Guide · For business owners · By Amina Javed, Faisalabad · July 2026
How to hire a web developer in Pakistan
Hiring a web developer in Pakistan without getting burned is about checking real work, asking the right questions, and knowing what fair pricing looks like — before you transfer any money.
Step one: check live work, not screenshots
Screenshots and mockups are easy to fabricate. A live website is not. Ask for links to recent projects and open each one on your phone. Does it load quickly on mobile data? Is the design clearly custom or an obvious template? Does it look like something a real business uses, or a demo that was never maintained? If a developer cannot point to at least three or four live sites from the past year, they either have limited experience or the sites are not actually their work.
While reviewing their work, look for: mobile layout quality (most Pakistani customers browse on phones), page load speed, content quality, and whether the contact and ordering flows actually work. A beautiful design that has a broken WhatsApp button is not a finished site.
Red flags to watch for
- No live portfolio — only screenshots, Canva mockups, or templates shown as their own work
- Vague pricing — “it depends” without being able to give a price range after hearing your requirements
- Keeping the domain or code — any developer who wants to retain ownership of your domain or code after delivery is a major red flag; you must own your domain and your files
- Extremely low quotes — PKR 3,000 to 10,000 for a “custom website” usually means a template with your logo; expect to rebuild within a year
- No response protocol — no clarity on how long revisions take, how many revisions are included, or what happens if you need changes after launch
- Overpromising timelines — “ready in two days” for a proper multi-section site is almost certainly a template, not a custom build
Questions to ask before you hire
Before committing to any developer, ask: What is included in the price and what costs extra? Who buys and owns the domain? Who controls the hosting account? How many rounds of revisions are included? What is your process for collecting my content? What is the exact delivery timeline? How do you handle changes needed after launch? What does the site look like on an iPhone SE versus a desktop browser? What happens if I need to update my menu or prices later?
A good developer gives confident, specific answers to all of these. A developer who is vague about ownership, pricing, or process is not ready to be hired. See my client guide for how I answer these questions for my own projects — use it as a baseline for evaluating anyone.
Frequently asked questions
- What should I check before hiring a web developer in Pakistan?
- Check their live portfolio first — open each project on a real phone and see if it loads fast, looks professional, and is clearly their own work. Ask how many projects they have delivered this year. Ask who owns the domain and code after delivery. Ask for a fixed-price quote, not an hourly estimate. A developer who cannot or will not show live work is a red flag.
- What is a fair website price to pay a developer in Pakistan?
- For a proper custom business website, PKR 30,000 to 60,000 is a reasonable range for an experienced developer. Very cheap quotes (PKR 5,000 to 15,000) almost always mean a WordPress template, no custom design, no mobile optimisation, and no real support. You often pay twice when you rebuild in a year.
- Should I use a freelancer or an agency for my business website?
- For most small business websites in Pakistan, a solo developer who does both design and development is the right choice. You communicate with one person who understands the full project. Agencies add layers of project management and handoffs that can slow things down and increase cost for standard websites. Agencies make more sense for large campaigns or teams requiring ongoing support contracts.
- What questions should I ask a web developer before hiring?
- Ask: Can I see five live sites you have built recently? What does the site include and what costs extra? Who owns the domain and code? What happens if I need changes after launch? What is the exact timeline? How do you handle mobile performance? If they cannot answer these questions clearly, keep looking.
See my work before you decide
All my projects are linked on the homepage. Message me to discuss your project — no obligation, straight answers.