Toptal (toptal.com) has a 4.8 out of 5 rating on OK.one, based on 68 user reviews collected here. It is listed under Business Services and its reputation is excellent. Praise is nearly unanimous, with 97% rating it 4 stars or higher; The business has not yet replied to negative reviews. Last updated 2026-08-10.
What people say
P
Pete f · 4 reviews · Experienced 2026-08-03 ·
★★★★★
Had my initial contact with Toptal…
Had my initial contact with Toptal today.
Unfortunately, there were a couple of issues at the very beginning of the process, but they were resolved fairly quickly and efficiently.
I then had a very constructive conversation with the initial agent. She was professional, thorough and took the time to understand exactly what we’re looking for. At this stage, I feel she gave me the information I needed and the process sounds promising.
That said, the proof is in the pudding. The real test will be the quality of the candidates and whether Toptal can match us with the specialist we need.
I’ll continue to update this review as the process progresses so others can see how the experience develops from start to finish.
R
Ruth J. Hartley · 1 review · Experienced 2026-07-27 ·
★★★★★
Great experience
Great experience Overall. The platform is easy to use, the opportunities are excellent , and the support teams is always helpful and responsive.
S
Sam Ziouani · 1 review · Experienced 2026-08-03 ·
★★★★★
Elite clients, zero friction, and high-caliber engineering.
I've been operating as a Principal Systems Architect and independent B2B consultant for years. I recently joined Toptal, and the difference between this network and standard freelance platforms is night and day.
The screening process is legitimately rigorous, which means the clients on the platform actually trust your engineering expertise from day one. I don't have to waste time haggling over rates or dealing with poorly scoped projects.
The internal matchers actually understand my tech stack and connect me directly with serious founders and enterprise teams looking for production-ready infrastructure.
The billing is frictionless, the talent network is top-tier, and you get to focus 100% of your energy on building complex, scalable systems rather than chasing leads.
Highly recommended for any senior engineer who takes their craft seriously.
Chris was very efficient and knowledgeable; he audited our Google Ads account and made suggestions and recommendations that helped resolve issues we were experiencing. He also helped us connect our Zoho account to Google Ads and was very efficient.
M
Michael · 1 review · Experienced 2026-01-10 ·
★★★★★
A Founder’s Experience: When a Few Months of Failure Leads to a Stolen Year
I am sharing my experience as a founder who trusted a premium brand to help build my vision. I chose this service because I believed in their promise of highly vetted, elite talent. I wasn't looking for a basic developer; I was looking for a partner to help secure my platform’s future. What I experienced instead was a series of failures that cost me my runway, my academic progress, and nearly my intellectual property.
The Experience vs. The Expectation
I entered this engagement with a clear vision and a patent-pending project. I believed that by hiring through a brand that prides itself on "Top 3%" talent, I would receive professional-grade engineering. Instead, my experience over several months was defined by:
• Fundamental Technical Malpractice: One of the most glaring failures was the complete disregard for our agreed-upon tech stack. Despite an explicit agreement for JavaScript-based development designed to scale with React and other modern frameworks, the team inexplicably built the core in Python and TypeScript. This wasn't just a technical preference; it was a material deviation that ignored my scaling requirements and created massive technical debt, ultimately forcing me to rebuild the MVP from scratch myself.
• Critical Security Failures: The most devastating part of my experience was discovering that my code and database had been pushed live without any basic security. The database was left open anyone with the address could have accessed my proprietary information. For a founder with pending patents, this level of exposure is a nightmare. I expected high-end engineering; I received a platform that was prone to being hacked from day one.
• Lack of Functional Progress: Despite the premium cost, the work delivered was equivalent to a basic CRUD application. Core requirements, like a functional billing system, were never built. I observed things being deleted without explanation and technical decisions being made that ignored the long-term needs of the platform.
• Misrepresented Expectations: I was repeatedly told that the project was "90% done" or "almost there." I relied on these statements to make promises to my network and potential users. When those deadlines passed and the product remained non-functional, it was my personal credibility on the line. I felt I had to "play nice" and stay in the engagement just to ensure I could eventually get my code back during the hand-off in May. It felt like being held hostage by my own project.
The Personal and Professional Cost
The impact of this experience on my life has been profound:
• Lost Patent Runway: Because I spent months waiting for a functional product that never arrived, I lost a critical window of my patent-pending utility timeline. I am now doing the production work myself work that I could have been doing during that time if I hadn't trusted this engagement.
• Academic and Financial Derailment: I was on track to graduate in 2027. The financial strain and the time lost to this engagement forced me to miss two consecutive academic quarters and blocked my re-enrollment due to debt I didn't have before this started. I am now facing a full-year delay in my graduation and I lost a significant career opportunity at a major software company because my life was effectively put on hold.
• Financial Wreckage: I am now $30,000 in debt with damaged credit. While I was able to recover my initial payment through a bank dispute where an independent institution reviewed the evidence and sided with me the "resolution" offered by the company was simply to stop pursuing money the bank already said I didn't owe, plus a negligible refund. It felt like my experience and the damage to my life were being completely dismissed.
Final Thoughts
I am not sharing this to make accusations, but to express how it felt to be a founder in this situation. I believed in a brand promise, and I relied on that belief to make life-altering decisions. I ended up in a hole that I am still fighting to climb out of.
If you are a founder putting your life savings and your reputation on the line, I hope my story helps you understand the risks. I am now building my vision myself, but I will never get that year of my life or that runway back. What would you do if your vision was left exposed and your timeline was taken from you?
Big waste of time
They are totally disconnected, have no clue how to match and overall it is a great waste of time running after contrasting indications.
J
John Jackson · 1 review · Verified · Experienced 2026-06-01 ·
I had a fantastic experience w/TopTal.com & developer Sam Ziouani…
I had a fantastic experience with the phenomenal talent I was able to hire for my Full Stack Engagement. Sam Ziouani was terrific in all aspects of the project I hired him for. I never would have found such a great Full Stack Developer for Secure Web Application Deployment Developer without the terrific website TopTal.com. Between the fantastic customer support on TopTal to the 10/10 developer I hired in Sam Ziouani, my project was completed without any complaints.. I highly recommend Sam's skills.
Reply from Toptal2026-08-03
Thank you for your feedback!
M
Max Reis · 1 review · Experienced 2026-07-24 ·
★★★★★
Data Architect at Toptal
What I love most about working with Toptal is that I'm always on complex and exciting projects. The matchers consistently find opportunities that are a great fit for my profile. These are usually the toughest challenges, problems clients couldn't solve on their own, so they bring them to Toptal talent. Those are the exact types of challenges that excite me the most.
As a first-time founder hiring my first designer, I was honestly nervous about getting matched with the right person — and Toptal absolutely delivered. The process was fast and low-friction: I shared my project brief, and within days I was matched with a senior UI/UX designer (Sanja) who fit my project perfectly.
The quality difference is obvious from day one. She came prepared, understood a detailed spec immediately, asked exactly the right questions, and had functional wireframes of my product's core screens within the first week — on schedule and on budget, with logged hours that matched visible output every single day. As a non-technical founder, having someone who communicates clearly and works independently has been invaluable.
The contract, billing, and trial-period setup were all straightforward and transparent — no surprises anywhere. For any founder who can't afford a bad first hire: this is what you're paying Toptal's vetting for, and it's worth it. I'm already planning to hire my developer through Toptal next.
Reply from Toptal2026-07-31
Thank you for your feedback!
N
Nikola Garabandić · 1 review · Experienced 2026-07-28 ·
★★★★★
I’ve been on Toptal for years and I can…
I’ve been on Toptal for years and I can say that the quality of clients I’ve landed has been top notch. Toptal support team is also always there if there is a roadblock of sorts and is super responsive to messages
A very positive experience as freelancer on Toptal
I’ve been working through Toptal as a software developer, mostly on a part-time basis, and my experience has been genuinely positive.
The biggest difference for me has been the quality of the clients and projects. The conversations usually feel serious, and I’ve had the chance to work with clients who valued not only coding, but also technical guidance, planning, and help turning rough ideas into clear solutions.
The matching process is not always instant, and work is never guaranteed, but once the right project comes along, the experience can be very rewarding. Payments have been reliable, communication has been professional, and the platform has helped me build long-term client relationships.
Overall, Toptal has been a valuable part of my freelance career, and I’m happy with the opportunities I’ve received through the platform.
Reply from Toptal2026-07-31
Thank you for your feedback!
E
Erkin Botirov · 1 review · Experienced 2026-07-27 ·
★★★★★
Solid platform, good match with a long-term client
Been on Toptal for a few years and the platform has worked well for me. Matching was straightforward and my current engagement has been continuous for over a year. Payments are reliable and communication with matchers has been responsive when I've needed it. If you're looking for stable long-term work through a platform, it's been a good fit.
Joining toptal has been a gamechanger for me as I now can completely focus on my craft without worrying about the hiccups that comes with many clients, also the network consists of some of the best talent that one can find.
Great communication and service. Was able to get the job done.
Reply from Toptal2026-08-03
Thank you for your feedback!
A
Alex · 1 review · Verified · Experienced 2026-07-22 ·
★★★★★
Lennie was incredible to work with
Lennie was incredible to work with. I came to her with two rushed, high-stakes projects: a formal report for an important customer covering three years of data, and a pitch to a large prospective customer that incorporated new data and a more sophisticated value proposition than we'd ever presented before. One was a last-minute opportunity and the other had a very quick turnaround, so my team and I were stressed about the volume of content we needed to produce and the importance of the presentations. Lennie did an absolutely outstanding job. She provided valuable insight and feedback throughout, and the materials she designed were polished and exceptionally professional. She was also a delight to work with and added real value to the entire experience. Finally, I don't think I've ever worked with a contractor who turned around such exceptional work so fast — the speed was truly incredible. My company and I will undoubtedly hire Lennie again, and we look forward to working with her on new projects. I highly recommend her, and do so with full confidence that she'll meet — and likely exceed — your expectations!
Ali is a wizard. We’re so lucky to have found him. If we could, we’d hire him full time for years to come as our lead engineer on Cirano. Cirano uses deep tech, never before done local architecture, and he worked hard to find and build his way through the fog. He’s a gem, give him a big raise! (Kidding but not) :)
Thanks for coordinating this work with Cirano and helping us find Ali. Wouldn’t have been able to get our project off the ground without him.
