Where software developers earn online
Developers earn online through freelance contracts, vetted talent networks that place them with companies, open-source sponsorship, and selling code. Rates are among the highest of any remote work, and many platforms screen applicants with coding tests first.
Also for: programmer, coder, software engineer, backend developer, full-stack developer
How software developers earn online
- Hourly or fixed-price contracts on general and developer-only freelance marketplaces
- Long-term placements through vetted networks that test you once and then match you with clients
- Sponsorships for open-source work, and selling plugins, scripts and templates
Tip: A public portfolio of shipped work, such as GitHub repositories or live apps, gets you through vetting faster than a CV.
What software developers earn in the US
- Median pay a year
- $135,980
- Median pay an hour
- $65.38
- Range (10th to 90th percentile)
- $82K–$215K
- Employed in the US
- 1.7 million
US employees in the closest official occupation (SOC 15-1252), from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Freelance rates online vary widely by country, experience and platform, so treat this as a benchmark for what the work is worth, not what a platform will pay.
The top 12 platforms for software developers, compared
| Platform | Type | Fees | Pays via | Who can join |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 GitHub Sponsors |
Open source funding | No platform fee on personal sponsorships | Bank transfer (Stripe) | 103 countries |
 Andela |
Vetted developer network | No fee to join, negotiated pay | Bank transfer via Andela Pay, multi-currency | Worldwide |
 Gun.io |
Vetted developer network | 0% - devs keep 100% of set rate | Weekly payments on net-30 | Worldwide |
 Polar |
Open source funding | 4% plus 40 cents per transaction | Bank transfer (Stripe) | Worldwide |
 Lemon.io |
Vetted developer network | 0% explicit fee, margin built into client rate | — | Europe and Latin America developers |
 Codeable |
Vetted developer network | 10% expert fee | — | Worldwide |
 Liberapay |
Open source funding | No platform fee - payment processing only | Bank transfer, PayPal | 112 countries |
 Tidelift |
Open source funding | Pays maintainers per package by usage | Bank transfer | Worldwide |
 Open Collective |
Open source funding | Platform and fiscal host fees vary | Bank transfer, PayPal | Worldwide |
 Toptal |
Talent network | 0% - no commission on freelancer's set rate | PayPal, Payoneer, Wire transfer | Worldwide except Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria |
 Arc.dev |
Vetted talent network | 0% - no fee to developers | Bank transfer | Worldwide |
 Wishket |
Freelance marketplace | 10-25% by contract type, clients pay 0% | Korean bank transfer via escrow | South Korea |
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Freelance sites
18 for software developers
AndelaA global network that vets and places software engineers (with deep African roots) into remote roles at companies.
Fees No fee to join, negotiated payandela.comGun.ioA vetted freelance platform for senior software engineers working with US companies on contract and full-time roles.
Fees 0% - devs keep 100% of set rategun.ioLemon.ioA vetted network matching startups with senior software developers, mainly from Europe and Latin America.
Fees 0% explicit fee, margin built into client ratelemon.ioCodeableA vetted marketplace exclusively for WordPress developers, matching screened experts with client projects.
Fees 10% expert feecodeable.ioToptalA premium network that screens applicants and accepts only a small percentage of freelance developers, designers, finance experts, product and project managers. Aimed at companies that want senior, pre-vetted talent quic…
Fees 0% - no commission on freelancer's set ratetoptal.comArc.devA vetted network matching remote developers with full-time and freelance roles at US companies - pass the review once, get matched repeatedly.
Fees 0% - no fee to developersarc.devWishketA Korean platform matching vetted developers and designers with company IT and software projects.
Fees 10-25% by contract type, clients pay 0%wishket.com
UpworkOne of the largest freelance marketplaces in the world, covering everything from development and design to writing, marketing, and admin support. Clients post jobs and freelancers submit proposals, with hourly and fixed-…
Fees 0-15% variable service fee per contract (5% on Direct Contracts, 0% with Freelancer Plus)upwork.com
FiverrA gig-based marketplace where freelancers package their services as fixed-price offers that clients can buy instantly. Strong for creative and digital services like logo design, video editing, voice over, and quick devel…
Fees 20% seller commissionfiverr.com
GuruOne of the oldest freelance marketplaces, matching companies with freelancers across programming, design, writing, and business services. Work is managed through WorkRooms with SafePay escrow payments.
Fees 5% to 9% handling feeguru.com
PeoplePerHourPeople Per Hour Limited is a British online freelance marketplace that connects businesses with freelance professionals for project-based and hourly work. It is headquartered in London and has an additional office in Ath…
Fees Tiered, 20% down to 3.5% per clientpeopleperhour.com
FreelancerA global freelance marketplace where clients post projects and freelancers bid on them, alongside contests for design and creative work. Covers a very wide range of skills and budgets, with milestone payments and optiona…
Fees 10% or $5 minimum on projectsfreelancer.com
BraintrustA user-owned talent network that connects vetted freelancers with enterprise clients. Talent pays 0% fees and earns ownership in the network through tokens.
Fees 0% for talent, clients pay 10%usebraintrust.com
BionlukTurkey leading freelance marketplace, founded in 2014, where freelancers sell design, software, translation, and content services in Turkish.
Fees ~20% commission on completed ordersbionluk.com
CometA French platform matching freelance tech and data experts with company missions, with fast vetting.
Fees 5% service fee on daily ratecomet.co
ContraA commission-free platform where independent workers showcase portfolios, sell services, and get hired for flexible work. Freelancers keep 100% of what they earn.
Fees 0% commission for freelancerscontra.com
Creme de la CremeA French marketplace for top freelance developers, designers, and product talent on company missions.
Fees 0% for freelancers - client pays commissioncremedelacreme.io
MaltA European freelance marketplace where companies find consultants, developers, and creatives for project work. Freelancers set day rates and are paid through the platform.
Fees Commission around 10%malt.comOpen source funding platforms
5 for software developers
GitHub SponsorsSponsorship directly inside GitHub - developers and organizations fund your open source work monthly or one-time, with no platform fee on personal sponsorships.
Fees No platform fee on personal sponsorshipsgithub.comPolarA funding and monetization platform for developers - sell licenses, subscriptions, and digital products on top of open source, acting as merchant of record.
Fees 4% plus 40 cents per transactionpolar.shLiberapayA non-profit platform for recurrent donations to creators and maintainers - no platform fee, only payment processing costs.
Fees No platform fee - payment processing onlyliberapay.comTideliftPays open source maintainers (as lifters) for keeping packages secure and well-maintained, funded by enterprise subscriptions.
Fees Pays maintainers per package by usagetidelift.comOpen CollectiveTransparent funding for open source projects and communities - collect sponsorships and donations, spend with full public accounting.
Fees Platform and fiscal host fees varyopencollective.comTemplate marketplaces
3 for software developers
Atlassian MarketplaceA marketplace where developers sell apps and add-ons for Jira, Confluence, and more.
Fees Keep ~75-80%marketplace.atlassian.com
Shopify App StoreA marketplace where developers build and sell apps to Shopify merchants.
Fees 0% on first $1M lifetime revenue, 15% aboveapps.shopify.com
JetBrains MarketplaceA marketplace where developers sell plugins for JetBrains IDEs.
Fees Keep 85% of list priceplugins.jetbrains.comMentorship platforms
2 for software developers
CodementorA platform for on-demand programming help, code review, and long-term developer mentorship over 1:1 sessions. Developers apply, are reviewed, and set their own per-minute rate.
Fees About 20% service feecodementor.io
MentorCruiseA marketplace for long-term tech and career mentorship, where mentors set a monthly price and work with mentees over chat and calls. Mentor applications are reviewed before profiles go live.
Fees Commission on mentor earningsmentorcruise.comGame and app stores
2 for software developers
Chrome Web StoreA store where developers publish browser extensions and can charge or monetize them.
Fees $5 one-time dev fee, external monetization onlychromewebstore.google.com
Microsoft StoreA store where developers publish and sell Windows apps and games.
Fees 15% apps / 12% games, or keep 100% with own paymentsapps.microsoft.comRemote job boards
2 for software developers
OttaA curated job platform (now part of Welcome to the Jungle) for tech and startup roles.
Fees Free for job seekersapp.welcometothejungle.com
We Work RemotelyOne of the largest remote-only job boards, listing programming, design, marketing, and support roles since 2013.
Fees Free for job seekersweworkremotely.comPaid blogging platforms
1 for software developers
HashnodeBig marketplaces
1 for software developers
Newegg MarketplaceStore builders
1 for software developers
WooCommerce