40-60% Cost Savings
Compared to Western European or North American developers
90%+ Satisfaction
Client satisfaction rates with Eastern European developers
6-8 Hours Overlap
Perfect time zone alignment with US East Coast
$2.3B Investment
Venture capital funding in Eastern Europe (2023)
Upwork vs Daullja: The Complete Hiring Comparison
Both Upwork and Daullja help companies hire developers, but they work very differently. Here's an honest comparison to help you choose the right option.
Quick Decision Matrix
| Your Situation | Best Choice |
|---|---|
| One-off project, <2 weeks | Upwork |
| Need long-term team members (3+ months) | Daullja |
| Want to manage vetting yourself | Upwork |
| Want pre-vetted, guaranteed quality | Daullja |
| Budget under $2k | Upwork |
| Need dedicated team integration | Daullja |
Cost Comparison
Upwork Pricing
- Freelancer rate: $25-150/hour (varies widely)
- Upwork fee: 5-20% on top
- Effective cost: $30-180/hour
- No guarantee, no support
Daullja Pricing
- Developer rate: $25-80/hour (based on experience)
- All fees included: No platform fees
- Effective cost: $25-80/hour
- Includes vetting, management, replacement guarantee
Real Cost Example (Mid-Level Developer, 160 hours/month):
- Upwork: $50/hr + 10% fee = $8,800/month
- Daullja: $45/hr all-in = $7,200/month
- Savings with Daullja: $1,600/month
Quality & Vetting
Upwork
- ❌ No vetting process
- ❌ You review portfolios/conduct interviews yourself
- ❌ Success Score unreliable (can be gamed)
- ❌ No replacement guarantee
- ⚠️ Variable quality (from excellent to terrible)
Daullja
- ✅ Pre-vetted through technical assessments
- ✅ Only top 5% of applicants accepted
- ✅ Background checks completed
- ✅ 2-week trial period
- ✅ Free replacement if not satisfied
Time to Hire:
- Upwork: 2-4 weeks (interviewing 10-20 candidates)
- Daullja: 5-7 days (2-3 pre-vetted candidates presented)
What You Get
Upwork Model
- Platform to find freelancers
- Payment protection
- Time tracking tools
- Dispute resolution
- You handle: Vetting, onboarding, management, replacement
Daullja Model
- Pre-vetted developers
- Dedicated account manager
- Onboarding support
- Performance monitoring
- Replacement guarantee
- We handle: Vetting, recruitment, HR, benefits
Real Client Experience
Scenario: Need 3 full-stack developers for 6-month project
Upwork Path:
- Week 1-2: Post job, review 50+ applications
- Week 3: Interview 10 candidates
- Week 4: Hire 3 developers
- Month 2: One developer ghosts, restart search
- Month 3: Finally stable team
- Total cost: $75,000 (including platform fees, time spent hiring)
Daullja Path:
- Day 1: Submit requirements
- Day 5: Review 3 vetted candidates per position
- Day 10: Developers start 2-week trial
- Week 3: Full integration, productive work begins
- Month 2-6: Stable team, zero turnover
- Total cost: $64,800 (all-inclusive)
Outcome: Daullja saved $10,200 and 3 weeks of hiring time.
When Upwork Makes Sense
✅ Good for:
- Short-term projects (<1 month)
- Specialized one-off tasks
- Flexible budget
- You have time to vet candidates
- You're experienced hiring offshore
❌ Not ideal for:
- Long-term team building
- Mission-critical projects
- First-time offshore hiring
- Need for reliability/consistency
When Daullja Makes Sense
✅ Good for:
- Team augmentation (3+ months)
- Ongoing product development
- Need for reliability
- Want pre-vetted talent
- Prefer full-service support
❌ Not ideal for:
- Quick 1-week tasks
- Extremely tight budgets
- Need for very niche skills (blockchain, quantum computing)
The Hidden Costs
Upwork Hidden Costs:
- Your time: 10-20 hours per hire
- Bad hires: 30-40% hire rate (our survey data)
- Turnover: Freelancers take multiple clients
- No support: You're on your own if issues arise
Daullja Value-Adds:
- Vetting included: We screen 20 candidates, you meet 3
- Account manager: Dedicated support person
- Replacement: Free if not satisfied
- Team integration: We ensure cultural/technical fit
The Verdict
Upwork wins for:
- Quick, one-off tasks
- Tight budgets
- Experienced offshore hirers
Daullja wins for:
- Long-term team building
- Quality assurance
- Time savings
- Reliability
Bottom Line: If you're building a product and need reliable developers for 3+ months, Daullja typically delivers better ROI despite similar pricing. If you need a quick task done and have time to vet, Upwork works fine.
Want to try Daullja risk-free? Start with our 2-week trial - no long-term commitment required.
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