Toptal connects you with elite freelancers. Scrums.com gives you a fully managed engineering team, deployed in 21 days, with real-time delivery visibility at a fraction of the cost.
Fully managed, cross-functional engineering teams: developers, QA, DevOps, and PM, deployed as a single accountable pod. Every team includes a dedicated delivery manager.
Individual freelance specialists across software, design, finance, and marketing. No managed team structure, no delivery accountability, no sprint oversight.
Three published tiers: Standard, Recommended, and Enterprise. No setup fee, no deposit, no hidden costs.
$500 deposit to initiate the search. Developer rates range from $60 to $200+/hour depending on seniority. No team pricing or subscription model.
Full team ready within 21 days of contract signature, 3x faster than the industry average. No screening wait.
Full screening process takes 3 to 8 weeks before your first developer starts. No dedicated team option available.
Dedicated client portal, Slack integration, and an assigned delivery manager. One point of contact for the entire team.
Direct contact with individual freelancers only. No centralised project management, no delivery oversight layer.
Cross-functional pods: PM, developers, QA, and DevOps. Scale up or down without re-contracting or restarting the hiring process.
Freelance-only model. No managed team structure. Client absorbs full coordination and management responsibility.
10,000+ AI-vetted engineers from Africa, matched by skill, timezone, and domain. 100% dedicated to your project, not splitting time across clients.
20,000+ global freelancers across disciplines. Top 3% acceptance rate, but no team cohesion, shared context, or management layer.
Simple projects: 2 to 4 months. Intermediate: 4 to 8 months. Complex: 9+ months. Sprint tracking and DORA metrics throughout.
Toptal does not offer dedicated development teams or managed delivery. Timelines depend entirely on individual freelancer availability and client coordination.
Toptal's freelance model puts the coordination burden on you. Scrums.com gives you a complete, managed team with delivery accountability built in from day one.
Toptal gives you individual contractors and the coordination is on you. Scrums.com delivers complete cross-functional squads: developers, QA, DevOps, and PM in one accountable unit.
Toptal's screening takes 3 to 8 weeks before your first developer starts. Scrums.com has your full team running within 21 days of contract signature.
Toptal charges $500 to start the search, then hourly rates from $60 to $200+. Scrums.com has no deposit, no setup fees, and transparent, tiered pricing. View current rates.
Toptal connects you with talented individuals. What it does not provide is delivery management, sprint oversight, or accountability for outcomes. Scrums.com gives you a delivery partner with a dedicated manager, DORA metrics, and real-time visibility into every sprint.
Scrums.com draws from 10,000+ AI-vetted engineers across Africa, one of the fastest-growing and most cost-competitive talent markets in the world. Teams are matched by skill, timezone, and domain. You get the quality Toptal promises at significantly lower cost, with no freelance fragmentation.
Toptal's hourly model means costs scale unpredictably as your team grows. Scrums.com's pricing is published across three tiers, with no deposit, no hidden fees, and no surprises. You can scale without re-contracting. View current rates.
CTOs evaluating Toptal want elite talent but need team cohesion and delivery predictability. Scrums.com provides both: vetted engineers in managed pods with real-time DORA metrics and sprint tracking.
Product Managers working with Toptal freelancers absorb significant coordination overhead. Scrums.com removes that burden: a dedicated PM is part of every team from day one.
Project Managers need delivery visibility and accountability. Scrums.com's client portal gives live sprint status, velocity tracking, and risk alerts - none of which Toptal provides.
We've made every effort to ensure the information in this post is accurate, but we all know how fast things can change. Before making your decision, please verify the details on each company's website and contact them directly for the latest updates. If you're from Toptal and notice any inaccuracies, don't hesitate to reach out to us for corrections.
Tell us the problem. Scrums.com matches vetted operators who work inside your codebase — one platform for talent, delivery and intelligence. We reply within a business day.
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