5 Freelance Platforms for Developers in the Netherlands

These days, there are a lot of different freelance platforms where you can find a new contract. Some are created up for a specific niche, others are as broad as can be.

But if you want a good contract as a freelance developer in the Netherlands, you have to look for the right client. In general, this means not competing on Upwork with developers from other countries, but finding a Dutch platform with solid Dutch hourly rates.

To give you a kick-start, we have compiled a list of 5 freelance platforms that are specifically suited for software developers looking for a new ‘ZZP’ contract in the Netherlands.

IT Contracts

Probably, you have come across IT Contracts before. This platform offers a range of different contracts for freelancers active in technology. 

The advantage of IT Contracts is that you can keep searching for the right job. Each job is listed with a description and the person or company who placed the job. Unfortunately, the hourly rate is not always clear in advance, but of course you have to negotiate this.

IT Contracts does have some drawbacks. First of all, it is not specifically aimed at developers, but is more generally aimed at freelancers active in IT. That means that a lot of other jobs are listed, for instance for Product Owners, Scrum Masters or even Business Analysts.

A second downside is that recruiters can post roles themselves. In other words, usually you won’t be in direct contact with your client. That means it can sometimes be a lengthy process, even more so because you have to create an account to respond. So here’s a tip: always Google the title or part of the job text. With some luck, you can the job originally posted by the “real” client, and that way, you can bypass the recruiter.

Freelance Dev

Freelance Dev is a fairly new platform that focuses exclusively on developers and freelancers active in IT. It does not allow recruiters on the platform, and as a freelancer you can sign up for free (with LinkedIn SSO) and immediately respond to assignments.

The assignments vary from Mendix developer to Test Automation Engineer and much more, so there’s a broad range of potential contracts. At the time of writing, not many assignments have been posted yet. However, the advantage of a platform like Freelance Dev is that you can be in direct contact with the end-client. This way, you can negotiate your hourly rate and any other terms directly, and the process is generally more efficient.

The downside of this specific platform is that some contracts have been scraped (from hiring portals, for example). In other words, Freelance Dev sometimes links to a different website where you have to register, making it a lengthy process after all.

DefDev

DefDev (Definitely Developers) is a platform also specifically created to bring IT professionals and employers into contact with each other – without the intervention of recruiters or headhunters. You can log in easily with LinkedIn or Github, and filter jobs on the basis of location, experience, specialization or type of job.

Perhaps you’ve already seen the downside — DefDev is not only for freelancers. So yes, you will find some IT contracts where you get to be in direct contact with the client, but the amount of freelance jobs listed here is still limited.

JavaScript.nl

JavaScript.nl is an entirely new platform with freelance jobs for – you guessed it – JavaScript developers. If you have no knowledge of JavaScript then this platform obviously is not so interesting. But if you are interested in freelance contract as a JavaScript dev, do take a look here.

ICTer Gezocht

The last platform we mention here is ‘ICTer Gezocht‘. You register with your LinkedIn profile and can then apply via the website. 

Even though there are some freelance assignments listed, this platform is primarily focused on permanent employment. So unfortunately, the chance that you will find something relevant is not so big.

Platforms that also offer a lot of software development jobs

As you can see, the Netherlands does not have many freelance platforms catering specifically to software developers. Luckily, you have plenty of options if you want to look further.

First, let’s discuss platforms without specialization. There are many freelance platforms in the Netherlands, so we will just mention a few here. Freelance platforms like freelance.nl, freelancer.nl, hoofdkraan.nl, Freep (for government contracts) or Jellow can all be useful in your search for a freelance job. 

But before you starting using all of these, you need to think carefully about your expertise and niche. As a cloud engineer, you will not find many relevant assignments on Hoofdkraan or Freelancer.nl. You will be better off looking for contracts on a platform like Freelance.nl or Freep. In contrast, if you have a different set of skills (like WordPress development), then Freelancer.nl or Hoofdkraan may be a great way to find a new contract.

There’s much more to say about these and other freelance platforms, so if you want to read more about what we think — check out our article at the link above.

Recruiters who recruit specifically for IT freelance assignments

In addition to platforms for developers and general-purpose platforms, you can also approach recruiters who are specifically looking for freelance developers.

Again, there is an incredible number of these. Some recruit only on a freelance basis, but most do both permanent and freelance work. Think for instance of companies like Computer Futures, Lajos, StarApple, Sterrk, Foxtekrs, PinkTalent, or Iterica.

This is just a handful of relevant recruiters though, so elsewhere we’ll go into more detail about these and other recruitment agencies you can approach for an assignment.

Conclusion

With this list of platforms for freelance developers, general-purpose platforms, and relevant recruiters, you’ve come a long way. Of course, there are many other ways to get an assignment – whether you’re a developer, or even a Product Owner or working in an entirely different niche!

So do you know of other relevant platforms or ways to get an assignment? If so, let us know! We are happy to expand these articles so that it will become easier and easier for ZZP’ers to find assignments.