What is Toptal?
Toptal, which derives its name from the word “top talent,” acts as a middleman between organizations and freelancers. Its main edge is its pool of pre-screened freelancers. While most job boards and freelancer marketplaces allow anyone to create a profile, Toptal uses its screened freelancer database to ensure that companies only hire the “top 3% of freelance talent.” This does not necessarily mean that they hire the top 3% of the world’s talent but more so that they accept less than 3% of the applications they get. Toptal is expensive, but is it worth the cost? We will find out in this Toptal review.
There are plenty of talented freelancers who won’t apply to Toptal, but you get the idea. The essential concept is that freelancers must pass a series of exams, including language capabilities, skill reviews, a live screening, and test projects, which is far more thorough than the vetting procedure at Upwork or Fiverr which are pretty much just open marketplaces where any freelancer can make a profile. Toptal used to be a place where you could hire freelance software engineers. It has subsequently expanded to include freelance designers, financial specialists, product managers, and project managers, among other verticals.