Honest comparison
A vetted freelancer,
or an embedded team.
Toptal solves a real problem: finding one strong freelancer fast, without wading through hundreds of applicants. That is not quite the same problem as designing and shipping a SaaS product end to end.
What Toptal actually is
A vetted marketplace
is not an embedded team.
Toptal is a talent marketplace that screens applicants and matches you with an individual freelancer. Its pitch is quality control on who you meet, not a packaged team or process. You are still hiring one person, managing the engagement, and billed by the hour or by project.
Side by side
The real
differences.
| Factor | Other option | Desisle |
|---|---|---|
| Who does the work | One matched freelancer, sourced and managed by you | One dedicated designer, backed by a Head of Design |
| Category depth | General skill across many industries | SaaS and AI products only, 40+ shipped |
| Design and build | Separate hires for design and engineering | One team designs and ships code |
| Continuity | Availability changes mean re-search and re-onboarding | A pod is a team with backup |
| Pricing | Commonly $60-150+/hr, scaling with hours | Pods start at $3,000/mo, month to month |
| Try before you commit | Trial period evaluates one individual | Free 3-day trial delivers a screen on your product |
The verdict
Toptal is the right call when you need one strong specialist, fast, for a bounded task, and you are set up to manage them directly. A pod is the right call when you want SaaS-specific product judgment, senior review, and the option to have the same team take it all the way to working code.
The trial
Test us with a free
3-day trial.
Every designer is on our team - no freelancers. Give us one real task and see.
Pick the task
Pick a small part of your existing product.
We solve it
We solve one real design challenge on it.
Watch us work
See our process, speed and communication.
Choose what next
Continue with a pod — or keep the work, no hard feelings.
Quick answers
Before you ask.
Is Toptal a bad option?
Not at all — it's a good way to find a single vetted specialist quickly. It's just a different tool than a design-and-build team for a whole product.
Can I use Toptal for engineering and Desisle for design?
You can, though the handoff between two separately-hired teams is exactly the gap a design-and-build pod removes.
Is a pod more expensive than a Toptal freelancer?
Per hour, often not — Toptal rates run $60–150+/hr. A pod bundles seniority, review and continuity into a flat monthly cost instead.
How do I compare the two fairly?
Normalize for scope, seniority and whether build is included, then ask each for a small test task before you decide.