Hire · Editorial standards

How we vet vibe coding providers

Every listing on this directory has been reviewed against a fixed set of criteria. Here's what we check — and what gets a provider rejected.

What this directory is

This is an independent, editorially-managed list of agencies and freelancers who build software using AI-assisted development tools (Lovable, Cursor, Claude Code, Bolt, and similar). Every entry reflects our honest assessment. Providers do not pay for inclusion, and payment does not affect rating.

We built this because the existing "top vibe coding agencies" lists are almost all written by the agencies themselves — ranking themselves first. We thought founders deserved a conflict-free starting point.

Minimum criteria to be listed

A provider must pass all of the following to be included:

  • Real team, named publicly. Stock-photo team pages and anonymous operators don't make the cut.
  • At least one verifiable shipped project. A named case study, a client testimonial we can confirm via email, or a live URL we can inspect.
  • No misleading pricing or delivery claims. "$99 MVP in 24 hours" language — regardless of how it's buried — is a disqualifier.
  • Six months in business or prior verifiable track record. New operations need evidence of the founder's prior work to qualify.
  • Honest about what they don't do. Providers who claim to do everything well get lower ratings than those with honest specialization.

The non-coder rating

We apply the same 1–5 rating scale to service providers that we use for tools — but the question is different. For a provider: how appropriate is this for a non-technical founder who has never hired a developer before?

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Fully founder-friendly. Clear scope process, plain-English updates, no technical knowledge required. Has worked with non-technical founders and can show it.
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Strong founder orientation with one or two rough edges. You may need to learn some vocabulary, but won't need to manage the technical side.
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Good quality work, but better suited to founders who've already built something and have a mental model of what they're asking for.
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Primarily a developer service. Fine if you know exactly what you want and can communicate it technically. Not the right first hire.
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Enterprise / technical-team focused. Listed for completeness, but not recommended for solo founders.

What we call out in the verdict

Certain things show up in the editorial verdict regardless of rating:

  • If the agency publishes its own "top vibe coding agencies" listicle where it conveniently ranks itself first, we name that practice.
  • If a provider's marketing makes claims we can't verify (award titles, client revenue figures, delivery-time guarantees), we flag that.
  • If a provider has a mixed public reputation — positive reviews alongside credible negative ones — we give weight to both sides.

What referral links mean here

Some listings include a referral link. If that link is present, we may earn a fee if you become a paying client. This is disclosed on the listing itself and in our affiliate disclosure.

Referral links are only added after we've already listed a provider based on editorial merit. They are never a condition of inclusion, and they do not change the rating or verdict. A provider with a referral link can have a 2/5 rating and a brutal "not for" section — and sometimes does.

Want to be listed?

We review new providers on an ongoing basis. If you run a vibe coding service and want to be considered, submit your details here. We'll assess against the criteria above and respond within 10 business days. We reject more than we list.