Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Toptal VS Upstack

Compare Toptal VS Upstack and see what are their differences

Toptal logo Toptal

Hire the Top 3% of Freelance Talent®. Toptal is an exclusive network of the top freelance software developers, designers, finance experts, product managers, and project managers in the world.

Upstack logo Upstack

Upstack helps you scale your tech team quickly, securely & on-demand.
  • Toptal Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-11
  • Upstack Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-02-10

Upstack is a global community of freelance software development professionals, which provides high-quality software development services to clients from all around the world.

Toptal

Website
toptal.com
Pricing URL
-
$ Details
-
Platforms
-
Release Date
2010 November

Upstack

$ Details
paid Free Trial $60.0 (Developer rates range from $60-90 an hour)
Platforms
Web Browser
Release Date
-

Toptal features and specs

  • Headquarters
    San Francisco, CA

Upstack features and specs

  • High-Quality Talent Pool
    Upstack boasts a rigorous vetting process, ensuring that only top-tier, highly skilled developers are available for hire.
  • Flexible Hiring Models
    Clients can engage with developers on a part-time, full-time, or hourly basis, providing flexibility based on project needs.
  • Global Talent
    Upstack connects companies with developers from around the world, enabling access to a diverse range of skills and expertise.
  • Dedicated Account Management
    Upstack offers personalized support through dedicated account managers who help match companies with the right talent and manage the hiring process.
  • Comprehensive Platform
    The platform provides tools for time tracking, project management, and seamless communication, facilitating smooth collaboration between companies and developers.
  • Integration with Existing Tools
    Upstack integrates with popular project management and communication tools like Slack, Trello, and Jira, enhancing workflow efficiency.

Possible disadvantages of Upstack

  • Cost
    The premium nature of Upstack’s services can make it more expensive compared to other freelancing platforms, which may be a barrier for startups or small businesses with tight budgets.
  • Limited to Development Roles
    Upstack primarily focuses on software developers and engineers, which might not be ideal for companies seeking a broader range of roles such as designers, marketers, or other specialists.
  • Geographical Restrictions
    While Upstack has a global talent pool, certain companies may prefer or need developers in specific time zones or regions, which might limit their choices.
  • Onboarding Time
    The thorough vetting process, while ensuring quality, can also extend the time required to onboard a developer relative to other more immediate gig platforms.
  • Dependency on Platform
    Heavy reliance on the platform's tools for communication and project management might be challenging for teams already entrenched in different workflows and tools.

Analysis of Toptal

Overall verdict

  • Toptal is recommended for businesses and individuals seeking highly skilled freelancers and who value quality and reliability over cost. The platform is especially advantageous for those who require experts for complex projects where specialized knowledge and experience are paramount.

Why this product is good

  • Toptal is considered good because it maintains a rigorous screening process to ensure that it only connects clients with top-tier freelancers. This ensures a high level of quality and expertise, whether you need developers, designers, or finance experts. The platform also offers a variety of freelance talent spanning multiple industries, which can be appealing for businesses looking for specific skills. Additionally, their customer service and flexible engagement models are appreciated by many users.

Recommended for

    Toptal is best suited for companies in need of software developers, designers, project managers, and finance experts who have been vetted to meet high standards. It's particularly beneficial for startups, SMEs, and larger enterprises looking for flexibility and top-tier talent without committing to long-term employment.

Analysis of Upstack

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Upstack is considered a good platform for businesses seeking highly skilled and vetted freelance developers. Its reputation for quality and support makes it a strong choice for companies needing to bolster their technical capabilities.

Why this product is good

  • Upstack is a platform designed to connect businesses with top-tier freelance developers. It is praised for its rigorous vetting process, ensuring high-quality talent. The platform offers flexibility by allowing businesses to scale their technical teams quickly. Additionally, Upstack provides support in managing freelancers, which can be beneficial for companies looking for reliable and efficient project execution.

Recommended for

    Upstack is recommended for businesses and startups that require expert-level developers for short-term or long-term projects, especially those looking to scale their teams quickly without the long hiring processes typically associated with traditional employment. It is also suitable for project managers who prefer having dedicated support when managing freelance developers.

Toptal videos

Upwork, Freelancer, Fiverr or TopTal? How to Pick a Freelancing Platform

More videos:

  • Review - Toptal Review by CNBC's Squawk Box
  • Review - Toptal Review - Remote Consulting Freelance Technology

Upstack videos

Invision + Upstack

More videos:

  • Review - Upstack Connect | Responsibilities of a Software Developer by Bojan Gvozderac
  • Demo - The World of Upstack

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Toptal and Upstack)
Work Marketplace
83 83%
17% 17
Freelance Marketplace
89 89%
11% 11
Professional Services
90 90%
10% 10
Hiring And Recruitment
90 90%
10% 10

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Toptal and Upstack

Toptal Reviews

Top 16 Remote Job Boards to Help You Hire Faster
Why It’s Great: Toptal’s pre-vetted freelancers guarantee a faster and more reliable hiring process. You won’t waste time filtering out unqualified applicants, making it the ideal platform for businesses needing top-tier professionals on short notice.
Comparing Andela, Turing, Toptal, Micro1, Arc.dev, and Wajusoft
Renowned for its rigorous selection process, Toptal claims to accept less than 3% of applicants. This exclusivity is backed by a comprehensive screening that spans skill assessments, live coding challenges, and in-depth personality evaluations. The entire vetting process can take up to five weeks, a testament to Toptal's commitment to quality.
The 10 Best Alternatives to Upwork
Next up on our list of Upwork Alternatives is Toptal. This site is a large freelance platform that connects businesses with the top 3% of talent in various industries, including design, development, project management, and finance.
Source: www.twine.net
UPWORK ALTERNATIVES: THE 10 BEST PLATFORMS FOR FINDING FREELANCERS
Toptal focuses on providing experts in software development, design, finance, and project management. It rigorously screens its talent pool to ensure only the best professionals are available for hire.
Source: medium.com
Top Sites Like Fiverr – The Best Alternatives For Freelancers in 2022
Toptal is a network for independent product managers, finance specialists, etc. Jobs across a wide range of industries, including finance, healthcare, and e-commerce, are simple to discover. Before applying for a job, Toptal site visitors undergo testing and vetting. For their tasks, several well-known firms use Toptal to find freelancers.

Upstack Reviews

We have no reviews of Upstack yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Toptal seems to be a lot more popular than Upstack. While we know about 19 links to Toptal, we've tracked only 1 mention of Upstack. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Toptal mentions (19)

  • How to Make Money From Coding: A Beginner-Friendly Practical Guide
    Toptal: For experienced developers, higher-paying jobs. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • Finding Cybersecurity / vCISO or Quality Assurance Jobs
    We noticed that the flexibility and diversity of work available to software developers is impressive. Platforms like https://a.team, https://moonlightwork.com, toptal.com and https://fraction.work are offering freelancing, part-time, and even fractional opportunities serving software enegineers with a plethora of new, innovative ways of working. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • I dont want to learn "डाटा संरचनाएँ और एल्गोरिदम" but want a good job.
    Even at the application level, most people get away with it because those DSA are implemented in the underlying libraries or framework which you just call from your code. But if you were ever asked to debug that library/framework some day, then you'll definitely need to know DSA. Leading institutions like Toptal indeed ask you to do score well in DSA. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • The Definitive Guide to Building and Managing a Successful Remote Development Team
    In today's digital age, more and more businesses are turning to remote developers to help build their products. However, finding and managing remote talent can be a daunting task for many employers. Letsremotify offers a solution by connecting businesses with over 50 million remote professionals worldwide through their platform. They also provide a detailed guide to help employers write effective job descriptions,... Source: about 2 years ago
  • Anyone working as freelance Designer in Toptal?
    Is there anyone who is working as Freelance designer in Toptal? Need help. I would be grateful if anyone can help. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

Upstack mentions (1)

  • A responsibe layout with a single breakpoint - how to replicate ?
    Just wondering if you could help me. Spotted this website https://upstackhq.com/ which is awesome as it is perfectly responsive at every viewport width and has only one breakpoint. Every element actually has a variable width or font-size or anything to size it, that is not fixed. This gives a really smooth feeling to it. No "jump" in layout such as with a classic responsive page with breakpoints. Source: almost 2 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Toptal and Upstack, you can also consider the following products

Upwork - Forget the old rules. You can have the best people. Right now. Right here.

Freelancer.com - Search for jobs related to Www freelancer com homepage or hire on the world's largest freelancing marketplace with 12m+ jobs. It's free to sign up and bid on jobs.

REEL UNLIMITED - Unlimited design subscription for startups

Guru - Guru makes it easy for employers and freelancers to connect, collaborate and get work done flexibly and securely. Browse 1. 5 million freelancers for hire and thousands of projects.

Labourly - Your all-in-one HR solution to manage and hire work-ready candidates.

PeoplePerHour - PeoplePerHour is a freelancing website that is providing freelancers to businessmen across the world.