Best Toptal choices to hire Cybersecurity in 2025

Published on
Dec 2, 2024
Written by
Lisa Dahlgren
EDITED by
Maria del Mar Agudelo
Read time
4 Minutes
Category
Transparency Research

Finding skilled cybersecurity professionals can be challenging, especially with the variety of hiring platforms available. This guide will explore the best Toptal choices to hire cybersecurity experts, focusing on five top companies. We will examine their costs, services, and key features to help you make an informed decision.

Best Toptal choices to hire Cybersecurity engineers

1. Teilur Talent

Pricing Structure

Teilur Talent charges $2,500 per month for a mid-level cybersecurity engineer, resulting in an annual cost of $30,000. This pricing model is designed to be transparent and fair, ensuring that both clients and cybersecurity engineers understand the exact cost and compensation involved.

Cybersecurity cost

Transparency and fair compensation

Teilur Talent emphasizes transparency, with a 20% fee fully disclosed. Clients know precisely how much they are paying, and cybersecurity engineers receive fair compensation for their work, typically 80% of the client’s payment.

Pros and Cons Table
Benefits Challenges
  • Transparent pricing model
  • Fair compensation for cybersecurity engineers
  • Reduced turnover rates (less than 15%)
  • Strong alignment with client goals and values
  • Limited to talent from Latin America
  • Relatively new company with three years of experience

2. Freelancer

Pricing structure

Freelancer’s pricing for cybersecurity professionals ranges from $14 to $194 per hour, averaging a monthly cost of $16,640 and an annual cost of $199,680. Clients can either post projects for freelancers to bid on or select freelancers based on specific skills.

Challenges with pricing transparency

Freelancer's pricing structure can be opaque, making it difficult for clients to understand the true cost of hiring. This lack of transparency can lead to unexpected expenses and challenges in budget planning.

Benefits and Challenges
Benefits Challenges
  • Extensive network of freelancers
  • Flexible hiring models (hourly, project-based)
  • Access to global talent pool
  • Lack of pricing transparency
  • Potential for higher costs due to fees
  • Generic work without company alignment

3. Guru

Pricing structure

Guru allows freelancers to set their own hourly rates, which can range from $5 to $250. For a full-time cybersecurity professional, this averages to a monthly cost of $20,400 and an annual cost of $244,800.

Overview of hiring process

Guru connects businesses with freelance cybersecurity professionals worldwide. The platform provides detailed freelancer profiles and secure payment options, but the wide range of prices can make budgeting challenging.

Benefits and Challenges
Benefits Challenges
  • Diverse global talent pool
  • Secure and flexible hiring arrangements
  • Detailed freelancer profiles with client feedback
  • Wide range of pricing can complicate budgeting
  • Variable quality of freelancers
  • Potential for higher costs due to freelancer rates

4. Fiverr

Pricing structure

Fiverr’s prices for cybersecurity professionals range from $5 to $200 per hour, averaging a monthly cost of $16,400 and an annual cost of $196,800. Clients can browse freelancer profiles and select based on specific project needs.

Overview of hiring process

Fiverr offers a marketplace where freelancers create detailed "Gigs" to showcase their skills. Clients can search for and hire freelancers based on specific criteria, but the varying rates can lead to budget uncertainty.

Benefits and Challenges
Benefits Challenges
  • Large marketplace with diverse services
  • Flexible hiring options
  • Detailed freelancer profiles and reviews
  • Wide range of pricing can complicate budgeting
  • Potential for variable quality of work
  • Lack of consistency in freelancer performance

5. Turing

Pricing structure

Turing does not publicly disclose its pricing. Based on various reviews and market research, the estimated average salary for a Turing developer is $56,911 per year. However, the lack of transparency makes it difficult for clients to understand the true cost of hiring.

Challenges with pricing transparency

Turing’s pricing model is not transparent, which can lead to misunderstandings and unexpected costs. Clients are often unaware of the final charges until after hiring, which can complicate budget planning.

Benefits and Challenges
Benefits Challenges
  • Access to a global pool of cybersecurity engineers
  • Emphasis on hiring experienced professionals
  • Detailed vetting process for freelancers
  • Lack of pricing transparency
  • Potential for higher costs due to undisclosed fees
  • Client uncertainty about final costs

Conclusion

Choosing the right platform to hire cybersecurity professionals is crucial for the security and success of your business. Teilur Talent stands out for its transparent pricing and fair compensation model, which fosters trust and reduces turnover rates. Freelancer and Fiverr offer extensive networks but lack pricing transparency, which can lead to budget complications. Guru provides a diverse talent pool but has wide-ranging rates that can complicate budgeting. Turing’s lack of pricing transparency makes it challenging to understand the true cost of hiring. Teilur Talent’s commitment to transparency and fair compensation makes it a strong choice for companies looking to hire top cybersecurity talent.

Our thoughts on the pricing structure of Toptal 

While it's not possible for us to find details about how much of what a client pays ultimately goes to a candidate, we believe clients looking for transparent and straightforward pricing may want to look at other alternatives.

Our opinion is that if they are charging a client more than $12,000 monthly for a developer, they should at the very least be giving $9,600 to the candidate, but it's likely that it's even less than that.


What Hiring Managers Should Ask Before Choosing a Talent Partner

Before partnering with any talent provider — whether Toptal, Teilur, or others — hiring managers should consider asking the following key questions:

  • What percentage of the fee actually goes to the talent?

  • Are replacement or satisfaction guarantees included in the contract?

  • How are regional salary benchmarks determined?

  • Is there full transparency in how rates are broken down?

  • What is the long-term cost difference between hiring directly and through a platform?

These questions can help businesses make informed decisions and ensure that pricing aligns with both market realities and ethical compensation practices.

Toptal vs Teilur Talent Comparison
Concept Toptal Teilur Talent
Transparency Pricing details are not publicly disclosed. Clients see a blended hourly rate that includes both Toptal’s fee and the freelancer’s pay. Fully transparent rate breakdown. Clients see exactly how much goes to the talent and how much is retained by Teilur as a service fee.
Commission / Markup Estimated at up to ~50% based on third-party reports and client testimonials. The exact markup percentage is not officially stated. Capped at 20%, ensuring that at least 80% of the client’s payment goes directly to the developer.
Monthly Subscription Fee $79/month, non-optional, grants access to Toptal’s vetted talent network. (Source: Toptal website). No subscription fees. Clients only pay when hiring or engaging talent.
Initial Deposit $500 refundable deposit required to begin a talent search. No upfront deposit required to start the matching process.
Trial Policy Two-week no-risk trial. Clients are billed only if satisfied with the match. N/A (direct matching) – Teilur focuses on pre-vetted, long-term placements with transparent trial terms discussed case by case.
Pricing Range (Developers) $60–$200+ per hour depending on experience and project complexity (includes platform markup). $6,000–$7,000/month for senior LATAM developers, equivalent to ~$35–$45/hour — transparent, with no hidden markups.
Payment Structure Bi-monthly invoices; payment terms like Net 10. Includes blended rate. Monthly invoices with clear cost breakdown (talent pay + Teilur fee).
Toptal vs Teilur Talent Comparison
Concept Toptal Teilur Talent
Business Model Global freelance marketplace connecting clients with vetted professionals in software, design, and finance. LATAM-focused recruitment company connecting businesses with full-time remote developers and tech professionals.
Selectivity Claim Claims to accept less than 3% of applicants, based on its internal screening process. Works only with pre-vetted, bilingual professionals in LATAM, selected for technical and communication skills.
Recruitment Process Multi-stage: timed skills test → English interview → real-world project → live screen evaluation. Direct evaluation of experience, portfolio, and communication ability. Matches candidates by vertical (QA, Software, Cybersecurity, Data & BI) and company culture.
Trial or Test Period Offers a two-week trial, refundable if client isn’t satisfied. No fixed trial period — focuses on long-term retention and transparent onboarding.
Contract Type Typically weekly contracts (20 or 40 hours) with limited flexibility for short-term projects. Flexible monthly agreements, allowing scalability per project scope and company needs.
Transparency Pricing details not publicly disclosed. Clients see a blended hourly rate including Toptal’s markup. Fully transparent pricing model. Clients see how much goes to the developer and how much is Teilur’s service fee.
Commission / Markup Estimated around 40–50%, based on user reports and external reviews. Capped at 20%. At least 80% of client payment goes directly to the developer.
Initial Deposit Requires a $500 refundable deposit to start the search process. No upfront deposit required.
Client Support Account managers available during hiring and engagement. Support quality varies by project. Personalized support from start to finish, ensuring alignment for both client and talent.
Developer Pay Transparency Developers are contractually restricted from disclosing their actual pay rates. Developers know their full compensation and see transparent rate breakdowns.
Geographic Focus Global, with talent from Eastern Europe, Asia, and LATAM. Exclusive to Latin America, optimizing time-zone alignment and cultural fit.
Turnover Rate Not publicly disclosed. Reported below 15%, reflecting strong retention and satisfaction.
Best For Large enterprises or teams needing globally distributed freelance specialists. U.S. and international companies seeking transparent, long-term partnerships with vetted LATAM developers.

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Client Reviews

Teilur Talent
Teilur Talent Reviews
Madhulika Sharma

Teilur Talent featured in...

"Argentina offers highly competitive labor costs compared to other nearshoring destinations. With a strong focus on software and IT services, Argentina's tech talent pool is growing, and the country is already a resource for tech giants like Google."

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"Brazil offers an attractive combination of cost-effectiveness and high-quality talent. With reportedly more than 500,000 software developers and an impressive annual growth rate, Brazil boasts the largest tech talent pool in LATAM."

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"Teilur Talent recognized as the top IT Recruiting & Staffing firm in Latin America, Teilur Talent has made valuable contributions towards making the IT workspace more efficient and streamlined."

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"Teilur Talent is the world’s first talent development network connecting U.S. tech startups and remote developers from Latin America!"

At Teilur, Inc, we are committed to accuracy and fairness in all our content. Our discussions and comparisons, particularly those concerning other businesses in the recruitment industry, are grounded in the best interpretations made by our dedicated staff, based on publicly available information. We hold a deep respect for the unique qualities of each organization within our field and strive to offer valuable insights rooted in our core beliefs about the recruitment industry's workings. If you encounter any factual inaccuracies in our content, we encourage you to reach out to us at content-research@teilurtalent.com with the specific URL in question. Your feedback is invaluable, and we are committed to reviewing and addressing your concerns.

Got questions? We've got answers.

1

How is Teilur Talent different from other tech recruiting companies in LATAM?

At Teilur Talent, we take a mission-focused approach to recruiting, ensuring that our candidates are aligned with your company's vision and goals. Unlike other tech recruiting companies in LATAM, who may focus solely on technical skills, we prioritize the cultural fit and dedication of our team members to your company. For this reason, we do not support project contractor or freelancer roles. Instead, we focus on fully devoted team members who will help you achieve long-term success.

2

How does Teilur Talent attract and retain the best talent compared to other companies?

At Teilur Talent, we offer our candidates competitive salaries that are 2x to 3x higher than what tech companies would pay locally. This allows us to attract top talent and retain highly motivated and loyal team members. Additionally, we focus on finding candidates whose values align with the purpose, vision, and mission of our clients. This approach ensures that our engineers and tech talent are not just coding and completing task rather, they become part of a greater purpose, which gives them meaning and helps us attract and retain the best talent.

3

What are the typical tech roles that Teilur Talent recruits for?

At Teilur Talent, we specialize in recruiting for a wide range of tech roles that are typically in high demand. These include positions such as DevOps engineers, AI Developers, QA analysts and engineers, back-end and front-end developers, data scientists, product managers, business developers, and technical sales positions. Essentially, we recruit for most roles that are needed in B2B and B2C tech-focused businesses.

4

What are Teilur Talent's fees and pricing structure?

At Teilur Talent, we believe in transparency. We charge a flat rate fee of 20% of what the client pays. This way, our clients know exactly what they are paying for and how much the candidate gets. As an example: If a client hires a software engineer for $60,000 per year ($5,000 per month), Teilur's monthly fee would be $1,000 (20% of $5,000). We don't believe in hidden fees or unwanted surprises, so we disclose all costs upfront to both candidates hired and companies. When exploring other alternatives, make sure they are transparent about their pricing. We believe this is paramount for the benefit of all parties involved in this new era of remote work.

5

What is the candidate screening process at Teilur Talent, and how do you ensure a good fit for my company?

At Teilur Talent, we take candidate screening very seriously. We use a multi-layered approach to find the best candidates for our clients, starting with screening thousands of candidates from our internal and proprietary networks. We leverage AI technology to assess whether a candidate matches the technical skills required for a given job opening. We also perform additional personal evaluations to ensure that the candidate has the soft skills, culture fit, and English language skills required to excel in their new role. Our rigorous screening process ensures that only the best candidates make it through to our clients, saving them time and helping them find the best talent for their teams.