Software Development agencies on Upwork start at a median of $25/hr; the middle half start between $15/hr and $40/hr. That is the low end of the hourly range published by 729 software development agencies on Upwork that publish an hourly rate, as of Oct 31, 2026.
Agencies publish a range, for example "$25–$50/hr", and the figure here is its floor: the price an agency is prepared to start a contract at. The top of their published ranges has a median of $50/hr. The cheapest tenth start at $10/hr or less and the top tenth at $60/hr or more; the largest band is $15–29/hr, with 40% of agencies.
Badges track price. Software Development agencies with Top Rated Plus start at a median $30/hr (57 agencies), against $25/hr for those with no badge (646). The badge follows a record of large, well-reviewed contracts, so part of the gap is experience.
Team size matters. Solo agencies start at a median $30/hr; agencies of 51+ people start at $20/hr. By track record, agencies with under $100K in lifetime Upwork earnings start at $25/hr and those with $1M+ at $25/hr.
By country, among those with at least 30 agencies, the median floor runs from $17/hr in India to $45/hr in the United States.
A published rate is a starting point. Most agency work on Upwork is quoted per project, and Upwork adds a client marketplace fee on top; how much of the money flowing through Upwork it keeps is on the take rate page. For the whole market, see the average Upwork agency rate.
How much do software development agencies on Upwork charge?
Software Development agencies on Upwork start at a median of $25/hr; the middle half start between $15/hr and $40/hr. That is the low end of the hourly range published by 729 software development agencies on Upwork that publish an hourly rate, as of Oct 31, 2026.
What do Top Rated Plus software development agencies charge?
Software Development agencies with Top Rated Plus start at a median $30/hr, across 57 agencies, against $25/hr for agencies with no badge, as of Oct 31, 2026.
Where are software development agencies on Upwork cheapest?
Among countries with at least 30 agencies, software development agencies in India have the lowest median starting rate, $17/hr, and those in the United States the highest, $45/hr, as of Oct 31, 2026.
Are software development agencies on Upwork more expensive than freelancers?
Software Development agencies start at a median $25/hr; the median freelancer with $10K+ in public Upwork earnings, across all skills, lists $30/hr, as of Oct 31, 2026. Agency figures are the floor of a published range, freelancer figures a single rate.