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In the world of online job platforms, Toptal stands out for people searching for skilled individuals and those seeking work. This Toptal review explains how it operates, the kind of talented people you can discover, and the costs involved.
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ToggleAdditionally, we assess the advantages and disadvantages of Toptal to help you decide if investing in its services is worthwhile for securing top-notch talent.
What is Toptal?
Toptal is like a middleman connecting companies and freelancers. It’s different because it picks freelancers in advance, aiming for the “top 3% of freelance talent.” This means they only let in around 3% of freelancers who apply each month.
Choosing less than 3% doesn’t guarantee having the best 3%, but it’s a more careful process than other platforms like Upwork or Fiverr, where almost anyone can sign up.
Freelancers wanting to join Toptal need to pass tests in language, skills, live screening, and projects, making it more detailed than other platforms.
If you’re a freelancer, you can try to join Toptal, but you need to pass their tests. If you’re a company looking for talent, Toptal can find the right freelancer for you or even build an entire team if needed. Toptal’s unique approach sets it apart in the freelancing world.
Toptal review: Pros and cons
Let’s start our Toptal review by looking at the pros and cons before exploring the freelancer hiring experience.
Toptal Pros
- Selective Talent: Toptal screens for high-quality freelancers.
- Professional Hires: Freelancers are not only skilled but also professional.
- Tailored Matches: AI-driven search for personalized project pairings.
- Effortless Management: Toptal handles major tasks, easing client workload.
- Risk Mitigation: Refund options, free trial, and accountability minimize risk.
- Versatile Hiring: Choose from remote or on-site talent.
Toptal Cons
- Higher Costs: Toptal may be pricier than alternatives.
- Deposit Requirement: $500 deposit may limit small-budget projects.
- Creative Gaps: Limited freelancers in creative fields.
- Sales Process Concerns: Lack of upfront talent pool information.
Toptal Review: Services You Can Hire
In our Toptal review, we want to share the types of services you can hire. Right now, Toptal offers talents in six main categories:
Developers – These are the tech experts: software engineers, coders, and software architects. They bring your digital projects to life.
Designers – Dive into creativity with UI, UX, visual, and interaction designers. There are also illustrators and animators to add a special touch to your visual projects.
Finance Experts – Navigate the financial world with Toptal’s experts. They cover areas like financial modeling/valuation, interim CFO, market sizing, and more.
Project Managers – Sail smoothly through your digital projects with digital and technical project managers. This includes roles like scrum masters to guide your projects effectively.
Product Managers – Meet the idea architects: product managers and product owners. They’re ready to orchestrate the creation of your products.
Project Consultants – Need a complete team? Toptal’s project consultants can assist you in building an entire team, offering their expertise for your projects.
Every main category of freelancers has smaller groups within it.
Some examples are:
- Android developers
- Java developers
- WordPress developers
- Salesforce developers
- Animation designers
- Presentation designers
- Ecommerce site designers
- Blockchain designers
- Virtual project managers
- Scrum masters
- Interim CFOs
- AI product managers
- Business analysts
- Product owners
- JIRA administrators
But, if you need help with creative tasks like writing, voiceovers, translation, music composition, etc., you might need to look somewhere else.
Toptal work quality and the hiring process
When you’re on the hunt for the right team members, it all begins with tapping into the best talent source. We think Toptal is an excellent choice, offering a fantastic pool of talent – though it might take a bit of extra effort to discover it.
The hiring game has changed, introducing a new method where an automatic system pairs you with freelancers worldwide randomly. This comes with minimal interviews and limited info about freelancers. Thankfully, Toptal has its talent database, making your search easier by narrowing down options based on your preferences.
Next, you chat with a Toptal hiring expert to get more details about your job. They use this information to pick the top two freelancers for your task, considering factors like pricing, availability, and skills.
Then, you have discussions with each freelancer to clear up your project’s scope. Usually, within 24 hours, you should have potential candidates ready for vetting, and Toptal claims that 90% of users go for the first candidate they suggest.
From a hirer’s viewpoint, this is both good and a bit tricky. Platforms like Fiverr let me quickly find designers and developers by checking profiles, portfolios, and reviews, enabling fast hires for small tasks.
However, this speed might lead to iffy choices. Toptal, on the other hand, takes care of the vetting for you, even if it means following a process that takes some time. Plus, Toptal offers Skype conversations, negotiations, and test projects to help you figure out if someone is the right fit for your company.
Toptal Pricing and Fees
Toptal’s prices might be a bit higher than places like Upwork and Fiverr. The actual cost depends on your project and the freelancer you pick.
Interestingly, you might pay less on Toptal than on Upwork. It depends on the freelancer you choose.
Here are some good points from our Toptal review:
No Recruiting or Termination Fees – Toptal doesn’t charge extra fees for recruiting or stopping services.
No-Risk Trial – You can try your freelancer before committing, making sure it’s a good fit.
You Set the Initial Budget – You get to decide the starting budget, fitting your needs.
When Toptal gives you the price, it’s a single, clear number. This covers both Toptal’s service fee and the freelancer’s wage, with no hidden costs.
The amount you pay for Toptal depends on your project and the freelancer you work with.
here’s a glimpse of the global averages for some common developer types:
- Full Stack Developer – $45-$80 per hour.
- Front-end Developer – $40-$75 per hour.
- Back-end Developer – $40-$75 per hour.
Remember, rates could vary for different specialties, giving you a general idea of Toptal prices. Rates also varied in different locations. For instance, if you needed a full stack developer in North America, the average freelancer rate jumped to $70-$120 per hour, as per the now-deleted calculator page.
It’s essential to note that this info is a couple of years old, and things might have changed. To get the most accurate estimate for your project, consider signing up on Toptal.
Also, these average rates are what freelancers set and don’t cover Toptal’s service fee. Toptal doesn’t take any commission from freelancers. Instead, they put their extra fee on the freelancer’s price and show it to companies as one total cost.
If you’re on a tight budget, you might find cheaper rates elsewhere. For example, Upwork lists an “intermediate” full stack developer rate at $32.80 per hour, potentially below the Toptal average. But, the cost for an “Expert” on Upwork is $100 per hour. If you assume all Toptal developers are experts, there might not be much difference.
But here’s the catch: Upwork earns money by taking a commission from the freelancer, not by charging an added service fee to hiring companies like Toptal. So if a freelancer charges $100 per hour on Upwork, that’s your cost.
If a freelancer sets their rate at $100 per hour on Toptal, you’ll cover the $100 along with Toptal’s service fee. Although presented as a unified price, this is what’s happening in the background.
Toptal’s legal team offers a different viewpoint on comparing Toptal’s prices with platforms like Upwork and Fiverr. They mention:
[…] The fees charged by the talent Toptal offers vary a lot. They depend on many things like the client, the job, the experience needed for a specific task, the demand for certain skills, and more. Using specific values picked selectively to argue that Toptal is pricier than competitors is not a fair representation.
To compare Toptal’s prices with others, you can do your own math and see how it works for you. Before starting with a new freelancer, a $500 deposit is required, but it’s credited to your first invoice or refunded if you decide not to proceed. For ongoing projects, Toptal usually sends invoices twice a month, and you have Net 10 payment terms. This makes it clear when and how you’ll be paying during your collaboration.
Toptal User Interface
Getting a freelancer on Toptal is different from using Upwork or Fiverr. Instead of bidding or contests, Toptal uses a mix of a computer program and people to connect freelancers with companies.
They have a step-by-step wizard that automatically guides you through the process. This wizard asks for all the details about your project. You get to pick the type of talent you need, such as developers, designers, or product managers.
It asks when the project will be finished. This helps find freelancers who want to stay for your six-month project.
This makes sure you’re matched with freelancers who plan to stick around. It’s all about knowing when your project will be done.
You can let Toptal know how many team members you want.
We appreciate this feature because it’s special to Toptal. Other platforms usually make you hire workers one by one. Toptal tries to put together a team for you, especially if that’s what you’re looking for.
You can find freelancers who are willing to work either 40 hours a week, 5 hours a week, or based on a specific project.
If you’re looking for specific skills, you can narrow down your search. For example, for a developer or designer, you might specify skills like web design and UX design to make sure the freelancers have the right expertise.
Toptal allows you to choose your budget.
Most of the budget options lean towards jobs with rates higher than $25 per hour. Many user reviews also mention that the rates are usually on the higher side.
Toptal takes time to match you with the most suitable talent according to your choices.
This is a strong point for Toptal, as they reach out to you later with the very best professionals for your job.
In our Toptal review, we observed that it functions more like a customized hiring firm rather than the fully automated job boards and marketplaces we are accustomed to.
Toptal review: Our final thoughts
In short, after examining Toptal, we found many positives, such as its thorough screening and the option to hire remote or in-house workers. Trying out candidates is risk-free, and handling invoices is stress-free.
However, we noticed some potential drawbacks that might deter users. Firstly, Toptal is generally pricier than other freelancer platforms. It raises the question of whether the cost is justified for Toptal’s vetting and talent.
Moreover, it’s not as simple to browse talent; you must navigate Toptal’s sales process and make a $500 deposit to start. Remember, the deposit is refundable if you choose not to proceed. Yet, it’s a more committed start compared to platforms allowing immediate searches.
On the positive side, Toptal lets you avoid sifting through low-quality freelancers, connecting you directly with a pool passing basic tests for language and skills.
In conclusion, we recommend Toptal for those who prefer skipping extensive searches on platforms like Upwork, Freelancer.com, and Fiverr. While pricier, Toptal handles talent vetting, letting you focus on the best candidates.
Any lingering questions about Toptal or our Toptal review? Share in the comments!
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