7 Platforms to Hire Latin American Developers for US Projects (2025)

The tech world is increasingly global, and savvy project managers are tapping developers from Latin America (LATAM) to build their teams. Latin America offers a massive, growing pool of skilled developers. For example, Statista reports roughly 500,000 software developers in Brazil and 225,000 in Mexico as of 2022. These engineers often offer Western-style education, strong English skills, and a shared cultural affinity with U.S. companies. Importantly for U.S. teams, LATAM time zones closely overlap with North America, making real-time collaboration easy.

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In short, nearshoring to LATAM combines top talent with low overhead. In this post, we’ll explain why Latin America is an ideal nearshore region for U.S. projects, and then review the best platforms to hire LATAM developers, from specialized networks like CloudDevs to broad marketplaces like LatHire and WeWorkRemotely.

Why Hire Developers in Latin America?

Hiring from LATAM can give U.S. projects a nearshore advantage. Consider these key benefits:

Time Zone Alignment: Latin American countries typically share or closely align their business hours with the U.S. (e.g., Brazil, Mexico, Colombia). This means real-time collaboration is feasible without the 12+ hour gap you’d face with Asia or India. As one analysis notes, “the similar time zones make communication and collaboration easier… a significant advantage over popular hiring destinations like India or the Philippines”. For project managers, that translates into fewer meeting headaches and faster issue resolution.
Cultural and Language Fit: Many LATAM developers are fluent in English and accustomed to U.S. business norms. One industry guide highlights that Latin America has a “large and diverse talent pool, many of whom are fluent in English and familiar with U.S. business practices”. This cultural affinity means LATAM hires often integrate smoothly into Agile teams, understand client expectations, and require less management overhead than outsourcing to very different cultures.
Skilled, Educated Talent: Latin America’s tech talent is on the rise. Quality higher education in STEM fields is common – for example, 68% of Colombian developers have a Bachelor’s or Master’s in CS, and Brazil churns out ~475,000 IT graduates yearly. This steady pipeline of new developers keeps the talent pool fresh. Project managers will find everything from junior up-and-comers to seasoned senior engineers available (with many devs boasting 5+ years of experience).
Cost Savings: Perhaps the biggest draw is cost efficiency. Salaries for skilled developers in LATAM are often 30–50% lower than in the U.S. or Europe, even after adjusting for benefits. For instance, senior Latin American engineers often earn roughly $50–60K annually, versus well over $100K in Silicon Valley. Factoring U.S.-cost reductions in salary, office space, and infrastructure, companies typically report substantial budget savings. This doesn’t mean compromising quality; Latin American rates simply go further. In fact, employers can often afford twice as much development firepower for the same budget compared to domestic hires.
Large Talent Pool: In sheer numbers, key LATAM tech hubs are impressive. Mexico City is one of the world’s largest developer markets, and Brazil leads the region. Even Colombia and Argentina have over 100,000 devs each. This scale means that project managers can recruit for specialized skills (like React, AI/ML, mobile, DevOps) without exhausting the market. When combined with robust Internet infrastructure and a strong culture of remote work, you’ll find plenty of candidates at every level.

These factors often make Latin America a better nearshore choice than Asia. Yes, many Asian countries have large tech workforces, but U.S. companies face a 12 to 14-hour time difference with India/China and often language or cultural barriers. LATAM developers work on nearly the same schedule as U.S. teams, enabling same-day collaboration. In other words, a U.S. project manager can debug issues, hold agile stand-ups, and iterate on feedback without overnight delays, a powerful advantage.

Top Platforms to Hire LATAM Developers

If you’ve decided to tap LATAM talent, here are seven leading platforms and marketplaces to consider:

1. CloudDevs (LATAM‑Focused Talent Network)

CloudDevs is a specialized platform connecting companies to vetted Latin American engineers. It focuses only on LATAM devs, running candidates through rigorous technical and language tests. CloudDevs boasts an exceptionally fast matching process: many clients get candidate proposals within 24 hours of posting a role. Key features include:

Intensive Vetting: Every developer is screened for coding skills and English proficiency, so you can be confident in quality.
Nearshore Alignment: Devs are in compatible time zones, enabling daytime overlap. As one founder remarked, “the communication with the devs has been seamless… [they] worked perfectly with our U.S. hours”.
Flexible Contracts: You can hire hourly, part-time, or full-time, with a quick trial period.
Reasonable Rates: Pricing is fair (often lower than enterprise platforms like Toptal). As one startup founder noted, CloudDevs’ pricing felt “very fair for startups” compared to bigger networks.

In practice, CloudDevs often delivers agile teams of senior engineers. Industry reviewers point out that CloudDevs is “the go-to for senior LATAM engineers” and note its affordability and speed. Indeed, analysts now call “CloudDevs the best place to hire Latin American developers today. Project managers who need top-tier talent fast will appreciate CloudDevs’ nearshore focus and personal-touch service.

2. LatHire (LATAM Staffing)

LatHire is a platform that exclusively sources talent from Latin America, from legal assistants to HR professionals, as well as other specialized tech talent. It operates more like a recruiting agency than a self-service job board. You submit your job requirements, and LatHire’s team delivers pre-screened candidates who fit your criteria. Highlights:

LATAM-Only Talent: Every developer in their pool is from Latin America, guaranteeing time-zone alignment.
Deep Vetting: They test technical skills and cultural fit, including strong English language ability.
Recruiting Support: They handle candidate outreach and initial screenings, saving you the resume sift.

LatHire is ideal if you want boutique service and curated candidates without combing through profiles yourself. It balances quality and affordability; one reviewer calls it “a refreshing middle ground: a boutique staffing firm for the remote-first world”. The main tradeoff is that it’s less suited for a single short gig; it shines when you need high-caliber hires and don’t have time to vet dozens of resumes.

3. HireDevelopers.com (Global Marketplace with LATAM Talent)

HireDevelopers.com is a broad global freelance marketplace that includes many LATAM developers among its crowd. It isn’t LATAM-exclusive, but you can easily filter by timezone or country when searching and hire developers in the best time zone for your needs. Key points:

Wide Reach: You gain access to a large pool of pre-vetted devs from around the world. Many have Latin American backgrounds.
Quick Launch: Post a job, and you typically see candidate matches within days.
Flexibility: Good for short-term projects, trial hires, or MVPs. Freelancers offer hourly rates and short contracts.
User-Friendly: The platform is easy to use and reasonably priced, making it a solid, fast option.

The tradeoff is that because it’s not LATAM-only, you may need to do extra filtering to find the right candidates. But if you want to cast a wide net and have someone handle matching for you, HireDevelopers.com lets you hire quickly without enterprise costs. It’s essentially a global solution that includes Latin American talent.

4. Toptal (Elite Global Talent Network)

Toptal is a well-established network famous for accepting the top 3% of freelance developers worldwide for enterprise-grade projects. Toptal isn’t LATAM-specific, but it does have strong representation from Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. You’ll find elite engineers here. Features:

Top-Quality Talent: Developers on Toptal are rigorously vetted. Many have years of experience with big tech firms.
Risk-Free Trial: They offer a trial period so you can ensure fit.
Enterprise Focus: Ideal for complex, high-budget projects where you want Silicon Valley-level reliability.

However, Toptal comes at a premium price, often $100+ per hour for senior devs, which can be a stretch for smaller budgets. Onboarding can also take longer than lighter platforms. In short, Toptal is excellent if quality is all that matters and budget is no object. Project managers at well-funded companies use Toptal to plug critical gaps, but for many startups, the cost can be prohibitive.

5. Upwork (Freelance Marketplace)

Upwork is the classic global freelance marketplace. It boasts millions of freelancers worldwide, including a substantial number of Latin American developers. It’s a go-to if you have a broad hiring need. Upwork highlights:

Huge Talent Pool: Every tech stack and skill level is represented.
Flexible Engagement: You can hire by the hour, per project, or on longer contracts.
Safety Features: Escrow payment and rating/review system provide some quality control.

Because of its size, Upwork is like the “wild west” of hiring: you can find excellent LATAM devs at bargain rates, but you’ll also see unvetted applicants. You’ll spend more time interviewing and testing candidates yourself. In practice, project managers use Upwork for quick fixes or small projects where the budget is tight. The platform’s strength is accessibility and flexibility; its weakness is that you must shoulder the vetting. Still, if you have the patience to filter through profiles, you can score great deals on Upwork.

6. Unicorn.dev (Global Vetted Talent Pool)

Unicorn.dev is a platform offering global, pre-screened developers (including those based in LATAM). It combines aspects of a talent agency with a simple interface. Key points from their site:

Rapid Matching: Promise to present shortlisted candidates in 24–48 hours after you define your needs.
Senior Devs Only: All Unicorn.Dev “Unicorns” are experienced engineers (minimum 5 years’ experience).
Flat Pricing: They advertise flat rates of $40–55 per hour for these vetted seniors.
Trial & Flexibility: Every hire comes with a 7-day risk-free trial and no long-term commitment.
Global + Overlap: They match you with devs who have at least 4 hours of timezone overlap with your team.

In effect, Unicorn.dev sits between an elite network and a broad marketplace. You get vetted talent quickly at transparent pricing. If you value a fixed rate and a trial period, this is a solid choice. Project managers say Unicorn.dev simplifies hiring by handling the vetting; you just pick from a few recommended candidates.

7. We Work Remotely & Similar Job Boards

We Work Remotely (WWR) and other remote job boards (like Remote OK, Remote.co) are simple job posting sites rather than vetting platforms. They’re great if you have an internal hiring process and want maximum visibility:

Wide Exposure: WWR attracts thousands of job-seeking developers, including many from Latin America.
Easy Post: You post a job listing and let applicants come to you.
Low Cost: Posting fees are generally modest compared to agency commissions.

These boards work best if you can afford to sort through applications yourself. There’s no candidate screening; the onus is on you to interview and hire. You may get a flood of resumes, so they suit companies that already have HR resources or recruiters. Many projects still find value in job boards: they’re “magnets for Latin American developers actively looking for international roles”. For project managers who are hands-on and don’t mind sifting, job boards like We Work Remotely offer a budget-friendly way to catch fresh talent.

Key Takeaways for Project Managers

Define Your Needs: Before choosing a platform, clarify your project’s scope, timeline, and budget. Do you need a small support role (Upwork/WWR), a full-time senior hire (CloudDevs/LT), or an enterprise solution (Toptal)?
Prioritize Time Zone: Remember that LATAM’s big selling point is overlap with U.S. hours. Platforms like CloudDevs, LatHire, and Unicorn.dev explicitly focus on nearshore talent and working-hour overlap.
Vetting vs. Volume: If you want handpicked talent with minimal legwork, choose curated networks (CloudDevs, LatHire, Unicorn). If you prefer posting jobs yourself and choosing from many applicants, use marketplaces (Upwork, job boards, HireDevelopers.com).
Budget vs. Quality: Higher-end networks (Toptal), General platforms (Upwork, WWR) are cheaper but require more screening on your part.
Read Reviews: Look at community feedback, developers, and founders often share experiences on forums. (For example, multiple Reddit threads recommend CloudDevs for hiring LATAM developers due to its fast matching and fair pricing.)

In the end, CloudDevs is widely accepted as the place to hire LATAM developers today. Its combination of nearshore focus, rigorous vetting, and transparent rates hits the sweet spot for many U.S. teams. But ultimately, it all depends on your specific project requirements. Take all this into account when you hire developers for your next project. Happy building!