How we compare
Riviot vs Toptal, Andela, Turing — and your recruiter.
We're not a horizontal marketplace. Riviot exists because the existing options either lack critical-infrastructure depth or treat infra roles as a footnote on a developer platform. Here's an honest side-by-side.
| Dimension | Riviot Critical infrastructure specialist | Toptal Horizontal marketplace | Andela Software developers | Turing Software developers | Recruiter Traditional agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vertical depth | Critical infrastructure only — network, DC, cloud, OT-security, AV. | Horizontal: software, design, finance, marketing. Limited infra depth. | Software engineering, primarily web/mobile/cloud apps. | Software engineering — backend, data, ML, full-stack. | Whatever the recruiter happens to specialise in. |
| Vetting methodology | VIO-10: 7 dimensions, 4 indices, reviewer-approved. Evidence-led, not interview-led. | 5-stage screening: language, personality, technical, test project, references. | Multi-stage technical + behavioural screening. | Automated coding tests + AI matching. | CV review + 1-2 phone screens. |
| What you get per candidate | Riviot Score (0–100), tier, fit summary, strengths, gaps, evidence — never a CV. | Profile + interview summary. | Profile + technical assessment summary. | Profile + auto-generated match score. | CV PDF. |
| Time to first introduction | 3–5 working days. | 1–3 working days (broad pool). | 1–2 weeks. | 24–72 hours (algorithmic). | 2–6 weeks. |
| Who holds the MSA | Riviot. One contract, indemnified, insured. | Toptal. | Andela. | Turing. | You contract the candidate directly. |
| Background + ID verification | Sterling background + Persona ID, mandatory before admit. | Reference checks; ID verification varies by region. | ID verification; background check on request. | ID verification; background check on request. | Buyer responsibility. |
| Pricing — contract engagements | 18 % marketplace fee on approved hours. | Undisclosed margin; typically 30–50 %. | Bundled rate; undisclosed margin. | Bundled rate; undisclosed margin. | Hourly + recruiter margin. |
| Pricing — permanent placements | 15 % of first-year comp. Flat. 90-day replacement. | 25 %+ typical. | Hire-out fee available on request. | Hire-out fee available on request. | 20–30 % typical. |
| Risk-free trial | 14-day no-cost replacement on contract; 90-day on permanent. | Two-week trial. | Varies. | Two-week trial. | Rare. |
| Public verified badge | Every admitted candidate gets a public riviot.com/verified URL. | No. | No. | No. | No. |
Where the others win
When you shouldn't use Riviot.
Honest matters more than salesy. Here's when one of the other options is genuinely the better choice.
- ▸Web/mobile/backend developers: Toptal, Andela, and Turing all out-supply us — that's their core business.
- ▸Marketing, design, finance contractors: Toptal is purpose-built for these. We don't pretend.
- ▸Local junior hires: A regional recruiter who knows your city beats any marketplace below senior level.
- ▸Direct internal referrals: If someone in your network is right, you don't need us. We're for the gap.