Toptal has been around for a decade within the remote team hiring ecosystem and is well-known for its rigorous vetting process, which ensures top-tier talent can only be a part of the talent pool.
However, this strict vetting process significantly diminishes the talent pool, so the need of the hour is alternative to toptal which is listed below.
Toptal builds remote teams from a very small talent pool at a very high cost. If you are a high-growth startup, enterprise, small-scale business or someone executing a small-scale project high-end pricey agencies like Toptal aren't the right fit for you.
Further, if you are looking forward to hiring for a specific skill the miniscule talent pool turns into a hndrance. Therefore, while developing remote teams, choosing the right platform that aligns with your goals and future outlook is necessary.
There are various toptal alternative hiring platforms in the ecosystem which maintain a greater talent pool while catering to a range of skills at an affordable cost.
This article lists various alternatives to Toptal while analysing their features along with their pros and cons.
1. ClanX
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Outsourcing the software development process is a highly complex job. To build efficient software, a seamless, transparent process is mandatory. However, the current market is functioning within a system that is broken at its core.
The fact that SMEs and SMBs have a failure rate of 78% when it comes to building software by outsourcing the process proves this fact, emphasizing the need for a toptal alternative.
ClanX solves this by connecting world-class builders with companies while operating as cloud-based teams. ClanX focuses on finding the right talent for your company along with the specific skill set for your project.
Further, ClanX ensures that the overall budget for your project stays cost-efficient while ensuring curated talent runs to build your project.
The entire process of hiring remote builders is conducted by ClanX through a dynamic process within a small time frame along with the conduction of necessary compliance. ClanX ensures hassle-free navigation by providing round-the-clock reliable support, positioning itself as an alternative to Toptal.
Some of the benefits of using ClanX are:
- You can access a global pool of talented and experienced developers who can work on any technology stack and domain.
- You can save time and money by avoiding the hassle of hiring, training, and managing in-house developers.
- You can scale up or down your team size as per your project needs and deadlines.
- You can enjoy a smooth and secure collaboration with your remote team through ClanX’s cloud-based platform and tools.
Features of ClanX:
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- Simple, easy, and highly straightforward hiring process.
- You can find and hire the best candidates for your project in just a few clicks, without any complicated paperwork or lengthy interviews.
- Hassle-free hiring process completed within 48 hours.
- We guarantee that you will get a qualified and verified freelancer within two days of posting your job, or your money back.
- A diverse range of top-tier tech talent assimilated from various MAANG companies and similar organizations.
- Our freelancers are experts in their fields, with experience working at some of the most prestigious tech companies in the world, such as Microsoft, Amazon, Netflix, Google, and more.
- There is no minimum upfront cost or subscription retainer.
- You only pay for the work that is done, and you can cancel or modify your project at any time, without any hidden fees or penalties.
Pros of ClanX:
- A personalized approach to hiring talent wherein the growth of companies and talent is prioritized by specifically focusing on connecting the right talent with a specific skill set to relevant projects.
- A rigid vetting process spread across five levels along with Silicon Valley calibre behavior and technical assessments. These tests not only assess the technical proficiency but also analyze the soft skills of the talent. Such a rigid vetting process ensures the onboarding of the best talent.
- ClanX prioritizes developing full-time opportunities and long-term work commitments between talent and the company. Unlike other platforms that offer short-term or freelance gigs, ClanX aims to build lasting relationships between the talent and the company.
- ClanX primarily focuses on working on highly complex technology and design projects that span across various verticals such as software, machine learning, data analytics, etc.
Cons of ClanX:
- ClanX refrains from including freshers within their talent pool. ClanX focuses on hiring tech professionals with prior work experience.
- ClanX focuses on building long-term relationships between the talent and the client. They refrain from providing tech talent based on a pay-per-hour model.
Pricing of ClanX
You can book a callback with a team advisor from ClanX by filling your details and project specifications. The ClanX team will contact you and help you build your remote teams. The ClanX calculator provides you with an estimated expenditure of hiring from ClanX while comparing the costs with the traditional model of hiring.
World’s top companies use ClanX to build AI enabled products to transform their business — expertly executed in weeks, not months.
2. Turing
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Turing is a hiring platform that helps businesses hire remote developers for their projects. They are primarily focused on developing a seamless process that is fast and efficient concerning time and resources while maintaining a high retention rate.
Turing is an alternative to toptal that offers a wider pool of talent and more flexibility for clients.
Their remote developers are the creme de la creme of the software industry. The developers are usually sourced from organizations such as Google, Facebook, etc. Their vetting process is stringent and extensive, structured across more than 8 hours of interviews to gauge any potential candidate’s technical skills and knowledge of fundamentals.
This makes them an alternative to toptal that delivers high-quality results.
Features of Turing:
- Turing leverages various filtering techniques that are AI-based for screening candidates.
- The vetting process of Turing is rigid, to say the least. Turing uses an AI-based assessment test which determines the quality and competency of the candidate.
- After clearing all the AI-based tests the selected candidates are given a chance to sit for interviews.
- Turing's ultimate focus lies around connecting the top 1% of talent within the market with leading technology companies by utilising a vetting process customised and driven by AI.
Pros of Turing:
- Turing runs its hiring processes with the help of AI which ensures that candidate's profiles are processed rapidly while also eliminating human bias at the pre-interview stage.
- Turing provides companies with developers who have undergone an extensive vetting process which ensures that highly qualified professionals are a part of the remote team.
Cons of Turing:
- Turing operates as a closed platform sans flexibility. Turing doesn't allow you to view the profiles or portfolios of the developers or contact them individually prior to hiring the developer.
- Turing doesn't have a transparent approach towards their pricing. A flat markup is charged by Turing on each hired developer salary. However Turing never discloses how the flat markup is calculated.
Pricing of Turing:
There are no up-front costs while hiring from Turing, an alternative to toptal that offers a transparent and flexible pricing model. Before on-boarding a talent, businesses are provided a two week trial to make sure whether the developer is the right talent and cultural fit for their project.
The pricing rate of the developer isn’t set up by Turing instead the developer sets their own salary rates. These rates are determined by multiple factors such as skill proficiency, demand and experience.
3. Gigster
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Gigster provides software solutions to companies by building remote teams for the project, making them an alternative to toptal that offers comprehensive and customized services. They provide end-to-end solutions to any entrepreneur or business owner who is trying to build a product or service.
Gigster focuses on providing a seamless solution to its users wherein all aspects of the development cycle are taken care of. Gigster provides a product manager along with a team of developers to coordinate the project.
Features of Gigster:
- The project has to qualify a minimum threshold so that Gigster takes it up. It should demonstrate a certain level of complexity which will qualify it for Gigster.
- Gigster provides you with a dashboard that demonstrates the project completion status. The project manager attached to the remote team is always available to clarify any doubts you might have.
- The end-to-end development of your project is handled by Gigster. You receive ownership of your project only after the entire project is completed.
Pros of Gigster:
- Gigster claims that their development teams comprise talents who have been graded as A-listers within the industry and are employed with big tech giants.
- Gigster hires developers who have been graded as 'A-listers' ; they are still required to go through an intense screening process. The screening process is structured in a manner wherein the past work of the candidate is analysed along with an interview followed by a test to determine the quality of the code.
- Gigster operates on a pay-per-project model and the quote is generated with the help of AI technology. Further, they use AI technology to conduct matching between the talent and projects.
- The teams are developers, designers, and product/project managers, forming an alternative to toptal that can handle any project from start to finish. End-to-end teams allow business owners to outsource the entire tedious project development process seamlessly.
Cons of Gigster:
- The talents provided by Gigster are full-time employees working within big tech organisations. They are dedicated to your project in a part-time manner. There are chances that these developers might change mid-project.
- Gigster takes your problem statement and assembles its own teams along with a project manager who looks over the entire project. You get access to your project once the solution is completely deployed. A lack of managerial control during project development can affect the entire output.
Pricing of Gigster:
Gigster follows a project based pricing model. These prices are fixed beforehand eliminating chances of cost overruns. Gigster doesn't charge any upfront fees or hourly rates. The price range on Gigster starts from $52,000 and increases depending on project complexity.
4. Terminal
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Terminal is a confluence of technology and services, offering an alternative to toptal that can handle any software project remotely. They provide end-to-end software solutions for remote team creation.
Terminal claims that they help companies hire developers at a reduced cost and faster speed compared to traditional models of hiring. Terminal claims to have worked with 50 companies spread across 25 countries by building remote teams employing around 800 engineers.
Features of Terminal:
- Terminal provides companies with instant access to pre-vetted software engineers who are looking forward to full-term remote contracts.
- Terminal handles the administrative aspects of hiring by managing the payroll, benefits and HR services associated with remote teams.
- Terminal accelerates the entire hiring process with the help of intelligent sourcing, candidate matching and interview workflows.
- Terminal's vetting involves a suite of coding questions and various simulators which are designed to gauge the technical capabilities of the candidates.
Pros of Terminal:
- Terminal provides you in-market support and guidance while you are hiring from its global talent pool. The support and guidance helps companies make informed decisions before recruiting a candidate.
- While hiring from Terminal companies can customise their remote teams based on their needs and requirements.
- Terminal works as an open platform allowing companies to choose their candidates, presenting an alternative to toptal that gives more control and flexibility to clients. Companies can filter their search specifications for candidates and browse through the profiles of developers who are a part of the talent network of Terminal.
Cons of Terminal:
The HR and payroll system of Terminal doesn't integrate with any other HR or payroll systems. However the API of their system is publically available therefore you will have to do some technical back and forth to seamlessly integrate your payroll system with Terminal.
Pricing of Terminal:
Terminal charges a monthly fee on each employee within the company's remote team. The monthly fee covers salary, taxes and various operational benefits. Calculation of the monthly fee is dependent on geographical locations, skill proficiency and seniority level.
However Terminal never charges an upfront fee for using its platform. Terminal doesn't charge hourly rates, instead it charges monthly fees which are transparent and fixed.
5. Thirdwork
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It acts as a solution to hire skilled and pre-vetted freelancers for various skill sets within different roles, making it an alternative to toptal that caters to the needs of the modern market.
Thirdwork directly matches startups with freelancers based on the requirements of the startups. Startups have to fill a form providing details about their project, budget and the skill sets needed for successful execution of their project.
Thirdwork provides startups with a detailed list of freelancers to the startups. Post on-boarding Thirdwork acts as an intermediary managing the contacts and payments between both the parties.
Features of Thirdwork:
- Thirdwork has a global talent pool of elite freelancers from 50 countries around the globe.
- Thirdwork monitors the projects ensuring there's no quality compromise. Thirdwork also engages in conflict resolution between the startups and freelancers.
- Thirdwork has a quality assurance team and a dispute resolution team which ensure that clear project guidelines are communicated between the freelancer and clients. If any disputes arise between both the parties Thirdwork steps in to resolve any disputes.
Pros of Thirdwork:
- Thirdwork utilises its proprietary algorithm paired with human curation to search for the best freelancers. Algorithmic precision paired with human intellect ensures that the best freelancers are selected for your project.
- Thirdwork focuses on ensuring that the best freelancer talent is a part of their network by hiring freelancers with a deep domain expertise. This helps maintain the quality of the output and makes Thirdwork an alternative to toptal that can deliver exceptional results.
Cons of Thirdwork:
- A general disadvantage of working with freelancers is that the quality and delivery of work might be compromised due to the fact that these professionals are part-time workers who might not be fully connected with your project.
- Thirdwork is restricted to certain domains such as fintech, blockchain and emerging tech startups. Companies operating within other business domains might not find their right fit of freelancer talent on Thirdwork.
Pricing of Thirdwork:
Thirdwork operates as an on-demand talent platform. Thirdwork charges a 15% service fee which is charged above the freelancer's rate. Thirdwork provides a 14-day money back guarantee wherein clients who are unsatisfied with the services of the freelancer.
6. Storetasker
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You are supposed to answer certain questions about your project and Storetasker will run its algorithm and match you with freelancers based on your specifications. This process is completed within minutes. Storetasker allows you to chat with freelancers through their platform and get updates regarding the progress of your project.
Features of Storetasker:
- The professionals on Storetaskers are handpicked freelancers who are vetted by Storetasker ensuring agency quality work at freelancer prices.
- Storetasker ensures that your money is safely held within an escrow until the completion of your project ensuring that you pay for optimum work. Storetasker also provides dispute resolution and customer support to resolve any issues between both the stakeholders.
Pros of Storetasker:
Storetasker provides companies with best freelancer talent who have been verified beforehand, making it an alternative to toptal that ensures quality and trust. Business can connect with reliable professionals quickly and in a secure manner.
Cons of Storetasker:
Storetasker may have limited availability of freelancers when it comes to certain projects. Also Storetasker doesn't allow you to communicate with freelancers outside the platform.
Pricing of Storetasker:
Storetasker operates on the basis of a pay-per-project model. The project quotes usually start from $75. Storetasker levies a 15% service fee on the project quote. Gradually after you start doing consistent business with Storetasker the service fee reduces to 10%.
What’s next?
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If you feel Toptal isn’t reliable for building remote teams for your next project we have provided you with a list of 6 alternatives to toptal platforms to hire remote developers. Toptal is one of the most popular platforms for hiring remote developers, but it is not without its drawbacks.
Some of the common complaints about Toptal are: high fees, limited talent pool, lack of transparency, and poor customer service.
If you’re still stuck in an analysis paralysis situation, let me introduce you to ClanX and help you understand why ClanX is the best platform to build your next remote team.
ClanX empowers growing businesses by helping them build and manage elite tech teams. ClanX is different from other platforms in many ways, such as:
- Personalized approach: ClanX understands that every project and every talent is unique, and that’s why it offers a personalized approach to hiring talent, making it an alternative to toptal that values human connection and collaboration.
- Rigid vetting process: ClanX has a rigid vetting process that ensures the onboarding of only the best talent. ClanX’s vetting process consists of five levels: resume screening, online coding challenge, video interview, live coding session, and reference check.
- Full-time opportunities: ClanX prioritizes developing full-time opportunities and long-term work commitments between the talent and the company, making it a toptal alternative that fosters trust and loyalty.
- Complex projects: ClanX primarily focuses on working on highly complex technology and design projects that span across various verticals such as software, machine learning, data analytics, etc, making it a toptal alternative that can handle any challenge.
Refer companies, earn a share of ClanX’s fees.
ClanX assists you in hiring remote technical talent for your project. You can select the number of developers you require and locate the best fit for your project. ClanX is the greatest solution for remote tech talent hiring in 2024.
It provides value, flexibility, and affordability. ClanX allows you to collaborate with specialists from other countries and cultures who can contribute unique perspectives and expertise to your project. You can also save time and money by avoiding the hassles of traditional hiring and remote team management.