Toptal alternatives Every claim sourced
The Toptal alternative for engineers who stay.
Toptal bills for time while a freelancer works with you. Silver.dev finds senior engineers in Latin America that you hire directly. Silver.dev charges a one-time placement fee of 25% of the hire's first-year salary.[1]
The short answer
Choose Toptal if
You need a specialist for a defined project, and expect it to end.
Choose Silver.dev if
The engineer should stay, own a codebase, and grow into a lead.
Engineers placed at
Side by side
Five things that change what you pay, and who you end up with.
| Criteria | ToptalFreelance talent marketplace | Silver.devContingency tech recruiter · LatAm |
|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Billed for time, twice a month[5] | Once, after you hire[1] |
| Vetting | Test project; live sessions "as appropriate"[6] | Live assessment by a vetted engineer[3] |
| Published pricing | No hourly rates published[8] | The fee, in a public calculator[1] |
| If it doesn't work out | Trial of up to two weeks[10] | 90-day replacement guarantee[2] |
| Who they work for | A contractor billed through Toptal[11] | You, directly[12] |
How you pay
Vetting
Published pricing
If it doesn't work out
Who they work for
“Their speed, coupled with consistently elite quality, makes Silver.dev feel like an extension of our startup DNA.”
How you're billed
Count the invoices in your first year.
Toptal invoices twice a month for the hours a freelancer works, for as long as the engagement runs.[5] Silver.dev sends one invoice when you hire, for 25% of first-year salary[1]. Fewer invoices is not the same as a smaller bill: this counts how often you're billed, not how much.
- Toptal invoice, amount not published[8]
- Silver.dev invoice
- No invoice
Our guarantees
What protects your hire, at every step.
01 · Kickoff call
You pay nothing.
No retainer, no platform fee[1]
02 · Candidates screened
Screened live by an engineer.
Recruiter screen, then live technical assessment[3]
03 · Offer signed
One fee, published.
25% of first-year salary, once[1]
04 · After the start
Covered for 90 days.
If they leave before, we replace them[2]
Which fits you
Sometimes Toptal is the right call. Here's when.
When Toptal is the right call
- You need a specialist for a defined project with an end date
- Paying for time worked fits how the work is scoped
- You want a no-risk start: a trial of up to two weeks, unbilled if you aren't satisfied[10]
The alternatives divide by model, not by brand.
Marketplace
Toptal and similar
Vetting on the way in, billing for time while the work lasts.
Staffing
Staff augmentation
The vendor employs the engineer and adds a margin, for as long as they work with you.
Contingency · Silver.dev
Recruiter, pay on hire
Finds and vets candidates. Charges once, when you hire.
Direct
Hire it yourself
No fee, but sourcing and technical screening come out of your team's time.
The hires
World-class companies that hired world-class engineers.
- Facundo Cabrera, Software Engineer, Ramp
- Federico Rojas, Software Engineer, Ramp
- Gonzalo Bergagna, Tech Lead, Cashea
- Gerardo Gimenez, Senior Backend Engineer, Cashea
- Ruben S., Senior Flutter Engineer, Cashea
- William Eckerleben, Tech Lead & Odoo ERP Architect, Cashea
- Martín Pellicer, Mobile Engineer, Cashea
- Federico Ferreyra, Fullstack Engineer, Cashea
- Franco Depiaggio, Frontend Engineer, Cashea
- Juan Pablo Donato, Backend Lead, Cashea
- Alejandro Navarini, Sr. Software Engineer, Cashea
- Paula Acosta, QA Lead, Cashea
- Gustavo Rios Paez, Data & GenAI Leader, Cashea
- Nicolas Piñeyro, Sr. Mobile Engineer, Cashea
- Francisco Rossi, Product Engineer, Scale AI
- Matías Del Carlo, Sr. Software Engineer, Scale AI
- Matías Devecchi, Sr. Full Stack Engineer, Scale AI
- Martín Lombardo, Software Engineer, Scale AI
- Gorka Ludlow, Sr. Software Engineer, Scale AI
- Juan Cabrera, Software Developer, Scale AI
- Conrado Mader, Field Engineering Manager, Scale AI
- Gregorio Freidin, Software Engineer, Scale AI
- Emiliano Bisurgi, Software Engineer, FORM
- Agustín Franchetti, Frontend Engineer, FORM
- Ramiro Farias, TypeScript Developer, FORM
- Martín Lescano, QA Analyst / Engineer, FORM
- Tasiana Franchetti, QA Automation Engineer, FORM
- Ivan K., Senior Software Engineer, Home Vision
- Varvara Mironov, Software Engineer, Home Vision
- Leandro Mendez, Software Engineer, Home Vision
- Ignacio Rassol, Software Engineer, Home Vision
- Pedro Bustos, Software Engineer, Home Vision
- Gino Rizzuti, Backend Developer, Home Vision
- Gastón Frenkel, Software Engineer, Home Vision
- Emilio Dominguez, Senior Software Engineer, Motion
- Pablo Díaz Mateus, Senior Software Engineer, Motion
- Juan Abbona, Software Engineer, Motion
- Matías Ramírez, Backend Engineer, Fuse Finance
- Gaston Otero, Sr Software Engineer, Fuse Finance
- Matias Navarro, Sr Backend Engineer (Node), Fuse Finance
- Martín Madrid, Machine Learning Engineer, Canals
- Francisco Marquinez, Senior Software Engineer, Canals
- Javier Esses, Software Engineer, Canals
- Julian Chennales, Senior Software Engineer, Canals
- Gonzalo Nardini, Software Engineer, Canals
- Guillermo Diéguez, Software Developer, Exactly
- Mainqué Green, Backend Engineer, Exactly
- Matias Martinez, Tech Lead, Profasee
- Julián Piñeiro, Sr. Fullstack Engineer, Profasee
- Agustín Brandoni, Software Engineer, PairTeam
- Jenaro Calvino, Software Engineer, PairTeam
- Santiago Perone, Software Engineer, BrightHire
- Juan Ignacio Olave, Software Engineer, BrightHire
- Santiago Parodi, Senior Android Engineer, FlipaClip
- Aldana Rastrelli, iOS Developer, FlipaClip
- Agustin Leonardo Magne, Senior Android Engineer, FlipaClip
- Julian Ianni, Senior Software Engineer, AirOps
- Facundo Palavecino, AI Engineer, AirOps
- German Quintela, Design Engineer, Span
- Rodrigo Pavano, Platform Engineer, Span
- Luciano Garcia Zeman, Product Engineer, Span
- Axel Lijdens, Software Engineer, Span
How Silver.dev works
Meet the engineer who sets the bar.
Gabriel, founder and Staff engineer, explains in a two-minute video how Silver.dev screens engineers.
Gabriel Benmergui
Founder · previously at Robinhood and OpenSea
- Staff engineer
Startup experts
Screened by an engineer who has worked at US startups and knows the bar you hire for.
Evaluations built for your role
A live technical assessment: system design, live coding, AI fluency. Not a take-home.[3]
Quality, low volume
You meet a handful of candidates, not a stack of CVs: eight sent to Scale AI, three hired.[13]
Read the transcript
- 0:00If you want to know how we got a 38% pass rate at a company like Scale AI,
- 0:04one of the most demanding companies in the market, please continue watching this video.
- 0:09I'm Gabriel, and I'm a Staff engineer with experience at companies like Robinhood and OpenSea,
- 0:14and I founded Silver.dev to help startups like yours find interview-ready talent in Latin America.
- 0:19We work with venture-backed startups, and nearly half of our portfolio are YC companies.
- 0:25We understand what it is to work with the most demanding companies in the world.
- 0:30One of our success stories is with Scale AI, a company where we recently placed three candidates.
- 0:34Their internal pass rate was under 1%, meaning they had to screen over 100 candidates just to make a hire.
- 0:42But with us, we only presented eight candidates, and three were placements.
- 0:47How did we do it? First of all, we are experts in startups.
- 0:52I worked in the US at multiple companies. I understand the language,
- 0:56I understand the culture, I understand the drive and the technical quality that a candidate needs to succeed at a company.
- 1:02Second, we help companies raise the bar by helping them design, iterate and implement better technical evaluations
- 1:10and cultural evaluations for candidates. Each process is tailored specifically to the company's needs.
- 1:15Third, we focus on quality. We are a high-quality, low-volume agency,
- 1:21meaning that we do not waste your time. The candidates we send your way are properly vetted, and you're going to like them.
- 1:28We are the only agency that really effectively targets top-of-market talent, and we send it your way.
- 1:34Scale is only one of our successes. You can see many other client testimonials on Clutch, where we have a 4.9 average rating.
- 1:41Keep reading to know more about the company or services, and book a call with me if you want to have a chat.
Verified reviews
What hiring managers say.
4.9
“The candidates were always well-vetted, and communications were clear and timely.”
“We’re incredibly happy with the services provided by Silver.dev.”
CEO
Verified review · Clutch
“Working with an engineer directly involved in the recruiting process was refreshing.”
E-Commerce Co
Sr. Engineering Manager
Verified review · Clutch
“They sometimes felt more like internal recruiters.”
B2B SaaS Co
VP of Engineering
Verified review · Clutch
“The quality of the candidates they provided is impressive.”
Blockchain Company
Head of Product Engineering
Verified review · Clutch
“Overall, it’s been a smooth collaboration that aligns with our hiring needs.”
Lending Services Co
People Operations Lead
Verified review · Clutch
Our clients are backed by
FAQ
Questions buyers ask us.
What is the best Toptal alternative for a full-time engineer?
A recruiter or a direct hire, rather than another marketplace, because both end with the engineer on your team. With a contingency recruiter you pay once. Silver.dev charges a one-time placement fee of 25% of the hire's first-year salary.[1]
How much does Toptal cost?
Toptal's FAQ does not publish hourly rates.[8] Toptal charges a flat $79 monthly platform subscription once you proceed with talent matching.[9] Toptal bills for time worked, typically invoicing twice a month on Net 10 terms, for as long as the engagement runs.[5]
Can I hire a Toptal freelancer full-time?
Toptal says hiring one of its freelancers full-time is possible, but does not publish the terms or fee.[11] Ask for the conversion fee in writing before the engagement starts.
Does Toptal offer a trial?
Toptal starts each engagement with a trial of up to two weeks and does not bill it if you are not satisfied.[10]
Get a quote with one email.
Tell us the role. You pay only if you hire, and the hire is covered for 90 days.[2]
Some of the engineers Silver.dev has placed.
Sources and dates
Sources and dates (13)
- [1]Silver.dev fees calculator, read .
- [2]Silver.dev deck: Direct Hiring, read .
- [3]Silver.dev deck: interviewers and technical screening, read .
- [4]Clutch: Silver.dev reviews, read .
- [5]Toptal FAQ: "How often will I be charged?", read .
- [6]Toptal FAQ: "How does your screening process ensure quality candidates?", read .
- [7]Toptal FAQ: "How is Toptal different?", read .
- [8]Toptal FAQ: "Pricing & Payment", read .
- [9]Toptal FAQ: "Are there any subscription costs?", read .
- [10]Toptal FAQ: "How is the trial period no-risk?", read .
- [11]Toptal FAQ, on hiring a Toptal expert full-time, read .
- [12]Silver.dev deck: services and engagement models, read .
- [13]Hire with Silver.dev (founder video), read .