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Superside vs. Toptal
Superside gives you a dedicated design team, collaborative tech-enabled platform and high-quality creative outputs without any of the headache—all for the price of a single designer.
Comparing Superside as the Toptal Alternative
Services offeredOur designers are full-timers, not freelancers. As a result, we offer 24/7 project management support with access to a purpose-built platform to centralize and streamline design operations. We lean into partnerships, rather than a transactional design service. | Specializes in creative services such as graphic design, motion graphics, illustration, custom production (video, sound, photo), and campaigns and concepts for marketing and creative teams. | Specializes in creative services such as graphic design, motion graphics, illustration, custom production (video, sound, photo), and campaigns and concepts for marketing and creative teams. | Over 260 “specialized” skills for specific requirements with a primary focus on design for product teams. |
|---|---|---|---|
Pricing | Transparent, subscription pricing starts at $5,000 per month that can easily scale up (or down) to support the design needs of an entire enterprise organization. | Transparent, subscription pricing starts at $5,000 per month that can easily scale up (or down) to support the design needs of an entire enterprise organization. | Based on skill level, market fit, and demand. Hourly wages start at $70 per hour to $6,000 per month. You must hire more freelancers for other specializations as needs change. |
OnboardingSuperside runs two complimentary onboarding sessions. We conduct the first 45 min kick-off to introduce you to your dedicated team and ask questions about long-term goals and expectations. The second is a 60-minute brand/creative workshop to unpack your needs and nuances to consider before launching your first project. | Collaborative onboarding process to understand your brand, current team structure, existing skills, and ongoing team needs. With a dedicated creative project manager, there is nothing lost between projects. | Collaborative onboarding process to understand your brand, current team structure, existing skills, and ongoing team needs. With a dedicated creative project manager, there is nothing lost between projects. | Limited onboarding through a director of design who will work with you to understand goals, technical needs, and team dynamics before handing you off to your designer. New projects may require bringing new designers up-to-speed. |
Turnaround timeSuperside's lightning-fast turnarounds depend on your plan and design request. Our cheapest plan offers 15 hours of quick turnaround time. Toptal's 24 hours depends on the skillset and availability of your freelancer. | 12 to 48 hours | 12 to 48 hours | 24 hours |
Communication | Stay in close contact with your dedicated creative project manager through the Superside platform, email, or Slack integration. | Stay in close contact with your dedicated creative project manager through the Superside platform, email, or Slack integration. | Directly with design freelancer over email and phone. You'll need to train them on your project management platform of choice. |
Number of requests / revisions | Unlimited revisions based on hours available in your selected plans which can scale up or down based on needs. Several simultaneous projects are possible. Any unused hours roll over into the next month. | Unlimited revisions based on hours available in your selected plans which can scale up or down based on needs. Several simultaneous projects are possible. Any unused hours roll over into the next month. | Based on the availability of freelancer and design skillset. |
Talent | Full-time employees and contractors, carefully vetted from over 57 countries in 19 time zones. | Full-time employees and contractors, carefully vetted from over 57 countries in 19 time zones. | You can choose whether they live in your timezone or not (resulting in price fluctuations). |
A DesignOps Process That Scales, Not Just a Roster of Freelancers
Superside’s DesignOps process gives you a dedicated design team that helps with your immediate needs and scales as you grow. Operationalize design for reliable, high-quality assets with predictable pricing.
Toptal relies on its freelancers to communicate with you over email, or you can onboard them to a system of your choosing.
A Collaborative Creative Partner, Not a Recruiting Agency
Superside gives you a creative production manager (CPM) who knows your brand, from fonts to logos and colors. They assemble the design specialists you need (e.g., motion designers, illustrators, etc.) to get the creative assets you want.
Toptal features over 260 “design skills” on their page meaning you can get a WordPress designer to build your site, and then a motion graphic designer to help build out your ad inventory. However, therein lies the hidden costs of onboarding. Your WordPress designer isn’t an ads specialist, so even though you spent 2 weeks in a free trial onboarding the right candidate, you have to spend another 2 weeks hoping you can repeat the process with a motion designer.
Predictable Pricing, Not Extra Admin Work
Superside offers flexible subscription-based pricing customized to your unique needs. Get started with a full design team for the price of a junior designer. Unused subscription hours roll over into the next month. Got a big campaign coming up? Ramp up your Superside design team to suit your demands—from a simple infographic to an entire guide with promotional ads on every social channel.
With Toptal, you can hire hourly, part-time or full-time—and they charge a hefty commission thanks to their “rigorous” vetting process. However, the cost varies based on what you need.
20x
Faster than hiring creatives in-house50%
Reduction in average cost per asset70%
Lower turnaround time for digital assets9.6
Average NPS rating from customers
Superside is made for
Frictionless, Delightful Design Starts Here
Book a demo and discovery call to learn:
- How you can achieve design at scale.
- Why we’re different from agencies, freelancers and in-house design teams. (Hint: We’re 20x faster than hiring!)
- Which ways we can support you.
Compare Superside vs. Other Alternatives
| Rocketium | Design Pickle | Penji | Kimp | Lightboard | Many Pixels | Shuttlerock | Sketchdeck |
While we’ve worked diligently to ensure the accuracy of the information in this post, as we all know too well things can change quickly. As you’re making your choice, check each company’s website and reach out to them directly for the most up-to-the-moment information. If you’re Toptal, and we’ve made an error, reach out to us for corrections.