Best AI Staffing Agencies

MobiDev vs EPAM Systems: full comparison for 2026

Quick verdict

MobiDev (4.4/5) edges ahead of EPAM Systems (3.9/5) overall. MobiDev is the better choice for retail and fitness products, one AI engineer to start. EPAM Systems is the stronger option for global enterprises with large, compliance-heavy AI programs. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.

MobiDev vs EPAM Systems: head-to-head summary

Criterion MobiDev EPAM Systems
Founded 2009 1993
HQ Atlanta, USA (R&D in Ukraine and Poland) Newtown, Pennsylvania, USA
Team size 201–500 62,850
Rating 4.4 / 5 3.9 / 5
Primary differentiator Long AI product record in retail, hospitality and fitness Scale, compliance maturity and vendor certifications
Pricing model Monthly per engineer; dedicated team; rates on request Enterprise time and materials; dedicated teams; rates on request
Min. engagement 1 full-time engineer Not disclosed
Primary tech stack Python, PyTorch, TensorFlow Claude, OpenAI, Gemini
Industries served Retail and e-commerce, Hospitality, Fitness and wellness, Healthcare Fintech, Healthcare, Retail, Manufacturing, Travel

MobiDev vs EPAM Systems: overview

MobiDev

MobiDev was founded in 2009 in Kharkiv, Ukraine, opened its first U.S. office in Atlanta in 2011, and now runs R&D centers in Ukraine and Łódź, Poland. Its AI team-augmentation offer starts at a single full-time engineer and quotes up to two weeks to allocate someone (per company website; independently unverifiable). The company says 89% of its engineers are middle or senior level and reports more than 65 AI and ML products built, mainly for retail, hospitality, fitness and health clients. Headcount figures range from 201–500 on aggregators to 400+ on a regional IT directory.

EPAM Systems

EPAM Systems was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Newtown, Pennsylvania, with about 62,850 employees as of June 30, 2026, of whom roughly 56,650 work in delivery. It reports more than 5,700 Claude-certified engineers and set a target of 10,000, along with thousands of OpenAI- and Gemini-certified specialists. The company is targeting $600 million in AI-native services revenue for 2026. Its model is enterprise delivery, so individual staff augmentation usually sits inside a larger program.

Services and capabilities: MobiDev vs EPAM Systems

Capability MobiDev EPAM Systems
LLM / GenAI engineers ✗ ✓
MLOps & deployment ✗ ✓
Computer vision ✓ ✗
Data engineering ✗ ✓
AI agent development ✓ ✗
Fractional / part-time experts ✗ ✗
Risk-free trial period ✗ ✗
Nearshore time-zone overlap ✗ ✗

Tech stack comparison: MobiDev vs EPAM Systems

Framework / platform MobiDev EPAM Systems
PyTorch ✓ N/A
TensorFlow ✓ N/A
LangChain ✓ N/A
Hugging Face N/A N/A
OpenAI N/A ✓
AWS SageMaker N/A ✓
Azure ML N/A ✓
Databricks N/A ✓
MLflow N/A N/A
Kubernetes N/A N/A

Pricing comparison: MobiDev vs EPAM Systems

Criterion MobiDev EPAM Systems
Minimum engagement 1 full-time engineer Not disclosed
Engagement models Full-time dedicated engineers, Dedicated team, Managed delivery Dedicated team, Managed delivery
Rate transparency Minimum disclosed Not public
Price tier Accessible Mid-market

Target audience comparison: MobiDev vs EPAM Systems

Dimension MobiDev EPAM Systems
Best company size Startup to mid-market Startup to mid-market
Best industries Retail and e-commerce, Hospitality, Fitness and wellness Fintech, Healthcare, Retail
Best use cases Adding a pose-estimation engineer to a fitness app, Placing an AI engineer to build product recommendations for a retailer Staffing a multi-team GenAI program at a global bank, Adding certified Claude engineers to an enterprise AI platform
Typical project type Full-time dedicated engineers Dedicated team

MobiDev vs EPAM Systems: pros and cons

MobiDev
+ You can start with a single engineer instead of a whole squad
+ Senior-weighted bench, with a stated six-year average experience among lead AI engineers
+ Strong record in computer vision for fitness and sports products
+ U.S. and UK incorporation makes contracting straightforward
- Much of the delivery team is in Ukraine, so some buyers will want to discuss continuity planning
- Industry focus is narrower than the large generalists
- No published rates
EPAM Systems
+ Largest bench on this list, with security and compliance processes to match
+ Thousands of engineers certified on major model platforms
+ Can staff any role an AI program needs
- Built for enterprise programs; a single-engineer request is a poor fit
- Highest overhead and slowest procurement on this list
- Rates not published

Who should choose MobiDev?

A typical fit: adding a pose-estimation engineer to a fitness app.

Long AI product record in retail, hospitality and fitness. Minimum engagement starts at 1 full-time engineer. Works best with clients in Retail and e-commerce, Hospitality, Fitness and wellness, Healthcare.

Who should choose EPAM Systems?

A typical fit: staffing a multi-team GenAI program at a global bank.

Scale, compliance maturity and vendor certifications. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Fintech, Healthcare, Retail, Manufacturing, Travel.

Decision matrix: MobiDev vs EPAM Systems

Your situation Recommended choice
You need full-ownership delivery on a defined project scope Both offer fixed-price models
You need a large dedicated team for an ongoing programme MobiDev
Your budget is at the lower end Compare: MobiDev (1 full-time engineer) vs EPAM Systems (Not disclosed)
You need specialist depth in a specific vertical EPAM Systems
You need staff augmentation or team extension Neither; consider alternatives that offer staff aug
You need consulting before committing to a build Both may offer discovery engagements

Use case fit: MobiDev vs EPAM Systems

Use case MobiDev fit EPAM Systems fit Winner
Adding a pose-estimation engineer to a fitness app Strong Strong Both equally
Placing an AI engineer to build product recommendations for a retailer Strong Limited MobiDev
Staffing a multi-team GenAI program at a global bank Limited Strong EPAM Systems
Adding certified Claude engineers to an enterprise AI platform Strong Strong Both equally

Verdict: MobiDev vs EPAM Systems

MobiDev (4.4/5) is the stronger overall choice for most AI Staffing projects. Long AI product record in retail, hospitality and fitness.

EPAM Systems (3.9/5) is worth a look if you need adding certified Claude engineers to an enterprise AI platform. If your situation matches that, EPAM Systems is a competitive option.

Related comparisons

MobiDev vs EPAM Systems FAQ

Is MobiDev better than EPAM Systems?

MobiDev (4.4/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. MobiDev's strongest advantage: you can start with a single engineer instead of a whole squad. EPAM Systems's strongest advantage: largest bench on this list, with security and compliance processes to match.

How do MobiDev and EPAM Systems differ in pricing?

MobiDev uses monthly per engineer; dedicated team; rates on request pricing with a minimum engagement of 1 full-time engineer. EPAM Systems uses enterprise time and materials; dedicated teams; rates on request pricing. Neither firm publishes a full rate card; a discovery call is required for project-specific quotes.

Which is better for enterprise: MobiDev or EPAM Systems?

MobiDev is the larger team and typically the better enterprise-scale choice. For very large programmes, verify team size and compliance coverage directly with each agency before shortlisting.

What are the main differences between MobiDev and EPAM Systems?

MobiDev's primary differentiator is: long AI product record in retail, hospitality and fitness. EPAM Systems's primary differentiator is: Scale, compliance maturity and vendor certifications. They also differ in team size (201–500 vs 62,850), minimum engagement (1 full-time engineer vs Not disclosed), and primary industries served (Retail and e-commerce, Hospitality vs Fintech, Healthcare).

Verify all details directly with each agency before making a decision.