Cloud Employee vs. BairesDev Reviews

BairesDev in Context

BairesDev is a large software development company, offering staff augmentation, dedicated teams, and software outsourcing services. With a network of more than 4,000 engineers across 100+ technologies, BairesDev markets access to the “Top 1% of LATAM talent” for clients in the U.S. and Europe.

Its nearshore delivery model appeals to organisations seeking timezone-aligned engineers and managed project capacity. However, for CTOs prioritising transparent pricing, deeper integration, and global flexibility, Cloud Employee provides a differentiated alternative built on embedded augmentation and cost clarity.

How BairesDev Works (Business Model)

BairesDev operates under three engagement types:

• Staff Augmentation: Providing vetted LATAM engineers to join client teams, typically supported by BairesDev’s account management structure.
• Dedicated Teams: Assembling BairesDev-managed teams that deliver on defined scopes or projects.
• Software Outsourcing: Full project ownership and end-to-end delivery managed by BairesDev.

This structure allows BairesDev to serve a wide range of clients, from enterprises outsourcing full product lines to startups expanding capacity temporarily.

Cloud Employee, by contrast, specialises purely in staff augmentation, embedding fully dedicated developers directly into clients’ teams for full transparency, continuity, and control.

Process and Delivery Model

BairesDev’s delivery framework is structured around three core engagement models: Staff Augmentation, Dedicated Teams, and Software Development Outsourcing. This structure allows clients to choose the level of ownership and support that best fits their delivery goals.

Staff Augmentation

What BairesDev offers:
BairesDev provides companies with vetted Latin American software engineers who can be added to existing teams. These professionals are employed by BairesDev and integrate into client projects, typically supported by an account management layer. This model helps clients increase capacity quickly while maintaining BairesDev’s operational oversight.

What Cloud Employee provides:
Cloud Employee also delivers high-calibre software engineers vetted by a CTO-led process, but with a singular focus on embedded staff augmentation. Each engineer is fully dedicated to one client, adopting your workflows, communication tools, and delivery cadence.

Why it matters:
This structure gives you complete visibility and ownership of daily progress, while Cloud Employee manages L&D, HR, payroll, benefits, compliance, and retention, removing operational load without reducing control.

Dedicated Teams

What BairesDev offers:
Through its dedicated team model, BairesDev assembles complete delivery units, typically including developers, QA, designers, and project managers who work under BairesDev’s internal methodologies to achieve agreed project outcomes. These teams operate semi-independently while remaining aligned to client objectives through structured reporting and milestones.

What Cloud Employee provides:
Cloud Employee focuses purely on augmenting and extending in-house capacity through fully embedded engineers, allowing your internal leadership to set direction, manage sprints, and own delivery outcomes directly.

Why it matters:
For CTOs running agile environments, this preserves architectural consistency and strategic alignment, while still gaining access to top-tier engineering capability.

Software Development Outsourcing

What BairesDev offers:
BairesDev also provides a full outsourcing model, where clients delegate end-to-end project ownership, from design and architecture to testing and deployment, to their internal delivery organisation. This model is often used by enterprises managing non-core software initiatives or seeking fully managed outcomes.

What Cloud Employee provides:
Cloud Employee does not operate as a managed-service vendor. Instead, it helps you build and retain scalable development capability within your own teams. Engineers are embedded into your organisation long-term, contributing directly to your products and processes.

Why it matters:
This ensures that technical expertise, system knowledge, and delivery ownership remain internal to your business, strengthening governance and reducing dependency on external providers.

Shared Principles, Distinct Delivery

Both companies share a commitment to technical quality and rigorous vetting. BairesDev’s model delivers managed scalability within a nearshore framework, while Cloud Employee focuses on embedded delivery with transparent pricing, dual-region access (Philippines and LATAM), and high retention supported by structured HR and L&D programs.

This gives clients the flexibility to operate synchronously across time zones or adopt asynchronous collaboration for continuous global development, a key advantage for organisations building 24-hour delivery pipelines.

Information is based on publicly available sources as of October 2025 and reflects Cloud Employee’s interpretation of each company’s publicly stated service model.

Evaluation: Strengths and Capabilities

BairesDev Strengths

• Access to a large, vetted LATAM talent pool.
• Offers multiple engagement models (staff augmentation, dedicated teams, outsourcing).
• Proven experience delivering enterprise-scale projects.
• Nearshore time zone alignment for North American clients.

Cloud Employee Advantages

• Dual-region talent access (Philippines + LATAM) to vetted engineers (CTO-led process) 
  
  • Optional synchronous or asynchronous delivery.
• Transparent, all-inclusive monthly pricing.
• Embedded integration, developers become part of your team, not an external unit.
• HR, payroll, compliance, and L&D fully managed by Cloud Employee.
• 97%+ retention beyond two years, ensuring stability and continuity.

Cloud Employee’s Model: Transparent, Embedded, and Global

Cloud Employee was designed for CTOs and CIOs who want direct control over their engineering teams, without opaque vendor management or hidden costs.

Transparent Pricing

Unlike many global providers, Cloud Employee operates on clear, published pricing for all-inclusive, monthly developer costs:

• LATAM engineers: ~$6,000/month
• Philippines engineers: ~$4,500/month

These rates include salary, L&D, HR management, benefits, compliance, infrastructure, and ongoing support, ensuring predictable cost structures and zero hidden fees.

This transparency allows technology leaders to scale confidently, balancing budget, quality, and delivery speed.

Dual-Region Advantage

While BairesDev focuses exclusively on LATAM, Cloud Employee provides access to world-class engineers from both the Philippines and Latin America, offering:

• Geographic flexibility: Build hybrid teams across two key regions.
• Cost efficiency: Tap competitive rates in both markets.
• Time zone agility: Operate synchronously or asynchronously depending on delivery needs.

For global product organisations, this dual-region presence offers significant operational advantages, including 24-hour development coverage and smoother handovers between regions. Most of Cloud Employee’s clients, however, opt for synchronous models that maintain daily collaboration across time zones. Cloud Employee also has European operations.

Embedded Delivery

Cloud Employee’s staff augmentation model prioritises integration, not adjacency. Engineers are embedded within your structure, culture, and workflow, not operating “alongside” or under external oversight. This ensures full control, alignment, and accountability for every sprint and milestone.

HR and L&D Infrastructure

Cloud Employee’s internal HR, learning, and development programs underpin its 97%+ retention rate beyond two years. This commitment to continuous professional growth ensures developers remain engaged, skilled, and aligned with client objectives long after onboarding.

Cloud Employee in Practice

• Willo: 10 developers hired in the Philippines without visiting. Initial requirement of 2 engineers sourced and onboarded in 3 weeks. Read case study
• CleanLink: Team of 3 hired in the Philippines in 2 weeks. Full infrastructure support around the remote team led to a 7-year collaboration. Read case study

Executive Insight

Seb Hall, CEO of Cloud Employee, summarises:

We give clients transparency, global reach, and engineers who become part of their team from day one.

Bottom Line

BairesDev has built a strong reputation for large-scale nearshore delivery, offering flexible engagement options and deep LATAM expertise. For CTOs seeking vendor-managed outcomes, its structure provides scalability and predictability.

Cloud Employee, meanwhile, offers a transparent, high-quality, embedded alternative:

• Clear pricing with all-inclusive monthly rates.
• Access to dual-region talent across both the Philippines and LATAM.
• Asynchronous and synchronous collaboration, depending on delivery needs.
• High retention and long-term continuity backed by robust HR and L&D systems.

For organisations scaling fast and aiming to balance cost, quality, and control, Cloud Employee delivers the clarity, flexibility, and transparency today’s engineering leaders demand.