When searching for remote tech talent, you may have noticed that many companies do not disclose their pricing information, including Toptal. 

However, at Teilur Talent, we believe in transparency and understanding the cost breakdown between the client and the developer. In this article, we will share our investigative process and reveal our conclusions on Toptal's pricing. While also providing insights on how transparent pricing model can be a great alternative for companies seeking a partner in international tech recruiting.

Toptal pricing for U.S companies

When working with Toptal, freelancer developers from around the world set their own prices and are advised by the company on an hourly rate based on their experience and talent. Toptal adds its own fee on top of this rate, which can increase the overall cost. Once a developer is hired, they are required to sign a contract stating they cannot disclose their pay rate to the client. At Teilur Talent, we believe in transparency and provide a clear breakdown of the Toptal costs between the client and the developer. Our model ensures that the developer receives a fair and transparent payment while keeping costs low for the client. 

So what's their fee? 

At Toptal, the process begins with a $500 down payment, initiating the search for top-tier engineering talent. This deposit, reassuringly, is refundable, offering clients peace of mind with a two-week trial to ensure satisfaction with the provided services. 

Despite some reports of variations in trial durations, it's important to recognize Toptal's commitment to flexibility and client satisfaction. This policy underscores their confidence in matching clients with highly skilled professionals efficiently. Moreover, Toptal's vast network of talent allows for rapid alignment of expert engineers with projects, reflecting their dedication to meeting diverse project timelines and requirements. That is why Toptal has good reviews as shown below.

However, there are opinions from clients regarding relevant issues in the contracting process, trial and transparency in the process, as shown below.

We will further analyze Julian Parge's review on www.trustpilot.com. Since Toptal does not disclose his data and engineers are forbidden to say, we have to rely on reviews given by former employees and clients.

After conducting a brief search on LinkedIn, we discovered that Julian Parge is the Head of Technology at Gaming Technologies, Inc., "a global online gambling software and operations company that builds brands around its cloud-based gaming platform".

According to the review:

• Toptal wanted to charge the client over $20,000/month
• The specifications were for a React developer with 5 years of experience.
• At Teilur Talent, we believe a React developer with that experience (5yr) should be charging around $5,500, and with our fee, the total cost would be $6,875.

We also found another review on Quora from a former employer. We couldn't verify this information, but it stays in line with what other companies usually charge.

Our thoughts on the pricing structure of Toptal 

While it's not possible for us to find details about how much of what a client pays ultimately goes to a candidate, we believe clients looking for transparent and straightforward pricing may want to look at other alternatives.

Our opinion is that if they are charging a client more than $20,000 monthly for a developer, they should at the very least be giving $16,000 to the candidate, but it's likely that it's even less than that. 

Teilur Talent Transparency

We’ve put together a table that helps hiring managers navigate through what we believe a client should be paying based on what we encounter in terms of pricing in the Latin American market. 

The table above includes all fees, and at Teilur Talent, at least 80% of the payment goes to the candidate. Based on our pricing structure, a Sr. Developer should be around the $80,000/yr mark with at least 80% of that going directly to the developer supporting the client. 

Also, we have created a comprehensive pricing calculator on our website that provides clients with a clear understanding of what to expect in terms of costs, depending on the type of talent, location within Latin America, and experience level.

Use the calculator below to check prices for the specifications you are looking for.

Conclusion

Teilur Talent and Toptal are both exemplary companies in the realm of remote talent acquisition, each with their unique strengths in connecting businesses with top-tier professionals. While Toptal offers a broad network and flexible engagement models, Teilur Talent shines with its commitment to clear, upfront pricing structures, ensuring clients have a complete understanding of their investment from the outset. If pricing transparency is important for you, consider a company that has transparent rate policies like Teilur Talent. This approach is particularly beneficial for businesses seeking not just talent, but also a partnership defined by trust and clarity.

Learn more about transparency in remote recruiting and how it shapes Teilur Talent's approach to client and developer relationships.

Considering alternatives? Explore Teilur Talent as your Revelo alternative for hiring top Latin American remote developers.