If you chose Ukraine as a tech hub in charge of your next project, you should take time to explore the local IT landscape. Since there are over 1,600 companies in the region, narrowing the list down to one vendor might be an overwhelming task.
To help you choose a skilled company, we have created a review of the top 10 custom software engineering companies in Ukraine.
Ukrainian IT Sector: Overview
Before you dive into researching vendors and shortlisting the best candidates, make sure you have a solid understanding of the local tech market. Here’s a brief overview of the infrastructure, skills, and tech education tools that Ukraine offers its developers.
Tech education
In Ukraine, custom software development is a highly competitive and high-paying industry. According to DOU.ua, a leading IT community in Ukraine, 64% of local programmers have a STEM degree.
When reviewed against other European countries, it’s clear that Ukraine is among the frontrunners in tech education. For example, the country has more tech programs and university graduates than Germany, France, or Poland.
Business climate
Ukraine is one of the most business-friendly countries in Europe. With tax rates at 5% of gross income and a convenient location (the country has direct connections to most European countries), the region has become an attractive hub for custom software development.
Statistically, Ukraine is the largest IT services exporter in the region. Similarly, Ukraine regularly enters the Top 50 Digital Nations Index — this year, the country has come in at 38th place.
Language proficiency
Ukraine ranks among the 50 top countries worldwide in English proficiency. Local tech professionals have a solid understanding of both written and spoken language, and can thus express ideas freely and logically.
Skills and technologies
What sets Ukrainian developers apart from their Western colleagues is a diverse skill set. Since local IT companies take on a wide range of projects, programmers are challenged to get an understanding of multiple languages, tools, and frameworks.
Here are the most popular technologies of custom software development that Ukraine programmers specialize in:
- Python
- PHP
- Java
- JavaScript
- C#, C++
- Swift
As for soft skills, Ukrainian IT companies enthusiastically implement Agile, Waterfall, and other project management methodologies. Local teams use popular messaging platforms (Slack, Skype, Telegram) and project management tools (Trello, Jira, Asana), as well.
Top tech products and startups
To get a better understanding of how innovative and intelligent Ukrainian tech specialists are, here are some of the companies that put the country on the global tech map:
- Grammarly — a tool created by two Ukrainian developers raised over $90M in investments last year.
- Allset — a Ukraine-based food delivery service that had a Google-backed partnership and raised over $10M in investments. At the moment, over 2,000 restaurants have integrated the platform into their day-to-day operations.
- Depositphotos — one of the biggest stock photo sites that earned worldwide presence (used in over 192 countries) is based in Ukraine, as well.
Top 10 Outsourcing Companies in Ukraine
If you have a promising project idea and want a team of Ukrainian developers to bring it to reality, it’s time to take a closer look at local vendors and find the right fit for your business. Here’s a review of the 10 top local development companies that take on outsourcing projects:
1. Honeycomb Software
Team size: 50-70 professionals
Hourly rates: $25-$50 per hour
Founded in: 2015
In Ukraine, Honeycomb Software is known as one of the most reliable and innovative outsourcing software development companies in the country. The company is famous for working on projects — both on a small and large scale — and works with various technologies including .Net, C#, C++, React, Redux, Angular, TensorFlow, Azure, AWS, SQL, PostgreSQL, and many more.
As of 2020, Honeycomb Software has completed projects using AI, Big Data, and other technologies. On top of this, the company has years of experience designing websites and mobile apps.
2. EPAM
Team size: over 10,000 professionals
Hourly rates: $150-$200 per hour
Founded in: 1993
With over 25 years of experience, EPAM is an established outsourcing giant in Ukraine. Although the company’s main focus lies in handling large-scale projects, well-established development practices make up for relatively high development costs (when opting to EPAM.)
3. Miratech
Team size: over 700 team members
Hourly rates: $100-$150 per hour
Founded in: 1989
Miratech is another titan on the Ukrainian tech scene. With over 30 years in business, the company earned a stellar reputation and became a sought after place of employment for hundreds of top-notch developers. Miratech takes on projects backed by global businesses, startups, professional service teams, and equity firms.
4. SoftServe
Team size: over 1,000 employees
Hourly rates: $100-$150 per hour
Founded in: 1993
With the motto “For the future”, the company takes software development seriously and takes on projects driven by social responsibility. SoftServe does a good job at completing innovative projects. The company’s portfolio has a wide reel of AI, IoT, Big Data, Cloud, and Extended Reality projects.
5. Global Logic
Team size: over 10,000 professionals
Hourly rates: $100-$150 per hour
Founded in: 2000
Global Logic is one of the leaders in Ukrainian IT. The custom software development company in Ukraine has some big names under its belt — Panasonic, Volvo, Adobe, and many others. The company specialises in handling large-scale projects.
6. Luxoft
Team size: over 10,000 professionals
Hourly rates: $100-$150 per hour
Founded in: 2000
Luxoft is one of the most well-known Ukrainian vendors out there. Other than working on building software for SMEs and large-scale projects, the company specializes in consulting and digital strategy.
7. Ciklum
Team size: over 1,000 professionals
Hourly rates: $25-$49 per hour
Founded in: 2002
This outsourcing company is known for reliability and long-term involvement throughout the entire coding process. The vendor prioritizes long-term partnerships over one-time projects, maintaining products, and consulting business managers long after the project is complete.
8. DOOR3
Team size: 50-200 professionals
Hourly rate: $25-$50
Founded in: 2002
DOOR3 is a boutique IT company, selective about their projects and professionals who make up their team. With over 18 years in the industry, the firm is known as a reliable SME-oriented provider of software development services.
The company has a wide range of services — DOOR3 handles UX/UI design, software development, and maintenance.
9. Unicsoft
Team size: 50-200 professionals
Hourly rate: $25-$50
Founded in: 2005
Unicsoft is a company focused mainly on developing next-generation projects. It is an energized company that keeps a careful eye on the latest trends in innovative technologies.
The team is typically employed to complete projects featuring AI, blockchain, machine learning, and Big Data.
Big vs Small Outsourcing Company: Which Should You Choose?
The Ukrainian tech market is quite diverse. On the one hand, business owners can reach out to vendors who have decades of experience and thousands of employees on their roster. On the other hand, there are much smaller and enthusiastic IT teams who are more flexible and ready to offer more collaborative options to their clients.
Should you go with a large-scale or a boutique outsourcing vendor? Let’s take a look at the benefits of both big and small outsourcing companies.
Large outsourcing company
- Access to more resources. When reaching out to big outsourcing vendors, you have access to a wider talent pool. Large firms typically have higher scaling potential, thus their infrastructure is more suitable to complex and large products. As your product grows, it will demand more talent and resources — these are the needs a large-scale company normally meets.
- Large-scale, long-term projects. Lots of large software outsourcing companies in Ukraine work on projects for years, often developing an infrastructure for one or two products. If you have a considerable amount of investment to back your idea up, and aren’t going to work within strict budgetary limits, contracting a large-scale firm would be a go-to option.
- High-level infrastructure. Access to a larger workforce often comes with a higher level of organisation. This means that big outsourcing vendors are capable of handling tasks in bulk, and at a much faster pace. If your project involves a lot of research or is expected to take a considerable amount of turns during the development process, a large outsourcing vendor is capable of handling such situations.
Small outsourcing company
- Higher flexibility. Unlike large-scale companies who have established practices, firms with small teams are willing to communicate with clients more frequently to adjust their workflow to project needs. Such an approach facilitates better coordination between the offshore team and client.
- More affordable. Since small-scale companies need fewer resources to support their teams and infrastructure, they are generally more affordable. In addition, smaller teams are typically more enthusiastic. In order to tap into new fields and widen the expertise they are willing to take on projects even with limited budgets.
- Expertise available in specific fields. Offering niche-based services is one of the poster characteristics of smaller outsourcing teams. Bigger companies, on the other hand, handle projects by a set of established and so called ‘conveyor’ practices, without paying too much attention to specific goals. That’s why hiring a boutique vendor is more reasonable for SMEs who want to get access to skilled and affordable talent in a particular field of tech.
Here are the differences between small and large-scale outsourcing vendors summarized in a table:
| Large companies | Small companies | |
| Access to resources | Full | Restricted |
| Types of projects | End-to-end, long-term | End-to-end, short-term, niche-specific |
| Scalability potential | High | Medium |
| Development cost | High | Low, Medium |
| Reliability | High, Variable | Variable |
| Flexibility | Low | High |
| Vendor company growth rate | Medium | High |
| Client’s involvement in the project | Low | High |
Conclusion
Ukraine is a promising emerging market for hiring an outsourcing team. There are thousands of high-level vendors in Ukraine for custom software development projects. When choosing an outsourcing vendor, choose a company with the rates that correspond to your budget. To choose between large-scale and small-scale companies, use the comparison table provided above.
If you are a business owner looking for an affordable and versatile team of programmers, reach out to Honeycomb Software!
As an enthusiastic and experienced team, we are always excited to take on innovative projects across all scales and industries. Take a look at the work we have completed to see how we have helped businesses build outstanding products. To discuss your project idea, contact us!
To help you choose a skilled company, we have created a review of the top 10 custom software engineering companies in Ukraine.
Ukrainian IT Sector: Overview
Before you dive into researching vendors and shortlisting the best candidates, make sure you have a solid understanding of the local tech market. Here’s a brief overview of the infrastructure, skills, and tech education tools that Ukraine offers its developers.
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Tech education
In Ukraine, custom software development is a highly competitive and high-paying industry. According to DOU.ua, a leading IT community in Ukraine, 64% of local programmers have a STEM degree.
When reviewed against other European countries, it’s clear that Ukraine is among the frontrunners in tech education. For example, the country has more tech programs and university graduates than Germany, France, or Poland.
Business climate
Ukraine is one of the most business-friendly countries in Europe. With tax rates at 5% of gross income and a convenient location (the country has direct connections to most European countries), the region has become an attractive hub for custom software development.
Statistically, Ukraine is the largest IT services exporter in the region. Similarly, Ukraine regularly enters the Top 50 Digital Nations Index — this year, the country has come in at 38th place.
Language proficiency
Ukraine ranks among the 50 top countries worldwide in English proficiency. Local tech professionals have a solid understanding of both written and spoken language, and can thus express ideas freely and logically.
Skills and technologies
What sets Ukrainian developers apart from their Western colleagues is a diverse skill set. Since local IT companies take on a wide range of projects, programmers are challenged to get an understanding of multiple languages, tools, and frameworks.
Here are the most popular technologies of custom software development that Ukraine programmers specialize in:
- Python
- PHP
- Java
- JavaScript
- C#, C++
- Swift
As for soft skills, Ukrainian IT companies enthusiastically implement Agile, Waterfall, and other project management methodologies. Local teams use popular messaging platforms (Slack, Skype, Telegram) and project management tools (Trello, Jira, Asana), as well.
Top tech products and startups
To get a better understanding of how innovative and intelligent Ukrainian tech specialists are, here are some of the companies that put the country on the global tech map:
- Grammarly — a tool created by two Ukrainian developers raised over $90M in investments last year.
- Allset — a Ukraine-based food delivery service that had a Google-backed partnership and raised over $10M in investments. At the moment, over 2,000 restaurants have integrated the platform into their day-to-day operations.
- Depositphotos — one of the biggest stock photo sites that earned worldwide presence (used in over 192 countries) is based in Ukraine, as well.
Top 10 Outsourcing Companies in Ukraine
If you have a promising project idea and want a team of Ukrainian developers to bring it to reality, it’s time to take a closer look at local vendors and find the right fit for your business. Here’s a review of the 10 top local development companies that take on outsourcing projects:
1. Honeycomb Software
Team size: 50-70 professionals
Hourly rates: $25-$50 per hour
Founded in: 2015
In Ukraine, Honeycomb Software is known as one of the most reliable and innovative outsourcing software development companies in the country. The company is famous for working on projects — both on a small and large scale — and works with various technologies including .Net, C#, C++, React, Redux, Angular, TensorFlow, Azure, AWS, SQL, PostgreSQL, and many more.
As of 2020, Honeycomb Software has completed projects using AI, Big Data, and other technologies. On top of this, the company has years of experience designing websites and mobile apps.
2. EPAM
Team size: over 10,000 professionals
Hourly rates: $150-$200 per hour
Founded in: 1993
With over 25 years of experience, EPAM is an established outsourcing giant in Ukraine. Although the company’s main focus lies in handling large-scale projects, well-established development practices make up for relatively high development costs (when opting to EPAM.)
3. Miratech
Team size: over 700 team members
Hourly rates: $100-$150 per hour
Founded in: 1989
Miratech is another titan on the Ukrainian tech scene. With over 30 years in business, the company earned a stellar reputation and became a sought after place of employment for hundreds of top-notch developers. Miratech takes on projects backed by global businesses, startups, professional service teams, and equity firms.
4. SoftServe
Team size: over 1,000 employees
Hourly rates: $100-$150 per hour
Founded in: 1993
With the motto “For the future”, the company takes software development seriously and takes on projects driven by social responsibility. SoftServe does a good job at completing innovative projects. The company’s portfolio has a wide reel of AI, IoT, Big Data, Cloud, and Extended Reality projects.
5. Global Logic
Team size: over 10,000 professionals
Hourly rates: $100-$150 per hour
Founded in: 2000
Global Logic is one of the leaders in Ukrainian IT. The custom software development company in Ukraine has some big names under its belt — Panasonic, Volvo, Adobe, and many others. The company specialises in handling large-scale projects.
6. Luxoft
Team size: over 10,000 professionals
Hourly rates: $100-$150 per hour
Founded in: 2000
Luxoft is one of the most well-known Ukrainian vendors out there. Other than working on building software for SMEs and large-scale projects, the company specializes in consulting and digital strategy.
7. Ciklum
Team size: over 1,000 professionals
Hourly rates: $25-$49 per hour
Founded in: 2002
This outsourcing company is known for reliability and long-term involvement throughout the entire coding process. The vendor prioritizes long-term partnerships over one-time projects, maintaining products, and consulting business managers long after the project is complete.
8. DOOR3
Team size: 50-200 professionals
Hourly rate: $25-$50
Founded in: 2002
DOOR3 is a boutique IT company, selective about their projects and professionals who make up their team. With over 18 years in the industry, the firm is known as a reliable SME-oriented provider of software development services.
The company has a wide range of services — DOOR3 handles UX/UI design, software development, and maintenance.
9. Unicsoft
Team size: 50-200 professionals
Hourly rate: $25-$50
Founded in: 2005
Unicsoft is a company focused mainly on developing next-generation projects. It is an energized company that keeps a careful eye on the latest trends in innovative technologies.
The team is typically employed to complete projects featuring AI, blockchain, machine learning, and Big Data.
Big vs Small Outsourcing Company: Which Should You Choose?
The Ukrainian tech market is quite diverse. On the one hand, business owners can reach out to vendors who have decades of experience and thousands of employees on their roster. On the other hand, there are much smaller and enthusiastic IT teams who are more flexible and ready to offer more collaborative options to their clients.
Should you go with a large-scale or a boutique outsourcing vendor? Let’s take a look at the benefits of both big and small outsourcing companies.
Large outsourcing company
- Access to more resources. When reaching out to big outsourcing vendors, you have access to a wider talent pool. Large firms typically have higher scaling potential, thus their infrastructure is more suitable to complex and large products. As your product grows, it will demand more talent and resources — these are the needs a large-scale company normally meets.
- Large-scale, long-term projects. Lots of large software outsourcing companies in Ukraine work on projects for years, often developing an infrastructure for one or two products. If you have a considerable amount of investment to back your idea up, and aren’t going to work within strict budgetary limits, contracting a large-scale firm would be a go-to option.
- High-level infrastructure. Access to a larger workforce often comes with a higher level of organisation. This means that big outsourcing vendors are capable of handling tasks in bulk, and at a much faster pace. If your project involves a lot of research or is expected to take a considerable amount of turns during the development process, a large outsourcing vendor is capable of handling such situations.
Small outsourcing company
- Higher flexibility. Unlike large-scale companies who have established practices, firms with small teams are willing to communicate with clients more frequently to adjust their workflow to project needs. Such an approach facilitates better coordination between the offshore team and client.
- More affordable. Since small-scale companies need fewer resources to support their teams and infrastructure, they are generally more affordable. In addition, smaller teams are typically more enthusiastic. In order to tap into new fields and widen the expertise they are willing to take on projects even with limited budgets.
- Expertise available in specific fields. Offering niche-based services is one of the poster characteristics of smaller outsourcing teams. Bigger companies, on the other hand, handle projects by a set of established and so called ‘conveyor’ practices, without paying too much attention to specific goals. That’s why hiring a boutique vendor is more reasonable for SMEs who want to get access to skilled and affordable talent in a particular field of tech.
Here are the differences between small and large-scale outsourcing vendors summarized in a table:
| Large companies | Small companies | |
| Access to resources | Full | Restricted |
| Types of projects | End-to-end, long-term | End-to-end, short-term, niche-specific |
| Scalability potential | High | Medium |
| Development cost | High | Low, Medium |
| Reliability | High, Variable | Variable |
| Flexibility | Low | High |
| Vendor company growth rate | Medium | High |
| Client’s involvement in the project | Low | High |
Conclusion
Ukraine is a promising emerging market for hiring an outsourcing team. There are thousands of high-level vendors in Ukraine for custom software development projects. When choosing an outsourcing vendor, choose a company with the rates that correspond to your budget. To choose between large-scale and small-scale companies, use the comparison table provided above.
If you are a business owner looking for an affordable and versatile team of programmers, reach out to Honeycomb Software!
As an enthusiastic and experienced team, we are always excited to take on innovative projects across all scales and industries. Take a look at the work we have completed to see how we have helped businesses build outstanding products. To discuss your project idea, contact us!
