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Find the perfect

Smarty Expert in Germany

in minutes from over 15,000 CVs with the power of AI.

Hire experts who specialize in separating PHP application logic from presentation layers, optimizing legacy web systems, and customizing e-commerce templates. We connect you with vetted, available freelance professionals in Germany through precise AI-driven matching.

Meet FRATCH Experts in Germany, who have recently used Smarty

Verified expert

Christof Hlipala

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Senior Full-Stack Developer

Angelbachtal
Christof Hlipala

Last position:

Senior Frontend Developer at HUK24 AG

  • Designing new apps as well as enhancing and running 29 Angular apps for digital claims in an Nx monorepo
  • Maintaining and improving a shared component library with ~300 libraries for multiple product teams
  • Migrating all apps to a new design system including its component library and systematic refactoring
  • Developing and maintaining the CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, Azure DevOps, Terraform, AWS)
  • Managing releases independently including branch handling, versioning, PR coordination and production deployment
  • Implementing and maintaining tracking (Adobe Analytics)
  • Ensuring accessibility according to BFSG/WCAG
  • Test-driven development (TDD) with Jest and Cypress
  • Code reviews, mentoring and setting up best practices in the team
  • Technologies: TypeScript, Angular 16-20, RxJS, NgRx, Nx (Monorepo), npm, HTML, (S)CSS, Storybook, Jest, Cypress, Cucumber, Husky, Node.js, Git, AWS, Azure DevOps (Repos & Pipelines), Jenkins, Terraform, TDD, BFSG, WCAG, Nexus, IntelliJ, Adobe Analytics
Verified expert

Kamran Ali

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Frontend Developer

Langgöns
Kamran Ali

Last position:

Frontend Developer at elio GmbH

  • Developed custom frontend designs for clients like Cube, Douglas, and Leuze using HTML, SCSS, JavaScript (ES6), TypeScript, Vue.js, Twig, and Smarty.
  • Customized and implemented themes for Shopware 5 and 6 e-commerce websites.
  • Managed client communication, crafted project concepts, and provided ongoing support.
  • Improved code quality and team efficiency through optimized Git workflows and regular QA.
  • Supported other developers and addressed daily client inquiries.
Verified expert

Frank Richter

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eCommerce Software Developer

Leipzig
Frank Richter

Last position:

eCommerce Software Developer at WirTube-Shop

  • Maintenance and system handover
  • Planning and carrying out core and plugin updates
  • Developing a plugin to extend invoice creation and payment via Flow Builder
Verified expert

Eugene Kaurov

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Lead PHP Web Developer

Aschaffenburg
Eugene Kaurov

Last position:

Lead PHP Web Developer at Deutscher Fachverlag GmbH

  • PHP application development for the following news portal CMS:
  • lebensmittelzeitung.net
  • textilwirtschaft.de
  • horizont.net
  • iz.de
  • fvw.de
  • ahgz.de
  • horizont.at
  • agrarzeitung.de
  • food-service.de
  • fashionmagazine.it
Verified expert

Stefan Kassler

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C# .NET/WPF Developer

Halle (Saale)
Stefan Kassler

Last position:

C# .NET/WPF Developer at Hessian Central Office for Data Processing

  • New development of outdated software for the Hessian school system in C# .NET/WPF
  • Understanding and analysis of the old Delphi and Visual Basic 6 source code
  • Use of Visual Studio 2022 as IDE
  • Team collaboration through pull requests and version control with Git/SourceTree
  • Project management with our own wiki software and Open Project
  • Tech stack: C#, .NET 8.0, WPF, Visual Studio 22, Delphi, Visual Basic 6, LDAP, Active Directory, FTP, SMB, Git, SourceTree
  • Workflow: pull requests, Open Project, weeklies, weekly meetings, direct communication
Verified expert

Jens Schärer

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Senior Web Developer & IT Consultant

Bensheim
Jens Schärer

Last position:

Senior Web Developer & IT Consultant at Self-employed

Verified expert

Jan G.

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Master Data Application

Düsseldorf
Jan G.

Last position:

Master Data Application at confidential

  • Visualization, search, and maintenance of various types of master data, providing them via a REST API, and implementing a variety of import and export formats.

  • Implementation, architecture, project management.

  • Technologies and tools: Angular (Signals, Signal Store, swagger-codegen, standalone components), Java, PostgreSQL, ActiveMQ, JavaScript, Spring Boot (Spring Core, Spring MVC, Spring Data/JPA via Hibernate, Spring Security, Spring Modulith), JUnit, Flyway, QueryDSL, GraphQL, REST API, Node, npm, Maven, SonarQube, GitLab CI/CD pipelines, Docker, Nexus, OpenAPI + Swagger UI, Keycloak, OAuth2, OpenID Connect, IntelliJ IDEA, Jira, Confluence.

Verified expert

Aschok Das

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Fullstack Developer

Bremen
Aschok Das

Last position:

Fullstack Developer at Netkitchen GmbH

  • Backend & Frontend development (Full-Stack)
  • PHP, MySQL, Laravel, Symfony, Twig, Vue.js, ExtJS, jQuery, JavaScript/TypeScript, HTML5, CSS3, Smarty
  • Fact-Finder, Git, Jira, Jenkins, Scrum
  • Based on Shopware 5 & 6
  • ERP system integration
  • Experience with REST APIs
  • Developed a Laravel script to migrate all data (products, product images, orders, customers, prices, etc.) from Shopware 5 to Shopware 6
  • Able to develop any kind of Shopware 6 and Shopware 5 plugins
Verified expert

Can Celebi

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Backend development, consulting

Werdohl
Can Celebi

Last position:

Backend development, consulting at Kloppe Media GmbH

  • Development and implementation of APIs and SDKs for online services in the telecom environment
  • Platform improvements and development of new features for comprehensive telecom solutions
Verified expert

Thomas Hain

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Software Developer

Bayreuth
Thomas Hain

Last position:

Software Developer at IT-Spoon GmbH

  • New full-stack development and bug analysis and fixing
  • Refactoring to a framework
  • Customization of shop software
  • Connecting SAP interface and exporting data to the shop
  • Production control with scheduling
  • Integrating invoicing with ZUGFeRD (electronic invoice transmission)
  • Technologies used: PHP, MySQL, Symfony, Laravel, JS, jQuery, MSSQL, ZUGFeRD
Verified expert

Akram Belajouza

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Frontend / Backend Developer

Hamburg
Akram Belajouza

Last position:

Frontend / Backend Developer at ethikPool / folioNet

  • Developed a complete solution for ethics committees and medical boards from submission to approval
  • Integrated a DICOM viewer to display medical images (CT, MRI)
  • Implemented a filesystem with folder and subfolder structure
  • Found and fixed security vulnerabilities
  • Improved code quality and application performance
  • Maintained client servers
Verified expert

Michael Wetzl

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Berlin
Michael Wetzl

Last position:

TUI AG / Robinson

  • Developed an Internet Booking Engine (IBE) (Saber and Juniper) and other microservices
  • Backend development with PHP and Symfony, endpoint and interface implementation
  • Unit and integration tests

Discover over 15,000 top freelancers

Statistics of experts using Smarty

Aggregated from the professional profiles of matched freelancers.

Experience

21 years

Position duration

3.3 years

Positions per freelancer

11

Top business areas

Information Technology, Product Development, Project Management

Top industries

Information Technology, Retail, Manufacturing

Certification focus areas

Information Technology, Product Development, Project Management

Bachelor's degree or higher

73%

Master's degree or higher

27%

Certifications per freelancer

1

Most common languages

German, English, Spanish

Speak two or more languages

100%

Based on our profile pool as of 30 Aug 2026.

Daily rate distribution

0 3 6 9 12
<€800 €800-​1200 €1600+

The chart shows how the daily rates of freelancers in this technology in Germany are distributed, based on recent contracts on our platform. Each bar covers a rate range — its height shows how many freelancers charge within that range.

Average rates of experts in Germany using Smarty

Rates are based on recent contracts and do not include FRATCH margin.

800
600
400
200
Rate comparison chart
Daily rate avg. 723 €

The average daily rate is the mean of all daily rates from recent contracts of comparable freelancers on our platform.

800
600
400
200
Rate comparison chart
Median rate 720 €

The median daily rate is the middle value of all daily rates — half of comparable freelancers charge less, half charge more. Unlike the average, it is barely affected by outliers.

Calculated based on our freelancers’ daily rates as of 30 Aug 2026. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.

About the technology

Legacy PHP and Template Separation

The engine enables clean separation of presentation logic from backend PHP code. This structure allows web designers to modify layouts without altering complex application code. Over decades, this approach has formed the backbone of numerous robust web applications and content management systems.

Core Development Capabilities

Specialists in this technology handle a wide range of presentation and integration tasks:

  • Writing clean, secure templates using built-in variables and modifiers.
  • Creating custom plugins, modifiers, and block functions for unique presentation needs.
  • Configuring caching layers to improve page loading times.
  • Migrating legacy templates to modern PHP-compatible versions.

German E-Commerce Ecosystems

In Germany, many established e-commerce platforms and content management systems historically relied on this engine. Popular shop systems like older versions of Shopware and OXID eShop utilize these templates extensively. German agencies and enterprise IT departments frequently require external expertise to maintain, optimize, and update these high-traffic online stores.

Key Tools and Integrations

Professionals work closely with the PHP ecosystem, database systems like MySQL, and modern front-end assets. They utilize version control systems like Git, integration testing tools, and PHP package managers. Their expertise ensures that templates render correctly across diverse web browsers while maintaining high performance.

When to Hire Smarty Specialists

Companies seek external expertise when internal teams face bottlenecks or lack legacy PHP knowledge:

  • Undertaking major version upgrades of PHP or the template engine itself.
  • Redesigning user interfaces of established web portals without changing the backend.
  • Troubleshooting rendering bottlenecks or caching issues in production.
  • Auditing legacy codebases for security vulnerabilities.

Collaboration and Project Delivery

Whether working fully remote or collaborating on-site in major German business hubs, these professionals integrate seamlessly into agile teams. They bring deep experience in English and German-speaking team environments. Their structured approach guarantees minimal disruption to live systems during critical template rollouts.

Published on:
FRATCH GPT

FRATCH GPT delivers freelancer proposals with clear reasoning and transparent pricing in minutes, helping your hiring department quickly and compliantly find the best talent.

Give it a try:

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Frequently asked questions

Not sure where to start with Smarty? These answers cover the essentials.

Smarty is a template engine for PHP that facilitates the separation of presentation logic from application logic. This allows developers and designers to work independently without risking changes to the core backend code.

While modern projects often choose Twig or Blade, Smarty remains vital for maintaining, extending, and upgrading established web applications. It offers unique compilation and caching mechanisms that are highly optimized for older, proven PHP architectures.

A strong Smarty professional should have excellent knowledge of PHP, MySQL, and front-end technologies like HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. Familiarity with legacy German e-commerce platforms like OXID eShop is highly valuable.

Yes, experienced specialists frequently guide organizations through the migration process from Smarty templates to modern alternatives like Twig. They ensure that data flows remain unbroken and user interfaces stay functional during the transition.

Yes, most freelance professionals specializing in Smarty operate entirely remotely from various locations across Germany. This remote setup allows quick onboarding and immediate support for urgent optimization or bug-fixing tasks.

Look for deep experience with PHP application lifecycles and a portfolio showing custom plugin development. A qualified Smarty expert should also demonstrate strong familiarity with secure coding practices to prevent template injection vulnerabilities.

While newer projects typically opt for modern frameworks, Smarty is still chosen when extending legacy systems or maintaining specific platforms popular in Germany. It remains highly efficient for projects where backend and frontend roles are strictly separated.

Experienced freelance specialists can onboard within a few days because they are already deeply familiar with legacy PHP environments. They can quickly analyze your template structures and implement critical fixes or performance optimizations with minimal hand-holding.

The average hourly rate of freelancers in Germany who have used Smarty in their recent projects is 90 €, which corresponds to a daily rate of about 723 € based on an 8-hour working day.

Of the freelancers in Germany who have used Smarty in their recent projects, 73% hold at least a Bachelor's degree and 27% hold at least a Master's degree.

On average, freelancers in Germany who have used Smarty in their recent projects have 21 years of professional experience, with a single engagement typically lasting around 3.3 years.

The most common languages among freelancers in Germany who have used Smarty in their recent projects are German (100%), English (100%), and Spanish (14%).

The most common industries among freelancers in Germany who have used Smarty in their recent projects are Information Technology (100%), Retail (64%), and Manufacturing (36%).

The most common business areas among freelancers in Germany who have used Smarty in their recent projects are Information Technology (100%), Product Development (100%), and Project Management (64%).

Main locations of FRATCH Experts, who have recently used Smarty

Our freelancers and interim experts are at home across the DACH region — available on-site in the major business hubs or fully remote. Choose a location to discover matched specialists, local market insights and up-to-date availability.

Berlin Hamburg Munich Cologne Frankfurt Stuttgart Dusseldorf Leipzig Dortmund Essen Bremen Dresden Hanover Nuremberg

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Philipp Thomaschewski

FRATCH CEO

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