Toptal vs Upwork

by Gralio Mar 07, 2025

Toptal and Upwork are both freelance platforms, but they cater to different needs. Toptal focuses on providing the top 3% of talent, making it ideal for businesses needing specialized skills. Upwork, on the other hand, offers a wider range of freelancers and more flexible pricing, suiting businesses with diverse project needs and varying budgets.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 2218 reviews and 60 websites, saving 12 hours, 49 minutes of reading.

Toptal

Website LinkedIn Twitter

Upwork

Website LinkedIn Twitter

About

Toptal is a platform for hiring highly skilled freelancers in fields like software development, design, finance, and project management. They boast a rigorous vetting process, accepting only the top 3% of applicants. Toptal offers flexible engagements, from hourly projects to full-time positions. This allows companies to quickly find specialized talent for short-term needs or scale their teams with experienced professionals.

Upwork is a platform that connects businesses with freelancers for a wide range of work, from simple tasks to complex projects. Companies can post jobs, review freelancer profiles, and manage payments all in one place. It's a popular choice for businesses of all sizes looking for a flexible and cost-effective way to find talent.

Summary

Main difference

Toptal emphasizes a rigorous vetting process, ensuring high-quality talent, while Upwork offers a broader range of freelancers and greater flexibility in project scope and budget. Toptal excels for businesses seeking specialized expertise and premium talent, whereas Upwork caters to diverse project needs and varying budgets.

Relative strengths of Toptal (compared to Upwork)

Stringent vetting process for top-tier talent
Focus on specialized skills and expertise
Dedicated support and streamlined hiring process

Relative weaknesses of Toptal (compared to Upwork)

Higher cost compared to Upwork
Smaller talent pool than Upwork
Less flexibility in project types and budgets

Who should use Toptal VS. Upwork

Toptal connects businesses with the top 3% of freelance talent in software development, design, finance, and project management. Clients praise Toptal's personalized service and the high quality of its freelancers, while some note occasional difficulties with timelines and billing. It's a great option for companies needing quick access to experienced professionals for short-term projects or long-term team scaling.

Upwork connects businesses with freelancers for diverse projects. A user-friendly interface, skill-based search, and a vast talent pool simplify finding the right talent. While some users mention high fees and competition, many appreciate the secure payment system and global reach. Ideal for businesses of all sizes needing a flexible and cost-effective staffing solution.

Ideal for businesses of all sizes seeking top-tier freelance talent.
Suitable for businesses across all industries.

Best for small to large businesses seeking flexible talent.
Suitable for most industries, especially e-commerce, media, software, and professional services.

Toptal and Upwork features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

Client requirement matching

Supported

Toptal matches freelancers with projects based on client-specified requirements.

Supported

Upwork matches freelancers with projects based on client-specified requirements using its algorithm.
Experience filtering

Not supported

Toptal does not offer direct experience filtering. They rely on vetting and matching.

Not supported

Clients assess freelancer experience through profiles and proposals.
Client reviews

Supported

Toptal allows clients to leave reviews about freelancers.

Supported

Clients can leave reviews about freelancers on Upwork, contributing to their Job Success Score.
Automated matching

Not supported

Toptal does not use automated matching; they use a rigorous vetting process and personalized matching.

Supported

Upwork uses algorithms to suggest relevant jobs to freelancers based on their profiles.
Portfolio showcase

Supported

Toptal supports showcasing projects through case studies and work history.

Supported

Freelancers can showcase previous projects in their portfolio.
Direct messaging

Supported

Clients and freelancers can communicate directly via a messaging feature.

Supported

Clients and freelancers can communicate directly via Upwork's messaging platform.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

+0

Neutral sentiment

-0.56

Rather negative sentiment
Customer Service

+0.81

Strongly positive sentiment

-0.6

Rather negative sentiment
Ease of Use

+0.83

Strongly positive sentiment

+0.38

Rather positive sentiment
Reliability and Performance

+1

Strongly positive sentiment

-0.5

Rather negative sentiment
Ease of Implementation

+1

Strongly positive sentiment

-1

Strongly negative sentiment
Scalability

No data

No data

Toptal and Upwork Pricing

No data

We couldn't find a pricing page for Toptal.

Upwork offers three client pricing plans: Marketplace, Business Plus, and Enterprise. The Marketplace plan charges a 5% service fee and a contract initiation fee per contract. The Business Plus plan charges a 10% service fee with no contract initiation fee. The Enterprise plan requires contacting sales for pricing. All plans provide access to Upwork’s global freelance marketplace, AI-powered features, collaboration and project tracking tools, standard reporting, and flexible payment options. The Business Plus and Enterprise plans offer additional features such as access to pre-screened talent, expert talent matching, on-demand coaching, premium support, and monthly invoicing with Net 30 terms.

Plans

User sentiment

Rather negative

-0.56

See full Pricing page

Toptal and Upwork review insights

2109 reviews analysed from

Users love

Personalized attention and quick matching with appropriate talent.
Smooth and easy process for finding and hiring freelancers.
Global talent pool with highly skilled individuals.
Proactive customer service and support from account managers.

User-friendly interface that is easy to navigate.
Wide variety of jobs and clients from around the world.
Secure payment system that protects both freelancers and clients.
Provides a platform for freelancers to connect with clients they may not have otherwise.

Users dislike

Difficult to get clear timelines and timezone information.
Requires submitting project details repeatedly to different team members.
Billing time of 14 days with credit card backup creates problems for other software licenses.

High fees for using the platform.
The "Connects" system is expensive and many feel it is exploitative.
Many low quality proposals and jobs being advertised.
Difficult to get started as a new freelancer due to competition.

Toptal and Upwork Ratings

G2

4.7/5

(259)
TrustPilot

4.7/5

(109)
Glassdoor

3.8/5

(1080)

G2

4.6/5

(1850)
Glassdoor

3.8/5

(617)

Company health

Employee growth

5% decrease in the last year

6% increase in the last year

Web traffic

11% decrease in the last quarter

12% decrease in the last quarter

Financing

December 2017 - $12M

September 2016 - $169M

How easily can I find specialized, vetted freelancers on each platform?

Toptal focuses on providing vetted, high-quality freelancers, accepting only the top 3% of applicants. This rigorous vetting process makes finding specialized freelancers easier, as they pre-screen for skill and experience. Upwork has a larger pool of freelancers, but the quality can vary. While they offer features like skill-based search and client reviews, the onus is more on the client to vet and select the right freelancer for their specialized needs.

Which platform better supports long-term engagements and team scaling?

Both Toptal and Upwork support long-term engagements and team scaling. Toptal focuses on a smaller pool of highly vetted talent, emphasizing quality and a personalized approach, which can be beneficial for scaling with reliable freelancers. Upwork offers a larger pool of talent with varying skill levels and pricing, giving more flexibility for different project needs and budgets as teams scale. Ultimately, the better choice depends on the specific needs of the business.

What are the advantages of Toptal?

Toptal's advantage lies in its rigorous vetting process, accepting only the top 3% of applicants. This ensures a higher quality of talent compared to platforms like Upwork, which have a broader range of freelancer skill levels. Toptal also offers more personalized attention and proactive customer support through account managers, streamlining the hiring process for businesses.

What are the disadvantages of Toptal?

Toptal users have reported difficulties obtaining clear timelines and timezone information, leading to potential scheduling conflicts. Some clients have also mentioned needing to repeatedly submit project details to different Toptal team members, creating redundancy and potentially slowing down the onboarding process. Finally, the 14-day billing cycle coupled with the requirement of a credit card backup can cause issues for some clients managing other software licenses and expenses.

Alternatives to Toptal and Upwork

Twine

Twine is a platform that connects businesses with a large network of freelance professionals across the globe. Companies can post projects and find freelancers with skills in areas like marketing, web development, and AI. Twine offers tools to manage payments and streamline the hiring process, helping businesses find and hire freelancers efficiently. It's used by various sizes of companies, from small startups to large enterprises.

Fiverr

Fiverr is a platform where businesses like yours can hire freelancers for a wide range of services, from logo design and website development to marketing and writing. It's known for its vast selection of freelancers across hundreds of categories, transparent pricing, and a user-friendly interface. You can find both individual freelancers and teams, making it suitable for both small tasks and larger projects.

Teilur

Teilur helps US-based companies hire full-time tech professionals from Latin America for 30-40% less than US market rates. They specialize in recruiting for high-demand tech roles like developers, engineers, and data scientists. Teilur offers a transparent pricing structure with a flat 20% fee on the employee's salary. They stand out by rigorously vetting candidates for technical skills, cultural fit, and English proficiency. Teilur focuses on building long-term teams and does not offer freelancers for short-term projects.

Wethos

Wethos is software designed for freelancers and agencies to manage their business operations. It provides tools for creating proposals, sending invoices, and receiving payments, all within a single platform. Wethos offers pre-built templates, pricing recommendations, and contract terms to streamline administrative tasks. It also allows for team collaboration on projects. Wethos aims to help independent professionals efficiently manage their business and increase their earnings.

Index.dev

Index.dev is a platform for businesses to hire remote software developers, designers, and marketers. It focuses on providing vetted, high-quality talent from a global pool. Index.dev simplifies the hiring process with pre-screened candidates, flexible contract options (including full-time), and project-based teams. They emphasize a rigorous vetting process ensuring top talent and offer a risk-free trial period with a replacement guarantee.

lemon.io

Lemon.io is a freelance platform that connects US companies with vetted software developers from Eastern Europe. Unlike platforms where anyone can offer services, Lemon.io pre-screens developers for coding skills, English proficiency, and work experience. This saves you time and ensures you're presented with qualified candidates who have been personally interviewed by the Lemon.io team. The platform is free for developers to use; companies pay a commission on top of the developer's rate. Lemon.io focuses on providing long-term developers for projects rather than one-off tasks.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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