Index.dev vs KORE1: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Index.dev (4.2/5) edges ahead of KORE1 (3.6/5) overall. Index.dev is the better choice for startups that want a 30-day refundable trial before committing to a remote ML engineer. KORE1 is the stronger option for U.S. companies that want a local agency to recruit ML engineers on contract-to-hire terms. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Index.dev vs KORE1: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Index.dev | KORE1 |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2019 | 2005 |
| HQ | London, United Kingdom | Irvine, California, USA |
| Team size | 30,000+ network | Not published |
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 | 3.6 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | A 30-day trial with full refund on every placement | A U.S. staffing agency with contract-to-hire terms for AI roles |
| Pricing model | Monthly rate per engineer; direct-hire fee option; 30-day trial with refund; rates on request | Contract bill rate or placement fee; rates on request |
| Min. engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Primary tech stack | Python, PyTorch, TensorFlow | Python, AWS, Azure |
| Industries served | SaaS, Fintech, E-commerce, Healthcare, AI labs | Technology, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Finance, Aerospace |
Index.dev vs KORE1: 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.
KORE1
KORE1 is an IT and professional staffing agency headquartered in Irvine, California. Its own sources give both 1999 and 2005 as starting dates; we use 2005, the year in its company summary. It recruits on contract, contract-to-hire and direct-hire terms across IT, data and AI/ML, with pages for ML, LLM, MLOps and GenAI engineers. KORE1 reports an average time-to-hire of 17 days and 12-month retention of 92% for IT roles. Screening is done by recruiters, and AI is one category among many.
Services and capabilities: Index.dev vs KORE1
| Capability | Index.dev | KORE1 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 KORE1
| Framework / platform | Index.dev | KORE1 |
|---|---|---|
| PyTorch | ✓ | N/A |
| TensorFlow | ✓ | ✓ |
| LangChain | ✓ | N/A |
| Hugging Face | ✓ | N/A |
| OpenAI | ✓ | N/A |
| AWS | ✓ | ✓ |
| Azure | N/A | ✓ |
| Google Cloud | ✓ | ✓ |
| Databricks | N/A | N/A |
| Kubernetes | N/A | N/A |
Pricing comparison: Index.dev vs KORE1
| Criterion | Index.dev | KORE1 |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Engagement models | Dedicated engineer, Dedicated team, Direct hire, Trial period | Contract-to-hire, Direct hire, Freelance contract |
| Rate transparency | Not public | Not public |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Mid-market |
Target audience comparison: Index.dev vs KORE1
| Dimension | Index.dev | KORE1 |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | SaaS, Fintech, E-commerce | Technology, Healthcare, Manufacturing |
| 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 | Hiring an on-site ML engineer in Southern California, Bringing in a contract MLOps engineer with a path to permanent |
| Typical project type | Dedicated engineer | Contract-to-hire |
Index.dev vs KORE1: 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 |
| KORE1 | |
|---|---|
| + | U.S.-based candidates for on-site or hybrid roles |
| + | Contract-to-hire lets you test before a permanent offer |
| + | Published time-to-hire figure |
| - | Recruiter-led screening |
| - | AI is one category inside a general staffing business |
| - | U.S. rates, which are higher than nearshore or offshore options |
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 KORE1?
A typical fit: hiring an on-site ML engineer in Southern California.
A U.S. staffing agency with contract-to-hire terms for AI roles. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Technology, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Finance, Aerospace.
Decision matrix: Index.dev vs KORE1
| 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 | Neither lists dedicated teams; check team size before signing |
| You want to test an engineer before committing | Index.dev |
| Your budget is at the lower end | Compare: Index.dev (Not published) vs KORE1 (Not published) |
| Your team works U.S. hours | Index.dev |
| You may want to hire the engineer permanently later | Both; Index.dev rates higher overall |
Use case fit: Index.dev vs KORE1
| Use case | Index.dev fit | KORE1 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 | Strong | Both equally |
| Hiring an on-site ML engineer in Southern California | Strong | Strong | Both equally |
| Bringing in a contract MLOps engineer with a path to permanent | Limited | Strong | KORE1 |
Verdict: Index.dev vs KORE1
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.
KORE1 (3.6/5) is worth a look if you need bringing in a contract MLOps engineer with a path to permanent. If your situation matches that, KORE1 is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Index.dev vs KORE1 FAQ
Is Index.dev better than KORE1?
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. KORE1's strongest advantage: U.S.-based candidates for on-site or hybrid roles.
How do Index.dev and KORE1 differ in pricing?
Index.dev uses monthly rate per engineer; direct-hire fee option; 30-day trial with refund; rates on request pricing. KORE1 uses contract bill rate or placement fee; rates on request pricing. Neither firm publishes a full rate card; a discovery call is required for project-specific quotes.
Which is better for enterprise: Index.dev or KORE1?
Index.dev 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 KORE1?
Index.dev's primary differentiator is: a 30-day trial with full refund on every placement. KORE1's primary differentiator is: a U.S. staffing agency with contract-to-hire terms for AI roles. They also differ in team size (30,000+ network vs Not published), minimum engagement (Not published vs Not published), and primary industries served (SaaS, Fintech vs Technology, Healthcare).
Verify all details directly with each company before making a decision.