RemoteAI, Toptal, Upwork, Turing, Lemon.io, and Arc.dev — what each actually costs, how vetting works, and which one fits your hire.
| Platform | Best for | Rate | Fees | Vetting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RemoteAI You are here | AI-specific hiring with zero markup on rates | Set directly by talent — no markup | Free, $49 one-time, or $358/mo (20 posts) | Manual review of every profile |
| Toptal | High-stakes, brand-sensitive projects with budget to spare | $60–$250+/hr (rate includes an undisclosed markup) | $500 deposit + $79/month platform fee | Strict multi-stage screening, low acceptance rate |
| Upwork | Maximum breadth across every freelance category | $50–$200+/hr | 3–10% client fee per contract + per-contract fee | Open — anyone can create a profile |
| Turing | Scaling a full remote engineering team | $100–$200/hr, priced like a staffing agency | Custom / agency-style pricing | AI-matched, algorithm-driven screening |
| Lemon.io | Early-stage startups that need someone fast | $55–$120/hr | Built into hourly rate | Vetted pool, faster matching process |
| Arc.dev | Mid-size teams wanting a curated shortlist | $60–$110/hr | Built into hourly rate | Vetted, community-sourced pool |
Figures based on publicly reported pricing as of 2026. Rates and terms change — verify current terms directly with each platform before deciding.
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FAQ
It depends on your priority. For AI-specific talent with no markup on rates and no deposit, RemoteAI is built specifically for this. For high-budget, brand-sensitive hires, Toptal is a strong premium option. For the widest possible pool across all categories, Upwork wins on breadth. For scaling a full remote team fast, Turing and Lemon.io are worth evaluating.
RemoteAI charges a flat platform fee (free to start) with no markup or commission on what you pay the talent. Toptal adds a $500 deposit, a $79/month fee, and typically a 30-50% undisclosed rate markup. Upwork charges 3-10% per contract on top of the freelancer rate. Lemon.io and Arc.dev build their fee into the hourly rate rather than itemizing it.
Vetted platforms save screening time — every profile has already been reviewed before you see it. General marketplaces like Upwork have a much larger pool but put the vetting work on you. If you are hiring for a specific, hard-to-evaluate skill like LLM engineering or MLOps, a vetted, specialist pool tends to save more time than it costs in platform fees.
For general software engineering roles at scale, Toptal and Turing's broader networks and agency-style support can be worth the premium. For AI-specific roles specifically, a platform built around AI, ML, and LLM talent — rather than general engineering — usually gets you a more relevant shortlist without the agency markup.
Post free, no deposit, no commission — see who applies before you commit to anything.