When hiring remote developers, the goal is clear: find a skilled engineer who’s a team player and writes high-quality code—all while fitting into the company’s budget.

Both Andela & Toptal offer access to skilled developers globally, but each serves different needs. Andela focuses on entry-level talent, while Toptal offers more flexibility and higher-quality devs across various industries.

Let’s break down each platform to see which is the right fit for you.

What is Andela?

Andela is a global platform that connects companies with vetted software developers from Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Asia. They have a large pool of over 150,000 vetted tech professionals from more than 100 countries. 

How to hire from Andela 

1. Post your job by filling out a form on their website. Share details like hours needed, tech stack, and budget.
2. Andela provides a shortlist of talent that fits your project requirements and budget.
3. You can select the top candidates and interview them directly.
4. After choosing, Andela will handle the onboarding process so you can start working with the dev. This can take up to 10 days.

Andela’s vetting process

1. Candidates apply on Andela’s website to be part of their talent pool.  
2. They must pass an AI-powered English proficiency test.
3. Applicants must pass coding challenges testing their problem-solving and reasoning skills. 
4. They also undergo a live technical interview. They’re reviewed on coding abilities, teamwork, work ethic, and communication skills. 
5. Successful candidates complete their profiles and finalize verifications to join Andela’s talent pool.

Andela’s pros, cons and pricing 

Pros

1. Suitable for long-term projects and permanent jobs.
2. Flexible hiring. You can hire entire teams. 
3. You can hire for several tech stacks.

Cons

1. Few senior developers available. Most are junior and mid-level engineers.
2. No free trial available.
3. The quality of Andela’s AI vetting is yet to be proven.
4. Hiring can take up to 2 weeks. 
5. Not ideal for short-term projects as all Andela contracts are signed for at least 12 months. 

Pricing

Andela charges an average monthly flat rate of up to $15,000 per developer.

What is Toptal?

Toptal is a platform that allows companies to hire top freelance developers worldwide. They accept the best 3% of applicants, so the talent pool is quite good. While hiring through Toptal can be expensive, the quality of work is usually very high, according to client reviews.

How to hire from Toptal

1. Talk to a Toptal rep and share details about your project, such as goals, skills needed, and team culture. 
2. Toptal sends a list of best-matching devs within a few days.
3. You can also interview the matched candidates to make sure they're a technical and cultural fit for your team.
4. After choosing your dev, you can start working with them in a 2-week risk-free trial after paying a $500 initial security deposit. Refundable if you don’t proceed after the free trial. This fee is also separate from the developer’s rates if you continue working with them.

Toptal’s vetting process

1. Applicants are screened on English level and communication skills. 
2. Deep technical interviews by Toptal’s senior engineers, involving coding challenges to test candidates’ technical knowledge. 
3. Live coding exercises and interviews by Toptal senior engineers to review creativity and problem-solving skills.
4. Candidates at this stage are given a real-world test project that lasts about 3 weeks.
5. Top 3% of successful candidates are added to Toptal’s talent pool. 

Toptal’s pros, cons and pricing 

Pros

1. Access to multiple tech stacks
2. Pre-vetted and high-quality devs.
3. A risk-free 2-week trial is available.

Cons

1. Expensive.
2. Hiring can sometimes take weeks. 
3. Initial deposit is needed before working with a developer.
4. Small talent pool due to limited geographical location and strict vetting process.

Pricing

Toptal developers charge an hourly rate of $100 to $200+. You have to pay this in addition to a $500 initial deposit before starting your free trial. There’s also a $79 monthly subscription fee for using the talent search platform. If Toptal can't provide a dev, you can cancel and request a refund.

Comparing Andela and Toptal

Here are key factors to help you choose between these two platforms.

We also gathered some clients’ opinions about Andela and Toptal to make your decision easier.

Andela reviews

Andela has built a positive reputation with a 4.6 star rating on G2 and 4.5 stars on Trustpilot. Many clients praised Andela for the quality of tech talent they hired. 

One downside is that Andela’s talent pool doesn’t have a lot of skilled developers for different tech stacks.  

Toptal reviews

Toptal has a 4.7 rating on both G2 and Trustpilot. Positive client testimonials back up their reputation of having quality talent to work with. However, they need to improve the availability and timezone sync. 

What is the best alternative to Andela and Toptal?

Andela is great if you need affordable hires, but like every generalist platform, you’ll have to spend more time to find good talent. Toptal will guarantee you skilled talents if you have a high budget to pay premium fees. 

But if you need a React developer, a specialized marketplace like ReactSquad is a good place to start. We provide vetted React developers for SaaS startups. Our devs are rigorously vetted with 3 interview rounds + 4 weeks of a paid test project. Our CTO Jan Hesters, also hand-picks each developer.

Here’s what you gain: 

• We’re fully focused on one specific tech stack: React. 
• Senior developers with 5+ years of experience.
• Affordable rates of $75/hr. No hidden fees.
• No-risk 7-day free trial.

Book a call with us and get matched with a dev within 48 hours.

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