Toptal in 9 slides
A premium network that screens applicants and accepts only a small percentage of freelance developers, designers, finance experts, product and project managers. Aimed at companies that want senior, pre-vetted talent quickly rather…
- Talent network
- Freelance sites
- Based in United States
- Vetted: providers are screened
What you do on Toptal
How the money is made: freelance services
- Build a profile
- Win a client
- Deliver the work
- Get paid
A premium network that screens applicants and accepts only a small percentage of freelance developers, designers, finance experts, product and project managers. Aimed at companies that want senior, pre-vetted talent quickly rather than browsing open marketplaces.
Founded 2010 · next to 57 other freelance sites
Work and topics
Good for
What Toptal takes
Guess first: how much of every $100 you earn does Toptal take?
0% - no commission on freelancer's set rate
From the published fees, before payment-processing, currency or withdrawal charges. Work out your own amount →
How the money reaches you
From sign-up to payout
- Sign upFree
- Application and vetting
- Do the work
- First payout30+ days
Time to your first payout
3 ways to withdraw
Can you join?
Yes, if you pass its application and you live almost anywhere.
You need a computer, reliable internet, good English and a skills test. First payout: 30+ days.
What you need
- A computer
- Reliable internet
- Good English
- A skills test
- Free to joinSign-up cost
- Application and vettingHow sign-up works
Open in 196 of 200 countries and territories
What people actually earn
Toptal says fewer than 3% of the thousands of applicants it sees each month are accepted after its five-step screening (company claim).
Source: toptal.com ↗Toptal says its screening takes 3 to 8 weeks and only 26.4% of applicants pass the first language and personality step (company claim).
Source: toptal.com ↗How it scores
Strong on fees and access. Weaker on proof of earnings.
- Fees5.0
- Getting paid3.5
- Access4.5
- Track record4.0
- Proof of earnings2.5
- Open worldwide
- Free to join
- Clear fees
- Low cut
- Payment protection
- Top 10K website
- 10 years running
- Fully documented
How much we know
We have 11 of the 17 things we track for every platform. Fees, payouts, join rules, countries and real earnings count most.
What we have
- What kind of platform it is
- Year founded
- Headquarters
- Fees
- Withdrawal methods
- Payment protection
- Join requirements
- Countries it accepts
- Real earnings figures
- Wikipedia or reference page
- Social accounts
Still missing
- Plain-English overview
- Minimum payout
- How fast you get paid
- Review ratings
- Support channels
- Mobile apps