What should I look for in a Django development company?

Look for companies with: Active contributions to Django packages on PyPI, speakers at DjangoCon conferences, Django-specific case studies with GitHub code samples, use of Django 4.x or 5.x for new projects, mentions of Django ORM optimization and Django REST Framework expertise, and understanding of Django's 'batteries included' philosophy versus when to use external packages.

How much does Django development cost?

Django development costs vary by project type: Simple web apps (2-3 months): $30K-75K, Django REST APIs (2-4 months): $35K-95K, Django SaaS platforms (4-8 months): $90K-250K, Django e-commerce (3-6 months): $60K-180K, Django CMS sites (2-4 months): $40K-110K, Django migrations: $25K-200K depending on codebase size.

When should I use Django vs FastAPI or Flask?

Use Django for: Content-heavy sites, SaaS platforms, e-commerce, internal tools where the built-in admin panel adds value, and projects needing rapid development with batteries-included features. Use FastAPI for: Pure APIs with high performance needs, microservices, async/await heavy workloads, modern type-hint-driven development. Use Flask for: Small services, when you want maximum flexibility and minimal opinions, learning projects.

How do I verify a company's Django expertise?

Verification steps: Ask what Django version they use for new projects (want 4.x or 5.x), request Django-specific portfolio examples with code samples, inquire about their experience with Django ORM optimization and database migrations, ask how they handle Django testing (want mention of pytest-django, coverage targets), verify they understand Django channels for WebSocket support if needed, and check if they contribute to Django ecosystem.

Top Django Development Companies: 18 Specialists Compared

Focus on agencies with proven Django expertise. Filtered from our main list to show only Django specialists.

What Type of Django Project?

Select one or more project types to see recommended companies

New Django application Django migration/upgrade Django REST API Django + React/Vue Django CMS/e-commerce Django SaaS/multi-tenant

Why Companies Choose Django (And When You Shouldn't)

✓ Django Strengths

Fast development: Batteries included, admin panel, ORM
Proven at scale: Instagram, Spotify, YouTube
Security: Built-in protection against common vulnerabilities
Large ecosystem: 4,000+ packages, massive community
Great for: Content sites, SaaS, internal tools, e-commerce

✗ When NOT to Use Django

Real-time apps: Use FastAPI or Node.js instead
Microservices: Django is monolithic by design
Simple APIs: FastAPI is faster, more modern
Team expertise: If already expert in another framework

Django vs. Alternatives

vs. Flask: Django has more built-in (admin, auth, ORM). Flask more flexible but requires more decisions
vs. FastAPI: Django better for traditional web apps. FastAPI better for pure APIs
vs. Node.js: Django better for data-heavy apps. Node better for real-time

Reality: 60% of new Python web projects use Django (per our survey)

18 Django Development Companies Compared

Company	Score	Django Experience	Rate	Django Projects	Specialization	Start Time	Best For
Django Stars	9.5	16 years (Django-only)	$50-99	130+	FinTech, Django REST	10 days	Django platforms, FinTech
STX Next	9.3	18 years	$50-99	400+	Enterprise Django, FastAPI	8 days	Large-scale Django apps
Merixstudio	8.0	12 years	$50-99	200+	Django + React, SaaS	10 days	SaaS platforms
Sunscrapers	7.0	10 years	$50-99	100+	Django, Cloud-native	10 days	High-quality web apps
Caktus Group	7.8	15 years	$150-199	150+	Django enterprise, Healthcare	14 days	Premium US Django
Netguru	8.7	12 years	$50-99	300+	Product + Django backend	12 days	Product-focused companies
10Clouds	8.5	14 years	$50-99	150+	Django, FinTech, Blockchain	10 days	FinTech/Blockchain
Leanware	7.4	8 years	$50-99	80+	Django SaaS, APIs	7 days	Lean startups
Six Feet Up	7.3	20 years	$100-149	200+	Django, Open-source, Plone	14 days	Open-source experts
Saritasa	9.1	20 years	$100-149	300+	Django, Custom enterprise	14 days	Premium full-cycle
Intellectsoft	8.8	17 years	$50-99	250+	Django + AI/ML	10 days	AI transformation
Planeks	7.9	8 years	$30-60	70+	Django SaaS, MVP	7 days	Startup MVPs
Belitsoft	8.6	20 years	$25-49	180+	Django, Healthcare, FinTech	10 days	ISO certified projects
Itransition	9.8	25 years	$25-49	500+	Enterprise Django migrations	14 days	Enterprise modernization
OpenXcell	9.5	15 years	<$25	300+	Django development	7 days	Cost-optimized
ScienceSoft	9.2	30+ years	$50-99	400+	Enterprise Django, Healthcare	7 days	Regulated industries
Altoros	8.3	20 years	$50-99	150+	Django + Big Data	14 days	Big Data projects
Scopic	8.1	18 years	$50-99	200+	Django web, mobile backends	10 days	Remote-first teams

Django Project Cost Analysis

Django REST API (2-4 months)

Team: 2 Django developers
Timeline: 8-16 weeks

$35,000 - $95,000

Includes: Django REST Framework, authentication, documentation, testing

Django SaaS Application (4-8 months)

Team: 3-4 Django developers + frontend
Timeline: 16-32 weeks

$90,000 - $250,000

Includes: Multi-tenancy, subscriptions, admin panel, integrations

Django E-commerce (3-6 months)

Team: 2-3 Django developers + frontend
Timeline: 12-24 weeks

$60,000 - $180,000

Common: Django Oscar or Saleor, payment integration, inventory

Django CMS / Content Site (2-4 months)

Team: 2 Django developers + designer
Timeline: 8-16 weeks

$40,000 - $110,000

Common: Wagtail CMS, custom content types, admin customization

Django Migration (1-6 months)

Python 2→3 or Django version upgrade
Team: 2-4 Django specialists
Timeline: 4-24 weeks

$25,000 - $200,000

Depends on codebase size. High risk if no tests exist.

How to Verify Real Django Expertise

✓ Green Flags

Maintain Django packages on PyPI
Contribute to Django core or popular packages
Speak at Django conferences (DjangoCon)
Have Django-specific case studies
Use Django 4.x+ (not stuck on old versions)
Mention Django ORM, querysets, middleware in conversation
Ask about your data model first (Django is ORM-first)
Suggest Django-specific tools (Celery, django-debug-toolbar)

✗ Red Flags

Generic "we do all Python frameworks"
Can't explain Django vs. Flask difference
Still using Django 2.x without reason
No mention of Django ORM or admin
Suggest building your own auth (Django has it built-in)
No Django projects in portfolio

Questions to Ask

"What Django version do you use for new projects?"
Want: 4.x or 5.x
"Show me a complex Django project you built"
Want: Actual code or detailed case study
"How do you handle database migrations in Django?"
Want: Mentions django migrations, deployment strategy
"What's your approach to Django testing?"
Want: Unit tests, integration tests, coverage targets
"What Django packages do you commonly use?"
Want: Django REST Framework, Celery, django-environ, etc.

For comprehensive agency evaluation beyond Django-specific questions, see our complete technical vetting framework. Need to understand full project costs? Check our Python development pricing guide.

Common Django Project Challenges

Challenge 1: Django Admin Customization

Reality: Default admin is great for 80% of uses
When to customize: Complex workflows, non-technical users
Cost: $5-25K depending on complexity
Red flag: Agency suggests custom admin when default would work

Challenge 2: Django Performance at Scale

Reality: Django handles millions of requests with proper setup
Key areas: Query optimization, caching (Redis), database indexes
Cost: $10-40K for performance optimization
Expert move: Use Django Debug Toolbar + django-silk to profile

Challenge 3: Django REST API Design

Reality: Django REST Framework is the standard
Common mistake: Not using ViewSets and Serializers properly
Cost: Good design saves 30% on future changes
Expert move: OpenAPI schema, automated API documentation

Challenge 4: Django Multi-Tenancy

Reality: Not built-in, requires architecture decisions
Approaches: Separate databases, shared database + tenant field, django-tenants
Cost: Adds 20-40% to project complexity
Expert move: Decide upfront, hard to change later

Challenge 5: Django + Modern Frontend

Reality: Django templates vs. decoupled frontend
When decoupled: Complex UI, mobile app needed
When Django templates: Admin-heavy, simple UI
Cost: Decoupled adds 30-50% to frontend cost

Or Browse All Python Companies

These 18 companies specialize in Django. We also compared 12 others that work with FastAPI, Flask, and other Python frameworks.

View All 30 Python Companies →