Index.dev vs Azumo: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Index.dev (4.2/5) edges ahead of Azumo (3.9/5) overall. Index.dev is the better choice for startups that want a 30-day refundable trial before committing to a remote ML engineer. Azumo is the stronger option for U.S. teams on a tight budget that need ML engineers who work their hours. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Index.dev vs Azumo: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Index.dev | Azumo |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2019 | 2016 |
| HQ | London, United Kingdom | San Francisco, California, USA |
| Team size | 30,000+ network | 50–249 |
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 | 3.9 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | A 30-day trial with full refund on every placement | The lowest published hourly band on this page with full U.S. time-zone overlap |
| Pricing model | Monthly rate per engineer; direct-hire fee option; 30-day trial with refund; rates on request | $25–$49/hr (Clutch band); monthly staff augmentation or dedicated team |
| Min. engagement | Not published | $10,000+ |
| Primary tech stack | Python, PyTorch, TensorFlow | Python, PyTorch, TensorFlow |
| Industries served | SaaS, Fintech, E-commerce, Healthcare, AI labs | SaaS, Fintech, Healthcare, Retail, Media |
Index.dev vs Azumo: overview
Index.dev
Index.dev is a London company, founded in 2019 according to its own job ads, trading under the legal name Index Soft Limited. It calls itself an AI-first engineering talent platform. Its main network has more than 30,000 engineers in Latin America and Central and Eastern Europe, and a separate AI unit supplies Master's and PhD-level people for LLM fine-tuning and RAG work. Every engineer goes through five stages of vetting run by people, including a live screening call and technical validation, and Index.dev says about 1% are accepted. All placements come with a 30-day trial and a full refund if the match fails.
Azumo
Azumo was founded in 2016, is headquartered in San Francisco and delivers mostly from Argentina, with an office in Rosario. Clutch lists an hourly band of $25 to $49 and a $10,000 minimum project, the lowest published rate on this page. It offers staff augmentation, dedicated nearshore teams and virtual CTO services, and it won a Clutch award as a top AI developer in 2023. Its engineers keep U.S. hours, so daily stand-ups are easy. The catch is depth. AI is a strong practice but one of several, and specialist experience varies by role.
Services and capabilities: Index.dev vs Azumo
| Capability | Index.dev | Azumo |
|---|---|---|
| ML engineers | ✓ | ✓ |
| LLM / GenAI engineers | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI agent developers | ✗ | ✗ |
| MLOps engineers | ✗ | ✗ |
| Computer vision engineers | ✗ | ✗ |
| NLP engineers | ✗ | ✗ |
| Data engineers | ✗ | ✓ |
| Engineer-led technical screen | ✗ | ✗ |
| Fractional / part-time experts | ✗ | ✗ |
| Trial before commitment | ✓ | ✗ |
| Nearshore time-zone overlap | ✓ | ✓ |
| Direct hire option | ✓ | ✗ |
Tech stack comparison: Index.dev vs Azumo
| Framework / platform | Index.dev | Azumo |
|---|---|---|
| PyTorch | ✓ | ✓ |
| TensorFlow | ✓ | ✓ |
| LangChain | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hugging Face | ✓ | N/A |
| OpenAI | ✓ | ✓ |
| AWS | ✓ | ✓ |
| Azure | N/A | ✓ |
| Google Cloud | ✓ | ✓ |
| Databricks | N/A | N/A |
| Kubernetes | N/A | N/A |
Pricing comparison: Index.dev vs Azumo
| Criterion | Index.dev | Azumo |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | $10,000+ |
| Engagement models | Dedicated engineer, Dedicated team, Direct hire, Trial period | Dedicated engineer, Dedicated team, Project delivery |
| Rate transparency | Not public | Minimum disclosed |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Accessible |
Target audience comparison: Index.dev vs Azumo
| Dimension | Index.dev | Azumo |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | SaaS, Fintech, E-commerce | SaaS, Fintech, Healthcare |
| Best use cases | Trialling a Latin American ML engineer for a month before committing, Hiring a PhD-level specialist to fine-tune an open-source LLM | Adding a nearshore LLM engineer to a U.S. SaaS team, Building a data engineering squad on a startup budget |
| Typical project type | Dedicated engineer | Dedicated engineer |
Index.dev vs Azumo: pros and cons
| Index.dev | |
|---|---|
| + | The 30-day refundable trial is the most generous published trial on this page |
| + | A separate AI unit for advanced work such as fine-tuning |
| + | Clients can hire directly as well as contract |
| - | Vetting is human-led but not specifically run by ML engineers |
| - | Network figures and acceptance rates are company claims |
| - | Founding date only appears in job listings |
| Azumo | |
|---|---|
| + | Published hourly band is the lowest on this list |
| + | Argentina shares working hours with U.S. teams |
| + | Clutch cost rating of 4.8 |
| - | AI is one of several practices, not the whole company |
| - | Fewer research-grade ML specialists than AI-only firms |
| - | Team size reported between 50 and 500 depending on the source |
Who should choose Index.dev?
A typical fit: trialling a Latin American ML engineer for a month before committing.
A 30-day trial with full refund on every placement. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in SaaS, Fintech, E-commerce, Healthcare, AI labs.
Who should choose Azumo?
A typical fit: adding a nearshore LLM engineer to a U.S. SaaS team.
The lowest published hourly band on this page with full U.S. time-zone overlap. Minimum engagement starts at $10,000+. Works best with clients in SaaS, Fintech, Healthcare, Retail, Media.
Decision matrix: Index.dev vs Azumo
| Your situation | Recommended choice |
|---|---|
| You want a working engineer, not a recruiter, to run the technical screen | Neither documents an engineer-led screen; run your own technical interview |
| You need one specialist for a few days a week | Neither advertises part-time experts; ask about reduced hours |
| You need several engineers working as one team | Azumo |
| You want to test an engineer before committing | Index.dev |
| Your budget is at the lower end | Compare: Index.dev (Not published) vs Azumo ($10,000+) |
| Your team works U.S. hours | Both; Index.dev rates higher overall |
| You may want to hire the engineer permanently later | Index.dev |
Use case fit: Index.dev vs Azumo
| Use case | Index.dev fit | Azumo fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trialling a Latin American ML engineer for a month before committing | Strong | Limited | Index.dev |
| Hiring a PhD-level specialist to fine-tune an open-source LLM | Strong | Limited | Index.dev |
| Adding a nearshore LLM engineer to a U.S. SaaS team | Limited | Strong | Azumo |
| Building a data engineering squad on a startup budget | Strong | Strong | Both equally |
Verdict: Index.dev vs Azumo
Index.dev (4.2/5) is the stronger overall choice for most AI Engineer Staffing projects. A 30-day trial with full refund on every placement.
Azumo (3.9/5) is worth a look if you need building a data engineering squad on a startup budget. If your situation matches that, Azumo is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Index.dev vs Azumo FAQ
Is Index.dev better than Azumo?
Index.dev (4.2/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Index.dev's strongest advantage: the 30-day refundable trial is the most generous published trial on this page. Azumo's strongest advantage: published hourly band is the lowest on this list.
How do Index.dev and Azumo differ in pricing?
Index.dev uses monthly rate per engineer; direct-hire fee option; 30-day trial with refund; rates on request pricing. Azumo uses $25–$49/hr (clutch band); monthly staff augmentation or dedicated team pricing with a minimum engagement of $10,000+. Neither firm publishes a full rate card; a discovery call is required for project-specific quotes.
Which is better for enterprise: Index.dev or Azumo?
Azumo is the larger team and typically the better enterprise-scale choice. For very large programmes, verify team size and compliance coverage directly with each company before shortlisting.
What are the main differences between Index.dev and Azumo?
Index.dev's primary differentiator is: a 30-day trial with full refund on every placement. Azumo's primary differentiator is: the lowest published hourly band on this page with full U.S. time-zone overlap. They also differ in team size (30,000+ network vs 50–249), minimum engagement (Not published vs $10,000+), and primary industries served (SaaS, Fintech vs SaaS, Fintech).
Verify all details directly with each company before making a decision.