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Toptal

Review by RAECHEL CONOVER
Updated June 19, 2024

Toptal offers well-vetted freelance software developers quickly and efficiently so you can complete projects and accomplish business growth with a lean operation. Toptal prides itself on hiring the top three percent of talent and making the correct match 98 percent of the time within 24 hours.

Pros

  • Highly vetted talent
  • 98 percent match rate
  • Talent provided within 24 hours
  • Trial period on projects and hires
  • Talent available in over 100 countries
Cons

  • $500 deposit required
  • No live chat

Toptal logo
Best for vetting developers
4.6
Features
5
Pricing
4
Support
4
Reputation
5

What is Toptal?

Designed to connect elite developers with complex projects, Toptal freelance uses an extensive vetting process, including a Toptal interview process, testing, and screening talent. An industry expert provides you with a talent match to meet your project needs. There is a two-week trial period with your matched talent instead of an interview process.

toptal login dashboard screenshot

Toptal login dashboard. Source: Setting up a Toptal account.

Toptal pricing incorporates an initial deposit that is refundable or can be applied to your first hire, plus rates wrapped into the developer’s price. There is also potentially a monthly subscription fee, but the company would not confirm the Toptal pricing model.

Reviews of Toptal are incredibly high. Users say customer support is unparalleled. They are efficient, proactive, and have an uncanny ability to match talent to your exact needs.

toptal job creation screenshot

Creating a job within Toptal. Source: Toptal user account.

How much does Toptal cost?

Toptal plans start at $500 deposit and $90 / hour

Starting price:
$500 deposit / $90 per hour
Free trial:
14 Days
Free version:
Not Available

Get Started Visit Toptal’s website.

What’s included in every Toptal plan? Toptal doesn’t have a breakdown of plans. Their process is simple. You meet with an industry expert, share your project scope and needs, and they match you up with talent to meet those parameters. A two-week trial period is given on the talent and project to ensure your needs are met.

Which features does Toptal offer?

Freelance Websites for Developers Features
Quality of freelance software developers: top three percent of freelance developers are accepted into the talent pool.
Ways to search developers: an industry expert assigns you a talent match within 24 hours.
Other talent categories: talent pool for designers, finance experts, project managers, and product managers.
Hiring locations: talent for hire available in over 100 countries.
Communication: Two-week trial period with potential talent before you hire them.

Other notable Toptal features

  • Talent training to elevate their skills
  • Toptal industry publications
  • Scale up and let Toptal build you a full team

What types of support does Toptal offer?

Data Migration
1-on-1 Live Training
Self-Guided Online Training
Knowledge Base
FAQs/Forum
Email Support
Live Chat
Phone Support
toptal extensive faq screenshot

Toptal extensive FAQ. Source: Toptal account.

Get Started Visit Toptal’s website.

Toptal user review highlights

We analyzed 1,656 user reviews about Toptal from two third-party review websites to provide this summary.

Very few complaints surface in Toptal company reviews. In fact, the only complaint we read was a Toptal review regarding Toptal cost being higher than other similar platforms. Aside from that, reviewers find Toptal to be a supreme service. The talent is exceptionally high quality and perfectly matched every time. Customer support is responsive and proactive – constantly checking in to ensure the correct match was made.

  • Ease of Setup – Users report a straightforward setup process with the help of friendly Toptal representatives.
  • Ease of Use – We see no complaints regarding ease of use.
  • Features – Reviewers find that Toptal provides the best quality freelancers – even more qualified than the top three percent claim. They also appreciate the level of customer service and communication with the company that they receive.
  • Quality of Support – Customer support is where Toptal truly stands out. Once you have an account set up, you’re assigned an industry expert as your touch point who is knowledgeable, proactive, and extremely helpful.
  • Value for Money – The only complaints about Toptal stem from pricing, and some users find the freelancer rate much higher than other comparable platforms. That said, users also find the service very valuable in finding talent they could not find elsewhere.

Toptal Contact Information

Parent Company:
Toptal
Headquarters:
Palo Alto, CA
Year Founded:
2010
Website:
toptal.com/
Facebook:
facebook.com/toptal
Twitter:
twitter.com/toptal
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/company/toptal/
Instagram:
instagram.com/toptal/
TikTok:
tiktok.com/@official.toptal

Toptal alternatives

Software Starting Price B2B Reviews Score
Toptal $90 / hour 4.6
Upwork 3% / project total cost 4.5
Lemon.io $45 / hour 4.5

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