Who they are and what they do
This article highlights the leading software development companies in Vietnam, relying on:
- Clutch for insights into the companies’ pricing models and client reviews.
- Company websites to understand their services, work culture, and unique offerings.
The ranking is based on key factors like company size, service quality, expertise, offerings, and client satisfaction. Let’s dive into a quick comparison now!
| Best for | Team size | Hour rate | Quality rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synodus | Custom development for Healthcare, Fintech, Blockchain, Public sector | 250+ | $20 | 5/5 |
| FPT | Enterprise-grade development | 30,000+ | $50 | n/a |
| SmartOSC | eCommerce | 1,000+ | $100 | n/a |
| HCL Tech | Enterprise-grade development | 218,000+ | n/a | 4.9/5 (Google) |
| VMO | Web & Mobile app development | 1,000+ | $25 | 5/5 |
| PowerGate | Product development | 150+ | $25 | 5/5 |
| Sotatek | Blockchain | 1000+ | $25 | 4.9/5 |
| Savvycom | Mobile app development | 700+ | $25 | 4.9/5 |
| Newwave | Mobile app development | 300+ | $25 | 4.8/5 |
| VNG | Game development | 4,000+ | n/a | n/a |
| CMC | ICT and Telecom | 5,000+ | n/a | 4.2/5 (Google) |
| Appota | Game and Fintech | 450+ | n/a | n/a |
1. Synodus
Unlike other peers on this list, this software development company in Vietnam proposed a unique approach that help them secure 100 deals with startups and Fortune 500 clients.
To avoid cost overrun and project delays, Synodus doesn’t rely on Agile and T&M like other ODC but combine Agile with Waterfall to balance cost-speed-quality in software development. This idea has helped them deliver 3x times faster, save up to 63% of cost and ensure an average 2-year partnership with clients.
Working with business-of-all-sizes, Synodus team is quick to adapt to any clients’ needs and market dynamic. They take business analytics extensively and strive to align with business goals, not just coders who do what they are told.
- Services: Custom software development, Blockchain, Web and Mobile app development, IoT and Cloud development, Low-code development, Startups services, Data analytics.
- Industry expertise: BFSI, Healthcare, Aviator, Public sector, Manufacturing, Retail, Travel & Logistics.
- Notable clients: KPMG, BOC Aviator, Unilever, Techcombank
- Completed projects: 100+
- What past clients love about them: During work, Synodus proactively ensures a win-win partnership through hybrid methodologies. Their pricing model is also more cost-effective than other peers on this list, with many special plans and offers for startups and SME to support their growth. Some praised Synodus for their consulting ability, helping the client navigate technical challenges and choose the best stack for their solutions.
A client once came to Synodus after a bad experience with an ODC that stretched their projects into a 2-year development. Synodus quickly finished the project in 4 months, saved the startups’ budget, and delivered with quality.
Have an idea but don’t know where to start?
2. FPT Software
FPT Software‘s head office is in Hanoi City, Vietnam, with additional offices in CA, Japan, Philippines, TX, and 86 other branches and representative offices worldwide. Established in 1999, this software development company in Vietnam is among the earliest and biggest. Mainly serving the government and enterprise, FPT is rewarded as Gartner’s Top 50 IT Services Companies in Asia.
The FPT team aims to accelerate clients’ time-to-market with an Agile approach, ready-made solutions, and digital frameworks. They also have a Global Standardized Quality Management System, which builds trust among 1,100+ customers and achieves the average Customer satisfaction score of 94.94/100.
- Services: Digital Transformation, IT consulting, IT services, Product engineering, IT managed, Custom development
- Industry expertise: Banking, Financial Services and Insurance, Aviation, Automotive, Healthcare, Utilities, Logistics, Manufacturing.
- Notable clients: RWE, Microsoft, Sony, Airbus, Toshiba, Denso
- Completed projects: 1100+
- What past clients love about them: FPT’s strengths are capabilities for designing tools, such as Robotic Process Automation (RPA), fluent English and Japanese communication, and a vibrant atmosphere centered on young engineers. The team has flexibility in the interaction with clients even though sometimes they don’t have precise specifications. They also help improve application performance and reduce product’s time-to-market.
3. SmartOSC
This Vietnamese software development company has offices in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Danang and multiple global presences. The team are specialized in consulting and producing B2B & B2C commerce, omnichannel, and mobile commerce solutions.
CX Asia Awards once voted SmartOSC as the top vendor that successfully created hyper-personalized & seamless customer experience strategies. The team has successfully maximized the digital performance of over 500 businesses worldwide.
- Services: Digital Commerce, Digital Transformation, Application Development, Cloud, Digital Banking, Cyber Security, Blockchain
- Industry expertise: Beauty, Electronics, Fashion, Health, Home, Hospitality, Lifestyle, Technology, BFSI
- Notable clients: Adobe, ShopifyPlus, Salesforce, Sitecore, BigCommerce
- Completed projects: 1000+ eCommerce websites
One of their best works is with ASUS Singapore, when they unified B2B, B2C, and advanced eCommerce features into one site and merged ASUS Singapore’s online and offline activity systems to fully integrate inventory management. They also suggest a data-driven omnichannel strategy and a Point-of-Sale system that could handle the increased volume across channels.
These innovations have increased some key metrics, such as Average Order Value pluses by $1,300, growth revenue by up to 56%, and web sessions by up to 43%, with delivery lead time of less than 3 days.
4. HCL Tech
This India-based company has development center in Vietnam and currently home to more than 218,000 developers since 1976. HCL aims to deliver industry-leading capabilities centered around digital, engineering, cloud, and AI, powered by a broad portfolio of technology services and products.
They have 210+ delivery centers, 60+ innovation labs, and 2,000+ patents driving innovation. Mainly working with enterprises, their vision is to deliver long-lasting impact through actions pacts with stakeholders for a more sustainable future.
- Services: Digital, Engineering, Cloud, AI, Software
- Industry expertise: Financial Services, Manufacturing, Life Sciences and Healthcare, Technology and Services, Telecom and Media, Retail and CPG, and Public Services
- Notable clients: Acquia, Adobe, Cisco, Dell Technologies, Global Foundries
- Completed projects: 10,000+
Mainly work with global enterprises, HCL once modernize a legacy payment system into a microservice-based integrated system for an Australia bank. The project has helped them see 5X growth in initiatives, 52% faster auditing process and 99.9% uptime.
5. VMO
Headquartered in Hanoi and with offices across the world, VMO is a team of young professionals with a passion for technology and software development, especially for mobile applications and websites.
Starting in 2012, the VMO team has grown to ensure top-notch quality for local and global clients across the spectrum. The team of 1300 employees guarantee technical excellence and aesthetic appeal of every product they deliver, serving business of all sizes, including startups.
- Services: ODC (Offshore Development Center), Mobile Development, Web and Web App Development, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Semiconductor Offerings
- Industry expertise: BFSI, Healthcare, Government, Education, eCommerce, Media & Entertainment.
- Complete projects: 600+
- Notable clients: Amperfi, Become, Moneycil, Photobook.ai, Power Kiosk.
- What past clients love about them: Clients are impressed by VMO Holdings’ willingness to deliver and their ‘can-do’ attitude, which ensures that projects are completed successfully. Thanks to Agile and Scrum, their ability to deliver features quickly to meet deadlines and maintain high quality is highly praised.
- What they can improve: Some clients noted that there is room for improvement in their English communication skills.
6. PowerGate Software
Much like other software development companies in Vietnam on this list, PowerGate also established offices across the globe, serving startup and product development. They are named as the top 1 Design Agency and Mobile App Developer in Vietnam on Clutch.
With over 250 hand-selected tech specialists, the Hanoi-based team relies on the Designed – Developed – Delivered – Supported approach from the very beginning to deliver market-leading and innovative products.
- Services: Product consulting, Web and mobile app development, Dedicated development team, Product UI/UX design, Cloud development, AI development, Software maintenance,
- Industry expertise: Healthcare, Fintech, Marketplace, Marketing & Adtech, Social networks, Real Estate, Edtech, eCommerce & Retail
- Notable clients: SWAP, BoviSync, Journimap, Snapfeet
- Completed projects: 200+
- What past clients love about them: Powergate demonstrated quick problem-solving skills and great adaptiveness to constant-changing requirements, which is often seen in product development for startups.
- What they can improve: Some clients suggested the team work on their language skills to better explain technical aspects. They must also improve integration ability with third-party software to decrease wasted time.
7. Sotatek
This software development company from Vietnam excels in Blockchain development, alongside providing full-cycle IT service and custom development. Founded in 2015, Sotatek have global offices with headquarters in Hanoi, soon becoming one of the top providers of the region.
Their top-notch developers have served clients in more than 21 countries in various industries. They reach across the technology & business sectors and harness their various talents into one goal – to help clients adopt State-of-the-art Technology.
- Services: Blockchain, Custom development, Web and Mobile app development, AI & ML, Cloud migration, CRM development, QA & Testing, Game Development, IoT development.
- Industry expertise: Finance & Banking, Healthcare, Retail, Real estate, Logistics, Manufacturing, Education, Media & Entertainment
- Notable clients: Privé, Funix, Flowchain, Babels, NoCode Japan
- Completed projects: 500+
- What past clients love about them: Sotatek’s expertise in Web3 and blockchain is highly praised. The team have successfully implemented blockchain solutions that enhance transparency, clarity, and cost-effectiveness in various projects. Other than understanding a client’s need, they also offer a monthly meeting to do a retrospective and always come up with ideas on how to improve.
- What they can improve: Clients suggested Sotatek improve documentation and communication to non-tech clients. Certain changes in project management are requested to improve instant support and better catch-up.
8. Savvycom
Savvycom was established in 2009, headquartered in Hanoi, with six representative offices in Ho Chi Minh City, USA, Australia, Thailand, South Korea, and Hongkong. They are one of the leading software development companies in Vietnam, specializing in providing digital transformation and consulting services. They also offer a dedicated development team tailored to businesses of all sizes, regions, and industries.
The team wish to leverage engineer resources in Vietnam to empower global business to work with the region. For this, they offer a dedicated development team tailored to businesses of all sizes, regions, and industries.
- Services: ODC, Staffing, App development, Software development, Cyber security, Cloud service, AI and Chatbot development.
- Industry expertise: BFSI, Healthcare, Education, E-Commerce, Retail, IT, Manufacturing
- Notable clients: BankTech, FiinGroup, RMIT University, TaylorMade, CapitaLand
- Completed projects: 500+
- What past clients love about them: Many clients loved Savvycom for their adaptiveness to changing requirements and flexibility in team size adjustment. They team can seamlessly integrate with your internal team. Applications developed by Savvycom Software were user-friendly and largely free of crashes and bugs.
- What they can improve: However, project management might be the weaker link in Savvycom services. Some clients reported setbacks due to misalignment in understanding project scope or delays in task reporting and progress updates.
9. Newwave Solutions
Since 2011, this software development company in Vietnam has been among the top Software and Flutter developers of the region. They mainly work with clients from APAC and Japan, as their second office is based there.
Not just adopting a diverse technology ecosystem, Newwave also provides flexible and cost-effective solutions with top-tier services. They offer plans that derive up to 30% business savings and time flexibility, which assures a minimum of 4 hours of overlap for effective teamwork. Moreover, the team equips you with secure privacy with NDA & ISMS certification.
- Services: Web and Mobile app development, IT outsourcing, Blockchain, Software Maintenance, Game Development, UI/UX Design, QA & Testing.
- Industry expertise: BFSI, Real estate, Business services, Education, Information technology, Medical, eCommerce.
- Notable clients: TBCSCAT, BaoViet, DatXanh Group, Scant Technology, VinID, GeekyAnts
- Completed projects: 800+
- What past clients love about them: They offer a 14-day risk-free trial and a flexible hiring model to help you make decisions. 98% of developers have 2+ years of experience. Clients also praise them for strong project management skills, timely delivery, and clear communication.
- What they can improve: A few customers noted that Newwave should particularly work on language barriers, inconsistent project tracking tools, and testing quality. Their documentation is also quite limited, and not a full list of credentials.
10. VNG
Another powerhouse of software development in Vietnam is VNG, most known for their work in game and mobile app development. However, the team mainly work with clients from Vietnam and other SEA countries or develop their own digital products.
With a vision of “Build Technologies and Grow People, from Vietnam to the world”, VNG team strives to connect users and uplift enterprises, pioneering technologies into life and empowering businesses through digital transformation.
- Services: Game Development, AR/VR development, Mobile app development, IoT, Cloud service.
- Industry expertise: Online games, Fintech, Communications & Media, AI, Digital Business.
- Notable products: Zalo, ZaloPay, Bao Moi, ZingPlay, Zing MP3, Zing TV, Adtima, Kiki, PRISM, VNG Cloud, vCloudCam, Verichains, TrueID
- Case study: Zalo AI – Artificial Intelligence for Everyday Life ARTIFICIAL
The team build Zalo, a messaging platform for Vietnamese, and quickly became one of the most common apps used in the country. It has many amazing features such as AI to convert Text to Audio, NSFW content classification, illegal nine-dash line detection.
11. CMC
Being named as the leading software development company in Vietnam for ICT and digital transformation, CMC use a strategy of continue investment and development. The company has expanded their businesses to Europe, America, and Japan to strengthen their competitive capacity.
Other than providing ICT and Telecom solutions, CMC also offers one-stop IT services and custom development under the name CMC Global.
- Services: IT outsourcing, IT services, Digital transformation, Data center, Cloud computing, Security services, Telecom services
- Industry expertise: Government, Education, BFSI, Manufacture, Logistics, Retail, Healthcare.
- Notable clients: Samsung, TIME, Microsoft, Oracle, Dell Technologies
CMC worked with Vietnamese ministries to develop a web-based administrative portal for managing business activities and financial transaction. CMC’s team has delivered a great product, which has independent operation to be compatible with most databases, ensure information safety and security, and be easily updated and developed in the future.
12. Appota
Reside in Hanoi with two branches in Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore, Appota is one of the leading product and game developers in Vietnam. With the mission of using life-enhancing technology, they aim to build a complete entertainment ecosystem and bring valuable services to businesses and users.
The company got the “Most Disruptive Award” from The Founder Institute in 2012 and the title of “The Company with Most Potential in Vietnam” in 2013. Being a startup themselves, Appota completed four investment rounds, being funded by investors across Asia. They have 50m+ users and 6 member companies, ranking among Vietnam’s top five largest game publishers.
- Services: Game publishing, Digital advertising, Digital payment service, and Digital transformation.
- Industry expertise: Game, Fintech, Multi-channel network, Advertising, Cloud, SAAS
- Notable clients: Nexon, Facebook Gaming, Tiktok, Garena, Huawei, Napas
- Completed projects: 200+
Appota is among the developers behind Doomsday: Last Survivors online game with multiplayer and real-time strategy mode. This amazing game got an average rating of 4.7/5 on every store, 64,500 reviews, and 1m+ downloads worldwide.
Tips on how to choose a suitable vendor
With so many options, here’s a framework that you can use to identify your best-to-choose partner. The framework is based on 3 main criteria:
- Ability to deliver.
- Experience to your type of project.
- Their mindset on working together.
Ability to deliver
Technical expertise: Can they work with your chosen technologies and tech stacks? Yet the question shouldn’t stop there. A vendor with good technical skills can give you recommendations to improve the solution, build a strong solution architecture that supports scalability and performance, and navigate development risks.
Most software development companies in Vietnam will excel in 2 to 3 technologies, despite offering diverse services. It’s best to check their domain before making decisions.
Team size: A big team won’t build faster or deliver more quality than a smaller team. The key is to check how many mid-levels to senior developers are there in the team. This ensures their ability to deal with complex tasks. Another thing to add is can they flexibly scale the team when needed? Or offer diverse roles for a project?
For example, this information can show how reliable a team is. At Synodus, 75% of developers are mid-level to senior, with 3+ years of experience. We can also onboard a team in 2 days and our largest projects compile of 20 developers.
Time to deliver: What project and development methodologies do they use to ensure quality, control budget, and meet deadlines? Keep in mind that each method will have its pros and cons. For example, Agile is best for startups that need constant iteration, while Waterfall is more suitable for enterprises with defined ideas.
Sometimes the key is not to rely on one model but to combine the best of both worlds. For example, Synodus uses Agile and Waterfall.
Experience to your type of project
Here’s a few questions you need to check:
- Have they worked with your types of application?
- Have they worked with clients from your industry? This means they have a better understanding of the market, user expectations, and industry challenges.
- Have they worked with your market? If you are from UAE, for example, you might want a partner that have known UAE’s regulation, the market’s expectation, and culture requirements such as Islamic standards.
- How many years have they been in the market? An older vendor sure proves their reliability, but a younger vendor is usually more proactive and innovative. They are more flexible during the development process as well.
Checking their portfolio is one way, but it usually compiles notable projects. You should ask them directly to provide proof of relevant projects.
Their mindset on working together
This criterion is usually neglected, leading to a wrong choice of an underdelivered vendor. You shouldn’t just look into the surface of technical expertise or who has the better offer (in price, in time), but also question their mindset of doing business.
A decent software development company in Vietnam can:
Consult you: They must be able to fill the technical gap that your team is experiencing. They should also be active to give suggestions on what to do, how to build, and work around development risks. Don’t just find coders, you need a strategic partner that can support.
Optimize resources: How can they bring the most ROI within the budget? Do they offer any plans that support your finances, especially if you are a startup with constraints? Do they offer any trial or refund if delivery doesn’t reach expectation? Are they willing to sign an SLA? The key is to select a vendor that knows how to balance development speed, time, and quality.
Strive for a win-win partnership: You need a vendor who is clear, straightforward, and fair.
The hybrid model that Synodus use, for example, might sound new but it’s their way to achieve this. Synodus uses an accordance Fixed-cost payment model, which gives you an exact cost estimation with low chance of overrun. They must optimize their process to ensure time, cost, and quality.
FAQ on working with software development companies in Vietnam
Not just web and mobile app development, Vietnam is well-known for their skills in Blockchain, Game, eCommerce, Data, and IoT. They have produced successful NFT games such as Axie Infinity and Thetan Arena.
Software development companies in Vietnam typically charge between $20 and $40 per hour, which is 2x to 4x times competitive than many other regions. Having the same quality in development, Vietnam is an attractive name for IT outsourcing and custom development.
They are best for startups and SMEs looking for a cost-effective and high-quality solution. At the same time, Vietnam would be one of your top choices for exceptional blockchain and fintech development.
Vietnam and India are both strong software development choices, but each brings different advantages. Vietnam has fewer developers but offer higher quality, as they are placed before India for coding skills by many well-known reports. India, despite having a larger talent pool and more cost-effective choice, the quality is scattered. A good developer in India might cost as much as one in the US or Europe.
Language barrier and long distance can lead to delays or challenges in communication and instant support. Vietnam also lacks comprehensive legal framework for cybersecurity and data protection, which can put stress on highly regulated project.
Wrapping up
Vietnam is a growing hub for software development, with companies offering quality services at competitive rates. These 12 top software development companies in Vietnam showcase the country’s talent and innovation in tech. From software development to complex AI solutions, Vietnam’s developers are making a global impact, providing reliable, cost-effective solutions for businesses worldwide.
