[bckygldstn]

Not OP, but I do about 50% of my freelancing though Toptal (the rest through my network). I see them as having 2 advantages over other sites:

1. Unlike smaller sites and job boards, they have lots of work available. Every couple of days something is posted that aligns perfectly with my skills.

2. Unlike odesk/fiverr/elance they pay market rates. Not FAANG or CTO or IPO rates, but I charge more on Toptal than I ever earned working for Bay Area startups. Plus you get paid net 20; they're on the hook for getting paid from the client.

Everything else about Toptal is frustrating: the byzantine interview process that's irrelevant to the actual work you perform, constant pressure to decrease your rates, the big cut they take, legal restrictions on forming relationships with clients outside Toptal, staff who won't leave you alone during the application process but vanish the second the contract is signed.

I wouldn't want to rely solely on them for freelancing. But they're great when I have a gap in my schedule: I can fill out minimal online applications on Monday, start work by the end of the week, money in the bank by the end of the month.

[wofo]

Could you expand on the restrictions regarding relationships with clients outside Toptal? When I signed the contract, I remember paying attention to this and being pleased to read that you are allowed to work directly with a client after one year from the engagement's end date (which is similar to a clause I had when I was employed for a consulting firm). Are there other restrictions than this?