Are you looking for a reliable supplier of IT services for your company? When it comes to software outsourcing, the entire world has had its eyes on Central and Eastern Europe. This region offers a huge pool of IT talents, extensive experience in digital product development, and fair prices. Which country is the best to cooperate with? Take a closer look at this comparison of software development nearshoring and offshoring in Poland, Ukraine and Belarus.
Do you border these countries and want to use software development nearshoring? Or maybe they are too far away and you are looking for a partner for IT service offshoring? Find out where to find the best developers, the cheapest software houses and the greatest experiences in digital product development. Use our comparison and choose the options most beneficial to your business.
Software development rates and available settlement methods
Obviously, the cost of software development is not the most important consideration if the quality of the digital product is what matters. Yet, for many companies, the quotes from IT outsourcing services are a key factor that influence the choice of software house. When using nearshoring or offshoring in such countries as Poland, you can get the best project skill set and the rich experience of experts, all the while saving costs.
Until recently, rates from the software houses in Poland, Ukraine and Belarus differed significantly. Nowadays, the cost of IT services in these European countries is very comparable. For example, the average monthly remuneration in 2020 was:
- for an IT specialist in Belarus – USD 1,834
- for a software engineer in Ukraine – around USD 2,000
- for a specialist in Poland – around USD 2,103
If the difference between software development prices in Poland, Ukraine and Belarus is gradually fading, then what should you pay attention to when choosing an overseas software house? To the available methods of settlement and payment.
As far as the speed and security of transactions are concerned, Poland stands out most. This is a European Union state, which means that transactions within their available payment systems are considerably faster and safer. Payments between companies from within the EU are highly rated for the open market, 0% VAT and easy invoice accounting. What is more, in the future they will become even more convenient due to the development of the European Payments Initiative (EPI) – a rival to Visa and Mastercard.
Easy communication
Efficient and clear communication in IT projects is unquestionably one of the key conditions for success. The software house you cooperate with should offer appropriate technological tools (particularly useful during the pandemic). The best development companies will make contact with each possible member of the team.
Stepwise sees to it that all IT specialists speak (business) English fluently, to be able to understand customer business needs and to deliver solutions tailored to the business model and end users. Which are the easiest countries to communicate with in English? In the 2020 edition of the EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI):
- Poland took 16th place in the world
- Belarus held 40th place
- Ukraine held 44th place
A pool of professional developers
In IT projects, it is important that the team of developers consists of the best qualified experts possible. A versatile software house should be able to bring the appropriate technological competencies to the team relatively easily.
A considerable increase in the number of professional developers has been documented throughout Europe. One of the main reasons behind this phenomenon is the development of nearshoring and offshoring. How many IT experts are there in Poland, Ukraine and Belarus?
- Poland: 295,300 developers
- Ukraine: 192,100 developers
- Belarus: 55,700 developers
Poland (with the largest number of developers among the three countries) is among the TOP 10 countries in Europe with the largest pool of IT talents, and among top ten European countries with the highest increase in the number of developers at the turn of the year 2018/2019.
The level of experts and experience in software development
The objectives of nearshoring and offshoring in IT projects are to gain highly-qualified specialists, and optimise the costs of software development. Apart from the price of services, another significant factor is the level of knowledge and experience of the best experts in this sector.
In the SkillValue ranking of the best developers in the world:
- Poland took 4th place
- Ukraine held 8th place
- Belarus was ranked 22nd
For comparison, here are the results of the global ranking of developer skills according to TopCoder:
- Poland was ranked 5th
- Ukraine was in 6th place
- Belarus was in 8th place
Find out more reasons why it is worth choosing outsourcing IT services in Poland.
Geopolitical conditions
Those companies which develop their digital products through nearshoring and offshoring pay particular attention to ensuring that the software house is available during the company’s working hours. A great asset in outsourcing IT services is the same time zone:
- Poland GMT+1
- Ukraine GMT+2
- Belarus GMT+3
The political situation in the country is particularly significant in ensuring smooth workflow in the software house, efficient communication between partners, and free movement within the country or meetings. Experts from Stepwise have often visited our business partners abroad, and hosted our customers in our office in the centre of Warsaw. When choosing the location of our company, we paid particular attention to having easy access to railway stations and the airport.
Prior to choosing a direction of outsourcing, it is worth considering if the market we are interested in is fully secure and can guarantee stable development in digital products.
- Not so very long ago, Ukraine was troubled by the Maidan protests and the aggressive annexation of the Crimea by Russia.
- We hear a lot about the end of “the Belarussian Silicon Valley”, which is to a large extent the result of protests after the fraudulent presidential election and the brutal suppression of riots by the authorities.
- In this respect, Poland has been safe and stable for many years, and a lot of entrepreneurs even think it is the best centre for nearshoring and offshoring IT services in the world.
Cultural differences
Even neighbouring countries can experience cultural differences that you need to be aware of when you decide to outsource IT services. In nearshoring and offshoring IT services, it is worth choosing companies from culture-related regions, which considerably facilitates communication and translates into understanding mutual needs and expected results.
A lot of scientists indicate a clear cultural division between Central Europe, where Poland is located, and Eastern Europe – with Ukraine and Belarus.
Poland is situated in the centre of Europe and was one of the first countries liberated from the Soviet occupation. Poland’s foreign policy has been directed to the West for years, which is also clearly visible in the Polish culture.
Stepwise cooperates with companies from all over the world. We successfully provide software development support to companies from our neighbouring Germany as well as from distant Scandinavia – check our services! . We go beyond the framework of a standard software house. Not only do we offer a rich technical infrastructure, but also clear conditions for cooperation, full comprehension of your business needs, and project realisation oriented to achieving your specific goals. Contact us to discuss potential areas of cooperation.
