Index.dev vs Turing: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Index.dev (4.2/5) edges ahead of Turing (4.1/5) overall. Index.dev is the better choice for startups that want a 30-day refundable trial before committing to a remote ML engineer. Turing is the stronger option for companies that need many remote ML and data engineers quickly and value speed over hand-picked screening. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Index.dev vs Turing: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Index.dev | Turing |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2019 | 2018 |
| HQ | London, United Kingdom | Palo Alto, California, USA |
| Team size | 30,000+ network | Staff size not published; multi-million talent pool |
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 | 4.1 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | A 30-day trial with full refund on every placement | Automated vetting and matching across the largest developer pool on this page |
| Pricing model | Monthly rate per engineer; direct-hire fee option; 30-day trial with refund; rates on request | Monthly or hourly per developer; no public rate card; rates on request |
| Min. engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Primary tech stack | Python, PyTorch, TensorFlow | Python, PyTorch, TensorFlow |
| Industries served | SaaS, Fintech, E-commerce, Healthcare, AI labs | Technology, AI labs, Finance, Healthcare, Retail |
Index.dev vs Turing: 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.
Turing
Turing was founded in Palo Alto in 2018 and built its developer marketplace on automated vetting. A company executive has said its system evaluated about two million developers and passed more than 50,000 through technical exams and interviews. That machinery makes it fast for common roles. Its business has shifted, though: much of its revenue now comes from producing training data for AI labs, and in 2026 it recruits doctors and accountants for that work alongside engineers. Third-party guides estimate $100 to $200 an hour for mid to senior developers, but Turing publishes no rate card.
Services and capabilities: Index.dev vs Turing
| Capability | Index.dev | Turing |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Turing
| Framework / platform | Index.dev | Turing |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Turing
| Criterion | Index.dev | Turing |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Engagement models | Dedicated engineer, Dedicated team, Direct hire, Trial period | Dedicated engineer, Dedicated team, Freelance contract |
| Rate transparency | Not public | Not public |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Mid-market |
Target audience comparison: Index.dev vs Turing
| Dimension | Index.dev | Turing |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | SaaS, Fintech, E-commerce | Technology, AI labs, Finance |
| 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 five remote data engineers to a cloud migration, Staffing an LLM evaluation project with many short-term contributors |
| Typical project type | Dedicated engineer | Dedicated engineer |
Index.dev vs Turing: 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 |
| Turing | |
|---|---|
| + | Can match many engineers at once across time zones |
| + | Huge pool makes rare stack combinations easier to find |
| + | Experience supplying engineers to AI labs |
| - | Vetting is mostly automated, with less human technical judgment than engineer-led screens |
| - | Revenue now leans toward AI training data, which may pull attention from staffing clients |
| - | No published rates; third-party estimates are high |
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 Turing?
A typical fit: adding five remote data engineers to a cloud migration.
Automated vetting and matching across the largest developer pool on this page. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Technology, AI labs, Finance, Healthcare, Retail.
Decision matrix: Index.dev vs Turing
| 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 | Turing |
| You want to test an engineer before committing | Index.dev |
| Your budget is at the lower end | Compare: Index.dev (Not published) vs Turing (Not published) |
| Your team works U.S. hours | Index.dev |
| You may want to hire the engineer permanently later | Index.dev |
Use case fit: Index.dev vs Turing
| Use case | Index.dev fit | Turing 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 five remote data engineers to a cloud migration | Limited | Strong | Turing |
| Staffing an LLM evaluation project with many short-term contributors | Limited | Strong | Turing |
Verdict: Index.dev vs Turing
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.
Turing (4.1/5) is worth a look if you need staffing an LLM evaluation project with many short-term contributors. If your situation matches that, Turing is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Index.dev vs Turing FAQ
Is Index.dev better than Turing?
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. Turing's strongest advantage: can match many engineers at once across time zones.
How do Index.dev and Turing differ in pricing?
Index.dev uses monthly rate per engineer; direct-hire fee option; 30-day trial with refund; rates on request pricing. Turing uses monthly or hourly per developer; no public rate card; 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 Turing?
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 Turing?
Index.dev's primary differentiator is: a 30-day trial with full refund on every placement. Turing's primary differentiator is: automated vetting and matching across the largest developer pool on this page. They also differ in team size (30,000+ network vs Staff size not published; multi-million talent pool), minimum engagement (Not published vs Not published), and primary industries served (SaaS, Fintech vs Technology, AI labs).
Verify all details directly with each company before making a decision.