Toptal for Startups

What a startup pays before it hires

The $79 monthly subscription starts once you decide to proceed with matching, according to Toptal's FAQ, and the FAQ prints no currency. Guides disagree on when it starts. The Frontend Company says it runs while the account is active, so a team that pauses its search may still be charged, according to that guide. ^{[1] [5]}

Four guides say a $500 refundable deposit is paid before matching, credited to the first invoice. Toptal's FAQ and platform terms do not mention it. For a team with a few months of runway, that $500 and the subscription can arrive before any work starts. ^{[5] [6] [8] [1]}

The hire is the big number

Third-party estimates put general roles at $60 to $150 an hour or more, and specialists at $200 or more. At the low end, one full-time developer costs $9,600 a month over four weeks (our arithmetic). A startup should price that against its runway in months, not weeks. ^{[4] [5] [6]}

Two guides say clients must commit to at least 20 hours a week, without citing a source. Toptal's FAQ states no client minimum. At $60 an hour, 20 hours a week is $4,800 a month (our arithmetic). Confirm the minimum before you plan a part-time hire. ^{[7] [6] [1]}

The trial protects a startup more than a big company

The trial is the feature a small team needs most. The FAQ says you are not billed if you are not completely satisfied within a trial of up to two weeks, and you can trial up to three people per position. A failed trial brings another expert, and the FAQ says that takes one to three weeks. ^[1]

Cadence says trial hours convert to billable work unless you end the trial inside the window, while the FAQ says you are not billed. Ask for that rule in writing, and put the end of the window in your calendar on the day the trial starts. ^{[8] [1]}

What to check before you sign

Cancellation needs three business days' notice before the next billing date, and a refund applies only if Toptal cannot present any talent, up to one month's fee. Toptal's terms also name Toptal, LLC and say it makes no warranty as to results, so a startup's protection is the trial, not the contract. ^{[2] [1] [3]}

Should a startup hire through Toptal?

Yes, when one senior hire will move the product and you can cover the rate for the full trial period. The trial and replacement reduce the risk of a bad hire, and the subscription is small next to the rate. ^{[1] [5]}

Not yet, when the budget covers only a few weeks of senior time. The deposit, the subscription and the minimum can all arrive before the first hire works, and the rate is not published. ^{[5] [1] [7]}