Romania vs. APAC: Where’s The Best Place to Expand Your IT Team?

Romania, a key player in the Central and Eastern European tech scene, successfully rivals the Asia-Pacific (APAC) IT outsourcing market.

Home to a sizable pool of skilled software engineers, the country’s tech workforce is not only highly educated but also speaks English fluently, along with other key business languages like French, German, and Spanish. Strong cultural ties to the West make it easy for Romanian engineers to adapt to Western business values, customs, and communication styles. Plus, part of their work schedule overlaps nicely with standard US business hours.

Outsourcing IT to APAC often involves dealing with language barriers, cultural differences, and larger time zone gaps. Western companies may also find that high-caliber engineers in this region can come with a heftier price tag compared to Europe.

Explore a head-to-head comparison between Romania and popular IT outsourcing spots in APAC to understand what makes the European country a greater partner for high-value IT services.

Top Reasons to Consider Outsourcing IT to Romania

1. Rich Talent Pool of Highly Skilled IT Pros

Romania is one of the top 15 global hotspots for IT outsourcing, supported by a talented pool of over 240,000 IT specialists who:

• Possess extensive experience in a variety of specialized technologies, such as .NET, React, AWS, Google Cloud, Python, and Kubernetes
• Handle every aspect of software development, from front-end and back-end to infrastructure setup and security testing
• Build fully-functional, secure, and compliant bespoke software, including mobile/web platforms and AI/machine learning innovations
• Strengthen global brands by augmenting their teams with expert knowledge and skills

Romania offers a pipeline of pre-vetted engineers known for their strong work ethic. The APAC region also has many talented IT experts, but with such a large pool of available candidates, it can take a bit more time to find the right fit. This often requires extensive scouting through less qualified candidates. Plus, the most skilled engineers will request higher pay.

2. Strong Educational Foundations with Proven Global Competence

Romanian software engineers start their careers with excellent academic qualifications. STEM education in Romania equips them with the necessary skills to make an impact from their first day on the job.

Romania’s internationally-recognized education system also trains young minds to be able to compete on the global stage. For example, Romania is 6th in the world for total medals at the International Mathematical Olympiad—racking up 86 gold, 158 silver, and 111 bronze medals, plus 7 honorable mentions. Here’s how some APAC countries compare in this contest:

• China leads as the top performer globally
• India is in 27th place, 21 places lower than Romania
• The Philippines and Malaysia rank 48th and 49th, respectively, 42 and 43 positions behind Romania
• Pakistan trails 89 spots behind Romania at 95th

Around 25% of graduates in Romania go after advanced degrees, such as Master’s and PhDs, in software engineering. Many of these highly educated pros move into leadership roles in the industry.

3. Extensive Multilingual Proficiency

In Romania, IT pros grow up speaking fluent English and other global languages.

Upper-secondary students in Romania learn two or more foreign languages. English is the most popular choice, with over 17 million students learning it. Next up is French with 5 million learners, followed by German with 3 million and Spanish with 2 million. This explains why Romanians achieve great fluency in English, ranking 15th in global proficiency and ahead of:

• Philippines ➜ ranking 20th with high proficiency
• Malaysia ➜ ranking 25th with high proficiency
• India ➜ ranking 60th with moderate proficiency
• Pakistan ➜ ranking 64th with low proficiency
• China ➜ ranking 82nd with low proficiency

Thanks to their skills in both Germanic and Romance languages, Romanian software engineers are a great fit for international projects. They pick up on all the details (even the subtle ones!) and meet deadlines without unnecessary back-and-forth.

4. Favorable Time Zone Overlap with US Business Hours

Romania is located in the Eastern European Time zone, which falls 7 to 10 hours ahead of the US. While this difference can change depending on location and daylight saving time, it does allow for some overlap with US business hours. Engineers can still work on their tasks during non-overlapping hours to help extend operational coverage across time zones.

Most IT companies in Romania provide flexible work options for software engineers, allowing them to synchronize their schedules with US business hours. Some even have dedicated teams that work exclusively during US hours for better teamwork and real-time collaboration.

This can position Romania as an attractive option for companies looking to build a global team that requires frequent synchronization. Meanwhile, the 12-to-15-hour difference between APAC and the US may bring some challenges; this gap might make it a bit tougher to schedule meetings or simply answer chat messages and could lead to delays in production. Yet a larger time difference is not always undesirable, as some projects may require 24/7 development and/or support services.

To work together effectively, both the outsourcing destination and its US partner should be open to making some compromises.

5. Best-Quality IT Services at Competitive Rates

IT outsourcing rates in Romania and APAC are very appealing to US companies. In both markets, prices can drop to half the usual US cost—or even lower.

Sometimes, rates in APAC can even be 70-80% lower than those in the US. This reduction can be financially beneficial for businesses aiming to cut costs substantially, though it may result in lower service quality. Additionally, top APAC providers familiar with Western markets can charge rates that are similar to or higher than the average.

Romania generally maintains steady software engineer hourly rates with minimal fluctuations—which helps companies predict the quality of service they’ll receive for the price.

Romania’s Cultural Compatibility with Western Markets

Since the fall of communism in 1989, Romania has welcomed many Western cultural influences. Joining NATO, the EU, and the UN has firmly established the country’s position within the Western bloc. Plus, Romanians enjoy American pop culture, celebrate various Western holidays, and share Christian traditions.

Romania’s business culture has also been Westernized, as American multinational corporations have introduced new management styles, organizational methods, and corporate etiquette norms.

Being part of the EU, Romania follows European legal and regulatory standards. It upholds strict data protection laws and implements rigorous quality controls to ensure integrity, compliance, and full transparency in all business operations—mirroring Western-oriented principles. APAC nations, on the other hand, operate under their own distinct laws.

How Romania Compares to APAC’s Leading IT Outsourcing Hubs

© The data is sourced from CSET, Statista, IBEF, Global Data, McKinsey & Company, Reuters, Bloomberg, Wikipedia, Hindustan Times, UMPSA, HEC, and Diplomatic Insight.

Conclusion

Many of the world’s leading tech companies, from fast-rising startups to Fortune 500 giants, are choosing Romania as their primary hub for IT outsourcing.

The country’s elite software engineers, recognized for their extensive education and training, English proficiency, and commitment to quality work, make partnering with a Romanian IT vendor a smart investment.

Need a fully reliable IT partner who speaks your language and is ready to deliver high-standard tech solutions? We’d love to chat!

by Rareș Cârligeanu HR Manager