LinkedIn vs Toptal

Scores are each listing's published aggregate on the date shown, quoted as Trustpilot publishes them. A listing can mix reviews from clients, freelancers and candidates; we do not audit or adjust the numbers, and they can change the day after we check.

• Andela Vetted talent network Andela is a global talent marketplace that connects companies with vetted remote software engineers and other technologists. It launched in Lagos in 2014 and says it now sources from 135+ countries. Latin America United States Europe & UK Global 6 of 16 rows sourced Alternatives
• Arc.dev Vetted talent network Arc.dev is a remote hiring platform that matches companies with pre-vetted software developers for both freelance contracts and full-time roles, using AI-assisted sourcing and screening. Global Pricing Arc's pricing page lists freelance talent at $15 to $110+ per hour and a full-time placement fee of 20% of annual salary. Arc publishes no effective date on that page; checked 13 August 2026. 4 of 16 rows sourced Alternatives
• CloudDevs Vetted talent network CloudDevs is a talent marketplace that connects companies with pre-vetted, timezone-aligned Latin American developers and designers, claiming matches within 24 hours. Latin America United States Pricing CloudDevs advertises rates of $45 to $75 per hour on its own homepage. Checked 7 August 2026. 2 of 16 rows sourced Alternatives
• Codementor Vetted talent network Codementor is an on-demand marketplace for live 1:1 developer mentorship and code help, whose freelance hiring arm CodementorX was rebranded as Arc (arc.dev), a vetted remote developer hiring platform. Global Pricing Mentors set the rate for their sessions. Codementor's help centre states the minimum charge for a paid session is the mentor's 15-minute rate, after which billing is per minute, plus a service fee that Codementor does not publish as a percentage. Help article last edited 22 January 2025. 1 of 16 rows sourced Alternatives
• Dice Job board Dice is a career marketplace focused on technology professionals, where employers and staffing firms post tech roles and search a resume database. United States Pricing Dice publishes a public rate card: a single job slot at $399 for 30 days, a Starter plan at $649 per month billed month to month or $549 per month billed annually, and a Standard plan at $899 per month or $749 per month billed annually. Candidate views into its resume database are bundled into the plans (250 per month on Starter, 500 on Standard). Dice states pricing "is subject to change and is valid for new customers only"; enterprise and Talent Solutions deals are quoted by sales. 3 of 16 rows sourced Alternatives

A tick means our dataset holds a value the platform publishes itself, read from its own page on the date its citation carries. A cell reading "Not in our dataset" is a statement about our records, not about the company: it does not mean the platform publishes nothing.

The comparison ends here; this is our own data. Most articles comparing LinkedIn and Toptal quote prices that go stale. These numbers come from Flexiple's talent graph: real pool sizes and median salaries for remote engineers in India, refreshed with every site update.

From teams that hired through Flexiple

1. [1]Toptal · toptal.com/faq, "How is Toptal different?": "Of the more than 200,000 people who apply to join the Toptal network each year, we accept fewer than 3%." And "How does your screening process ensure quality candidates that meet our requirements?": "We screen for communication skills, personality, domain-specific knowledge, and a high level of professionalism. Approximately 3% of applicants pass the screening process. ... We match all candidates with senior Toptal domain experts for each and every interview, and all applicants complete a test project to demonstrate live proficiency with a project similar to what they would work on in a typical engagement." · toptal.com/faq, "Are there any subscription costs?": "We have a flat monthly subscription fee of $79 that is charged if you decide to proceed with talent matching through Toptal. Your subscription gives you access to Toptal's platform and is activated according to Platform Subscription Terms. You may cancel at any time, and, if Toptal can't provide you with talent, you can request a refund on cancellation." The page states no per-engagement rate card. · Toptal FAQ, "Who owns the legal rights to the work created by a Toptal expert?": "The client. Toptal's only business is connecting world-class experts to the clients who want to work with them - not intellectual property. Our contracts provide that all work created by a Toptal expert is the property of the client, not Toptal." And "How do we ensure that our IP is protected?": "Toptal enters into talent agreements with every member of the talent network. Through these agreements, Toptal obtains exclusive ownership of the work created by the Toptal talent that works with you. We then provide you with the intellectual property for the work that the Toptal talent creates for you under our client agreement. ... However, if you would like the expert to enter into a direct agreement with you to effect the direct transfer of IP property, we can work with you to ensure that your needs are met." · toptal.com/faq, "How often will I be charged? How are payments and invoices handled?": "We typically invoice our clients twice a month, though there is some flexibility here. Invoices are generated with Net 10 terms, so our clients have an opportunity to review the charges prior to processing." · toptal.com/faq, "How is the trial period no-risk?": "We make sure to start each engagement with a trial period of up to two weeks. This means that you have time to help ensure the engagement will be successful. If you're completely satisfied with the results, we'll bill you for the time and continue the engagement for as long as you'd like. If you're not completely satisfied, you won't be billed. From there, we can either part ways, or we can provide you with another expert who may be a better fit and with whom we will begin a second, no-risk trial." · toptal.com/faq, "What happens if I'm not satisfied with a Toptal professional?": "We allow our clients to begin a trial period with up to three individuals from our network per position. While we rigorously screen all applicants to provide you with top-tier talent, we understand that not every person will be a perfect fit for every company." And "What happens if a Toptal expert is unavailable for the days or times they are scheduled to work with me?": "in the extremely unlikely circumstance that such a situation arises, Toptal will credit back the time billed to the client." · Toptal's FAQ states that of the more than 200,000 people who apply to join the network each year it accepts fewer than 3%. The same FAQ separately states that approximately 3% of applicants pass the screening process. Both figures are Toptal's own claims and neither is independently verified. · Toptal charges a flat $79 monthly subscription once talent matching begins, and starts each engagement with a trial period of up to two weeks in which unsatisfied clients are not billed.toptal.comchecked 12 Aug 2026
2. [2]LinkedIn · LinkedIn Help article a517695: "Your charge amount depends on your job posts' budget and the number of views from candidates."; "For any day that you edit your average daily budget, you'll be charged based on the highest budget that you set for that day."; "We'll never charge you more than your budget (excluding any applicable taxes)." Plus the free-repost and promotion rules quoted above. · LinkedIn Help: "The cost per click (CPC) for each job fluctuates per day based on the overall marketplace and activity."; "We'll never charge you more than your budget (excluding any applicable taxes)."; unused daily budget "will be rolled over into the next day to maximize your allotted spend"; "If you repost a free job within 7 days, you'll be required to promote it." The page does not describe the mechanism as an auction. · Promoted job posts bill per click, with spend capped at the employer's budget and daily cost per click fluctuating with marketplace activity.linkedin.comchecked 12 Aug 2026
3. [3]Toptal · toptal.com homepage, "Hire Quickly": "Hire in under 48 hours. Scale up or down, no strings attached. We offer flexible engagements from hourly to full-time." · toptal.com homepage, "Hiring Made Easy" step 2 ("Work With Hand-Selected Talent"): "Within days, we'll introduce you to the right talent for your project. Average time to match is under 24 hours." The same page also states "Hire in under 48 hours."toptal.comchecked 12 Aug 2026
4. [4]LinkedIn · linkedin.com/legal/l/refund-policy, stamped "Last updated: 1 month ago": "Pay-per-action products charge per click, impression, applicant, etc. These products include, for example, LinkedIn Ads, Sponsored Jobs, and any other product where you're charged per action. Any actions delivered and charged are non-refundable." And: "LinkedIn Premium subscriptions, such as Premium Career, Premium Business, Premium All-in-One, Premium Company Page, LinkedIn Learning, Recruiter Lite, and Sales Navigator may be refundable within 7 days from the date the subscription is charged without Premium usage."linkedin.comchecked 13 Aug 2026
5. [5]LinkedIn · about.linkedin.com: "LinkedIn began in co-founder Reid Hoffman's living room in 2002 and was officially launched on May 5, 2003." · LinkedIn describes itself as the world's largest professional network with more than 1 billion members in more than 200 countries and territories.about.linkedin.comchecked 12 Aug 2026
6. [6]Toptal · toptal.com/about milestone timeline, 2010: "Toptal.com domain name is officially registered and becomes Toptal LLC in November." · toptal.com/about milestone timeline, 2020: "Toptal becomes the world's largest fully remote company." The About page carries an executive roster, a stats table and a milestone timeline and states no headquarters or office location anywhere on it. Toptal does not itself claim to have no headquarters; the absence is a property of the page, checked 12 August 2026. · Toptal's own timeline records the Toptal.com domain being registered and Toptal LLC formed in November 2010, and states that in 2020 "Toptal becomes the world's largest fully remote company". It documents no headquarters. · Toptal has expanded beyond engineering by acquisition, including Skillbridge (2016, finance experts and management consultants), Growth Collective (2024, marketing) and, in 2026, Graphite, No Single Individual, QO Collective and Adeva.toptal.comchecked 12 Aug 2026
7. [7]LinkedIn · LinkedIn Help, "User Agreement and Privacy Policy mailing address", gives for users outside the Designated Countries: "LinkedIn Corporation / Attn: Legal Dept. (Privacy Policy and User Agreement) / 1000 W. Maude Avenue / Sunnyvale, CA 94085 / USA" (and "LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company ... Wilton Plaza, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland" for the EU/EEA/Switzerland).linkedin.comchecked 12 Aug 2026
8. [8]LinkedIn · Microsoft announced its acquisition of LinkedIn on 13 June 2016 in an all-cash transaction valued at $26.2 billion, and said at the time that it expected to close within that calendar year.news.microsoft.comchecked 7 Aug 2026