Toptal claims that they are the platform where you can find the top 3% of freelance talent. They have a rigorous and challenging screening process composed of a first application, followed by interviews, and tests to make sure the freelancers working on the platform are highly skilled. For many freelancers, this screening process can be tedious. Especially when you consider that many don’t succeed in passing the tests. The best alternatives to Toptal article will help you find the freelance platform that’s right for you.
In terms of commissions, Toptal does not charge any commission to freelancers. Instead, they charge a high transaction fee to clients. This fee can be a bit murky for freelancers who may not know how much their services are actually being sold for.
For businesses, they may get better quality services on Toptal, but this comes at an elevated cost. When you consider services are sold for twice the freelancer’s hourly rate on Toptal, it’s easy to understand this is an expensive platform to use.
We have compiled information on different freelance marketplaces over the years and have decided to write the best alternatives to Toptal article to provide helpful information so people can make the most informed decision when choosing a freelance marketplace to buy or sell services on. Below, you will find our recommended platforms if you’re looking for an alternative to Toptal.
The 5 Best Alternatives to Toptal
1. ComeUp
For Freelancers
On ComeUp, freelancers post their services online, and buyers can order them. Freelancers have more control as they can choose their rates and what their service entails. No more bidding for jobs in the hopes that the job poster will prefer your work above someone else’s In terms of commission, the two companies have very different models. One of ComeUp’s best advantages is its $1-only commission option. With such a low commission, freelancers can maximize their earnings. With ComeUp, freelancers get paid on time for the work they complete, and they can withdraw their earnings whenever they want. Furthermore, the pricing is transparent for both clients and sellers. Everything is upfront, because it’s important for both parties to understand what they are getting from a transaction and for how much.
In 2023, ComeUp was voted the freelancing platform with the best working conditions by the Fairwork Cloudwork study conducted by the Oxford University Internet Institute. More information.
ComeUp continues to work on this, as they want to provide the best working conditions for their users. Whether you’re a freelancer or a business, using a platform that provides rights for its users feels better than using a platform that denies those rights. Toptal has yet to be rated or included in the study.
For Businesses
There are many advantages to using ComeUp. First of all, buyers can contact sellers before placing an order. So if you’re ever in doubt, you can contact sellers and ask them questions. You can also use the reviews left by previous buyers to decide if a service is the right one for you. Another benefit for buyers is that ComeUp is safe to use and has a well-thought-out ordering system designed to protect buyers. Sellers all have to verify their identity by submitting an identity document before they can sell services.
Other platforms are not as rigorous when it comes to verifying the identity of their users. As for the ordering system, once the order is delivered by the seller, the buyer has to approve it for the seller to be paid. The risks of being unsatisfied with what the seller delivers are much lower. As long as buyers carefully read what a seller’s services entail, they are sure to get what they order.
In the rare case, there’s a dispute, there’s a litigation process in place to protect both the seller and the buyer. The case is managed by someone from ComeUp’s moderation team who reviews the order and the delivered services before making an impartial decision. All disputes are handled by humans, so both parties have a chance to express themselves to the moderation team.
2. Fiverr
Similarly to ComeUp, freelancers can also post their services on Fiverr, which gives them more control. Fiverr is one of the largest freelancing platforms on the market, so there are many orders there. Nonetheless, there’s also a lot of competition.
For Freelancers
One of the major differences with Toptal is that the jobs offered on Fiverr are more low-cost and less professional. If you’re a skilled freelancer, you may want to avoid Fiverr for a platform that focuses on quality more than cost. If you’re looking to easily get started, Fiverr may be a good platform to do so as they have one of the easiest platforms to get started on. Even the ID verification process is not required from the beginning.
Their commission is 20% on all jobs, so be prepared to pay a high commission.
For Businesses
Businesses have the luxury of choice on Fiverr. There are countless services and freelancers on the platform. However, this wide range of choices can cause businesses to fall on the wrong freelancers. It’s really simple to create a seller profile on Fiverr. When creating a seller profile, no Identity document is asked. The ID verification takes place later when Fiverr contacts a seller for them to verify their profile. This is one of the many reasons why so many scams are happening on Fiverr. So make sure to choose a seller who has been verified and has delighted past customers.
Fiverr charges 5.5% of the purchase amount as a service fee. This fee is quite high considering the quality of services on Fiverr and the high commission they take from sellers.
3. Upwork
Another huge freelancing platform, Upwork, has a different system. Businesses post the services they need while freelancers bid for them. This can lead businesses to find cheaper prices for their projects, but cheaper does not always mean better.
For freelancers
Upwork’s commission system is easy to understand. They charge a 10% commission on all orders a freelancer completes. On Upwork, freelancers get paid as soon as the work is approved by clients. However, the funds earned cannot be withdrawn for the first five days after release.
This commission is much more advantageous than Fiverr and some other platforms. That is why you will find many freelancers competing on Upwork. But, the steady flow of orders ensures that many freelancers find work on the platform.
For Businesses
You’ll find professional services on Upwork. But that does come at a cost as Upwork charges a 5% Client Marketplace Fee in addition to a one-time contract initiation fee adding up to an additional $4.95. This means profits from your purchase as well as the freelancer’s earnings.
If you’re posting a job on Upwork, you have to consider that freelancers will bid for a chance to get the opportunity to get the job. In most cases, that won’t be a problem as you’ll get multiple profiles to choose from. But it also means that you’re limiting yourself to a few choices instead of having more choices if you were to use a platform where you can order services directly.
4. Freelancer
One of the biggest freelancing platforms worldwide, with more than 41 million freelancers around the world, Freelancer is another possible alternative to Toptal. They have a different model than recent freelancing platforms as they try to build a relationship between freelancers and clients instead of having just one job or gig.
For Freelancers
They have a lot of flexibility regarding payments. Freelancers can be paid hourly or when they reach different objectives. This flexibility comes at a price as you have to carefully monitor your hours on the platform using their management tools. On Freelancer, the pricing plan is hugely different as freelancers pay to get the possibility to have more bids they can use to apply for jobs in addition to a 10% commission which can be lower depending on the plan freelancers subscribe under. This can lead to frustration as you may compete with people with fewer skills who are willing to charge much less to do the job.
For Businesses
In terms of pricing, you’ll have to pay 3% of the winning bid to the platform in addition to the freelancer’s rates. You also need to be careful, if there are any additional tasks which require more payments you will also have to pay a 3% fee for those.
One of the big advantages for businesses is that Freelancer is a safe platform known to have fewer scams. Since businesses are the ones deciding who they hire to work with, they can choose after inspecting the freelancer’s profile. It’s a great way to make sure you hire the person you’re the most comfortable working with. The only downside is that you can only hire people bidding on your project so if you don’t like the options presented to you, it may lead to a difficult decision.
5. Guru
This Toptal alternative is known to be professional and focus more on business services and needs like Freelancer. They only offer professional services. One of their main strengths is some of the lowest transaction fees on the market. The websites also look similar. So if you liked Freelancer, but want to change because you had a bad experience with them. This might be the right alternative for you.
For Freelancers
The pricing on Guru is based on monthly memberships that allow freelancers to bid on more jobs similarly to Freelancer. This bidding system and pricing approach can be frustrating for freelancers because they can be disadvantageous. Imagine being a professional but being outbid for jobs by someone with less experience who has more money to spend to rank higher.
For businesses
You’ll get many freelancers who bid on your job posting so you’re sure to find at least one freelancer who can get the job done. But this system can also be restrictive as you have a limited number of freelancers to choose from.
In terms of pricing, Guru’s 2.9% handling fee per invoice is reasonable and most likely one of the cheapest fees for freelance marketplaces.
Conclusion: Find the best alternatives to Toptal that works for you
There are many platforms out there, and they’re not one-size-fits-all, so at the end of the day, we’d recommend you consider what you value and what you’re looking for in a freelancing platform. Do some research and browse around. Make an educated decision that puts you in a position to succeed. Try a few different ones until you find the right one for you.
If you’re hiring, take the time to browse different platforms to see the different talents and services offered on the platform.
Consider working conditions and Cloudwork worker’s rights
Whether you are a freelancer or a business looking to buy services. We can all agree that basic working conditions should be accessible to all workers. With the advancement of technology, we’ve seen business models emerge that disregard these rights. The Fairwork Cloudwork study conducted by the Oxford Internet Institute gives scores to companies regarding the fairness in working conditions they offer.
Better working conditions for freelancers
At ComeUp, we’re always looking to improve the working conditions for our community’s sellers. That means fair pay, conditions, terms of service, and management.
In 2023, ComeUp was voted the freelancing platform with the best working conditions by the Fairwork Cloudwork study conducted by the Oxford University Internet Institute. More information.
But we don’t want to stop there. We still have work to do to achieve the ideal working conditions for our community, and we’ll continue doing everything we can to ensure the best working conditions possible for ComeUp sellers.
