Onshore costs two to four times more and gives full timezone overlap and local market context. Nearshore splits the difference with strong overlap at moderate cost. Offshore is cheapest with four to five hours of overlap. The right choice depends on how well-specified the work is and how much live collaboration it needs.
We are an offshore studio, so read this accordingly. We have also seen enough offshore engagements fail to be specific about when it is the wrong choice.
Onshore cost multiple
Offshore overlap
The deciding variable
What makes it work
$100–$250/hour. Full overlap, local context, in-person possible, easiest for undefined work.
$40–$75/hour. Latin America for US clients, Eastern Europe for UK. Strong overlap, moderate cost.
$25–$45/hour. India and South Asia. Lowest cost, four to five hours of overlap, async discipline required.
The further away, the more the work must be defined. Exploratory work suffers most from distance.
Distance increases coordination cost. Budget for it rather than assuming the rate difference is pure saving.
Onshore teams understand your customers intuitively. Offshore teams need it made explicit.
| Onshore (US) | Nearshore (LatAm) | Offshore (India) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly rate | $100 – $250 | $40 – $75 | $25 – $45 |
| Monthly, full-time | $16k – $32k | $5k – $8.5k | $3.5k – $6.5k |
| Overlap with US East | Full | 6–8 hours | 4–5 hours |
| Overlap with US West | Full | 5–7 hours | 2–3 hours |
| In-person possible | Yes | Occasionally | Rarely |
| Market context | Native | Good | Requires explaining |
| Best for | Undefined, collaborative work | Balanced needs | Well-specified work |
No overlap hours, weak written communication, no accountable lead, and buying on price alone.
| Failure mode | What to require instead |
|---|---|
| Zero overlap hours | A guaranteed daily window in writing |
| Questions blocking overnight | Async updates and pre-signoff questions |
| Bait and switch on staffing | Interview and approve the actual engineers |
| No accountability | One named lead with escalation |
| Cheapest bid | A real estimate with defined scope |
| Unclear IP ownership | Assignment from the first commit |
That last point is the honest one. Offshore engagements need someone on your side who can write clearly. If that person does not exist, the rate saving evaporates in rework.
Not inherently. Quality varies more between vendors than between countries. What genuinely differs is communication cost and market context — both manageable, neither free.
Four hours daily is workable for most engineering. Below two hours, every question costs a day and the rate saving disappears into elapsed time.
Assignment from the first commit in the contract, code in your repository, infrastructure in your accounts, and named revocable access. These are standard terms and any credible vendor will accept them.
Comparison
A 30-minute call, then a written proposal with scope, price and timeline within two to three working days. No retainer required to get a real number, and no obligation if the answer is that we are not the right fit.