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Toptal Review At a Glance
- We believe Toptal is legit. We gave it a trust rating of 5/5. View reasoning.
- Based on our combined research and user reviews, Toptal seems to be a good earning opportunity for Freelancers. It has an overall earner score of 3.7/5. View our research.
- Based on our combined research and user reviews, Toptal seems to provide a poor product/service for Clients. It has an overall consumer score of 2/5. View our research.
What Is Toptal?
Toptal is an exclusive freelance marketplace that connects the top 3% of Freelancers (aka Toptalers) specializing in fields like development, design, finance, project management, and product management, with Business Owners and Clients from around the world.
General Details 📜
| Status: | Active, Legit |
|---|---|
| Helps You: | Hire Help Make Money |
| Platform Type: | Freelance Marketplace |
| Opportunities: | Animation Brand Management Business Writing Cloud Computing Computer Science |
Contact Info ☎️
| Socials: | LinkedIn • Facebook • Instagram • Twitter • YouTube |
|---|---|
| Emails: | support@toptal.com (for customer support) • press@toptal.com (for press inquiries) • partners@toptal.com (for partnership inquiries) • investors@toptal.com (for investors) • privacy@toptal.com (for privacy-related inquiries) |
| Phone: | +1.888.867.7001 (for sales inquiries) |
| Support Pages: | Contact Us Page • FAQ Page |
Company Details 🏢
| Founded: | 2010 |
|---|---|
| Legal Name: | Toptal, LLC |
| Also Known As: | Skillbridge |
| Founders: | Taso Du Val • Breanden Beneschott |
| Headquarters: | San Francisco, California, United States |
Who Is Toptal For?
If you're a Developer, Designer, Finance Expert, Management Consultant, Project Manager, or Product Manager (or have related marketable skills), Toptal can potentially be a solid platform for finding clients.
If you're a Business Owner, Toptal can connect you to high-level freelancer(s) to help with your projects.
Requirements 🔎
| Minimum Age: | 13 years old |
|---|---|
| Supported Locations: | Worldwide |
| Supported Languages: | English |
| Supported Devices: | Android Phone, Computer Browser, iPad, iPhone, Smartphone Browser Toptal has an app for both freelancers and clients. For freelancers, the name of the app is "Toptal Talent" and it is available on both Google Play and App Store. For clients, the name of the app is “Toptal Client” and it is only available on the App Store. |
How Does Toptal Work?
There are 2 types of users on Toptal:
- Freelancers (earners)
- Clients (buyers / consumers)
Here's how Toptal works for each of those user types:
How Toptal Works For Freelancers
Toptal freelancers (aka Toptalers, talent) can earn money by providing services related to development, design, finance, product management, and project management.
Key Points 🔑
| Work Type: | Freelance |
|---|---|
| Income Type: | Active |
| Work Schedule: | Flexible Some clients on Toptal hire for full-time positions but freelancers will always be able to choose their own hours. |
| Workplace: | Remote Some companies may ask freelancers to work on-site. As of today, Toptal has relocated Toptalers (freelancers) to companies in Japan, Switzerland, Germany, Russia, Canada, United States, Brazil, and the United Kingdom. |
| Minimum Payout: | None |
| Payout Options: | Direct Deposit Prepaid Credit Cards Wire Transfer |
| Payout Speed: | 1-14 days Toptal typically invoices clients twice a month, though this setup is flexible. |
| Commissions / Fees: | None |
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Getting Started 🔢
To become a Toptal freelancer, you'll need to pass the platform's application/screening process. To begin, they recommend having 2-3 years of experience in your industry, top-notch communication skills, and the ability to learn and adapt quickly.
The screening process itself typically takes a few weeks to complete. Once you submit your application, you'll receive further instructions from someone at Toptal on the next steps to take.
If you don't pass the screening process on your first go, you can reapply after a waiting period.
Earning Money 💵
Once you've been onboarded to Toptal as a freelancer, you're ready to start earning money on the platform. To get your first job, you can either search and apply to available job listings directly, or you can wait for Toptal to send you some job recommendations.
The platform has a matching team that matches freelancers with relevant jobs, so it's important to keep your profile up-to-date if you want to get the best results.
In terms of payment, you can set your own hourly rate on the platform or get Toptal to help you set a competitive rate. When you land a job, Toptal handles all billing and invoicing for you. You don't pay any fees.
Cashing Out 💰
Once you have earned any amount of money (there's no minimum payout), you can cash out your Toptal earnings via Direct Deposit, Prepaid Credit Cards or Wire Transfer.
After cashing out, you can expect to receive your Toptal payout in 1-14 days. (Toptal typically invoices clients twice a month, though this setup is flexible.)
How Toptal Works For Clients
Toptal clients (i.e. business owners, companies, etc.) can use the platform to hire freelancers that specialize in skills like development, design, finance, product management, and project management.
Key Points 🔑
| Costs / Fees: | Fees are automatically built into freelancer rates. |
|---|---|
| Minimum Purchase: | $500 Toptal requires a minimum initial deposit, but it's refundable if you end up not moving forward with the platform. |
| Payment Options: | Credit Card, Direct Deposit, PayPal |
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Getting Started 🔢
Toptal has a pretty simple onboarding process for clients. To get started, all you need to do is answer some questions about who you're looking to hire and the type of project/work you're hiring for. They'll ask you about the length of your project, ideal freelancer availability (e.g. 40 hours a week), ideal skills (Toptal can help with this if you're not sure), starting date, workplace (e.g. remote or onsite), and more.
From there, you'll be asked to provide your email, company name, contact name, and (optionally) phone number. Toptal will then reach out directly to continue the hiring process.
Hiring 💼
After submitting your project specifications, Toptal may reach out with some additional questions to further understand your project. From there, they'll send over some freelance talent they think is a good match. You can then review the suggestions and, if you're happy with one (or more), you can sign off and make the hire.
If you end up not being happy with your hire, Toptal will start over and suggest new talent at no cost.
Pricing 🏷️
Toptal freelancers have varying rates, so pricing will vary. All fees are automatically built-in to freelancer rates.
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Our Editorial Toptal Review
Is Toptal Legit?
We believe Toptal is legit. The platform has been around since 2010 and, since then, has served over fifteen thousand clients (including companies like Shopify, Duolingo, Kraft Heinz, and others). They've also vetted and paid thousands of freelancers -- and it's easy to find proof of that online. Overall, we have no reason to believe Toptal could be a scam.
Note: All research is done independently and could be wrong or change as new information is gathered. Please do your own due diligence.
Is Toptal Worth It for Freelancers? Is It a Good Way to Make Money?
If you can make it past Toptal's challenging freelancer application process, you can expect to find high-quality clients, fair pay, and a helpful support team on the other side. However, don't expect perfection. Toptal still suffers from some common freelance marketplace downfalls, such as occasional dry spells in work availability.
Is Toptal Worth it for Clients? Does It Offer Good Value?
Our editorial consumer review is currently incomplete. Showing what we have so far...
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Try It!Toptal Statistics
General Platform Statistics
#13,418
Global Site Rank
5M
Avg. Monthly Visitors
16k
Total Clients Served
40k
Total Engaged Toptalers
1.2M
Total Toptaler Applications
Data as of June 01, 2022 • Sources: SimilarWeb, Toptal
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