What does it cost to work with you?

It depends. I know "it depends" isn't satisfying, but it's honest: audit, project rescue and fractional CTO have different sizes and timelines. I give you the price in our first call, after I understand what you actually need. What's certain: it's written down before we start, and it's fixed. No quotes that keep growing, no surprises halfway through.

How quickly will I see real results?

Audit: written report in your hands in 2-3 days. Project rescue: first changes live within 1-2 weeks, completion in 2-4 weeks. Fractional CTO: from the first week you have a written technical roadmap and the first decisions made — you don't wait a month to see what's changing.

Do you only work remote or also in person?

Remote, mostly. I come on-site when it actually matters — kick-off, strategic workshops, on-site audits. Veneto, Lombardia and Emilia covered easily; other regions with travel expenses. No theater of mandatory presence.

Do you also work full-time somewhere else?

Yes — I'm a Tech Lead at an enterprise company, and that's exactly where the technical level I bring to your project comes from. That's why I work with very few clients at a time, with clear scope: audit, time-boxed rescue, light monthly retainer. My availability is limited by design, not despite everything. If you need someone full-time every day, you need an in-house dev — and I'll be the first to tell you.

What happens if after the audit we decide not to continue?

Nothing bad. The report is yours, take it home — it contains everything another dev or team needs to act. The initial 30-minute call is free, the audit has a fixed price agreed up front. Zero ambiguity, no hidden clauses.

Do you only work with startups or also with SMBs?

Both. Founders validating an idea, CTOs inheriting a codebase, SMBs with stuck internal software or a developer who stopped replying to emails. I bring value in all these cases — it's not the company size that matters, it's whether you actually need a senior technical reference.

Can I have a fractional CTO while I already have internal developers?

Yes, and it's one of the most common cases. You have devs (internal or external) but no one makes technical decisions or coordinates. That's the role I play: I don't replace the team, I lead it. Direct Slack, weekly call, no disappearances. If there's a promising senior dev, my goal is also to help them grow until they can replace me.

What stacks are you specialized in?

Next.js, TypeScript, Node.js, Python, FastAPI, PostgreSQL, AWS, Vercel — that's where I'm fastest. But fractional CTO isn't about the stack: it's about picking the right one for your stage and executing. I also work with inherited codebases on other stacks — actually, that happens often. If I think the stack choice is wrong, I'll tell you.

How does invoicing work?

Italian invoice with VAT. Audit and project rescue: 50% upfront, 50% on delivery. Fractional CTO: monthly invoice, renewable quarterly contract (no annual lock-ins). Payment by bank transfer. Clean, invoiced, traceable.

Career

Freelance platforms for developers in Italy: which ones I evaluated and what to choose

An honest overview of freelance platforms for Italian developers — vertical marketplaces, international generalists, direct network. Pros, cons, and which one makes sense depending on your career stage.

May 20, 20268 min read

If you're a freelance developer in Italy, sooner or later you ask yourself the question: where do I find clients? The options have changed quite a bit in recent years — vertical marketplaces have appeared, the generalist ones have become saturated, and direct networking on LinkedIn has shifted in importance. Here I give an honest overview of the platforms I've evaluated or used, and I tell you which one makes sense depending on the stage you're in.

A premise: I'm not affiliated with any of the platforms I mention. I don't earn anything if you sign up. What you read is the impression of someone who has tried them from the point of view of a senior dev — people at different career stages may have different judgments, and that's fair.

The four categories to understand before choosing

Reducing the discussion to "which marketplace to use" is lazy analysis. The platforms fall into four structurally different categories:

Italian vertical marketplaces — built for the local market, Italian devs and clients, Italian as the primary language.
International vertical marketplaces with vetting — hard to get into (Toptal, Arc.dev), high pay, scope tends to be long.
Generalist marketplaces — Upwork, Fiverr. High volume, global race to the bottom, short scope.
Direct outbound — LinkedIn, events, podcasts, communities. No intermediaries, but you have to actively go looking.

Understanding which category you're searching in, even before choosing the platform, saves you months of frustration.

1. FreelanceDEV — Italian vertical marketplace

FreelanceDEV is an Italian marketplace specialized in software development (web, app, e-commerce, custom software, AI). The clients are mostly Italian — startups, SMEs, agencies looking for devs for projects in Italian. Freelancers publish profiles, spend credits to send proposals, and communicate directly with the client through the platform.

What works well: the projects posted come with a clear scope, an indicative budget and a timeline. Communication is in Italian, which reduces a lot of the typical misunderstandings of global marketplaces. The credit-based model discourages mass race-to-the-bottom bidding — whoever submits a proposal thinks twice before spending the credit. That said, receiving proposals isn't the same as knowing how to filter them: if you're a client, before you sign anything I recommend reading how to actually evaluate a developer, because a polished profile and a well-written proposal won't tell you whether that person ships.

What to keep in mind: like any vertical marketplace, the volume of high-end projects is limited — the Italian market is smaller than the English-speaking one. If you're only looking for premium engagements (fractional CTOs, strategic consulting, retainers of 3-5k/month), a dev marketplace isn't the first channel to look at — strategic consulting is sold through direct network, not through bidding. And there's one more risk the marketplace doesn't cover for you: if the dev goes silent after a few weeks, you're the one left to handle it — I've written about what to do when a developer stops responding.

When it makes sense: you're in your first 2-4 years of freelancing, you want to fill your calendar with development-oriented projects (websites, apps, ecommerce, custom software), you're fine with Italian SME/startup clients, and you like working on defined projects more than ongoing retainers.

2. Toptal and Arc.dev — international marketplaces with vetting

Toptal and Arc.dev are premium platforms for senior devs who pass a vetting process (technical tests, interview, work presentation). Access is hard: Toptal's declared acceptance rate is <3% of candidates. Once you're in, you work with international companies and rates around $60-120/h.

Pros: high-quality clients, well-defined scopes, platform support in case of disputes, a total absence of race-to-the-bottom bidding. Cons: the vetting process costs days and if you get rejected you've burned that time, the platforms take a significant percentage, and the required exclusivity (Toptal actively discourages working through other channels) reduces your flexibility.

When it makes sense: you have 5+ years of demonstrable experience, you want international clients at high rates, you accept the platform's mediation, and you don't mind replying in English to US clients in the opposite time zone.

3. Upwork and Fiverr — generalist marketplaces

These are the giants of global freelancing. Huge volume, on average low quality on the client side, ruthless competition on the dev side — especially from countries with a much lower cost of living than ours. On Upwork you can end up competing with Ukrainian, Indian, Filipino devs who offer the same work at $15/h.

When it makes sense: you're building your first portfolio of real clients, you don't yet have rates to defend, and you want to start billing quickly to gain experience. For senior Italian devs, it's rarely the most lucrative channel.

4. Direct outbound — the invisible channel

The truth the platforms don't tell you: most senior devs in Italy find their most important clients through direct network. LinkedIn outbound, intros from ex-colleagues, guest spots on tech podcasts, attending meetups, articles that get read by potential clients.

There's no platform to sign up to. The "platform" is you: your LinkedIn profile, your technical blog, the people who know you and recommend you. It's slower to build, but it's also the highest-margin channel: no commissions, no intermediaries, prices you set yourself.

When it makes sense: you're looking for long-term engagements (retainers, fractional CTO, advisory), rates above €60-80/h, clients who want you in particular and not just any dev. For this tier, platforms serve at most as a backup.

How to choose: a quick matrix

No platform is universally better — it depends on your stage. Here's a brutal but useful simplification:

You're a junior/mid (1-3 years): FreelanceDEV for Italian projects, Upwork to build a portfolio, LinkedIn outbound to learn how to sell.
You're a senior dev (4-7 years): FreelanceDEV and possibly Toptal/Arc to fill the calendar, outbound for 60-70% of the business.
You're a senior+ consultant (8+ years): outbound at 90%, marketplaces marginal. Your leverage isn't lead volume, it's the quality of who recommends you.

Platforms are NOT a strategy

The most common mistake I see in Italian freelancers is signing up to 5 platforms and then not actively working any single channel. The result: rare leads, low conversion, frustration.

Better to choose 1-2 platforms that make sense for your stage, commit to them seriously (a polished profile, quality proposals, systematic follow-up) and dedicate the rest of your time to building the outbound channel. Platforms fill the gaps in your calendar; the outbound channel brings the clients who make you grow.

What I do

For honesty's sake: today I work mainly through direct outbound and referrals — that's where I find CTO retainer clients and software unblocking projects. I've evaluated the Italian vertical marketplaces and kept them as a side option, mostly for short development projects that match my technical specialization.

If instead you're a client looking for a dev/CTO for your project and you're reading this article, know that you can also contact me directly: my routine is a free 30-minute call, and I reply within 24 hours.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best freelance platform for developers in Italy?

There's no universally best platform — it depends on your stage. The options split into four different categories: Italian vertical marketplaces, international marketplaces with vetting like Toptal and Arc.dev, generalists like Upwork and Fiverr, and direct outbound. Pick the one that matches your career stage today, not the one that looks most prestigious.

Toptal or Upwork: which is better for an Italian dev?

It comes down to seniority. Upwork has huge volume but a global race to the bottom, with devs offering the same work at $15/h — it makes sense when you're building a first portfolio. Toptal is premium, rates around $60-120/h, but the vetting is hard (declared acceptance <3%) and it asks for exclusivity. For a senior Italian dev the most lucrative channel is often neither one — it's direct outbound.

Are freelance platforms enough to find clients?

No, and the most common mistake I see is signing up to 5 platforms without actually working any of them. A platform is only worth it if you work it: a polished profile, quality proposals, systematic follow-up. Platforms fill the gaps in your calendar, but the clients who make you grow come from the outbound channel you build over time.

Should I look for premium engagements like fractional CTO on a dev marketplace?

No. On a vertical dev marketplace the volume of high-end projects is limited, and strategic consulting — retainers, fractional CTO, advisory — is sold through direct network, not through bidding. For that tier (rates above €60-80/h, clients who want you specifically) platforms serve at most as a backup.

Which channel do you use to find clients?

Today I work mainly through direct outbound and referrals: that's where I find CTO retainer clients and software unblocking projects. I've evaluated the Italian vertical marketplaces and kept them as a side option, mostly for short development projects that match my technical specialization.

In summary

Freelance platforms for devs in Italy are not all the same, and there's no universally better choice. Four categories, four different logics:

FreelanceDEV — Italian vertical marketplace, excellent for development projects with SME/startup clients.
Toptal/Arc.dev — international premium, a hard gate but high rates.
Upwork/Fiverr — global volume, low price, fine for early experience.
Direct outbound — a slower channel but with the highest margin, necessary above a certain seniority.

Choose the one that matches your career stage today, not the one that seems most prestigious. And remember that a platform is only worth it if you work it — just signing up does nothing.