Toptal vs PeoplePerHour

Side-by-side from the Top 11 ranking of The 11 Best Freelance Platforms for Hiring Talent. Last verified June 17, 2026.

The short answer

Toptal ranks higher on Top 11 (#1 vs #10) for Startups and SMBs hiring freelancers for design, dev, and marketing. The best for pre-vetted, high-caliber developers, designers, and finance experts.

At a glance

ToptalPeoplePerHour
Top 11 rank#1 / The 11 Best Freelance Platforms for Hiring Talent#10 / The 11 Best Freelance Platforms for Hiring Talent
Score (out of 9.4)9.37.4
Best forHiring elite, vetted talentFlexible UK/EU marketplace
Pricing$$$$ (from $80/hr)$$ (Tiered service fees)
HQSan Francisco, USALondon, UK
Founded20102007

Toptal

The best for pre-vetted, high-caliber developers, designers, and finance experts.

www.toptal.com

See full entry in The 11 Best Freelance Platforms for Hiring Talent

PeoplePerHour

A flexible marketplace combining project posts and fixed-price offers.

www.peopleperhour.com

See full entry in The 11 Best Freelance Platforms for Hiring Talent

Methodology and scoring weights live at /methodology. No vendor pays for placement — see about.