When and How to Hire a Bubble Developer for Your Project

Finding the right Bubble developer is a challenge.
With so many Bubble developers and agencies, how do you find the one that's right for your project? And how do you decide between a solo freelancer or an agency? We'll help you navigate these crucial questions.

Factors To Consider When Hiring a Bubble Developer

Budget - The first checkpoint is your budget. While it's often more pocket-friendly to bring in a Bubble developer than to recruit an in-house coder or create your project from scratch, you need to keep your budget in mind and determine whether you can hire a Bubble developer.

Project scope - Your project's complexity and the need for a specialised expert can guide your choice between a freelancer and an agency. Sure, Bubble cuts down the need for a large development team, but sometimes businesses need that touch of expertise. 

For example, a startup with legacy businesses may need to integrate cheque payments — a niche in which few Bubble developers have expertise.

Timeline - The timeline is another factor. How quickly do you need your product in the market? If you're short on time, working with a team can produce faster results than working with a freelancer. In this case, hiring an agency may be your best option.

Learn more about Bubble and how it can help your business.

Benefits And Cons of Hiring a Bubble Agency

Benefits

Defined process: Agencies typically follow a structured approach to project development, starting with scoping and finishing with QA and review. They've honed their workflow over countless projects, using best practices and lessons learned. It makes the project execution a lot smoother.

Talent vetting is done for you: Agencies do the vetting on your behalf. Their success depends on having a network of experienced Bubble developers. Their team can handle all parts of your development needs.

A broad range of skills: Agencies can handle more tasks due to a larger, skilled team specialised in various areas. They'll include product managers adept at scoping, designers with excellent designing skills, and developers who excel in logic and coding.

Assurance of continuity and availability: Hiring an agency can mean more stability and reliability due to the larger team size. If a developer needs to leave the team, other members can pick up and keep the project on track.

Related: Writing user stories for no-code apps and ensuring quality work.

Cons

High budget: Agencies are more expensive than freelance Bubble developers.

Limited flexibility: Given their commitment to multiple clients, agencies may be unable to accommodate sudden changes to their operations.

Longer turnaround time: Agencies may take time before beginning the project handover because of their strict quality check and testing. 

When Should You Hire a Bubble Agency? 

Based on the points mentioned above, it makes sense to hire an agency when you satisfy some of the below criteria:

1. If you have a budget greater than $10k.
2. If coding and software development feel like alien languages.
3. You lack the time to learn or manage the process.
4. Your project requires specialised experts.
5. The project is elaborate, and not an MVP.

Benefits And Cons of Hiring a Bubble Freelancer

Benefits

Affordable services: Maybe you already have the designs and don't require the assistance of a UI designer. Freelancers are cost-effective since you only pay for part of the team.

More flexibility: Freelancers set their availability, budget and processes independently. It helps them to customise their working style to match yours. Plus, they come in all flavours of skills and experience, letting you pick one that fits your unique needs.

Specialisation: Freelancers are often highly skilled in a specific field, making them useful for projects which require a specialist. For example, someone may specialise in building internal tools, while someone else may have experience building marketplaces with Bubble.

Cons

Reliability: One significant risk is that the freelancer may end the partnership. And if they're the only ones who know the ins and outs of your app, it becomes challenging to onboard someone else to take over.

Limited availability: Being a one-person show, a freelancer has only so many hours in their day. This limited time and resources could mean a longer runway to project completion.

When Should You Hire a Bubble Freelancer?

Based on the points mentioned above, it makes sense to hire a freelancer when you satisfy some of the below criteria:

1. You have a small budget — $5k-10k.
2. Your project isn't complex.
3. You can build in Bubble yourself, but you'd like an expert to oversee your work.
4. You have specific demands about progress reporting and task management

Where Can You Find Bubble Developers For Hire?

If you're looking to hire a Bubble developer, there are several places you can find them. Here are some of the most popular options:

Codemap: Codemap is a marketplace for finding and hiring vetted Bubble developers. You can post a project and receive proposals from multiple developers. The platform provides a rating system to help you evaluate the developer's skills and professionalism. You can also browse the developers' profiles and portfolios to understand their past work and experience better. 

Agencies: Several agencies specialise in Bubble development and can provide you with a team of experienced developers to work on your project. You can find these Bubble agencies through online directories such as G2 or a simple Google search. Working with an agency can be more expensive than hiring an individual developer, but the added security and expertise may be worth investing in larger projects.

Upwork: Upwork is a popular freelance job platform where you can search for Bubble developers and review their portfolios and ratings from other clients. It also allows you to screen candidates through interviews and skill tests to ensure you get the right fit for your project. However, due to the many freelancers on the platform, you need to spend more time filtering through candidates to find the best match for you.

LinkedIn job posts: You can post a job on LinkedIn and receive applications. However, LinkedIn job postings can be expensive and provide fewer applications than other platforms. Consider contacting developers directly or posting on smaller job boards for more targeted searches.

Bubble's RFP portal: Bubble has an RFP (Request for Proposal) portal where you can submit your project details and receive proposals from Bubble agencies and freelancers. Always ask questions and clarify details before making a decision.

Thoroughly research the experience and credentials of any Bubble developer before hiring them, as Bubble does not vet the developers.

How Much Does It Cost To Hire A Bubble Developer?

The cost of hiring a Bubble developer varies based on experience, location, project complexity, and timeline. 

According to Upwork, the rate for a Bubble developer is $60-$80 per hour. However, this rate can go up to $120 per hour for highly experienced developers or complex projects. 

How Much Does It Cost To Hire A Bubble Agency?

Freelancers may charge less than agencies but may have limited availability or resources. Hiring an agency may cost more, but they usually have a team of developers with diverse skills and can handle more significant projects. 

Bubble agencies charge between $10k- $40k per project. 

Yes, Bubble agencies are not cheap. But remember, with Bubble, you're investing in speed. Compared to traditional agencies, which take longer to build and often charge north of $80,000 for a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), a Bubble agency could give you a better bang for your buck.

How to Select The Right Bubble Developer?

Irrespective of which direction you opt, there are four things you need to evaluate

1. Experience - Confirm that they've successfully built Bubble apps before. Request case studies or testimonials that back their claims. If they present testimonials, ensure a third party like G2 or Capterra validates them.
2. Past client profile - Match your needs with their expertise. If you're building a marketplace, hire someone who has built a marketplace before instead of someone whose niche is internal tools.
3. Pricing and timeline - Aiming for perfect pricing and timeline predictions is like trying to hit a bullseye in the dark. But your Bubble developer should be able to provide reasonable estimates.
4. Documentation - Planning and documentation are just as necessary as building the app. Make sure both you and your Bubble partner have a clear understanding of the project requirements, user journey and designs. Confirm if they'll document their work and give you the app's documentation.

Are Bubble Developers in High Demand?

It's a simple case of supply vs demand. As of 2023, there is a need for more skilled Bubble developers. They have plenty of projects to choose from, and you'll need to offer them good reasons to join your business.

Need Guidance on Hiring the Right Bubble Developer For Your Project?

If you're looking for a Bubble development partner, NocodeAssistant can assist you. We build MVPs and innovation projects for startups and enterprises. You are minimising the risk of developing a product that won't resonate with users.

Learn more about NocodeAssistant and see how our process of building no-code apps has helped us get positive client reviews.