Toptal Alternatives: Top 8 Talent Marketplaces to Hire Remote Teams

Recruitment, like many other fields, has become increasingly digitalized in recent years. Talent marketplaces and sites like Toptal have emerged in response to this. In recent years, these solutions have attracted more and more businesses for their ability to deliver pre-vetted professionals quickly and efficiently with minimal overhead.

To help businesses with the choice, Mobilunity experts conducted an in-depth analysis of the talent marketplace solutions landscape and Toptal alternatives software developer hiring solutions. The key highlights are presented in this article, featuring each platform’s core capabilities, recruitment workflow specifics, pricing details, and other crucial insights to consider before choosing a solution.

Assessing Toptal: Key Offerings and Why Some Businesses Look for Alternatives

Source: Toptal

Toptal positions itself as a premium network of top-tier professionals in the fields of business, design, technology, and others.

According to the company’s offerings, its highlighted benefits are:

• Providing the top 3% of talent;
• A rigorous multistep vetting process to validate a candidate’s skills and experience;
• Dedicated talent matcher offering personalized support throughout the hiring process.

Over the years, the platform has continued to gain popularity and has taken one of the leading positions among Toptal competitors. Now, it features over 10,000 active freelancers and a team of more than 500 professionals across over 60 countries. However, notwithstanding the scale, there are several aspects of Toptal that might lead businesses to consider some alternative solutions. 

Some of these concerns include:

> Lack of pricing transparency. Clients do not have visibility into how much of their payment Toptal retains vs pays for the freelancers.

> Limited talent selection control. As per Toptal’s hiring workflows, clients are unable to individually browse freelancer profiles, fully relying on Toptal to assign talent based on internal criteria.

> No post-hire support. There is no support provided in regards to onboarding, HR, or ongoing freelancer management after the match is made.

With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at some of the leading alternatives to Toptal and compare their service models.

8 Common Toptal Alternatives To Consider

Based on our analysis at Mobilunity, the following platforms are frequently mentioned as top Toptal alternatives across tech evaluation sources, customer review sites, and industry media.

To provide an unbiased overview, they’re listed alphabetically and include essential data for anyone looking to recruit talent: talent pool details, recruitment workflows, engagement options, and more.

1. Mobilunity

Mobilunity is a reliable dedicated development teams provider that offers a rich pool of pre-vetted experts and specialized guidance in finding, recruiting, and retaining talent.

Unlike freelance marketplaces, Mobilunity goes beyond mere talent matching. The company’s experts are committed to managing the entire operational layer incorporating HR, employee onboarding, retention, and other employee-related processes. This, in turn, allows companies to scale efficiently without the administrative burden.

The company’s key benefits include:

• Access to pre-vetted Ukrainian developers with a proven track record;
• Full control over a dedicated team working exclusively on your project;
• Transparent pricing with no hidden costs or platform markups.

Hiring Process & Speed

Mobilunity starts with a discovery session to define required skills and team setup. Candidates are sourced internally and vetted for tech expertise, communication, and cultural fit. Besides, each candidate undergoes technical screening, language and soft skills evaluation, and optional background checks.

After this, a shortlist is delivered within 1–2 weeks, with onboarding possible as fast as 2–3 weeks. 

Pricing

Mobilunity offers a transparent monthly pricing model that includes the developer’s salary and a service fee. There are no upfront deposits, and clients receive a fixed monthly invoice with no hourly billing or hidden markups.

2. CloudDevs

As a Toptal alternative, CloudDevs is a talent marketplace that connects businesses with senior, pre-vetted developers and designers from Latin America, offering fast access to high-quality remote tech talent.

Source: CloudDevs

According to the company’s offerings, its highlighted benefits are:

• Fast access to pre-vetted senior developers and designers from Latin America;
• A multistep vetting process assessing technical, language, and coding skills;
• 24-48 hour talent matching guaranteeing streamlined hiring.

Hiring Process & Speed

The hiring process begins with an initial consultation to clearly define your project needs and required skills. Once that’s complete, a shortlist of matched talent is delivered within 24-48 hours. As per the company’s data, all candidates undergo a live vetting process that consists of three assessment tests: language proficiency, technical knowledge, and real-time coding tasks.

If the chosen candidate turns out to be unsuitable, a 7-day risk-free trial and replacement option is available.

Key Points to Consider Before Opting for CloudDevs

>  Regional focus. CloudDevs offers talent primarily from Latin America, which may not suit clients looking for global teams or eхperts from other regions.

>  Vetting quality varies. Faster timelines, as promised by the CloudDevs team, might result in less rigorous screening.

>  Limited pool size. The platform features a significantly smaller network than Toptal or Upwork, which can affect certain niche needs.

Pricing

To kickstart the trial process, clients are required to pay a $500 refundable deposit. The platform operates with all-inclusive fees that cover payroll, compliance, and invoicing, with no hidden charges.

As for employee costs, CloudDevs offers hourly rates ranging from $45 to $75. Besides, rates may drop as low as $25 per hour for clients who commit to annual contracts. 

3. Fiverr

Fiverr is a global freelance marketplace that connects businesses with freelancers across various domains. In doing so, the platform offers a wide range of digital services and specialists of different seniority. 

For businesses requiring streamlined hiring with minimal friction, the company offers personalized guidance through Fiverr Pro.

Source: Fiverr

Assessing Toptal vs Fiverr, the benefits of the latter are these:

• Fiverr Pro services with hand-selected and vetted senior software engineers with proven track records;
• AI-driven matching and screening combined with built-in technical assessments and curated interview options through Pro services;
• Transparent fees with complete management of contracts, payments, and compliance handled by Fiverr.

Hiring Process & Speed

Fiverr enables clients to browse freelancer profiles and purchase predefined service packages instantly without the need for the Fiver team’s involvement. However, if needed, businesses can request additional on-demand services.

Key Points to Consider

> Variable talent quality. Businesses that don’t opt for Fiverr Pro and its vetted professionals may need to put in additional effort to find highly skilled specialists.

> Fast but self-managed process. Hiring can be done instantly, but clients must evaluate and select talent independently unless using Fiverr Pro.

> Transparent pricing with platform fees. Clients see service prices upfront, but should account for an additional 5.5% fee per transaction. 

Pricing

Fiverr offers transparent pricing that is shown upfront before purchase. The price may vary based on several factors: the freelancer’s expertise, project complexity, scope, and more. Based on this, businesses can pay anywhere from $5 to over $10,000.

4. Freelancer

Freelancer.com is one of the world’s largest freelance marketplaces connecting businesses with freelancers across more than 1,800 skill categories. The platform enables both small and enterprise clients to post projects or hire talent based on a flexible bidding logic.

Source: Freelancer

The Freelancer platform highlights are the following:

• Access to a massive global pool of freelancerі of various seniority;
• Flexible project formats (hourly, fixed-price, and contest-based hiring);
• Recruitment and talent management features — project management tools, real-time chat, file sharing, milestone tracking, built-in secure payments, etc.

Hiring Process & Speed

Businesses can either post a job in minutes and receive bids from freelancers worldwide — or, alternatively, browse profiles and send direct job offers to freelancers. Besides, the platform also supports contests, which can serve as an efficient tool to crowdsource ideas or test specialists’ expertise before hiring.

Key Points to Consider

Several important aspects related to hiring via Freelancer include:

> High competition but variable quality. The open bidding model results in fast responses but requires careful vetting.

> More manual vetting. Unlike curated platforms, clients manage freelancer selection and screening.

> Platform fees. Clients are subject to transaction and milestone fees.

Pricing

Freelancer.com supports a broad pricing range, depending on the scope. Platform fees for clients are 3% or $3 per project/milestone, depending on whichever is greater. Plus, optional upgrades, such as featured listings or sealed bids, come at additional cost.

5. Gun.io

Gun.io is a developer-led talent marketplace that connects companies with vetted senior software engineers. 

Besides, similarly to other companies like Toptal, the platform offers managed hiring services for freelance and full-time technical roles alike.

Source: Gun.io

Some of the key highlights of the Gun.io platform include:

• A network of rigorously vetted senior software engineers with proven experience;
• AI-powered talent sourcing combined with technical screening and curated interviews;
• Transparent pricing and full operational support, including contracts and compliance.

Hiring with Gun.io

On average, the Gun.io team delivers a shortlist of qualified developers within approximately 13 days. Additionally, Gun.io can assist with interview coordination and have one of their team members present during meetings with candidates. Once a candidate is selected, Gun.io handles end-to-end candidate-related processes: contracts, compliance, payments, and other essential tasks.

Key Points to Consider

In the meantime, consider the following points when hiring through Guru:

> Longer matching timelines. Hiring typically takes around 13 days from consultation to placement.

> No publicly disclosed standard pricing. Clients must request custom quotes since rates aren’t publicly published.

> Fee transparency. Clients see the full rate upfront, and developers keep 100%, but overall cost and fee structure depend on negotiation.

Pricing

Unike some of Toptal alternatives for developers, Gun.io does not list standard hourly rates. Instead, pricing is custom-quoted based on the specific role and engagement type. For contract-based hires, pricing typically starts at a monthly retainer of $5,000 or more, depending on seniority and scope. For full-time placements, Gun.io charges a placement fee equal to approximately 20% of the developer’s first-year salary. 

6. Guru.com

Guru.com is another Toptal competitor that connects businesses with independent professionals across a broad range of categories, ranging from programming to design to marketing and beyond. 

Often chosen for its flexible engagement models and workroom collaboration tools, Guru positions itself as a global hiring platform with a focus on transparency and ease of use.

Source: Guru

Guru presents the following advantages:

• Global freelancer network with verified work history, feedback, and earnings;
• Flexible hiring models (hourly, milestone-based, task-based, and recurring payments);
• Guru WorkRoom featuring built-in collaboration tools, payment protection, service agreements, and other tools.

Hiring Process on the Guru Platform

According to Guru.com workflow, clients post a job or search for talent directly. Freelancers submit quotes or clients can invite specific experts to apply. 

Once hired, all work and communication are handled through the Guru WorkRoom, which has built-in tools for status tracking, milestone approvals, and other work efficiency solutions.

Key Points to Consider

Meantime, keep in mind the following aspects related to hiring with Guru:

> Less curated talent. Guru allows open registration, so quality varies and vetting is largely up to the client.

> More hands-on hiring. Clients are responsible for reviewing applicants and managing collaboration unless hiring through agencies.

> Flexible but manual workflows. While the platform offers flexibility in contracts, it lacks the automation and managed experience typically found in premium platforms.

Pricing

Guru freelancers set their own rates, depending on skills and project type. There is no direct service fee, but optional premium job posts available.

7. Upwork

Upwork is known as one of the world’s largest freelance platforms. Thanks to this, it offers a broad marketplace to connect with independent talent across hundreds of categories.

Source: Upwork

According to the company’s offerings, its core benefits include:

• Access to millions of professionals with various skill levels and niche expertise;
• Flexible hiring models for both short-term and long-term cooperation;
• Robust in-app self-service capabilities to manage talent search and collaboration.

Hiring with Upwork: Process & Speed

Upwork enables clients to post jobs publicly or invite freelancers directly.  With the platform’s self-service capabilities, clients can easily review proposals, profiles, and work history. No vetting is required unless using Upwork Talent Scout — a premium service that helps match pre-vetted talent.

Key Points to Be Aware Of

Before opting for Upwork as your hiring platform of choice, consider this:

> Variable quality of talent. Since freelancers are not pre-vetted by default, clients must invest time in screening and interviews to ensure quality.

> Time-consuming for clients. The self-service model means clients must manage job postings, reviews, and communication independently unless they opt for paid matchmaking services.

> Platform fees can add up. While transparent, Upwork’s percentage-based fees apply to every payment, and premium options are more expensive.

Pricing

Upwork has a self-service model with transparent freelancer rates, including both hourly or fixed-price contract options. There is no monthly subscription, but a client marketplace fee of 5-10% is applied per payment.

Additionally, premium services like Talent Scout or Enterprise solutions have custom pricing.

8. Workana

Source: Workana

Workana is a Latin America-fo  cused freelance platform that connects businesses with independent professionals across tech, creative, and business service categories. The solution is focused on delivering affordable nearshore talent primarily for the NA region.

According to Workana’s offerings, its highlighted benefits are:

• Access to a large pool of Latin American freelancers across tech, design, writing, and business services;
• Culturally aligned, same-time-zone talent ideal for North and South American clients;
• Built-in project management features: time & milestone tracking, secure payment processing, and more.

Hiring Process & Speed

Clients post a project and receive bids within hours. Alternatively, they can search and invite freelancers directly. Businesses can manage the entire project execution through Workana dashboard thanks to its employee management features: milestone creation, deadline tracking, dispute resolution, and more.

Key Points to Consider

> Regional focus. Workana can be ideal for clients seeking LATAM-based talent; may be less suited for clients requiring broader global reach.

> Quality varies. Open marketplace means client-side vetting is required, especially outside the “Pro” talent tier.

>  Affordable rates but fewer premium options. The platform has competitive pricing, but is not always tailored to complex or enterprise-level projects.

Pricing

Freelancers set their own rates, with fixed-price projects also common. There is no service fee for clients.

Final Notes

Overall, as shown above, the Toptal competition is quite strong, with many robust players delivering various services and offers to hire top tech talent. 

And yet, here’s another aspect to consider: while platforms like Toptal excel at providing vetted individual freelancers for short-term needs, recruitment services like Mobilunity can offer a fundamentally different model that is commonly better tailored to long-term, scalable partnerships. 

These services that specialize in building dedicated nearshore teams allow businesses to better retain continuity and maintain greater control over their extended workforce. As a result, businesses can achieve more stable collaboration and stronger integration across distributed teams.

To compare these two recruitment models in more detail, explore the table below.

Written by:

Anastasia Stefanuk

Market Researcher

Disclaimer: All salaries and prices mentioned within the article are approximate numbers based on the research done by our in-house Marketing Research Team. Please use these numbers as a reference for comparison only. Feel free to use the contact form to inquire on the specific cost of the talent according to your vacancy requirements and chosen model of engagement.