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.

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.








