Upwork vs BairesDev vs Teilur Talent

Published on
Feb 3, 2025
Written by
Maria del Mar Agudelo
EDITED by
Juan David Rodríguez
Read time
4 Minutes
Category
Transparency Research

The quest for top-notch tech talent has led companies to explore various platforms for their staffing needs. Teilur Talent, Upwork and BairesDev each offer unique pathways to connect with skilled professionals, but choosing the right partner can be a complex decision. This blog delves into a detailed comparison of these three platforms, focusing on aspects such as talent quality, specialization, pricing, and customer support, to guide decision-makers in selecting the best option for their tech talent requirements.

Overview of Each Platform: Upwork vs BairesDev vs Teilur Talent

Below, we present details for each of these three companies, guiding you towards the absolute best choice for your needs.

Teilur Talent

Teilur Talent, a pioneer in connecting businesses with full-time tech talent in Latin America, offers an innovative approach to tech talent recruitment. With over 10,000 pre-vetted professionals, they focus on transparency and client-centric practices, disrupting traditional recruitment models.

Key Features and Services Offered
  • Specialization in Latin American talent for nearshore staff augmentation.
  • Transparent pricing with no minimum commitments, ideal for hiring developers for startups.
  • A rigorous pre-vetting process ensures high-quality tech talent recruitment.
BairesDev vs Upwork vs Teilur 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).

BairesDev

BairesDev is recognized for its nearshore technology solutions, leveraging extensive tech expertise across Latin America. They focus on digital acceleration, offering custom software development and prioritizing quality assurance and testing.

Key Features and Services Offered
  • Access to over 4,000 timezone-aligned software engineers skilled in more than 100 technologies.
  • A strong track record with over 1,200 projects executed for a diverse client base.
  • Specialization in high-quality nearshore tech talent, though with higher pricing that may not suit all budgets.

Learn more about: BairesDev Alternatives

Comparative Analysis: Upwork vs BairesDev vs Teilur Talent

Feature Comparison
Feature Teilur Talent UpWork BairesDev
Talent Quality High, with a focus on Latin America Variable, dependent on freelancer High, extensive tech expertise across Latin America
Specialization Tech talent in Latin America Broad, across various fields Nearshore tech talent, DevOps, custom software
Pricing Transparent, no minimums Flexible, set by freelancers Premium, no explicit costs
Global Reach Latin America Global Latin America, 40+ countries
Customer Support High, personalized support Variable, platform-based support High, with dedicated project management

Talent Quality and Vetting Process

Teilur Talent stands out for its meticulous vetting process, ensuring only the highest quality tech talent is recruited. Focusing on remote talent acquisition, they conduct comprehensive evaluations, including technical skills assessments and soft skills interviews, to ensure a perfect fit for IT staff augmentation needs. This rigorous approach positions Teilur Talent as a leading tech talent recruitment agency in Latin America.

Upwork's platform allows for a wide range of talent quality, with the vetting process largely dependent on client reviews and freelancer ratings. While this democratizes the hiring process, it requires clients to be more proactive in assessing candidates for software development staff augmentation, making it a versatile but variable option for technology staff augmentation.

BairesDev emphasizes high-quality talent through a selective hiring process, claiming to employ only the top 1% of IT talent in Latin America. Their approach to nearshore staff augmentation combines technical exams, interviews, and background checks, ensuring clients access to premier software engineers and developers for their projects.

For further information check out the full review on Clutch.

Specialization and Industry Focus

Teilur Talent, specializing in Latin American talent, focuses on providing skilled professionals for IT staff augmentation, particularly in DevOps and software development. Their deep understanding of the regional talent pool and industry needs makes them a preferred partner for companies seeking nearshore staff augmentation and tech talent recruitment.

Upwork's broad platform caters to a wide array of specializations, from web development to digital marketing. While this allows for a diverse range of projects, it lacks the focused industry expertise found in dedicated IT staff augmentation companies, making it more suited for businesses with varied, not highly specialized, tech talent needs.

BairesDev's industry focus spans across technology-driven solutions, including custom software development, AI, and blockchain technologies. As one of the leading IT staff augmentation agencies, they offer specialized services tailored to the unique digital transformation challenges of each client, positioning themselves as experts in nearshore staff augmentation.

Pricing and Flexibility

Teilur Talent offers transparent pricing with no minimum commitments, providing flexibility for startups and established companies alike. This approach to hiring tech talent is particularly appealing for businesses looking for cost-effective solutions without the burden of long-term financial commitments, making them a standout choice for software development staff augmentation.

Upwork provides flexibility in pricing, with freelancers setting their own rates. This model offers variable pricing options but can lead to unpredictability in project costs. The platform's structure supports both short-term and long-term engagements, accommodating a range of project sizes and budgets for remote talent acquisition.

BairesDev's pricing model, with premium rates that reflect their high-quality talent pool. While their services offer exceptional value, the cost may be prohibitive for smaller projects or companies with limited budgets. Their focus on long-term, high-value projects makes them less flexible for companies seeking short-term or variable staffing solutions.

Global Reach and Accessibility

Teilur Talent with a focus on Latin America, offers companies in the U.S. and Canada access to a nearshore talent pool, reducing time zone differences and facilitating smoother collaboration. Their specialization in the region enhances their ability to provide technology staff augmentation services to North American companies seeking cultural alignment and accessibility.

Upwork's global platform connects clients with freelancers from around the world, offering unparalleled reach for remote talent acquisition. This accessibility allows companies to hire tech talent across various time zones and specializations, though it may present challenges in managing projects across disparate locations.

BairesDev's global reach, with a presence in over 40 countries, positions them as a powerful player in the IT staff augmentation field. Their nearshore focus in Latin America benefits North American clients, offering high-quality talent with fewer logistical hurdles than traditional offshore outsourcing models.

Customer Support and Satisfaction

Teilur Talent prides itself on high, personalized customer support, ensuring clients receive attentive service throughout their engagement. Their commitment to satisfaction is evident in their hands-on approach to managing projects and resolving any issues, making them a reliable partner for tech talent recruitment.

Upwork: Customer support on Upwork varies, with the platform providing tools and systems for dispute resolution and project management. While Upwork facilitates communication between clients and freelancers, the level of support and satisfaction can depend on the individual freelancers' responsiveness and professionalism.

BairesDev offers dedicated project management and customer support, ensuring clients have a consistent point of contact throughout their projects. This level of service contributes to high customer satisfaction, with BairesDev's team working closely with clients to address their needs and ensure successful project outcomes in software development staff augmentation.

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.

Conclusion: Upwork vs BairesDev vs Teilur Talent, Who Wins?

When considering remote talent acquisition, IT staff augmentation, and the need to hire tech talent, Teilur Talent emerges as a strong contender, especially for companies valuing transparency, specialization in Latin America, and flexible pricing. While Upwork offers global reach and BairesDev provides extensive tech expertise, Teilur Talent's client-centric approach and commitment to quality make it an ideal partner for businesses aiming to leverage the burgeoning tech talent in Latin America.

Contact Teilur Talent today and discover how our transparent, client-focused approach to tech talent recruitment can seamlessly integrate the skilled professionals you need into your team.

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Client Reviews

Teilur Talent
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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.