Full disclosure: we're Ryz Labs, and we're one of the options on this page. So yes, we're biased. Here's what we'd actually tell a friend, including when you should hire someone else.
Toptal is a global network of vetted freelancers: developers, designers, finance experts, product and project managers. You can hire hourly, part-time or full-time, and they say the average time to match is under 24 hours. People look for alternatives for three main reasons. It's usually priced at the high end (Clutch lists a $100-$149/hr band, and Clutch reviewers flag pricing). Managing several freelancers puts governance on you, which one Trustpilot reviewer described as a real coordination problem. And because talent is global, overlap with US Eastern hours depends on who you get. Many Toptal buyers want a freelancer for a short gig, and if that's you, skip to Arc and Lemon.io below: they fit that job better than we do. We're listed first for the other kind of Toptal buyer, the one whose "contractor" has quietly become a full-time team member and who wants a senior engineer embedded on US hours.
If you need a senior engineer embedded in your team rather than a gig, start here. We're not a freelance marketplace. Fortune 500 engineering teams trust us to place senior Latin American engineers (plus data, product and design people) inside their teams: same standups, same repos, within an hour of US time zones. Only the top 1% make it through our vetting, a recruiter curates the shortlist, and you run the final interview. You keep the person. That fits Toptal buyers who've outgrown hourly contractors and want someone who owns part of the roadmap. Our vetting process page explains how we screen.
Where we're not the right fit: hourly or part-time gigs, a one-week project, niche skills outside software, or engineers in Europe or Asia. Toptal, Arc and Lemon.io are all better for those. We also don't publish prices or offer self-serve sign-up. For the full comparison, see Ryz Labs vs Toptal.
For short freelance gigs, Arc is the closest like-for-like swap for Toptal, and it does one thing Toptal doesn't: it publishes freelance rates, from $15 to $110+ an hour. They say they have 450,000 people in 190 countries, they offer a risk-free trial of up to two weeks on freelance hires, and full-time placement costs 20% of salary. If Toptal's price is the problem, start here. The catch is the same as Toptal's: a global pool means you need to check time zones per person.
Lemon.io is built for startups. They claim matching in about 24 hours, say only 1% of candidates pass, and charge no upfront fees. For a founder who used Toptal to grab one strong developer quickly, it's the most natural switch. The catch: it's designed around startup-sized needs, so it's less suited to enterprise procurement or large teams.
If your Toptal pain is governance (tracking hours, contracts, onboarding several contractors), Gun.io is worth a call. They vet engineers in 100+ countries and say they handle contracts, onboarding and delivery governance. The catch: no published pricing, so you'll need a quote to compare.
Plenty of teams start with a Toptal freelancer and realize a year later they really wanted a full-time engineer. Revelo is built for that. They say engineers work within two hours of US Eastern time, they handle payroll and compliance in 18 countries, and they publish a two-week risk-free trial with month-to-month terms. The catch: you manage the engineers day to day, and it's not a fit for short gigs.
Stay if speed and flexibility are what you're paying for. Toptal says matches take under 24 hours, and you can hire one person hourly or part-time with no team-sized commitment. Stay if you need skills beyond engineering, like a finance expert or a product manager, from the same vendor. Stay if you need someone in a specific time zone outside the Americas or a rare niche skill, where a global network beats any regional firm. And Toptal's terms are clear: a $79 monthly subscription for matching, billing twice a month, and a no-risk trial of up to two weeks where they say you won't be billed if you're not satisfied. Its Trustpilot rating (4.8 from about 2,548 reviews when we checked) is strong.
Consider moving if your freelancer has effectively become a full-time team member, if you're managing several contractors and losing track of who owns what, or if you need guaranteed US Eastern overlap. Our guide to developer staffing for startups covers the marketplace options too.
Arc is the only option here that publishes freelance rates ($15-$110+/hr), so it's the easiest to price. Lemon.io says it charges no upfront fees. Everyone else quotes per role.
Arc offers a risk-free trial of up to two weeks on freelance hires, and Revelo publishes a two-week risk-free trial. Toptal itself has one too. Our Ryz Labs vs Toptal comparison covers how the terms differ.
Use a freelancer for scoped, short or part-time work. Use an embedded engineer when the work is ongoing, touches your core systems, and needs someone in your standups every day.
Revelo and Ryz Labs are LatAm-based and overlap closely with Eastern time. Arc, Lemon.io and Gun.io are global, so check each candidate.
Last checked October 2026. Pricing, trials and services move fast in this market, so verify the details with each vendor.