Introduction

While making an informed decision is crucial, Bricx is the best Toptal alternative for hiring designers if you’re a B2B or AI SaaS company that cares about deeply integrated product design, growth-driven UX, and long-term design partnership.

Over the last few months, we spoke to over 57 design agencies and talent networks globally, ran actual sales calls & made one of the most comprehensive comparisons ever done.

We gave them the same documented talent brief & analyzed them based on:

• Talent quality & vetting

• Pricing & engagement flexibility

• Design process maturity

• Integration with internal teams

• UX product thinking

• Collaboration tools & workflow

• Communication transparency

• NDA & IP protections

• Timeline predictability

• Long-term support & scalability

We then took all this data and created “The Ultimate Designer Talent Network Benchmarking Report for 2025.”

Based on our global benchmarks, we handpicked a curated list of the 10 best Toptal alternatives for hiring designers.

By the end, you’ll know exactly which option fits your hiring style, budget, and product needs, and why.

How To Evaluate Your Designer Talent Partner?

If you’re searching for the best Toptal alternative for hiring designers, you’re likely after quality plus predictability, not just freelancers. Here are 5 criteria that truly separate great talent networks from the rest:

1. Rigorous Vetting & Quality Assurance

Toptal’s reputation comes from its vetting process. Its alternatives must match or exceed that rigor. A strong platform should screen for portfolio depth, real-world problem solving, and work that moves beyond pretty pixels. Ask about method, scenario tests, and design critique evaluations.

2. Fit With Your Product’s Complexity

Hiring a designer for a simple landing page vs. a multi-stage SaaS onboarding flow requires different expertise. Look for platforms that match designers based on product experience — especially in areas like B2B SaaS, AI dashboards, fintech, or enterprise platforms.

3. Flexible Engagement Models

Your needs might vary, sometimes you need a full-time embedded designer, other times a part-time product UX specialist. A great alternative supports multiple engagement types: fractional, contract-to-hire, hourly, and retainers.

4. Integration & Workflow Support

Great designers don’t just deliver files, they integrate with your team. The platform should support onboarding, shared communication channels (Slack/Teams), async deliverables, and access to design systems. The easier it is to plug in, the faster you ship good work.

5. Support Across the Design Lifecycle

Top networks don’t stop at execution, they support strategy, research, prototyping, usability testing, and developer handoff. If the talent pool skews heavily toward UI without product thinking, you’ll still have gaps in your journey.

10 Best Toptal Alternatives to Hiring Designers: [Comparison]

Here’s a list of the top 10 best Toptal alternatives for hiring designers.

1. Bricx

Bricx operates as a product-first design partner rather than a traditional freelance marketplace. Instead of simply matching you with an available designer, Bricx embeds senior SaaS UX and product designers directly into your roadmap discussions, sprint cycles, and growth initiatives. Their work focuses on measurable outcomes such as activation improvements, onboarding optimization, and churn reduction.

Because Bricx specializes exclusively in B2B and AI SaaS products, their designers understand complex workflows, dashboards, and conversion-focused user journeys. You’re not just hiring execution capacity, you’re getting product-aligned design thinking backed by founder oversight.

• Talent Breadth: Senior SaaS UX & product designers

• Engagement Flexibility: Fractional, monthly retainer, long-term embedded

• Communication Tools: Slack-first collaboration, async updates

• Quality Assurance: Founder-led oversight + SaaS-focused vetting

  
  

2. Upwork (Top Rated & Specialized Talent)

Upwork is one of the largest and most flexible platforms for hiring designers across all experience levels. From junior visual designers to senior UX strategists and boutique design agencies, the breadth of available talent is massive. This makes it a viable Toptal alternative if you’re willing to actively manage the vetting process.

Upwork allows filtering by hourly rate, industry expertise, client ratings, and portfolio strength. However, since screening is decentralized, quality varies significantly. Strong results depend on how well you evaluate candidates and structure test projects.

• Talent Breadth: Very large

• Engagement Flexibility: Hourly, part-time, full-time, fixed price

• Communication Tools: Integrated workrooms and milestone tracking

• Quality Assurance: Reputation scores and client reviews

  
  

3. Gun.io

Gun.io is a curated talent network focused primarily on technical professionals, but they also place experienced UX and product designers. Unlike open marketplaces, Gun.io actively matches candidates to your hiring brief and pre-screens them before introductions are made.

Their process reduces hiring friction by filtering for both skill level and team fit. Gun.io is especially strong for tech-heavy startups that need designers comfortable collaborating closely with engineering teams.

• Talent Breadth: Mid-to-senior UX & product designers

• Engagement Flexibility: Contract, fractional, full-time placement

• Communication Tools: Managed onboarding + direct integration

• Quality Assurance: Curated screening and matching

  
  

4. Aquent

Aquent is a global creative staffing agency specializing in UX, UI, and product design placements. Unlike freelance platforms, Aquent operates as a managed hiring partner, handling sourcing, screening, and initial candidate evaluation.

They are particularly useful for mid-market and enterprise companies looking to scale design teams quickly without building an internal recruitment pipeline. Their vetting process includes portfolio review and professional background checks.

• Talent Breadth: Senior UX/UI & product specialists

• Engagement Flexibility: Contract, full-time, contract-to-hire

• Communication Tools: Account-managed placements

• Quality Assurance: Agency-led screening process

  
  

5. We Work Remotely (Talent Sourcing + Hiring)

We Work Remotely isn’t a design network per se, but it’s one of the top destinations for sourcing remote designers with product experience. Companies post jobs directly and attract senior talent looking for meaningful, long-term roles.

If your goal is full-time hires rather than contract gigs, this site offers exposure to a broad pool of remote UX/UI designers and product creatives. The quality depends on your hiring process — but with strong interviewing and test tasks, this can rival Toptal talent at lower cost.

• Talent Breadth: Remote designers globally.

• Engagement: Full-time & contract.

• Hiring Style: Direct employer process.

• Best For: Teams ready to own recruitment internally.

6. Fiverr Pro (Designers & UX Experts)

Fiverr Pro is the premium arm of Fiverr, featuring hand-vetted professionals across UX, UI, product design, and brand identity. What differentiates it from standard Fiverr is the quality threshold and curated talent pool.

If you need specialists quicker and more affordably than Toptal, without compromising too much on quality, Fiverr Pro is a strong alternative. Its model is project-based (often with clear deliverables and predictable pricing), making it ideal for design sprints, branding, or UI refresh work.

However, if your needs extend into deep product thinking or integrated UX strategy, you may need to layer in internal product leads or design strategists.

• Talent Breadth: Broad, with visual & UX specialists.

• Pricing: Competitive and transparent.

• Engagement Types: Project-based primarily.

• Workflow: Fixed deliverables with revision policy.

  
  

7. Creative Circle

Creative Circle is a long-standing creative staffing agency placing UX designers, product designers, and digital creatives into contract and permanent roles. They manage recruitment logistics, candidate screening, and placement coordination.

This makes them a strong alternative for companies that prefer recruiter-managed hiring rather than self-serve marketplaces. Creative Circle is particularly useful for organizations scaling internal design teams quickly.

• Talent Breadth: Mid-to-senior UX/UI professionals

• Engagement Flexibility: Contract, full-time, temp-to-perm

• Communication Tools: Dedicated recruiter support

• Quality Assurance: Recruiter-led screening

  
  

8. Eleken

Eleken is a SaaS-focused design agency that provides dedicated product designers through a subscription-style engagement model. Unlike freelance marketplaces, Eleken assigns designers who specialize in B2B software, complex dashboards, and feature-heavy applications.

Their designers work feature-by-feature alongside product managers and engineering teams, helping continuously improve usability and UI consistency. Eleken is especially strong for SaaS companies that want long-term product design support rather than one-off freelance help.

• Talent Breadth: Dedicated SaaS UX and product designers

• Engagement Flexibility: Subscription-based ongoing support

• Communication Tools: Async updates + structured feature cycles

• Quality Assurance: SaaS-specific UX methodology + internal review

  
  

9. Goji Labs

Goji Labs combines product strategy, UX design, and development collaboration, making them a comprehensive alternative to hiring designers individually through Toptal. Their teams work closely with founders and product leads to align UX decisions with roadmap priorities.

They are particularly effective for early- to mid-stage startups that need clarity from ideation through product launch. Goji’s structured sprint model and technical awareness reduce friction between design and engineering teams.

• Talent Breadth: Product designers + UX strategists

• Engagement Flexibility: Fixed-scope projects + ongoing retainers

• Communication Tools: Weekly sprint syncs + collaborative planning

• Quality Assurance: Multi-stage internal design reviews

  
  

10. Superside

Superside operates as a subscription-based design agency providing ongoing access to senior designers and creative teams. Rather than hiring an individual freelancer, companies gain access to a managed design team with project oversight.

Superside is particularly useful for organizations needing consistent design output across multiple initiatives. While more execution-focused than deeply strategic product agencies, they provide predictable delivery capacity.

• Talent Breadth: UI/visual + creative design teams

• Engagement Flexibility: Subscription model

• Communication Tools: Dedicated project managers

• Quality Assurance: Structured workflow oversight

  
  

Conclusion

Choosing the best Toptal alternative for hiring designers isn’t about finding cheaper talent, it’s about finding the right fit for your product, pace, and growth stage.

The right partner will understand your workflows, collaborate seamlessly with your team, and design with business outcomes in mind. They won’t just deliver polished UI, they’ll help you simplify complex experiences, improve activation and retention, and move the metrics that actually matter.

Whether you need embedded product designers, a scalable design team, or a more flexible hiring model, the best alternative should feel less like a marketplace and more like a true extension of your company.

Because in the end, great design isn’t about aesthetics.
It’s about building products people understand, trust, and keep coming back to.

If you’re prioritizing product growth, SaaS intelligence, and measurable UX impact, Bricx is a standout choice among Toptal alternatives.

FAQs

1. Why would companies look for alternatives to Toptal for hiring designers?

Companies may seek alternatives because they want broader talent pools, different pricing structures, or access to specialists in specific design niches. Some teams need deeper vetting for UX research, motion, product design, or specialized industry experience. Exploring alternatives helps companies find the best match for both quality and budget.

2. What qualities should I prioritize when evaluating Toptal alternatives?

You should look at vetting rigor, talent availability, speed to hire, and flexibility in engagement type (contract, part-time, full-time). It’s also important to assess how each platform supports communication, project management, and talent replacement if needed. The ideal alternative aligns with both your hiring cadence and your product goals.

3. Are all Toptal alternatives equally good for startups and enterprises?

No, some platforms are better for lean startup budgets and quick, flexible hires, while others focus on enterprise-grade talent and long-term placements. The best choice depends on the scope of design work you need and how strategic the role is. Startups may prefer platforms with faster onboarding and lower commitment, while large orgs might prioritize deep vetting and specialized portfolios.

4. How do Toptal alternatives vary in pricing and engagement models?

Some services charge hourly or monthly rates, others use subscription access to talent pools, and a few support percentage-based placement fees. Engagement models range from freelance gigs to long-term contracts or direct hire. Understanding these differences helps you budget accurately and avoid surprises later.