Top Lemon.io alternative for tailored tech talent

Published on
Aug 12, 2024
Written by
Maria del Mar Agudelo
EDITED by
Lisa Dahlgren
Read time
4 Minutes
Category
Transparency Research

Companies are always looking for the best platforms to meet their needs for software team augmentation in the highly competitive world of tech talent acquisition. While Lemon.io has been a popular choice for accessing skilled developers, particularly from Eastern Europe, there's an emerging alternative that's catching the eye of discerning decision-makers in the USA: Teilur Talent. This blog delves into why Teilur Talent is becoming the preferred choice for companies seeking not just a service provider, but a partner in building high-performing tech teams.

Teilur Talent Vs. Lemon.io: what is the top alternative tech recruiting firm?

Transparent Fair Pricing

Transparency in pricing is a cornerstone of trust between a service provider and its clients. Lemon.io has tailored its services to meet the needs of startups requiring reliable software development, introducing a Startup Plan that features hourly rates ranging from $45 to $85. 

While Lemon.io offers a straightforward approach to pricing, it lacks transparency in how payments are allocated between the platform and developers. Teilur Talent, on the other hand, prides itself on transparent, fair pricing, ensuring clients know exactly where their investment goes, fostering a relationship based on trust and clarity.

Team Focused, Not Client Focused

A significant differentiator for Teilur Talent is its emphasis on team dynamics over merely fulfilling client requisitions. This philosophy is evident in the feedback from users and employees alike. For instance, Glassdoor reviews highlight Lemon.io's challenges in matching candidates with client requirements swiftly, pointing to a process that can be slow and opaque.

Lemon.io review
Lemon.io pricing review

One employee's account criticizes the management's feedback mechanisms and lack of appreciation for employee efforts, suggesting a culture that might not always put team or talent first. 

Lemon.io review

In contrast, Teilur Talent prioritizes creating cohesive, well-integrated teams. This focus ensures that projects are not just about filling a gap with a skilled individual but about enhancing team synergy and project outcomes. By fostering a culture of mutual respect and understanding, Teilur Talent ensures that teams are more than the sum of their parts, leading to higher productivity and satisfaction on both ends.

The Right Developer for Your Team

Matching the right developer with the right team goes beyond assessing technical skills. Teilur Talent excels in this regard by considering cultural fit, language proficiency, and the specific needs of a project. 

Trustpilot reviews of Lemon.io present a mixed picture, some reviews raise concerns about bias in the selection process, pointing to a need for more inclusivity and fairness in evaluating candidates based on their skills and not their background.

The Trustpilot feedback underscores Lemon.io's effectiveness in facilitating project connections but also highlights the importance of ensuring a fair and unbiased selection process.

Lemon.io pricing reviews
Lemonio pricing reviews

On the other hand, G2 provides detailed customer feedback that sheds light on Lemon.io's service quality. Some users report challenges with customer service and communication, suggesting that Lemon.io could benefit from more responsive and clear communication channels. 

Lemonio pricing review

Reviews also touch on the long matchmaking process and occasional organizational issues, indicating that streamlining these aspects could enhance the overall client experience.

Lemonio pricing review

This comprehensive approach addresses some of the concerns raised in Lemon.io reviews in Trustpilot, where clients have experienced delays in project initiation due to long matchmaking processes and have been frustrated by a lack of control over candidate selection.

Similarities and Differences Between Lemon.io and Teilur Talent

While both platforms serve the tech industry's need for talent augmentation, their methodologies and values set them apart. Lemon.io's focus on Eastern European developers offers a specific talent pool, which, while skilled, may not meet every company's needs for cultural or regional alignment. 

Teilur Talent's global reach, particularly in nearshore outsourcing services, provides a more diverse Latin america talent pool, ensuring a better match for companies looking for specific skill sets or cultural compatibilities.

When Would You Recommend That My Company Choose Lemon.io or Teilur Talent?

Lemon.io could be the right choice for projects that benefit from Eastern European technical expertise and where the project scope aligns with Lemon.io's operational model. However, for businesses seeking a more diverse talent pool, greater pricing transparency, and a partner focused on building cohesive teams, Teilur Talent emerges as the superior choice.

What Are the Top Benefits of Working with Teilur Talent Compared to Lemon.io?

Teilur Talent offers:

  • Greater transparency in pricing and operations.
  • A focus on building teams, not just filling positions.
  • Access to a diverse, global talent pool.
  • Personalized matching of developers to teams, considering cultural fit and project needs.

Lemon.io Handles Payroll, Compliance, and Recruiting. How About Teilur Talent?

Like Lemon.io, Teilur Talent provides comprehensive services covering payroll, compliance, and recruiting. However, Teilur Talent adds value with dedicated account managers who ensure seamless integration and performance monitoring, enhancing the overall service experience without additional costs.

How Does Teilur Talent Ensure the Talent Is Retained Better Than Lemon.io?

Retention is key to project success and continuity. Teilur Talent's approach to retention is proactive, focusing on engagement, satisfaction, and career development opportunities for its talent. This strategy contrasts with the challenges faced by Lemon.io, where variability in developer availability and project commitment can lead to inconsistencies and disruptions.

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."

Teilur Talent featured in...

"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."

Teilur Talent featured in...

"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."

Teilur Talent featured in...

"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.