---
title: "Toptal vs Upwork: Which is more popular by branded search?"
description: "Which is more popular in search, Toptal or Upwork? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Freelance marketplaces set worldwide. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/toptal-vs-upwork"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Toptal vs Upwork: Which is more popular by branded search?

Which is more popular in search, Toptal or Upwork? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Freelance marketplaces set worldwide. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

## Key facts

- **Compared**: Toptal and Upwork
- **Competitive set**: Freelance marketplaces
- **Market**: Global
- **Month measured**: Aug 2026
- **Toptal Share of Search**: 1.5%
- **Upwork Share of Search**: 30.6%

## Which is more popular in search, Toptal or Upwork?

- In August 2026, Upwork had more branded searches than Toptal among freelance marketplaces worldwide. Upwork was estimated to have 2.7M branded searches compared to Toptal’s 135K, and held a 30.6% Share of Search versus Toptal’s 1.5%.
- Upwork was ahead of Toptal in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Toptal’s estimated Share of Search among freelance marketplaces worldwide moved from 1.7% to 1.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 165K to 135K.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Upwork’s estimated Share of Search among freelance marketplaces worldwide moved from 27.6% to 30.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 2.7M.

## How did search popularity change for freelance marketplaces worldwide in August 2026?

- Estimated monthly branded searches for Toptal worldwide fell 18.2% over 11 measured months, from 165K to 135K in August 2026.

## Month by month

| Month | Toptal estimated searches | Toptal Share of Search | Toptal rank | Upwork estimated searches | Upwork Share of Search | Upwork rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | 165K | 1.7% | 5 | 2.7M | 27.6% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | 135K | 1.4% | 5 | 2.7M | 27.8% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | 135K | 1.5% | 5 | 2.7M | 30.6% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | 165K | 1.6% | 5 | 3.4M | 31.8% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | 135K | 1.5% | 5 | 2.7M | 30.6% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | 165K | 1.6% | 5 | 3.4M | 31.9% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | 135K | 1.3% | 5 | 3.4M | 31.9% | 2 |
| May 2026 | 135K | 1.5% | 5 | 2.7M | 30.5% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | 135K | 1.5% | 5 | 2.7M | 30.6% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | 135K | 1.5% | 5 | 2.7M | 30.6% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | 135K | 1.5% | 5 | 2.7M | 30.6% | 2 |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — |

## How each brand is measured

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Toptal’s and Upwork’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

- **Toptal**: Measured on the search term “toptal”.
- **Upwork**: Measured on the search term “upwork”.

- [Toptal profile](/demand/global-en/brands/toptal)
- [Upwork profile](/demand/global-en/brands/upwork)
- [All freelance marketplaces worldwide](/demand/global-en/categories/freelance-marketplaces): The set both shares are measured inside, 5 brands.

## Methodology

- [How is branded search demand measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which is more popular in search, Toptal or Upwork?

In August 2026, Upwork had more branded searches than Toptal among freelance marketplaces worldwide. Upwork was estimated to have 2.7M branded searches compared to Toptal’s 135K, and held a 30.6% Share of Search versus Toptal’s 1.5%.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Toptal vs Upwork: Which is more popular by branded search?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/toptal-vs-upwork

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/toptal-vs-upwork. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.