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Beyond Turing.com: 10 platforms for hiring top-performing remote developers

February 15, 2024

Beyond Turing.com: 10 platforms for hiring top-performing remote developers
Radu PoclitariRadu Poclitari, Copywriter

With cloud services, AI recruiting tools, and time-to-hire optimization on the rise, tech companies are searching for faster, easier, and more cost-effective solutions. The AI-based talent cloud at Turing.com is an excellent place to start. However, for those seeking a more personalized approach to vetting, there are alternative platforms available.

Whether you're a fintech startup or an established gaming development company, researching all your options before making a decision is essential. Here is a well-structured overview to start with. 

Let’s Begin!

Turing.com review: Are they really that outstanding?

Turing.com is a talent cloud platform that connects the top 1% of software engineers from around the world to top U.S. and Silicon Valley companies hiring for remote software positions. The platform offers a pool of pre-vetted developers with expertise in various technologies and programming languages. Turing.com handles the hiring process, project management, and payments, making it easy for companies to work with remote developers seamlessly. Additionally, the platform leverages AI to match companies with the best-suited developers based on their skills and experience.

What exactly is a ‘Talent Cloud’?

A Talent Cloud is a relatively new solution in the industry. Its primary aim is to deliver precisely tailored software candidates for big companies. Talent Clouds offer an automated solution for sourcing, vetting, and managing talent on a global scale, offering advantages over traditional talent acquisition platforms and services. As a result, the Talent Cloud is increasingly becoming the preferred choice for hiring software development teams over IT service firms and marketplaces.

Turing.com vetting process

Turing.com professionals utilize a thorough vetting process to assess candidates' skills and experience, determining their capability to manage projects from start to finish. Due to the time-intensive nature of the vetting process, Turing.com has partially replaced HR personnel with AI automation. Candidates will undergo a 5-hour online test featuring tasks in programming languages, systems, software, algorithms, and frameworks. Those who pass will have the opportunity to discuss their finer details with actual people. Candidates who do not pass can retry the failed stage in 3 months. Additionally, Turing.com creates customized freelance profiles that send signals to recruiters and HR managers. AI-based unbiased filtering of coding tests, tasks, and matching, while also offering onboarding and time-tracking apps.

Hiring on Turing.com

You can easily find and hire developers with Turing.com in just four simple steps:

  1. Begin by listing the required skills and your contact information. The company will reach out to you for further details.
  2. Within a few days, you will receive a list of pre-vetted candidates who have successfully passed the AI tests.
  3. After that, you can meet and evaluate the developers selected by Turing.com.
  4. Still unsure about your choices? No worries, Turing.com will offer a free 2-week trial period.

Whether you're interested in candidates from a particular region or not, the platform can cater to your preferences.

Once you've put together your ideal team, Turing.com provides comprehensive support services such as time-tracking, performance monitoring, and communication tools.

Time to hire

In just 3-5 business days, your company can discover the best remote programmers through the use of AI assessment, algorithm coding interview, automized vetting, and the Intelligent Talent Cloud.

Pros and cons of Turing.com

👍Pros

  • Full-time, long-term projects 
  • Multi-stage vetting procedure 
  • Numerous and divergent talent pool

👎Cons

  • Lengthy vetting algorithm & costly tech talent 
  • AI is good, but not for everyone. AI selection excludes any human factor in every phase
  • Scammy marketplace 

But are there any alternatives to Turing.com? Yes, plenty! 

In this article, we have gathered some of the best ones for you to consider. We recommend going through each one carefully and selecting the option that best suits your requirements.

1. Index.dev: Tech recruitment platform for high-performing tech talent 

If you’d consider raising the bar for the quality of the new hire you can opt for Index.dev. Index.dev is a tech recruitment platform designed to assist companies in hiring top remote software developers from around the world. The platform, which is used by major companies such as Omio, Perforce Software, and Glopal, offers an intelligent infrastructure that employs global sourcing, intelligent vetting, transparent matching, HR/payments compliance, and automated on-the-job quality control.

As a global tech recruitment platform that constantly puts its reputation under scrutiny, Index.dev can’t afford bad matches, so we’ve developed a system providing high-performing developers on demand. Index.dev various filtering layers to curate an exclusive selection of high-performing profiles for our clients. This ensures that the tech talent we assign to your project possesses the following qualifications:

  • Senior-level
  • Confident English speaker
  • Availability for full-time, long-term engagements
  • Experience with remote work in fast-paced environments
  • Adjusted work schedule for better time overlap
  • Certifications & 6+ years of overall development experience 
  • 3-4 years of expertise in a particular tech stack or field
  • Excellent soft skills and fitting culture 

Hiring on Index.dev 

Index.dev does the heavy lifting for you. Companies can hire Index.dev tech talent in just 4 simple steps:

✔Share the skills you need. You’ll be able to schedule a call where an Index.dev expert will understand your requirements.

✔Receive 3-4 hand-picked candidates. Our team of proficient sourcers, vetters and matchers will find the best match for your needs. You’ll get a list of pre-vetted candidates within 24 hours.

✔Schedule interviews as per your convenience. Select and meet the developers you would like to interview.

✔Begin your trial within days of your interview. Onboard proficient tech talent in under a week with a no-risk, 2 week trial period.

If you are looking to hire remote tech talent, join Index.dev platform and build a high-performing tech team today.

Index.dev provides each client with a dedicated Matching Expert who facilitates communication, legal, and financial aspects of the engagement.

A significant advantage of a non-bidding platform like Index.dev is that it has specialization. In other words, it works with narrow profile professionals. At the same time, security, reliability and high quality of provided talent or services is among the keystone propositions it can offer to the partners. 

Index.dev recruiting advantages 

Index.dev has a rigorous 5-stage vetting process, including code, language and communication, technology skills, personality and reliability evaluation, and a testing project. 

Only 3% of software engineers make it through this process, ensuring that only the best candidates are selected for clients.

With a 90% accuracy rate, Index.dev provides super-accurate matching, and 90% of clients hire the first candidate suggested by the service. This allows for a better price-quality balance, as dedicated engineers can be hired without breaking the bank and headcount costs can be reduced.

The platform offers experienced tech talent in any tech skill, from full-stack, front-end, and backend developers to QA experts, UI/UX designers, project managers, and data engineers. 

With a diverse talent pipeline of more than 10,000 engineers from hot talent hubs like Serbia, Romania, Poland, Ukraine, and Albania, clients can be assured of highly-qualified tech talent with a 95% retention rate

With each hire, the platform delivers 60+ hours of engineering time saved and lowers development costs by 40%.

Developer rates 

With engineers mainly located in Central Eastern Europe and LatAm, Index.dev offers a cost-effective alternative to Turing.com. Hiring Index.dev elite, time-zone matched tech talent will save your company 40%-50% in cost compared to hiring a developer locally in the US, UK or Australia. The hourly rate of Index.dev developers ranges between $50 - $85 for Java, JavaScript, Python, C++, Kotlin, Node.js, Data Engineer, Project Manager, UI/UX, QA professionals and $80-120 for Team Lead, Full-stack & DevOps roles or hard-to-recruit positions like RoR, Rust, Dart or Go. 

Index.dev rates correspond to the quality of service we provide, as we exclusively offer high-performing tech talent profiles to our clients.

An average developer’s salary at Turing.com is reported to be $106,510 annually on Glassdoor. Index.dev’s engineers are able to match the high quality that is in demand by the market but at a more affordable rate compared to Palo Alto’s based Turing.com. 

Time to hire on Index.dev

Ever since Index.dev joined the game, hiring high-performing developers has become easier. Companies can hire pre-vetted, high-performing remote software talent in over 100 skills, and the process typically takes only 3-5 days. This process involves sourcing, vetting and screening developers from a network of over 10,000 candidates.

This quick turnaround time can help you accelerate your product development and meet your project deadlines.

2. Gaper.io: Vetted engineers from Sydney to Silicon Valley

Gaper.io is a global talent hiring and vetting platform that selects only the top 1% of engineers who have worked for well-known companies such as Google, Amazon, Oracle, and Stripe. Gaper.io offers both full-time and part-time positions worldwide, ensuring a combination of quality and quantity for any software engineer required for any project.

Hiring process

The hiring process is straightforward: fill out a form to obtain a quote and schedule a call with their team. There is also a risk-free two-week trial available where you pay nothing if you are not satisfied. Gaper.io is an excellent option if you are looking to hire individual developers or create an augmented team. Their prices are competitive, and they ensure that the quality of their work is never compromised. Gaper.io employs highly skilled developers to create reliable software that is customized to meet your company's unique needs.

Developers rates

Gaper.io provides hourly rates starting from $30/h to $400/h and has a pool of skilled developers with expertise in the field to create reliable software customized to your company's specific needs.

Time to hire

The hiring timeline varies from case to case, but usually, Gaper.io can help you set up a team or hire developers in 3-5 days, and in some cases, as little as 48 hours. The AI-powered tool and pre-vetted pool of engineers allow Gaper.io to significantly reduce hiring time.

3. Arc.dev: The remote career platform for developers

Arc.dev is an online job platform that provides a highly selective vetting process for potential job seekers. A mere 2.3% of applicants are able to meet their rigorous standards. By leveraging this process, Arc.dev connects pre-screened developers with companies that seek to employ remote tech talent. In addition to job matching, the platform provides career advice and access to an online community for remote developers. Arc.dev's services cater to businesses seeking long-term recruitment solutions, handling compliance, payroll, and legal requirements for working with offshore teams. Both full-time and contractual engagements with Arc developers are available.

Hiring process

Arc.dev has a unique approach to remote job search, in which developers are sought after by companies. Their recruitment process consists of three steps:

  1. In an onboarding call, describe your ideal developer, the role(s) you need to fill, your technical requirements, and your hiring budget.
  2. View a list of active, pre-screened developers that is updated every two weeks. Send interview requests and communicate directly with your shortlisted candidates.
  3. Choose the best candidate and send them a job offer! Arc.dev's payroll and compliance partners, Deel, will assist in streamlining your cross-border hires.

Developers rate

Arc.dev is a comprehensive service for hiring freelance software engineers, although its prices are relatively high. According to Glassdoor, developers on the platform typically charge starting rates of $60/h, while senior software engineers with more experience can charge an average of $80/h.

Time to hire 

On average, it takes companies less than 14 days to find the right full-time remote developers through Arc.dev. For project-based contractor positions, the process is even faster, often taking less than 72 hours.

Hire high-performing developers within 48 hours with Index.dev and ensure a 95% talent retention rate.

4. Lemon.io: One-stop talent platform

Lemon.io is a platform that helps businesses find and hire top-tier freelance software developers for their projects. The platform is designed to streamline the process of finding, vetting, and hiring developers, and it provides a range of tools and services to help clients manage their projects and work with their freelancers.

Lemon.io developers come from all over the world, but the platform places a particular emphasis on sourcing talent from Eastern Europe, where there is a high concentration of skilled developers with competitive rates.

Hiring process

Lemon.io offers a simplified hiring process for clients seeking developers. All you need to do is provide a brief description of your project requirements and Lemon.io will take care of the rest. The next day, a highly qualified developer, possessing the necessary skills and experience, will be ready to begin work on your project. Following your project description submission, Lemon.io searches its extensive database of developers to identify the best candidate for the job.

Developer rates 

Lemon.io provides developers with varying hourly rates based on their experience and proficiency. Mid-level developers can charge $55 per hour, while senior-level developers can charge up to $80 per hour. The pricing structure also varies based on the technology being used. For instance, React Native, React, Node.js, and Ruby professionals can charge between $55 to $80, whereas Python experts can charge between $55 to $75, and PHP, Swift, and Flutter roles can charge between $55 to $70.

Time to hire

The duration and cost of finding the right developer for your project depend on the scope and requirements of the project. On average, it takes one to two days to find a suitable candidate and up to two more days for them to start working.

5. X-Team: On-demand teams of developers for leading brands

X-Team.com is a software development platform that helps companies scale up their permanent teams by providing them with freelancers. The platform sources tech talent from all over the world, including Chile, Belgium, Egypt, Pakistan, and the Philippines, and offers both dedicated teams and individual programmers according to the needs of the clients. Their service covers web and mobile application development projects.

As an international company, X-Team places great importance on the skill development of their software engineers. They motivate their developers in various ways to continuously improve and upgrade their skills. This is particularly beneficial in the software development industry, where today's niche skills can quickly become obsolete tomorrow.

Hiring process

X-Team's hiring process is simple, unbiased, and straightforward. You can share your project requirements with them and they will provide you with a suitable developer and a dedicated account manager. This enables easy communication and issue resolution throughout the engagement. X-Team also offers flexible contract options and monthly billing features.

Developer rate

X-Team does not make their pricing structure public. Some reviews suggest that, on average, developer hourly rates tend to hover within the $40–$90 range.

Time to hire

This can range from a few days to a few weeks and will mostly depend on your requirements.

6. Toptal: The world’s top talent, on demand

Toptal is a global network of elite software developers, designers, and finance experts that provides top-tier freelance talent to companies in need of their services.

Toptal vets its developers using a rigorous screening process. The process includes multiple stages of technical testing and interviews, ensuring that only the top 3% of talent makes it into their network. Developers must demonstrate exceptional technical skills, strong problem-solving abilities, and excellent communication skills. They must also have a proven track record of success in their field, and they must be committed to providing high-quality work and meeting the needs of their clients.

Hiring process

Toptal is a platform similar to Turing.com that connects companies with qualified freelance software developers. Its recruitment process includes a language and personality test and a series of test projects to select only the most qualified candidates. Within 48 hours of your initial consultation with one of Toptal’s industry experts, you will be matched with a qualified industry expert. Depending on your company’s needs, you can hire freelancers on an as-needed basis and pay them by the hour or on full-time salary.

Contracts with Toptal are strict, and the company must hire a freelancer for either 20 or 40 hours a week. The contract cannot be modified as per the company's requirements, and rates are non-negotiable.

Developer rate 

Toptal offers highly skilled employees, but they come at a premium wage. A $500 retainer is required upfront, which is deducted from the total bill upon hiring, or fully refunded if not. The cost of hiring a developer is not disclosed on their website, but reviews suggest an average rate of $56 per hour for software engineers, with senior roles costing up to $120 per hour. In comparison to Turing, Toptal has a similar range of rates for engineers.

Time to hire

In almost all cases Toptal introduces you to software candidates within 24 hours.

7. Flexiple: Invite-only network of mission-driven developers & designers

Flexiple is a network that connects mission-driven developers and designers with top companies to create exceptional software products. With great reviews, they offer expert vetting of developers and designers through a rigorous screening process that assesses both technical abilities and soft skills. They also offer personalized matching to ensure developers are handpicked to meet your specific requirements. Additionally, they provide a risk-free 1-week trial period to guarantee you select the best candidate for the job.

Hiring process 

Flexiple's hiring process involves a comprehensive vetting of developers, which includes assessments of their technical and soft skills. They prioritize client satisfaction by providing 24/7 support with a dedicated manager during the engagement. However, it is worth noting that when compared to Index.dev and Turing.com, Flexiple has a smaller pool of developers with specialized technical skills.

Developer rates

Flexiple’s rates are quite affordable, yet their freelancers are just as qualified as those at Turing.com. The hourly rate of a professional developer can be anywhere from $30 to $80.

Time to hire

Flexiple can help you save time in the hiring process. Instead of taking months to find the right developer or designer and finalize terms, Flexiple offers a no-risk trial period and guarantees that you'll start working with the right person within a week. 

Hire high-performing developers within 48 hours with Index.dev and ensure a 95% talent retention rate.

8. Gun.io: World-class technical talent, on tap

Gun.io, although less familiar than its competitors such as Turing.com, is a promising option for businesses seeking exceptional software developers. Unlike other freelancing platforms, Gun.io is an invite-only network that is made up of top-tier software developers. The platform uses a personalized recommendation process to match developers with businesses based on their specific needs, relying on user relationships to select the best candidates.

Hiring process

Gun.io is a dedicated platform for software developer recruitment, providing excellent customer service and a fast matching process. They conduct thorough verification procedures, including in-depth interviews with applicants, to ensure they have the necessary skills to complete tasks. Working with Gun.io guarantees that you'll be collaborating with freelancers who are committed to their work. However, the only drawback is that, beside senior-level candidates, their workforce is composed of junior and mid-level developers.

Developers rates

The fees charged by Gun.io are included in freelancers’ pay. Depending on the region from which they work, freelancers might charge somewhere between $30/h to $90/h. 

Time to hire

The hiring process may take up to 14 days, but the result is that businesses can be confident that they are hiring skilled and experienced developers.

9. YouTeam: Pre-vetted engineers from agencies across Europe & LatAm

YouTeam is a platform that offers access to over 50,000 pre-screened engineers from numerous development agencies located in Europe and Latin America. It enables technology companies to easily supplement their engineering teams by providing multiple senior contractors at a time, as well as plug-in-and-out teams, thanks to its vast network of talent from outsourcing agencies. The platform is utilized by well-known companies such as PricewaterhouseCoopers, LINX, Maxwell, and JustGiving to ramp up their development efforts.

Hiring process 

YouTeam is an invitation-only network that works only with development agencies. They have a thorough vetting process before adding an agency to their network, which includes meeting with the CEO, CFO, and project managers and running compliance checks. YouTeam's partner agencies conduct a multi-step screening process, and every developer is individually interviewed and skill verified by HackerRank for Work. They aim for long-term cooperation, with the average engagement lasting two years.

To begin the hiring process, customers can set up a call with a Matching Expert. The Matching Expert builds a candidate list and conducts pre-interviews to ensure the candidates match the customer's needs. With the go-ahead from the customer, the Matching Expert schedules interviews. YouTeam automates contract signing and invoicing, and the dedicated Matching Expert stays with the customer throughout the collaboration with contractors, helping with onboarding, scaling the team up or down, replacements, and answering any questions.

Developer pricing

YouTeam primarily works with developers based in Latin America and charges a commission of 10% of the engineer's monthly rate, with the average rate for a senior engineer being $60/hour or $9K/month. They have created a directory of developer rates sorted by technical skill. 

Time to hire

YouTeam provides a shortlist of vetted candidates that meet specific requirements within 48 hours, and hiring companies have the option to terminate the engagement instantly during the first month. Additionally, YouTeam will replace a contractor within two weeks free of charge.

10. CloudDevs: Vetted LatAm remote developers

CloudDevs provides skilled senior developers from Latin America to clients in the US. They have a strict screening and vetting process that ensures the quality of their talent pool. CloudDevs offers flexible hiring options that can be customized according to clients’ needs, and their developers work in the same time zone as the client. 

Hiring process

CloudDevs provides a flexible and customizable hiring plan, unlike Turing's full-time-only contracts. Their hiring process involves five stages that assess candidates for their coding skills, speed, and English language proficiency.

To get started, you can share your development needs, including primary and secondary skills and niche requirements. CloudDevs will then provide you with shortlisted candidate profiles, and you can interview your chosen talents. After that, you can start your 7-day free trial for the candidates you decide to hire.

Developer rate

CloudDevs offers a transparent hourly rate of $45 to $70 for their elite senior developers and designers.

Time to hire 

The company ensures the quality of their talent by hiring only from the client's time zone and conducting a rigorous screening process that takes less than 24 hours.

Hire high-performing developers within 48 hours with Index.dev and ensure a 95% talent retention rate.

Summing up 

Careful consideration of your project needs and budget is essential when deciding where to hire remote engineers. Depending on the project, you may require full-time engineers for a long-term collaboration or just a few resources for a time-bound project.

For projects with a tight budget and timeline, consider Index.dev, Lemon.io, and Gun.io for pre-vetted and affordable engineers. For larger projects requiring long-term resources, consider Index.dev, Arc.dev, and Gaper.io to build a dedicated team. If you need to augment your existing team, look into Index.dev, Gaper.io, and YouTeam to build a remote development team. For a one-time project with no budget constraints, consider Fiverr for expert resources. Fiverr and Upwork are great options for projects with a very small budget, as they can reduce the cost and time associated with finding and hiring remote engineers.

However, if you’re looking for high-performing dedicated developers, look no further than Index.dev. 

Index.dev offers access to a huge network of pre-vetted engineers, with 10,000 developers ready to join your project. With a 95% retention rate, the senior tech talent at Index.dev is second to none. 

Reach out to our matching masters and onboard a highly-skilled software engineering rockstar within 48 hours.