File 01 · Dedicated dev teams
Full Scale
8.0/10
Filed under Staff augmentation (dedicated developers) · HQ: Overland Park, KS, United States · Staff in: Philippines
Full Scale is a Kansas-based staff augmentation firm that places senior Philippine engineers on client teams at a published all-inclusive rate. Small teams are common, but the usual minimum engagement is three months.
- Price
- From $35/hr
- Smallest start
- Most clients start with 1-3 engineers; minimum engagement is typically 3 months
- Trial
- Two-week money-back guarantee if the engineer isn't a fit
- Replacement
- Finds a better match if an engineer isn't a fit, usually within 1-2 weeks
- Notice
- 30 days' notice, no long-term contract
- Fees
- No setup fees and $0 recruiting fees; one flat rate covers salary, benefits, equipment, workspace and management
- Founded
- 2018
- Reviews
- 5/5 on Clutch (18 reviews)
What we like
- Publishes a starting rate: $35/hr and up, fully loaded, per senior engineer
- Two-week money-back guarantee, no setup fees and no recruiting fees
- Senior-only bench with a stated applicant acceptance rate under 3%
What to watch
- Minimum engagement is typically 3 months, then 30 days' notice
- Philippines only, with 4-6 hours of overlap with US business hours
- You manage the engineers' day-to-day work yourself
Score breakdown and sources
Talent & screening (20%)
Senior engineers only, under 3% applicant acceptance and a published live-interview scorecard
8/10 Pricing transparency (20%)
Publishes a fully loaded starting rate of $35/hr per senior engineer, with rates locked for 12 months
8/10 Small-business access (15%)
Most clients start with 1-3 engineers, but the minimum engagement is typically 3 months
7/10 Terms & guarantees (15%)
Two-week money-back guarantee, replacement in 1-2 weeks, 30 days' notice, no setup or recruiting fees
8/10 Track record (15%)
Since 2018, 350+ engineers and 80+ active clients; Clutch 5.0 from 18 reviews
7/10 Management & reporting (15%)
Performance management and technical leadership support; client directs the work; 4-6 hours of US overlap
7/10 Fit for this page (30% of the page score)
Core business is dedicated software engineers placed on client teams
9/10 Sources: Full Scale's pricing and about pages; Clutch profile. Checked October 2026.
Full Full Scale profile: pricing, terms and alternatives →
File 02 · Dedicated dev teams
Cloud Employee
7.6/10
Filed under Staff augmentation (dedicated developers) · HQ: Miami, FL, United States · Staff in: Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Philippines
Cloud Employee is a staff augmentation firm that sources, vets and employs senior engineers in Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Philippines for one fixed monthly fee. Its terms are flexible, but prices are only shared on request.
- Price
- Not published
- Smallest start
- 1-month rolling contract; priced per engineer, no minimum team size published
- Trial
- Not published
- Replacement
- Replaces engineers at no cost; if the match isn't right in the first 90 days, a new shortlist arrives within 7 days
- Notice
- 30 days' notice to end an engagement
- Fees
- No upfront, recruitment or setup fees; optional direct-hire conversion after 12 months for a pre-agreed fee (amount not published)
- Founded
- 2014
- Reviews
- 4.8/5 on G2 (13 reviews)
What we like
- One-month rolling contract with 30 days' notice
- Free replacement, with a new shortlist within 7 days if the match fails in the first 90 days
- Senior engineers run live coding interviews on your stack, plus background checks
What to watch
- No published rates; the price calculator asks for a work email
- Converting an engineer to your own payroll after 12 months carries a fee (amount not published)
- Few public client reviews (13 on G2, 3 on Clutch)
Score breakdown and sources
Talent & screening (20%)
Live pair-programming interviews by senior engineers, background checks and psychometric tests; about 2 profiles shown per 100+ candidates
8/10 Pricing transparency (20%)
Fixed monthly fee model, but no rates published; calculator is gated behind an email
4/10 Small-business access (15%)
Priced per engineer on a 1-month rolling contract
8/10 Terms & guarantees (15%)
No upfront fees, replacement at no cost, 30 days' notice; conversion fee amount not published
8/10 Track record (15%)
Since 2014, 1,600+ engineers embedded; G2 4.8 from 13 reviews
7/10 Management & reporting (15%)
Dedicated account manager, check-in after month one, quarterly reviews and performance coaching
8/10 Fit for this page (30% of the page score)
Specialist in embedding dedicated software engineers
9/10 Sources: Cloud Employee's pricing, process and about pages; G2 profile; Clutch profile. Checked October 2026.
Full Cloud Employee profile: pricing, terms and alternatives →
File 03 · Dedicated dev teams
VA MASTERSParent company
7.6/10
Filed under Managed remote staffing · HQ: Global company · Staff in: Philippines (assistants and specialists); Ukraine (developers)
A managed remote-staffing agency that places dedicated assistants, specialists and developers, with published rates, a 30-day trial and free replacements. VA MASTERS is the parent company of this site's publisher and is scored with the same rubric as everyone else.
- Price
- $12–$25/hr
- Smallest start
- One person; 80 hours/month recommended, fewer hours possible
- Trial
- 30-day trial: end anytime, no notice
- Replacement
- Free; new candidates usually in about 2 business days
- Notice
- None during the trial; notice period after
- Fees
- No recruitment or setup fees; a refundable deposit is part of the first invoice
- Founded
- 2021
- Reviews
- Average 5/5 on Trustpilot, Indeed and Glassdoor
What we like
- Published rate card by role category, plus a plain-English terms summary
- Start with one person, part-time if needed; no seat minimum
- 30-day trial with no notice period, then free replacement if the fit isn't right
- 6-stage screening; about 1 in 508 applicants accepted (Jan 2025–Jul 2026)
What to watch
- Costs more than hiring a freelancer yourself through a job board, because screening, replacement and support are included
- Asks for your input early on (role brief, interviews) to get the match right
- After the 30-day trial a notice period applies, and the first invoice includes a refundable deposit
- Founded in 2021, younger than most companies in these rankings
- Places dedicated individuals, not large seat-based teams with a floor supervisor
Score breakdown and sources
Talent & screening (20%)
6-stage screening, 400,000+ applicant database, published acceptance rate of about 1 in 508; background-check details not published
8/10 Pricing transparency (20%)
Rate card by role category and terms summary published; deposit amount not published
9/10 Small-business access (15%)
One person, part-time possible (80 hours/month recommended, fewer allowed); no seat minimum
8/10 Terms & guarantees (15%)
30-day trial with no notice, free replacement, no recruitment or setup fees; notice period after the trial and a refundable deposit
8/10 Track record (15%)
Founded 2021; 1,000+ placements and 500+ clients; average 5/5 on Trustpilot, Indeed and Glassdoor
7/10 Management & reporting (15%)
Ongoing support and replacement handling from the recruitment team; no account-manager tier or reporting dashboard published
7/10 Fit for this page (30% of the page score)
Dedicated developers and development teams based in Ukraine
7/10 Sources: VA MASTERS' pricing, service and about pages. Checked October 2026.
Full VA MASTERS profile: pricing, terms and alternatives →
File 04 · Dedicated dev teams
Mobilunity
6.8/10
Filed under Dedicated team / staff augmentation · HQ: Kyiv, Ukraine · Staff in: Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and other Eastern European countries, plus Latin America
Mobilunity, a Ukrainian dedicated-team provider operating since 2010, hires mid-level and senior developers for clients and handles their admin and retention. It publishes a sample cost breakdown and offers part-time FLEX developers for smaller needs.
- Price
- Not published
- Smallest start
- FLEX developers available hourly, part-time or per project with no long-term contract; dedicated-team minimum not published
- Trial
- Not published
- Replacement
- Will try to fix a performance issue or replace the developer
- Notice
- Not published
- Fees
- No setup fee; monthly service fee included in the all-in cost
- Founded
- 2010
- Reviews
- 4.8/5 on Clutch (18 reviews)
What we like
- Publishes a sample monthly cost breakdown for a senior developer, with no setup fee
- FLEX model offers part-time or hourly developers with no long-term contract
- First CVs within 3 days; mid-level and senior developers only
What to watch
- Sample prices are approximate; actual rates depend on stack and seniority
- Assumes you have your own project manager
- Notice period and trial terms not published; a full team takes 3-6 weeks to set up
Score breakdown and sources
Talent & screening (20%)
Mid-level and senior developers only, with screening and soft-skills checks; less detail on test methods
6/10 Pricing transparency (20%)
Publishes a sample all-in monthly cost and service fee, but no rate card
6/10 Small-business access (15%)
FLEX developers can be hired hourly or part-time with no long-term contract
8/10 Terms & guarantees (15%)
No setup fee; replacement is case by case; notice and trial not published
5/10 Track record (15%)
Since 2010, 40+ active clients; Clutch 4.8 from 18 reviews
7/10 Management & reporting (15%)
Account manager, resource managers and yearly assessments; client supplies the project manager
6/10 Fit for this page (30% of the page score)
Dedicated development teams are its main service, alongside recruiting and consulting
8/10 Sources: Mobilunity's pricing and service pages; Clutch profile. Checked October 2026.
Full Mobilunity profile: pricing, terms and alternatives →
File 05 · Dedicated dev teams
Howdy
6.7/10
Filed under Managed nearshore staffing · HQ: Austin, TX, United States · Staff in: Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Peru
Howdy is an Austin-based firm that hires full-time Latin American engineers for US companies and handles their payroll, benefits, equipment and offices. It discloses its 15% fee but not the rates themselves.
- Price
- No rate card; all-in price shown on each candidate profile, of which 15% is Howdy's fee
- Smallest start
- No minimum commitments; full-time placements only, not short-term or project work
- Trial
- Not published
- Replacement
- Not published
- Notice
- No long-term contracts and no cancellation fees; notice period not published
- Fees
- No startup, recruiting or sourcing fees; nothing to pay until the first hire starts
- Founded
- 2018
What we like
- Discloses its fee: 15% of the all-in price, with 85% going to the professional
- No startup, recruiting or cancellation fees, and no long-term contracts
- Fewer than 5% of candidates are placed; 98% retention across 12,500+ placements
What to watch
- Full-time placements only; no part-time or short projects
- Hiring cycle typically takes 4-6 weeks
- No client reviews on G2; replacement and notice terms not published
Score breakdown and sources
Talent & screening (20%)
Under 5% of candidates placed; background checks, skills assessments and English tests
8/10 Pricing transparency (20%)
Fee share (15%) disclosed and price shown per profile, but no rates published
5/10 Small-business access (15%)
One full-time hire with no minimum commitment; no part-time option
6/10 Terms & guarantees (15%)
No startup, recruiting or cancellation fees and no long-term contract; replacement and notice not published
6/10 Track record (15%)
Since 2018, 12,500+ placements; no client reviews found on G2
5/10 Management & reporting (15%)
Performance coaching, retention programs and local offices (Howdy Houses) included in the fee
7/10 Fit for this page (30% of the page score)
Mainly software engineers, though it also places product, design and other remote roles
8/10 Sources: Howdy's FAQ page; ycombinator.com; G2 profile. Checked October 2026.
Full Howdy profile: pricing, terms and alternatives →