Toptal has been a top contender among tech-talent marketplaces for startups and entrepreneurs looking to hire software developers, designers, and project managers for their varying technical requirements.
TL;DR
Our list of Toptal Competitors for 2023:
So What Does Toptal Offer?
Over time, the freelance talent-hiring industry has expanded. Today, more and more startups and companies of all sizes are on the lookout for remote workers and choosing to work with freelance tech talent.
According to Toptal customer reviews, it is one of the high-end talent marketplaces accessible today, with Toptal developers costing between 75 to 200 USD per hour and Toptal designers costing around 70 to 150 USD per hour.This has given room for a range of Toptal competitors to enter the talent-hiring industry by offering their own freelancer marketplaces with distinctive talent services and varying price points that make it viable for startups, entrepreneurs as well as larger organizations looking to scale up to find pre-vetted tech talent with whom you can collaborate with ease.
8 Toptal Competitors to Hire Your Next Remote Developer:
So let us take a look at some of the best Toptal competitors you should consider when choosing the best software engineers for your tech startup and development requirements.
It is your one-stop shop for hiring remote tech talent. You can source senior tech talent from its global pool of 8000+ pre-vetted developers and designers. Compared to other Toptal competitors, Unicorn.Dev ensures that all their senior talent has at least 5 years of experience. Unicorn.dev handles all of your talent management, payments, and compliance, so you don’t have to worry about anything else. Unlike Toptal, you’ll be able to begin working with your assigned talent within 24 hours via your private Slack workspace.
Unicorn.dev charges a flat rate of $35 per hour.
Unicorn.Dev employs a stringent vetting process to make sure its clients from all around the world receive the best quality of work.
This includes a 5-stage vetting process:
Continuous monitoring and assessment to ensure high standards are maintained, making Unicorn Devs a close substitute for Toptal freelancers.
CloudDevs is a recognized Toptal alternative that offers pre-vetted freelance developers and designers for hire. With a talent pool of 8000+ elite senior developers and designers from Europe and Latin America, CloudDevs ensures that its clients' demands are met within 24 hours. The entire business is conducted remotely so they’re able to keep their overheads low and provide the lowest possible rate to their clients. It is the only top-ranked Toptal alternative to offer a reasonable cost without sacrificing quality.
CloudDevs charges a flat rate of only $40 per hour.
CloudDevs comprehensive vetting process consists of 6 steps to ensure that all candidates have the requisite technical skills and English proficiency to perform at their best.
This 5-stage screening process consists of the following steps:
Gigster is the perfect Toptal alternative platform for enterprises looking to quickly augment their tech team. It lets you assemble an entire tech team in 3-14 days. Gigster uses AI-based algorithms to assemble the right team for your project based on the scope and customer requirements. Compared to Toptal, they only take on projects that are worth above a certain minimum threshold and you can obtain complete ownership and license for the software built.
It depends on the complexity, type, and speed of the project. For eg: Apps for different devices can cost as little as $52,000.
It doesn’t have a vetting process to filter out its developers.
Upwork has been on the market for over 10 years and is a great Toptal alternative for small businesses where cost is the main concern. It has a huge database of freelancers in over 50 verticals, including freelance developers, designers, writers, and video editors. Unlike Toptal freelancers, Upwork talents aren't vetted, so you would have to allocate more time and resources to vetting the talent yourself when hiring from sites like Upwork. Upwork isn’t as much of a fit as Toptal if you’re looking for developers for a long-term project, but it is an affordable Toptal alternative where you are able to browse talent from various categories and you’re provided 24/7 support if needed.
The average rates of developers start as low as $8-$15/hr and go up to $200/hr.
It doesn’t screen its developers. Instead, their profiles are uploaded on the site with samples, client reviews, and identity verification to choose the most suitable one.
Fiverr is a convenient service that popularized the concept of hiring developers based on orders. It is the ideal Toptal alternative for hiring talent for one-time or small-scale projects. Fiverr is the hub for cheap-skilled labor and you can search for freelancers based on their profiles and review all the details and ratings to ensure you’re making the right pick.
Freelancers charge between $5-$995 depending on the project.
Due to a large number of candidates available on the site, Fiverr is unable to check the competence level of these freelancers.
People per hour is a long-standing freelancer platform that has been in operation longer than Toptal. This Toptal alternative has been in operation since 2007 and does a splendid job of making sure that its clients are matched with expert freelancers within minutes. They have a dedicated customer service team available 24/7 to assist you. People per hour offers a money-back guarantee and anti-fraud protection to ensure the security of your transactions. Its job seekers are scattered across a range of specialties, including programmers, design developers, SEO professionals, and writers.
You can expect to find a developer on People per hour in the range of $15-$50.
Every freelancer must be approved by People per hour in order to join.
Arc.dev covers every tech stack and time zone and makes sure to deliver complex projects under tight deadlines in a variety of industries. Like most other Toptal competitors you are able to hire both permanent and freelance remote developers, as well as access “hidden gems” outside your local area. Arc.dev lets you hire freelance developers in 72 hours and permanent developers can take up to 14 days.
Arc.dev lies in the higher price scale with developers costing anything upwards of $60 to $200 per hour.
It uses a Silicon Valley-calibre vetting process similar to Toptal. Initially, they examine a candidate’s English proficiency and technical skills. Then you’ll be invited to a “Quick Chat” to introduce yourself and answer questions to verify your eligibility. This is followed by a technical skills assessment, such as a coding challenge or online technical interview.
Codeable is the only Toptal alternative that purely focuses on WordPress developers, allowing you to build WordPress projects that are short-term, recurring, or full-time. It has a limited number of profiles, thus recruiting is quick. However, Toptal does not have nearly the same amount of freelancers as Codeable. 97% of its developers have 6+ years of professional WordPress experience and these specialists are spread over 60+ countries. Codeable’s single-price algorithm eliminates undercutting and over-pricing.
Codeable developers all charge the same rate of $70- $120/hr, which is determined by the scale, complexity, and urgency of a project.
Codeable employs a six-step screening process to vet their freelancers. This process includes:
