There is no doubt that Toptal has long governed the market for providing remote resources be it software engineers, remote developers etc. They have consistently maintained their quality and a consistent word of mouth and recommendation system has led them to excel. However, with the onset of remote work all over the world and an increase in demand for remote software developers and engineers, a lot of amazing and equally (if not more) reliable alternatives have popped up.
Here is the list of the Top 7 Alternatives to Toptal that will help you hire remote developers:
- Flexiple:
Flexiple has a 1- week trial where you basically get to hand-pick pre-vetted resources and see if they transition into your team or not. They have garnered quite a lot of positive reviews and worked with businesses across multiple industries.
What sets them apart is the fact that they not just run technical tests, but also pay a very strong emphasis to soft-skills. Compared to Toptal, their rates are 40-60% lower and they provide round the clock customer support.
2. Upwork:
A very unconventional alternative to Toptal considering they do not pre-vet their resources but if you are someone who likes that little bit of extra control, upwork is for you. It has a relatively larger database compared to Toptal and you get to bid on the resource of choice.
This allows for better rates compared to Toptal but just longer vetting hours
3. HubStaff Talent
Hustaff is another great option for people, especially small businesses to hire freelance developers. Hubstaff again does not focus on manual vetting but rather lays its focus on utilising its software to find and match perfect developers for individual projects.
Also, unlike TopTal, it has a very transparent interface where you can browse databases and directly contact resources without any additional charges or hidden payments. However, keep in mind that the quality of developers will be conditional since hubstaff does not provide additional tools to ensure quality
4. Gaper.io
Gaper has worked with not just startups but also with fortune 500 companies to help them set up and run remote engineering teams. They have an AI powered software that allows you to search for and match with the perfect resource for your team.
Gaper specializes in team augmentation and they have a huge database of pre-vetted engineers which makes the process very smooth and hassle free. Compared to Toptal, Gaper also provides a Project managers that will transition flawlessly into your remote engineering team and will take care of everything
The cost of hiring is also much lower compared to Toptal considering the quality of engineers is the same if not better!
5. Gun.io:
An invite only platform for hiring developers? Look no further because Gun.io is just that! It’s invite only feature allows you access the elite software developers that have been carefully yet rigorously vetted
Compared to Toptal, it has a relatively smaller pool of developers but they are highly specialized and very carefully selected.
6. Gigster:
Gigster is another relatively new name in the market. Much like Gaper, they focus on team augmentation and have a software dedicated to helping you find a match. Gigster claims to be the fastest in the business when it comes to setting up or augmenting remote teams.
Unlike Toptal, they are an end-to-end solution where you don’t just hire a single resource but an entire team including project managers. They charge a per project fee compared to a time-based model that Toptal follows.
7. Fiverr:
We have all heard of Fiverr, the platform that brought forth the order-based concept of hiring freelancers. So for example, if you need a freelance software engineer, you simply explain your end goal and the engineer will quote a price for themselves.
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Fiverr is well-suited for smaller projects and also unlike Toptal, you will be solely responsible for doing the vetting yourself. One advantage of Fiverr over Toptal is the larger database and a relatively transparent process where you can reach out and talk to an engineer yourself.
In conclusion, there are multiple factors that contribute to the decision of hiring remote engineers:
- Quality
- Price
- Speed of development
- Short or long -term projects
- Team vs individual engineers
What you choose will depend on your end goals and also what works best for your current situation and teams. Toptal has managed to upkeep the quality of their resources but the higher price point makes it unfavourable for smaller businesses especially startups. If you are in a time-crunch or have a limited budget, it’s always best to choose platforms that have the flexibility to cater to your needs.
Choosing the option of augmenting your teams will allow you to cut significantly on your vetting and hiring costs so you can focus solely on reaching your end goal.
