If you’re a marketer, you know the importance of having a go-to resource for creative needs like graphic design, copywriting, web design, and more.
A company's creative needs can be varied, however, and many brands have found that in-house creative teams, while valuable and reliable, often are limited in their skill set. So, to get around these limitations, many brands choose to go to freelancing platforms to find the diverse range of skills they need.
The only problem is ... with so many platforms out there, how can you know which one is right for you?
Toptal is one choice, recognized for its ability to connect businesses with highly skilled professionals from around the world. On the other hand, Designity has also emerged as a high-quality and reliable Creative as a Service (CaaS) platform, offering a structured, subscription-based approach to creative marketing.
If you’re on the fence about whether either of these platforms is right for you, then you’re in luck!
Today’s blog is going to compare Toptal and Designity to help you determine which platform best suits your creative demands and overall marketing goals!
Who is Toptal?
Toptal is a global freelancing platform that connects businesses with a variety of skilled professionals, like engineers, designers, finance experts, project managers, developers, business consultants, and more.
Priding itself on only offering the top 3% of freelance talent from applicants around the world, Toptal aims to match its clients with only the most skilled and reliable professionals to aid them in business needs, including marketing and advertising.
Who is Designity?
Designity is a Creative as a Service (CaaS) platform that connects businesses with US-based creatives, including graphic designers, copywriters, web designers, video experts, 3D artists, and more.
It is set up to provide companies with an alternative to traditional freelance marketplaces and in-house teams by offering a subscription-based model that provides clients with access to a wide range of creative marketing services at a budget-friendly and predictable cost.
How Designity’s CaaS Platform Compares to Toptal’s Freelance Network
So, how do these two platforms compare?
And which is right for you?
Let’s break it down by comparing some key features to help you see which is right for your brand and your marketing goals.
Pricing
Toptal
Toptal does require a $500 deposit before you get started, though your deposit is refunded completely if you decide not to move forward with their services. If you do, however, then that upfront payment is applied as a credit to your first invoice.
Once you get started, Toptal freelancers charge on an hourly basis, depending on their level of skills, market fit, and the demand for their services.
Depending on what services you’re looking for, you may be charged between $80 and $150 an hour per freelancer until your marketing projects are complete.
Designity
Designity keeps things simple by offering three subscription-based plans that can be paid either monthly, quarterly, or yearly.
Each plan comes with different features to achieve your marketing goals. They are priced as follows:
- Essentials — starting at $3,495 / mo for a monthly subscription.
- Plus — starting at $5,495 / mo for a monthly subscription.
- Premium — starting at $8,495 / mo for a monthly subscription.
No matter which monthly plan you choose, your flat subscription fee gets you unlimited revisions without the need to worry about revision fees or any unexpected charges.
Project Management
Toptal
Once freelancers are assigned to your account, it is up to you to manage them. You can check in through phone calls, texts, or email, depending on what communication preferences you all agree on.
If you would like them to use your project management system of choice, you must take the time to train them.
Designity
Each Designity account provides you with a designated Creative Director with 10 or more years of experience in design, marketing, and strategy for quality assurance and to lead your team.
They will be your single point of contact, meet with you weekly to discuss progress, and source and manage your creative team, drawing from a pool of talented freelancers to ensure that you have the right talent for your projects.
Trial Period
Toptal
Toptal starts each engagement between your brand and a freelancer with a trial period of up to two weeks.
If you are satisfied with the results your freelancer is giving you, then you will simply be billed for their time and can continue working with the freelancer for as long as you’d like. If you aren’t completely satisfied within those two weeks, you won’t be billed at all.
From there, you can search elsewhere for your creative needs or Toptal can try to pair you with another freelancer to start the process again.
Designity
Designity offers two-week trials for monthly subscription plans, three-week trials for quarterly plans, and four-week trials for annual plans.
Your creative team will work on as many projects as you like during this time and turn in deliverables as they are completed. If, at the end of your trial, you decide that Designity is not for you, then you are free to walk away without being billed. (You will, however, lose access to any work completed).
If you decide to continue with Designity’s services, your trial will be absorbed into your first statement.
Your Creative Team
Toptal
Toptal matches a freelancer to your account based on their individual expertise and your business needs. You can either accept a match or, if you feel the candidate does not have what you’re looking for, ask them to match you with another freelancer.
You can also hire on as many freelancers as you’d like to build a creative team, though each freelancer’s hourly rates will apply separately.
Toptal does ensure that their freelancers can speak and write in English during their vetting process, but they do not guarantee that they will be in the same time zone, though you can request a freelancer in your time zone for an extra fee.
Designity
Your creative team is handpicked by your designated Creative Director according to the skills needed for your projects. The number of creatives on your account will vary based on your plan, but each creative can be switched out (at no charge) based on what expertise your marketing projects require.
Every Designity Creative is US-based and rigorously vetted to eliminate issues with quality, language barriers, and time zones. Designity only accepts about 3% of candidates, to ensure that our talent pool is made up of the best of the best in their respective fields.
Turnaround
Toptal
Toptal aims for a 24-hour turnaround, but there are no guarantees, as this will depend on your freelancer and the amount of time they have available to give to your projects.
Designity
As soon as you start with Designity, your Creative Director will work with you to build a transparent timeline and set deadlines for all of your marketing projects.
Once your deadlines are set, they are guaranteed, with unlimited project requests and revisions.
Scope of Services
Toptal
Toptal offers around 260 specialized services to choose from, featuring a number of Toptal experts in those categories. For marketers, their focus is on design, animation, and project management.
Designity
Designity offers over 100 services specifically for marketing and design, including graphic design, copywriting, web development, video production, 3D VR design, digital marketing campaigns, and more.
Client Onboarding
Toptal
Before matching you with a Toptal expert, you’ll speak to a director of design who will work with you to understand your goals, the services you’ll need, and your company culture.
From there, you’ll be matched with a freelancer within 24 hours. Once you are matched, you can give your expert specific details about your projects and the job you would like completed. They can get started as soon as they are sufficiently up to speed.
Designity
To start with Designity, you can either sign up on their website or book a demo call.
You’ll speak to an Account Executive who will work with you to understand your brand, your goals, your company culture, and the scope of services you’ll be needing. From there, you’ll be matched to the Creative Director that fits you best, both personality-wise and skill-wise.
Expect to start your trial and begin your first project within three days.
<div class="c-blog_comp-cta cc-component-1"><div class="c-blog_comp-cta-left"><div class="c-blog_comp-cta-left-wrap"><img src="https://global-uploads.webflow.com/61cdf3c5e0b8155f19e0105b/6369722e59155470b6840033_Potential-clients.png" loading="lazy" alt="" class="c-blog_comp-cta-left-img"></div></div><div class="c-blog_comp-cta-right"><div class="c-blog_comp-content"><div class="c-text-wrapper cc-mb-32"><div class="c-title-4 cc-bold"><strong>Want to save money without sacrificing the quality?</strong></div></div><div class="c-text-wrapper"><div class="c-text-2">Say goodbye to traditional, expensive agencies and unreliable marketplaces. Say hello to Designity.<br></div></div></div><div class="c-blog_comp-wrapper"><a href="/pricing" target="_blank" class="c-button cc-primary cc-inverted w-button"><strong>Get Your 2-Week Trial</strong></a></div></div></div>
Toptal vs. Designity: The Verdict
So, which is the right choice for you?
Both platforms are great for connecting you with the very best creative talent, but if it's a more predictable, comprehensive, and budget-friendly creative marketing solution you’re looking for, perhaps Designity is where it’s at.
In addition to being made up of the top 3% of our applicants, Designity ups your value by offering you the peace of mind of having a dedicated Creative Director to manage your account.
This way you never have to manage your creative team, worry if your team is going to meet your deadlines, or if the quality of your deliverables is going to meet your expectations. Your Creative Director takes care of it and all you’ll need to do is sit back and approve your results as they come in.
If a top-notch creative team, the cost-effectiveness of a subscription-based creative service model, and the guidance of a Creative Director sounds like just the marketing solution your brand needs, why not check out our portfolio, testimonial page, and case study collection to see how Designity has made the difference for brands just like yours?
When you’re ready, book your demo call.
We can’t wait to get you started on your two-week, no-obligation trial so you can see firsthand how Designity can elevate your brand!
If you’d like a more visual comparison of Toptal vs. Designity, feel free to check out that link. And if you’d like to see how Designity compares to other creative service providers, click that link for a handy comparison chart.
