← ALL COMPARISONS
[ COMPARE ]
Contra vs Toptal
Side-by-side comparison of Contra and Toptal referral programs. Which one earns you more? Here are the facts.
[ HIGHER PAYOUT ]
Contra offers up to 100% revenue share (lifetime).
Contra
Toptal
CATEGORY
FREELANCE
FREELANCE
COMMISSION
0% commission freelancing
$60-200+/hr (top 3% only)
MODEL
revenue-share
revenue-share
MAX REV SHARE
100%
—
PAYOUT
fiat
fiat
MIN PAYOUT
$1
$20
FREQUENCY
ON-EVENT
WEEKLY
FIRST PAYOUT
~1d
~14d
COOKIE
LIFETIME
LIFETIME
KYC
YES
YES
GEO BLOCKED
NONE
NONE
RISK
MEDIUM
LOW
RATING
4.2/5 (95)
4.5/5 (320)
PROGRAM AGE
7y
16y
Contra
PROS
- +0% commission — keep 100%
- +Strong portfolio features
- +Fast payouts
CONS
- −Smaller client pool
- −Newer brand recognition
- −Need to drive your own leads
Toptal
PROS
- +Highest hourly rates ($60-200+)
- +Enterprise clients (Apple, Airbnb, Microsoft)
- +Long-term contracts
CONS
- −97% rejected
- −5-step screening takes weeks
- −Skill bar very high