What it costs to work with Valant Software
We sell developer time, not projects. You hire a person — or a team — at an agreed hourly or monthly rate. You direct the work. We handle the hiring, HR, infrastructure and consistency. Here is exactly what that costs.
We sell people, not project packages. Here is why that matters.
Most IT outsourcing agencies quote you on the project, then add costs later. We work differently: you hire a developer — junior, mid-level or senior — at a fixed hourly or monthly rate. You get full control over priorities, sprint scope and velocity. We handle everything else: HR, infrastructure, onboarding, consistency and continuity if a developer needs to be replaced.
This model is standard for IT outsourcing and staff augmentation. It means the rate you see below is the rate you pay. No change orders, no discovery-phase surprises, no hidden project management markup.
Hourly and monthly rates by seniority
All rates in USD. Monthly rates assume 160 billable hours (full-time). Part-time engagements prorated accordingly.
- WordPress, WooCommerce, theme builds
- Frontend HTML/CSS/JS tasks
- Shopify theme customization
- Content migration and QA support
- Works under senior dev or tech lead
- React, Vue.js, Node.js, PHP, Laravel
- WordPress custom development
- WooCommerce and Shopify builds
- REST API development and integration
- Sprint ownership, daily updates
- Works within your tools and workflow
- Full-stack architecture and tech decisions
- Legacy codebase audit and refactor
- Team lead and code review capacity
- Performance engineering and DevOps basics
- Complex API and SaaS platform work
- Mentors junior/mid developers on team
Tech lead and architect capacity available at $85–$110/hr for teams that need strategic technical direction on top of delivery. Rates on Upwork are verified at $29–$45/hr for individual contracts; agency rates for dedicated engagements reflect full team support and consistency guarantees.
Rates by specific role and technology
Common developer roles and what they typically cost per hour and per month at full-time capacity.
| Role | Primary stack | Hourly rate | Monthly (FTE) | Best engagement type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress developer | PHP, WordPress, WooCommerce | $35–$55/hr | $5,600–$8,800/mo | Retainer, project |
| Full-stack JS developer | React, Node.js, Vue.js, MongoDB | $45–$75/hr | $7,200–$12,000/mo | Retainer, staff augmentation |
| PHP / Laravel developer | PHP, Laravel, MySQL, REST API | $40–$65/hr | $6,400–$10,400/mo | Retainer, project |
| E-commerce specialist | Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce | $40–$65/hr | $6,400–$10,400/mo | Project, retainer |
| Frontend developer | React, Vue.js, TypeScript, CSS | $40–$70/hr | $6,400–$11,200/mo | Staff augmentation |
| Backend / API developer | Node.js, Laravel, Python, REST, GraphQL | $45–$80/hr | $7,200–$12,800/mo | Staff augmentation, retainer |
| Tech lead / Architect | Full-stack, cloud, system design | $85–$110/hr | $13,600–$17,600/mo | Retainer, advisory |
| QA engineer | Manual QA, Cypress, Playwright, regression | $30–$50/hr | $4,800–$8,000/mo | Retainer, project |
Two ways to work with us
Hourly or monthly retainer — both use the same rate structure. The difference is how capacity is allocated.
Pay by the hour — flexible, no commitment
You get billed for actual hours worked. Time logged is transparent and reviewed weekly. Good for shorter projects, burst capacity, specific feature sprints or when you are not sure how much work is coming.
Best for: defined projects, one-time builds, short-term engagements, single feature scope.
Dedicated developer — full or part-time
A developer is reserved for you at an agreed weekly capacity. Full-time (160 hrs/month) or part-time (typically 80 hrs/month). You direct priorities directly. No auction for time, no competing projects. Consistent output, predictable cost.
Best for: ongoing product development, IT outsourcing, staff augmentation, long-term partnerships.
Agreed scope, agreed price — no surprises
For well-defined projects where requirements are stable. We agree a scope document, timeline and total price upfront. Changes to scope are logged and estimated before work proceeds. Nothing moves without your approval.
Best for: landing pages, defined site builds, migration projects, clearly scoped feature sets.
Two or more developers — team scaling
If you need a team rather than a single developer, we assemble the right combination of roles. You get a lead developer who handles internal coordination, with others contributing at the appropriate rate. Team composition adjusts as the project evolves.
Best for: product companies scaling development, agencies building client work, multi-track projects.
How our rates compare to the market
Understanding where Valant sits relative to alternatives helps you evaluate whether the rate fits your situation.
| Option | Typical hourly rate | Monthly FTE cost | Track record visible? | Direct communication? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US freelancer (senior) | $100–$175/hr | $16,000–$28,000/mo | Variable | ✓ |
| Western EU agency (mid) | $70–$120/hr | $11,200–$19,200/mo | Variable | Often via PM |
| Generic offshore agency | $20–$40/hr | $3,200–$6,400/mo | Rarely | Often via PM |
| Valant Software (mid-level) | $45–$65/hr | $7,200–$10,400/mo | ✓ 455 jobs on Upwork | ✓ Direct access |
| Valant Software (senior) | $65–$85/hr | $10,400–$13,600/mo | ✓ 19 years in business | ✓ Direct access |
Senior developers in the US and Western Europe typically charge $100–$175/hour. Eastern European senior engineers average $40–$70/hour across agencies. Valant’s rates reflect 19 years of delivery history and a verified $2M+ Upwork track record, priced competitively within the EU agency band.
What you actually get for the rate
The developer rate is not just time. Here is what sits behind it.
Consistent delivery infrastructure
Hardware, network, software licences, dev environment setup and maintenance are all on our side. You do not pay for a developer who is also managing their own ops.
Daily async updates, weekly syncs
All developers update their work log daily during active sprints. You have one communication channel (Slack, Teams or Telegram) and a clear escalation path if something needs faster resolution.
Developer replacement if needed
If a developer becomes unavailable, we replace them. The codebase, context and documentation stay with the project. You do not start from scratch. This is part of what you are paying for when you hire through an agency versus directly hiring a freelancer.
NDA available before the first call
Non-disclosure agreements are standard. All code and credentials are transferred to you at the end of the engagement. We do not retain access to client systems. Nothing is held as leverage.
Common questions about rates and billing
How much does it cost to hire a dedicated web developer from Valant Software?
Rates range from $35/hour for a junior developer to $85/hour for a senior specialist. On a full-time monthly basis (160 hours), that is $5,600–$13,600/month depending on seniority and stack. Tech lead capacity is available at $85–$110/hour. All rates include project management coordination, daily updates, QA responsibility and hardware infrastructure on our side.
Do you charge per project or per developer?
We primarily sell developer time — hourly or monthly. You hire a person at an agreed rate and direct their work. For well-scoped projects with stable requirements (a landing page, a migration, a defined feature set), fixed-price engagements are also available. We recommend the model that fits your situation after the first call.
Is there a minimum engagement size or duration?
No hard minimum. Short projects under 3 weeks are typically better structured as fixed-price. For monthly retainers, rolling month-to-month agreements with 30 days’ notice to change capacity work best. There is no lock-in and no cancellation fee.
How do Valant rates compare to hiring directly on Upwork?
Individual developer rates on Upwork are verified at $29–$45/hour for Valant developers. Agency retainer rates reflect full-team support — consistency guarantee, developer replacement if needed, infrastructure coverage and project management coordination. The individual rate on a platform is the floor; the agency rate reflects what is managed on your behalf behind it.
Do rates change for long-term partnerships?
For engagements of 3+ months, the rate is locked in for the duration agreed. We do not increase rates mid-contract. For clients who have been working with us for over a year, we discuss rate adjustments at renewal with advance notice — not retroactively.
Can I hire just part-time — e.g., 20 hours a week?
Yes. Part-time engagements at 80 hours/month (roughly 20 hours/week) are common. The rate per hour is the same. Some clients also run micro-retainers of 40 hours/month for support, maintenance and minor development. Talk to us about your actual capacity need and we will structure it correctly.