Freelance Radar Q2 2025

In our “Freelance Radar” survey conducted in June 2025, 700 members of our community shared their insights about their current project situation, rates, skills and business prospects.

📋 The results at a glance

Current results show that 8% of survey participants rated their project situation as much better, 22% as slightly better, 34% as about the same, 16% as slightly worse, and 15% as much worse. Compared to three months ago, the proportion of respondents reporting a significant improvement increased by 2 percentage points, while those describing their situation as unchanged decreased by 9 percentage points. The shares for slight and significant worsening also rose by 1 and 3 percentage points respectively.

The vast majority of IT freelancers surveyed are currently engaged in a client project, including part-time assignments. Specifically, 72% of respondents confirmed that they are working on a client project, while 26% are actively seeking new projects and only 1% indicated that they are neither engaged in a project nor actively searching.

The distribution of hourly rates reveals a clear concentration in the mid-range. One quarter of the survey participants selected the 90€-99€ bracket (24%), followed by 22% choosing the 80€-89€ range. Combined, nearly half of the respondents charge below 100€ per hour, with the majority falling between 70€ and 109€. Lower rates below 70€ account for only 3%, and the highest category of 130€ or above is chosen by 7% of respondents.

Among the IT freelancers surveyed, Backend development emerged as the leading area with 46% of respondents mainly engaged in it. About one third of the survey participants worked predominantly in Fullstack development (32%) and IT Architecture (31%), while 30% focused on API Development. Other notable areas included Frontend development (22%), Consulting/Coaching (19%), DevOps/Cloud (18%), and Project Management (15%). Although more specialized areas like CMS Development (12%), Data Science/AI (10%), Mobile development (10%), and UI/UX Design (9%) were selected less frequently, the results reflect a wide distribution of skills.

Three quarters of survey participants worked mostly from home over the past three months, highlighting that remote work remains the primary work setting for IT freelancers. In addition, 14% indicated working mainly in coworking spaces, shared offices, or their own offices, while only 2% primarily worked onsite at the client’s location. Another 6% opted for a mix, suggesting a balanced distribution of work environments. These findings underscore the strong preference for flexible home-based work over traditional office or client-site settings.

Among IT freelancers, 37% reported not acquiring any new clients in the past three months. Of those who did secure new business, 21% relied predominantly on their own network, and 19% used online platforms. An additional 11% were approached directly by recruiters, 9% opted for a mix of channels, and a small 3% used outreach methods such as job postings or cold calling. This distribution highlights the enduring importance of word-of-mouth and personal networks, while online channels also play a significant role. The results suggest that IT freelancers adopt varied client acquisition strategies in a competitive market.

The current survey reveals that IT freelancers largely anticipate little change in their project situation over the next six months, with 43% expecting it to remain about the same. Compared to three months ago, the proportion of respondents with a very positive outlook increased by 2 percentage points from 4% to 6%, while those with a slightly positive view dropped from 32% to 27%. Looking back to six months ago, the very positive responses doubled from 3% to 6% and negative evaluations declined, indicating a modest improvement. Overall, while some remain optimistic about growth, nearly half of the survey participants foresee a stable project situation moving forward.

Survey participants demonstrate a clear trend toward increased use of AI tools in their daily work. Currently, 52% use these tools every day, marking an 8 percentage point rise compared to three months ago and a 24 percentage point increase from nine months ago. At the same time, the proportion of those who use AI tools occasionally, rarely, or not at all has declined. This suggests a growing integration of AI applications into everyday professional workflows, with regular use taking center stage. The long-term trend indicates that daily use of AI tools among IT freelancers is steadily increasing, potentially reflecting enhanced efficiency and adaptability in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

Respondents’ views on the impact of further AI tools on their work are nuanced. Currently, 12% see almost exclusively positive effects and 39% mostly positive effects, together accounting for about half of the participants, while 40% expect an equal balance of positive and negative impacts. The group anticipating predominantly negative outcomes remains small, with 8% for mostly negative and 1% for almost exclusively negative effects. Compared to three months ago, the share of those who see almost exclusively positive effects increased by 1 percentage point, while mostly positive responses decreased by 3 percentage points. Over the past nine months, the equal-effects category has risen by up to 8 percentage points. Overall, the trend indicates a growing recognition of mixed impacts from AI implementation.