RocketDevs vs Gun.io
Gun.io prices per developer profile, with third-party estimates of the range running from roughly $60 to $200/hr, and its FAQ says clients sign a two-year non-solicitation agreement before working with developers. RocketDevs publishes three rates, from $9.99/hr, with no placement fee to hire a developer directly.
Last reviewed Rates validated
Is RocketDevs a good Gun.io alternative?
RocketDevs is a good Gun.io alternative when you want a published rate card instead of per-profile rates. Both are curated engineering networks, not open marketplaces: Gun.io screens in multiple stages and shows each developer's own rate. RocketDevs assesses every developer for 6 to 8 hours, rejects over 98%, and admits the top 2% (1.95% in 2025), at $9.99/hr, $21.99/hr, and $30.99/hr with a 14-day money-back guarantee.
RocketDevs vs Gun.io: full feature comparison
5 things you'll check before hiring a remote engineer, and where RocketDevs and Gun.io land on each. Hover any row for the detail.
- Yes
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| Decision | RocketDevsRecommended FROM $9.99/HR · 24H MATCHING | Gun.io |
|---|---|---|
| RateTotal cost | From $9.99/hr, published upfront Three tiers, the same number for every client. | Priced per profile, estimated $60 to $200/hr Gun.io says the price on the profile is the full price with no additional hourly fee. Third-party estimates of the range vary widely and are not an official rate card. |
| Direct hireConversion | $0, no placement fee Hire your developer directly at any time. | Two-year non-solicitation agreement Gun.io’s FAQ says clients sign a two-year non-solicitation agreement before working with developers. Conversion terms appear negotiated per engagement. |
| SpeedTime to match | Curated shortlist in 24 hours A recruiter reads the brief and comes back the next day. | Days to two weeks Reported time from brief to placement across the curated process. |
| VettingQuality bar | 6-hour multi-stage, Top 2% pass Every test score is visible on the profile. | Multi-stage, developer-led Engineers run the technical curation. Gun.io publishes no acceptance rate, so there is no like-for-like number to compare. |
| ContractLock-in | No long-term contract Scale the hours up or down as the work changes. | Freelance and full-time options Developers set their own rates and engagement terms are agreed per profile. |
Figures last checked against public sources on June 2026. Competitor terms can change without notice, see the sources below.
Show sources (2)
- Gun.io published rates Gun.io
- RocketDevs rates, guarantee and terms RocketDevs
Can I Really Get My Money Back?
Yes. If it is not right within 14 days, you get your money back.
- 14-day money back, 100% honoured.
- No contract. Cancel anytime.
- Pay only if the work is right.
On-boarding included, not billed
Week-one onboarding into your workflow and tools, at no cost.
A price you can put in a budget
Three published tiers, billed against tracked hours. No quotes, no surprise invoices.
What clients say after switching from Gun.io
“Their hiring process is extremely selective. The developer that I work with are on par with devs that cost companies $185,000 a year.”
“I don't write code. My fear was paying for 'mystery hours'. I love RocketDevs for solving that problem!”
“Swapped agencies for RocketDevs and it's night and day. Velocity doubled and comms are crisp.”
“Hired a React+Node dev in 5 days. Shipping faster without burning runway.”
“I found RocketDevs while searching for how to hire African developers, and I got exactly what I needed. Great in house to help manage my tech startup. These guys really helped me grow while maintaining a lean budget. I highly recommend RocketDevs, great company to find talented developers.”
“I hired a developer from RocketDevs and he was great. We built my automation software together and I'm impressed at the how incredibly talented this developer is. I'll highly recommend RocketDevs because they're the company every start-up needs when it comes to software development. Amazing job guys.”
“RocketDevs has been instrumental in helping us scale our development team without breaking the bank. The caliber of developers they offer is impressive, and the cost savings are substantial compared to hiring in-house or using other outsourcing options. Thanks to RocketDevs, we've been able to accelerate our product development timeline and focus on growing our business.”
“I got to commend RocketDevs on their customer service. My first dev didn't work out and they replaced him within 24 hours.”
“Weekly demos, zero 'mystery hours'. Best offshore experience I've had in 10 years.”
“I wanted devs from other regions in Africa. Took a while for me to find a match but it was worth it. and I think they need to expand their pool of devs as well.”
“I only decided to hire from rocketdevs because I was too occupied to handle the hiring of fiverr and it turned out to be better. The meeting with the project manager was very productive, seeing as I got 2 developers that completely matched my expectations.”
“I'm not experienced with building software, much less managing contracted developer, however Rocketdevs's platform was surprisingly efficient and distilled the process down to me only having to make the decisions. The initial vetting process was on point.”
Where Gun.io is the stronger choice
No platform wins on every count. These are the places Gun.io is genuinely the better call, taken from its own published material and from independent reporting, so you can weigh them yourself.
A focused engineering network
Gun.io does engineering and nothing else, so the whole platform is pointed at one kind of hire.
Transparent profile-level pricing
Gun.io states that clients see the full price on the profile and pay no additional hourly fee on top. Third-party estimates of the range vary widely, but the number on the profile is the number you pay.
Developer-led screening
Technical curation at Gun.io is run by engineers, and the shortlist reflects that.
RocketDevs vs Gun.io: common questions
Is RocketDevs a good Gun.io alternative?
Yes, if predictable cost is what you are after. Gun.io is a curated technical network with developer-led, multi-stage screening, where each engineer sets the rate you see on their profile. RocketDevs runs a published rate card instead, $9.99/hr to $30.99/hr by level, with the same flexible engagement, part-time or full-time, sitting inside your team.
How much does RocketDevs cost compared to Gun.io?
RocketDevs publishes three rates: $9.99/hr Associate, $21.99/hr Mid-senior, $30.99/hr Senior. That puts a full-time Associate at about $1,598 a month. Gun.io says clients see the full price on the developer's profile and pay no additional hourly fees, and its engineers set those rates themselves, so cost varies by engineer. Published estimates of Gun.io rates differ widely between sources and are third-party estimates rather than an official rate card, so check the number with them directly.
Can I hire a RocketDevs developer part-time or full-time?
Both, and that is the standard RocketDevs engagement. You pick the hours, part-time or full-time, and change them as the work changes. For the hours you book the developer joins your standups and stays on your codebase. More than 500 client companies hire this way.
Can I hire the developer directly later?
Yes, and our terms are published. You give RocketDevs prior written notice, agree a reasonable wind-down period for the developer, which may be 30 days, and pay a flat buyout fee by level: USD $5,000 for Level 1 Junior, USD $7,000 for Level 2 Mid-senior, and USD $9,000 for Level 3 Senior, payable within 30 days of the direct hire. Level 3 applies where the Talent Outline Plan does not state a level. The fee is capped and published rather than a percentage of salary. The cooling off period is twelve months, covering the developer's work for you plus 12 months after, or 12 months from introduction if you never engage them, and it applies only to the individual developer introduced to you rather than to our wider network. After that window there is no buyout fee at all. Gun.io's FAQ says clients sign a two-year non-solicitation agreement before working with its developers, and its direct-conversion terms appear to be negotiated rather than published, so ask them for both numbers before you compare.
How rigorous is RocketDevs vetting?
Every developer we admit completes 6 to 8 hours of assessment across live coding, architecture, and communication, and over 98% of applicants are rejected. In 2025 we assessed 11,422 applicants and placed 223, a 1.95% acceptance rate. Our normal band is the top 2%.
How do I know the hours I am billed for were worked?
Time is tracked with screenshots every 3 minutes, so you can see the work behind each invoiced hour. If the fit is wrong anyway, the 14-day money-back guarantee applies: refund or replacement, your call.
Screened as carefully as Gun.io, at a rate we publish.
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