Both give you access to engineering talent. The difference is in model, cost, and what you get. Here's the honest breakdown.
For building a complete product, yes — significantly. Toptal charges $150–$300/hour per developer. A single developer at $200/hr for 8 weeks (320 hours) costs $64,000. Aviga's MVP starts at $8,000. For ongoing work, Toptal retains are also typically higher than Aviga's monthly retainer. The difference is model: Aviga is outcome-priced, Toptal is time-priced.
Toptal is the right choice if you already have a CTO and a fully-formed engineering team, and you need to add a single specialised engineer (e.g., a data scientist or a specific framework expert) for a defined task. Aviga is better when you need a product built from scratch or need strategic technical leadership, not just extra hands.
Aviga is different in structure: you're working with a small firm led by Aakash Verma, not matched with a freelancer. Every project is handled by a senior engineer. You don't need a vetting process — you speak directly to the person building your product before you commit.
Tell us what you're building. We'll scope it and reply within 24 hours.
