Contract Work
Most common option: The vast majority of hiring on Moonlight is contract-based and billed hourly.
Best for specific needs: Use contracts for short projects, new features, bug fixes, or exploratory work.
Flexible scope: Contracts can last from a few hours to many months.
Trial projects: Many companies begin with a short, paid trial to validate fit before extending the contract.
Billing: Developers log hours weekly and submit invoices through Moonlight.
Fractional Work
Dedicated time commitment: Hire a developer for a fixed “fraction” of their week (e.g., 10, 20, or 30 hours).
Ongoing collaboration: Fractional roles are ideal for companies that need steady involvement without a full-time hire.
Predictable availability: Developers block out that time for you, giving consistency without the cost of full-time.
Defined expectations: Be clear in your job post about hours, meeting attendance, and time-zone requirements.
Popular choice: Many companies use fractional developers as a way to scale engineering capacity without long-term headcount commitments.
Full-Time Hires
Permanent roles: Bring someone onto your team as a full-time employee.
Success fee: A one-time fee applies when you convert a developer to a full-time hire. Learn more about success fees →
Best for scaling: Use Moonlight to identify and recruit highly skilled developers globally.
Smooth pathway: Many full-time hires begin as contract or fractional roles before converting.
Choosing the Right Option
Project-based or exploratory → Contract
Dedicated hours without headcount → Fractional
Permanent team member → Full-Time
If you’re unsure, start small with a contract or fractional role. Both let you test fit before making bigger commitments.
FAQs
What’s the difference between contract and fractional?
Contract work is flexible and may vary week-to-week. Fractional work is a structured, recurring time commitment (e.g., 20 hours/week) where the developer reserves that time for your company.
Do I need to decide upfront?
Not always. Many companies begin with a contract and then transition to a fractional or full-time arrangement once they’ve found a good match.
What does full-time hiring cost?
Full-time hires include a one-time success fee equal to four months of the developer’s gross monthly salary. See details here →