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Guru vs Toptal

A side-by-side look at 2 Freelance Marketplaces tools for 2026 — the verdict, pricing, ratings, features, and what readers think.

Guru
guru.com
1.7 (210 · Trustpilot)
Best for US clients who want the lowest marketplace fees for coding, writing or design and will vet carefully

Long-running US freelance marketplace with low fees: 2.9% for clients, 5-9% for freelancers, SafePay escrow and flexible payment agreements.

Visit Guru
Toptal
toptal.com
4.8 (2,564 · Trustpilot)
Best for companies hiring senior, pre-vetted developers, designers or finance experts for long-term work

Hire from the top 3% of freelance developers, designers and consultants, matched within about 24 hours, with a no-risk trial.

Visit Toptal

Pricing compared

Guru
$8.95/mo (billed yearly)
  • Free tier Yes
  • Free trial Free plan for freelancers; free posting for clients
Toptal
$79/mo
  • Free tier No
  • Free trial No-risk trial up to 2 weeks; not billed if not satisfied

Head to head

Guru Toptal
Rating 1.7 (210 · Trustpilot) 4.8 (2,564 · Trustpilot)
Starting price $8.95/mo (billed yearly) $79/mo
Free tier Yes No
Free trial Free plan for freelancers; free posting for clients No-risk trial up to 2 weeks; not billed if not satisfied
Platforms Web · iOS · Android Web · iOS · Android
Founded 1998 2010
HQ Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA —

Pros & cons

Guru
Pros
  • Low freelancer fees of 5% to 9%, below most large marketplaces.
  • Low 2.9% client handling fee, effectively zero by US eCheck or wire.
  • Four payment agreement types, including recurring payments.
  • SafePay escrow with arbitration, plus WorkRoom collaboration tools.
Cons
  • Very poor Trustpilot rating of 1.7 from 210 reviews, mostly 1-star.
  • The free plan has the highest fee (9%) and only 10 bids per month.
  • Memberships are non-refundable.
  • Smaller talent pool and weakly rated mobile apps.
Toptal
Pros
  • Rigorous vetting: fewer than 3% of applicants are accepted.
  • Candidates usually introduced within 24 hours by a matching team.
  • No-risk trial of up to two weeks, with up to three candidates per role.
  • Talent keep 100% of their rate; Toptal takes no cut.
  • Highest Trustpilot score among major freelance platforms: 4.8 from 2,564 reviews.
Cons
  • Clients pay a USD 79 monthly subscription, and hourly rates are not published.
  • Not suited to small one-off tasks or tight budgets.
  • No open catalog to browse; you rely on Toptal's matching.
  • Hard for freelancers to join: years of experience and a multi-week screening.