$25
Starting hourly rate (USD)
End-to-end
Solo product shipping ability
5-10
Days to vetted shortlist
Why hire full-stack developers from the Philippines
Senior full-stack at $25-55/hr — 60% below US rates
US senior full-stack devs run $90-160/hr. Same skill profile in Manila: $25-55/hr direct. Particularly strong on React + Node and Vue + Laravel combinations.
One engineer ships end-to-end — fewer handoffs
Two specialist devs (one frontend, one backend) cost more, ship slower, and create coordination overhead. One senior full-stack ships the same scope alone, especially under 50k MAU. We match for full-stack ownership when it fits the team shape.
Modern stack pairings — not 2018 LAMP
Common combos in active use: Next.js 14 + Node API, Remix + Prisma, Vue 3 + Laravel 11 Inertia, SvelteKit + FastAPI, Astro + Go. Vetted devs have opinions on each combo and tell you when you are reaching for the wrong one.
Real timezone overlap with US, Canada, Australia, EU
Manila is +13 hrs from Pacific, +16 from Eastern, +3 from Sydney, +6-8 from Western Europe. Senior devs keep evening blocks (PHT) for live US standups or morning blocks for Sydney/EU teams.
What this engagement covers
- Direct senior full-stack developer hire (1099 contractor or your-EOR W-2)
- Match by primary stack pairing (JS/TS, PHP/Laravel, Python, or polyglot)
- Pre-vetted shortlists in 5-10 business days
- Live technical interviews with my second-opinion read
- Trial paid project (1-2 weeks) — typically a real ticket from your backlog
- 30-day fit guarantee with no-cost replacement
- Optional fractional CTO seat to oversee architecture decisions and PR review standards
- Common combos: Next.js + Node, Vue + Laravel, React + FastAPI, Remix + Prisma, SvelteKit + Go
Frequently asked questions
What does "senior full-stack" mean in your shortlists?
5+ years production work spanning frontend AND backend (not "frontend dev who has used the API" — actual ownership of database schema, API design, deployment). Has shipped at least one product end-to-end as the sole engineer or primary contributor. Comfortable making architecture calls without being told what to do.
When does it make sense to hire ONE full-stack vs TWO specialists?
One full-stack wins under ~10 engineers, when the product is a coherent monolith, and when speed of shipping matters more than depth. Two specialists win when the product has genuinely separate complexity in frontend and backend (e.g., heavy-data viz product or backend with serious ML/data work). I help pick during the shortlist call.
Can a full-stack developer also handle DevOps and deployment?
Most senior full-stack devs are comfortable with basic devops — Vercel/Railway/Render deploys, Docker, GitHub Actions CI, basic AWS/GCP. For serious infrastructure (Kubernetes, custom multi-region setups, data pipelines), bring in a dedicated devops/SRE — that is a different skill profile.
What stacks are strongest on the Filipino full-stack bench?
In rough order of bench depth: React+Node (TypeScript), Vue+Laravel, Next.js+Node/Python, React+Laravel (Inertia), React Native+Node mobile full-stack. Newer combos like SvelteKit+Go and Astro+anything are present but with thinner bench (5-10 day longer shortlist).
How fast from "I want to hire" to onboarded engineer?
Typical: shortlist in 5-10 business days, interviews over 1-2 weeks, paid trial week immediately after offer. End-to-end usually 3-5 weeks from kickoff to fully onboarded.
Ready to talk specifics?
30 minutes, no slides, no pitch — just a working session on your engagement.
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