Andela Review: Pros, Cons, Pricing and Alternatives
Nel
Posted on 19 May 2023
Andela is a popular option to hire remote developers for tech projects. Since its inception in 2014, Andela has built a brand image around the training processes it offers its developers who are predominantly from Africa.
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Andela is a tech talent marketplace with its headquarters in the US and offices preset in Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Uganda respectively. Today, Andela calls itself a network of tech talent that enables companies or individuals searching for high-quality engineering teams to hire remote developers for their projects. But when it started back in 2014, it had a fairly different business model.
The company initially started off as a distance learning platform for African universities. Their aim was to empower young Africans by providing training and learning resources to develop their careers in programming and find them long-term job placements at companies wishing to hire teams of developers.
But as of September 2019, Andela no longer hires engineers in training. After laying off over 400 full-timers, by claiming their customers require more senior talent, Andela has completely reformed its business model to offer remote developers for hire on a contract basis.
What is Andela’s Hourly Rate?
Andela does not officially state their rates, however, it is expected to cost around:
Hourly rate:
Average developer
What is Andela’s hiring time?
While they do not define their hiring time, it is presumed that it would take up to 3 weeks.
Hiring time:
Wait up to
One of the main concerns for someone intending to hire remote developers through Andela is the controversy surrounding the changing and evolving business model of Andela. For a company that started off on the grounds that it wanted to help African youth by providing them with valuable tech training, Andela has indeed strayed very far from its initial vision which landed them millions of funding opportunities.
Today Andela is just another talent marketplace offering remote tech talent services with very little transparent information provided with regard to their pricing model and benefits to customers.
Andela offers no definite trial period nor do they confirm how long you would have to wait in order to find a developer through their platform.
While it is possible to make short-term recruitments using Andela, their specialty lies in training their developers in order to organize a pool of elite talent. They offer highly skilled teams of developers who are able to bring your tech projects to life.
Additionally, it is important to note that you cannot find a single customer review online regarding the supposedly excellent services provided by Andela’s elite set of developers, which can appear like a huge red flag when it comes to choosing them for your hires.
If these factors concern you, then you’ll be relieved to know that Andela has plenty of other alternatives out there. Up next, we shall examine the top competitors of Andela in the market, to help you make the right choice.
Why Choose CloudDevs Over Andela?
Not only is CloudDevs more feasible than Andela, but the transparent pricing at flat rates they offer also helps you have a clear estimate of your project cost from the start. The fact that CloudDevs only hires elite senior developers into the platform, assures the quality of talent from the get-go. Additionally, CloudDevs ensures the talent is chosen from your own time zone, all in under 24 hours, unlike Andela’s global talent with no definite hiring period available. Considered one of the best sites to hire remote developers, CloudDevs offers some of the best rates in the market to hire remote developers and designers making them one of the best Andela alternatives for startups and entrepreneurs.
Why Choose Unicorn.Dev Over Andela?
Compared to other Andela alternatives, Unicorn.Dev offers some of the most affordable rates for senior, pre-vetted tech talent. The flat rate in place for all their talents makes it easy to estimate project costs in advance. Unlike Andela, Unicorn.Dev’s fast hiring process, together with the free trial and a 4-hour work-time overlap, makes them a fantastic option for bootstrappers and startups looking to hire remote developers at affordable rates.
Why Choose Toptal Over Andela?
Although they offer pretty similar tech talent solutions to that of Andela, when you need to hire remote developers Toptal is still the market leader that has been around for much longer than Andela.
Why Choose Gigster Over Andela?
Try Gigster if your project requirement entails an entire team of highly skilled developers and designers and you are not too concerned about what it may cost, then Gigster may be the best option for you. However, many of Gigster’s competitors also offer the option of hiring an entire team if that is your requirement, so you may want to consider those Andela alternatives as well.
Why Choose Gun.io Over Andela?
If you’re happy to pay a premium price for a product developed by an Andela competitor that houses an exclusive group of elite remote software developers then you’ll be happy with what Gun.io has to offer.
Why Choose Arc.Dev Over Andela?
With a six-step screening process and a 1.1% pass rate Arc.Dev as an Andela alternative prides itself in having the best of the best. If this is what you aim for and their premium fees aren’t a burden then Arc. Dev would be a great choice to consider.
Why Choose Upwork Over Andela?
If your project requires people in multiple skill areas and you want to find a quick match for a cheap price, then you should consider Upwork. However, keep in mind that they do not conduct an interview or vetting process of their talent, therefore be ready to spend some time to finalize a hire.
Why Choose Fiverr Over Andela?
If you’re working on a very tight budget and are willing to overlook the quality aspect of the project, then Fiverr might possibly be the one for you. This growing platform provides a wide array of choices that fall within pretty much any price point, but do keep in mind that the talent is equally dispersed so you may have to spend quite a number of weeks in order to sift through them all and find your best fit.
Why Choose Codeable Over Andela?
If your project specifically requires only WordPress coders, Codeable can provide you with some of the best in the field. However, the other Andela alternatives mentioned here offer WordPress developers as well, so you may want to consider them too when you intend to hire remote developers in 2023.
| CloudDevs | Unicorn.Dev | PeoplePerHour | Gigster | Upwork | Fiverr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Cost | $40/hour | $35/hour | $15 – $75/hour | Minimum $52,000 per project | $8- $200/hr | $5-$800 per project |
| Platform Features | ||||||
| No-risk Trial Period | (14 Days) | Yes | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Time Taken to Hire Talent | 24 to 48 Hours | 24 Hours | 2+ Weeks | 2 Weeks | Up to 8 Weeks | Up to 15 Days |
| Pre-Screened Candidates | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| Trustpilot Score | 4.5 | 2 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 3.9 | |
| Talent profiles | ||||||
| Average Years of Experience | 7+ | 5+ | 5+ | 3+ | Not Required | Not Required |
| Talent Location | Latin American | Worldwide | Worldwide | US & EU mostly | Worldwide – Mostly Asian | Worldwide |
| Niche | Highly vetted Senior Developers and Designers from LatAms | Highly vetted Senior Developers and Designers from the world over | Varies | Software Development Only. Focuses on complete project development. | Varies | Varies |
As demonstrated, each of the above-mentioned freelance platforms offers distinct features that are suitable for different requirements.
Based on your needs, you may want to consider the following options:
| Requirement | Option 1 | Option 2 |
|---|---|---|
| You require great quality while at a lower price | CloudDevs | Unicorn.Dev |
| You want the cheapest option regardless of quality | Fiverr | Upwork |
| You want to make a hire ASAP | CloudDevs | Unicorn.Dev |
| You wish to hire senior developers with 5+ years of experience | CloudDevs | Unicorn.Dev |
| You want the option of hiring a developer on a long-term basis | CloudDevs | Unicorn.Dev |
CloudDevs and Gun.io are by far the lowest in the pricing scale and offer the same quality of service as Andela. As some of the closest competitors to Andela, both these platforms ensure a rigorous screening and vetting process for all their developers.
Fiverr and Upwork are by far the cheapest Andela alternatives available that can fit any budget framework, as the platforms that offer vetted developers doing quality work cannot bring down their rates below industry standards.
If time is your main concern, CloudDevs and Gun.io are two Andela competitors that offer some of the fastest options out there to hire remote developers.
If you’re on the hunt for Andela alternatives that you can work with in the long run, CloudDevs, and Arc.Dev is renowned for offering long-term contracts for clients.
If you require an entire group of talent to independently build a standard project like a social network etc. without your involvement then Gigster has that on offer for you.
If your project requires senior developers then CloudDevs and Gun.io are the only platforms that solely offer seniors with 5+ years of experience.
While you can hire WordPress developers through any of the platforms mentioned above, Codeable offers you talent that is solely specialized in WordPress unlike the other Andela alternatives out there.
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