How to DIY: Solidity Developer
Custom Solidity code for Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum, Base, or any EVM chain — from simple token contracts to complex DeFi protocols
Tools used in this guide
5How to DIY: Solidity Developer
A step-by-step guide to doing this yourself — honestly.
What you're really trying to do
Custom Solidity code for Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum, Base, or any EVM chain — from simple token contracts to complex DeFi protocols
DIY Cost
$0
2-4 months to learn
Hire Cost
$2,000-$30,000+
Done for you
You could save $2,000-$30,000+ by doing it yourself
Step-by-Step Guide
Follow along at your own pace. Most people finish in 2-4 months.
Complete the Solidity by Example tutorials
~10 minSolidity by Example is the best reference once you know the basics. Each page covers one concept with minimal, working code you can paste into Remix and test immediately. Bookmark it — you'll come back to it constantly.
Watch Patrick Collins' free course
~10 minPatrick Collins' 32-hour Solidity course on YouTube (Cyfrin Updraft) is the gold standard for learning blockchain development. It covers Solidity, Foundry, DeFi, security, and deployment. It's free and better than most paid bootcamps.
Practice with Ethernaut and Damn Vulnerable DeFi
~10 minEthernaut (by OpenZeppelin) is a wargame where you hack vulnerable smart contracts to learn security. Damn Vulnerable DeFi teaches DeFi attack vectors. These aren't optional extras — they're essential for writing safe code. Complete both before writing anything that touches real money.
Set up Foundry for professional development
~15 minFoundry is the modern Solidity development framework — it's fast, tests are written in Solidity (not JavaScript), and it has built-in fuzzing. Install it, run `forge init`, and start writing tests. The Foundry Book has excellent documentation.
Study real protocol codebases
~15 minRead the source code of Uniswap V3, Aave V3, or Compound on GitHub. These are the best-written Solidity codebases in existence. Understanding how they handle math, access control, upgrades, and gas optimization will teach you more than any course.
When to hire instead
You need production code that will be deployed to mainnet with real value at stake. Learning Solidity is valuable, but writing secure, gas-optimized Solidity that handles edge cases under adversarial conditions takes years of practice. Hire for anything involving real money.
No time? Skip to hiringReal talk
Solidity is learnable — the language itself is simpler than JavaScript in many ways. What's hard is the environment: every function is a potential attack surface, every byte of storage costs gas, and deployed code can't be patched. The free learning resources are world-class (Cyfrin Updraft, CryptoZombies, Ethernaut), but budget months, not weeks. And even experienced Solidity devs get their contracts audited.
Tools You'll Need
Hand-picked for this project. We only recommend tools we'd actually use.
Essential Tools
You need these to get started.
VS Code
Free
Write, test, and deploy Solidity contracts. Foundry and Hardhat integrations provide compilation and gas reports.
Why we recommend it
Foundry plus VS Code is the modern Solidity setup — fast compilation, Solidity-native tests, and gas profiling.
Nice-to-Have Tools
Not required, but they make the job easier.
Coursera
Varies
Structured Solidity courses supplement free resources. Cyfrin Updraft is free and comprehensive.
Why we recommend it
Solidity requires months of learning — a structured course prevents wasted time on outdated tutorials.
Some links are affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our Verdict
Difficulty
hard
Learning time
2-4 months
DIY cost
$0
Hire cost
$2,000-$30,000+
Choose DIY if...
- 2 of 2 tools are free
- You want to learn a new skill
- Budget matters more than time
Choose Hire if...
- The learning curve is steep
- You need professional-quality results
- Your time is worth more than the cost
- You have a tight deadline
Learn from video tutorials
Sometimes watching is easier than reading. Search for tutorials:
Join the conversation
See what other people are saying about doing this yourself:
Prefer to hire a pro?
No shame in that. Sometimes your time is worth more than the money you'd save. These top-rated freelancers specialize in Solidity Developer and can get it done fast.
Andrei K.
@andrei_k_blockchain · Top Rated Plus
SolidityMaster
@soliditymaster · Level 2
EthDev Expert
@ethdev_expert · Level 2
Mike R.
@mike_r_solidity · Top Rated Plus
Frequently Asked Questions
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Find a Solidity Developer pro on Fiverr
Skip the learning curve. Top-rated Solidity Developer freelancers start at $2,000-$30,000+.