getting to profit a year later. Their clients have gone on to accelerator programs like YC Startup School & Techstars.

Services: Custom Software Development, Product Rationale and Scoping, UX/UI Design, iOS/Android App Development.

What Clients Are Saying

“I’ve been most impressed with the team’s expertise and efficiency; they’ve worked very quickly.”

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Antoine Cottin, CEO, Olyseus Innovations

Relevant Software

Pricing: $50 — $99/hr
Minimum Project Size: $50,000+
Location: Ukraine
Team Size: 50–249

Relevant is a custom software development company that designs and builds products from the ground up. They’ve worked with over 200 companies ranging from startups all the way up to Fortune 500 companies.

They have a dynamic, cross-functional team consisting of software engineers, designers and business strategists who all share a common goal: to create world-class software products that set your business apart from competitors.

Services: Web & Mobile Development, UX/UI Design, QA, Business Analysis, Product Discovery, Product Management, DevOps, Cyber Security.

What Clients Are Saying

“Their team consists of skilled and goal-oriented people who provide resources and offer comprehensive solutions.”

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Yurii Vasylkiv, Executive Director, Eleteria Inc.

Pure Development

Next, let’s look at the best custom software development companies if you have already done some of the product development, have a list of features ready to go and are just looking for the best agency to build that list out.

Sciencesoft

Pricing: $50 — $99/hr
Minimum Project Size: $5,000+
Location: USA
Team Size: 250+

Sciencesoft is a top software development company based in Texas, USA. Established for over 30 years they have a wealth of experience outsourcing software development.

They have been providing IT outsourcing to clients in banking, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, communication, entertainment and more.

Services: Custom Software Development — Microsoft.net, Java, C++

What Clients Are Saying

“We always had an honest and trustworthy relationship: I trusted their guidance and their actions.”

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pete Kraft, Telecommunications Company

Intellectsoft

Pricing: $25 — $49/ hr
Minimum Project Size: $50,000+
Location: USA
Employees: 50–250

Intellectsoft is a software development company that provides cutting-edge engineering solutions for global organizations looking to outsource software development.

The Company’s services portfolio offers strategic IT consulting, CX design, development and full lifecycle management of custom software products and applications, and system integration. They also provide ongoing support through their IS360 framework.

For over a decade now the company has been helping hundreds of clients from various industries and hi-tech sectors with technology stacks on their way to full digital transformation.

Services: Custom Software Development (NativeScript, Javascript, TypeScrit, React, Angular), Mobile App Development, Web Development, Enterprise App Modernisation

What Clients Are Saying

“They understood the specifics of our industry where we operate and created the product that we needed to have. Everything was handled professionally.”

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Eugene Ipatko, VP, EHOLD Group

MerixStudio

Pricing: $50 — $99/hr
Minimum Project Size: $25,000+
Location: Poland
Team Size: 50–250

Merixstudio is a custom, full-stack software development company specialising in high-quality web and cross-platform mobile apps. They serve companies of all sizes looking to outsource software development.

Their clients recognise them as one of the leading software development companies as they deliver high-quality products in line with industry standards.

Services: Web Applications — JavaScript (Angular, React, Node.js), Python (Django, Flask), PHP (Symfony, Laravel), Mobile & Cross-Platform Frameworks — React Native, Flutter.

What Clients Are Saying

“Merixstudio was great across the board. Working with them was such a phenomenal experience.”

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ben Huddleston, Senior Software Developer, Biocore

Fingent

Pricing: $25 — $49/hr
Minimum Project Size: $25,000+
Location: USA
Employees: 300+

Fingent’s expertise lies in enterprise web and mobile solutions. It partners with clients to deliver solutions rapidly within budget limits.

This IT outsourcing firm engineers custom solutions from its headquarters in New York. Their client base ranges from startups to big corp.

They have two decades of experience behind them and have worked with over 700 projects across four continents in that time.

Services: Software Development — Microsoft Azure, Microsoft.net, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Dynamics, Microsoft Visual Basic, SharePoint. Mobile — React Native, Native iOS, Native Android.

What Clients Are Saying

“It has been nice to have a ‘one-stop-shop’ experience where all elements of the development have been handled.”

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Justine Wagner, Executive Assistant, Security Services Northwest

Pure Staff Augmentation

Finally, let’s look at the best software development companies that specialise in staff augmentation. If you already have some technical prowess on your internal team and are just looking for experienced software developers to muscle up your team, these are the agencies you should consider.

BairesDev

Pricing: $50 — $99/hr
Minimum Project Size: $50,000+
Location: USA
Team Size: 4,000+

For the last decade, BairesDev has helped startups, SMBs and Fortune 500 companies augment their tech teams.

Their 4,000+ strong talent pool of vetter software professionals has helped clients like Google and Rolls Royce fill the gaps in their IT teams and achieve their business goals.

They’ve delivered over 1200 successful projects across 100 industries and have become the gold standard in staff augmentation, winning awards like Inc. Magazines “America’s Fastest Growing Companies.

Services: Staff augmentation for Full-Stack Custom Software Development, QA and Testing, AI and Data Science, Mobile App Development & UX/UI Design

What Clients Are Saying

“Their project management has been responsive and the team has been on top of all the details.”

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Jack Reibling, VP of Technology, RevUnit

StartupSoft

Pricing: $25 — $49/hr
Minimum Project Size: $100,000+
Location: USA
Team Size: 50–250

StartupSoft is fully committed to helping startups augment their IT teams to help them bring their products to life in a lean way.

They help you bring in a team of skilled developers while keeping full control of your dev processes while they take care of the payroll and taxes of the developer.

They’ve already helped over 100 startups augment their development teams and 90% of their clients are VC-backed startups, including firms such as a16z and 500 Startups.

Services: Staff Augmentation for Full-Stack Development Teams.

What Clients Are Saying

“They bring everything to the table. The best way to put it is that I’d have given up on this dream if not for StartupSoft. In retrospect, I can’t see a scenario where this works out without them.”

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cory McKane, Founder & CEO, WeStrive

Devlane

Pricing: $25 — $50/hr
Minimum Project Size: $10,000+
Location: Uruguay
Team Size: 50–250

Devlane is a Latin American staff augmentation provider that helps US-based companies (from startups to enterprise-grade institutions) scale their tech teams.

They have over 10 years of successfully carrying out nearshore operations and have won multiple awards including Top 5 Global Software Development Outsourcing Companies from Clutch.

They regularly add to their growing talent pool and ensure they have all the hard and soft skills to fit your requirements before you speak to them to ensure they’re the right fit for you.

Services: Staff augmentation for Custom Software Development, Mobile Development, App Development, QA Testing, and Data Engineers.

What Clients Are Saying

“Their talent acquisition team has their hiring process down and is wonderful to work with.

Once the resources are hired, they helped us with their onboarding process and then oversee the teammates on their side.”

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Justin Ho, Senior Offshore Program Manager, Flipp

10Pearls

Pricing: $25 — $50/hr
Minimum Project Size: $50,000+
Location: USA
Team Size: 1,000+

Boasting over 18 years in the realm of software outsourcing, 10Pearls has honed its expertise as a digital ally. This firm employs a global network of talent in tandem with its domestic facilities to support businesses around the globe in their quest for innovation, expansion, and transparent operations.

Whether the task involves adapting an existing platform, crafting prototype software, or constructing and deploying intricate tech solutions for large-scale businesses, their globally dispersed team of professionals is ready and able to provide swift and fail-safe solutions.

Services Staff Augmentation for Enterprise Software, Mobile & Web Development, QA, Data Analytics, UX/UI, and Product Management

What Clients Are Saying

“They offer a lot of value based on their skills, talent, and rate.”

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sebastian Souza, Head of Product Engineering, Technisys

Examples of Entrepreneurs Who Successfully Worked With a Software Development Company

Earlier in this article, I mentioned that building a startup with a software development company is not just feasible, but can be one of the best ways to get your product into the hands of users efficiently.

Here are three stories of founders who did just that.

Building a Startup Without a Technical Co-Founder

Dudley Gould is the founder of Audapio — a digital platform that leveraged open banking to provide auditors with secure, real-time access to client bank statements directly from the bank.

He had the industry knowledge to turn his idea into a business vision — but he had no way to actually bring it to life.

No experience launching a startup, limited tech expertise and no co-founders.

He spent months looking for a technical co-founder, believing it was the only viable option for his startup.

He came up empty-handed. Which is when he widened his search to software development companies.

This decision allowed him to quickly build and launch Audapio — and led to it being quickly acquired by Circit — the world’s industry leader in auditing platforms.

Check out Dudley’s full story here.

How to Find The Right Software Development Company for Your Startup

The next tale of this section comes from Adil Kurt-Elli.

His career started at one of the biggest law firms in London, Linklaters.

Then, in 2005, he moved to HSBC, one of the world’s largest banks.

He then spent the next 14 years in banking. In that time he learned a lot about the pain points in the industry.

And, critically, he learned how to improve on those pain points and, sometimes, remove them completely.

That’s what made him take the decision to build his own company.

His idea? To create a platform that changes the way fixed-income professionals can operate in modern financial markets.

But, by his own volition, he’s not a tech person — or as he puts it “I qualified as a lawyer on the other side of the millennium”.

So he decided to reach out to a software development company to help him turn his vision into a reality.

And once he’d found the right fit he never looked back because he found a team of people that went the extra mile for him.

Or as he puts it:

The most valuable thing about finding the right software development company is finding a team of people who can genuinely add more value to your startup than simply executing what you ask them to. It takes your product to a whole new level.
As I mentioned before, we could’ve gone with any number of agencies to simply execute the code. There are hundreds of teams that will do that for you.

But, in doing that, we wouldn’t have got a product with a “wow factor” for our users.

It’s the challenging product and user experience conversations that will lead to a product that far exceeds your original vision and scope. It will simply be built in a better way.

To find a partner like that you need to do your groundwork.

A good software development company isn’t simply about coding, it’s about product outcome. Really think hard about the decision to ensure you find a team that can add real value to your product.

Check out Adil’s full story here.

A Tech Founder’s Experience Working with a Software Development Company

The last story I want to share with you today comes from Sachin Tandon — one of the co-founders behind Ovvio.

Ovvio is a platform that was born out of a need to connect humans with other humans to solve daily tasks with the help of someone else’s knowledge.

Despite his tech background, he and his co-founders decided to look for a software development company to help build their product.

They decided that it was far more advantageous to bring in a team of experts who spent every day building startups rather than try to go at it alone.

But they ended up getting much more than that, as Sachin puts it himself:

What we got was a much deeper business relationship in which we had full alignment with a group of product and technical experts who were capable of fully understanding our vision.
Moreover, they were able to help us scope it in such a way that I feel like we even overachieved in the collaboration.

The team became an extended team of co-founders for us.

This allowed them to rapidly build out their MVP and successfully launch it in the market.

You can read more about Sachin’s story here.

Wrapping Up

It’s important to reiterate that choosing between software development companies for your startup is no small task.

It’s a vital decision that can either elevate your business or present unanticipated challenges. Your choice will shape your startup’s future, from the initial MVP development to scaling up as your business expands.

Remember, while the software development companies highlighted in this article are the cream of the crop, the ‘best’ is subjective to your startup’s specific needs and the compatibility between you and your potential technical partner.

You must do your due diligence and foster a solid relationship with your chosen software development company.

My key piece of advice as you embark on this critical step is, don’t rush. Take your time, reflect on your needs, consider your options, and when you’re ready, make a well-informed decision.

Thanks for reading.