The best South alternatives, with real prices.
South rents you a hire for a monthly rate it does not publish. HireTalent.lat finds the person for you and you hire them directly, for one published fee and no monthly margin. Here is how we compare with South and nine other options, with what each one actually charges.
HireTalent.lat if you want the search done and the person working for you directly. Candidates in 10 business days, 20% of first-year salary once, a 90-day replacement guarantee, and no monthly margin afterwards.
For a managed monthly arrangement like South's, Near (180-day guarantee, the longest here) and Howdy (publishes its 15% fee) are the closest matches. For a published price before any call, Tecla, HireLATAM and Virtual Latinos.
For engineers only, Revelo, BairesDev or Toptal. For short projects, Workana or Upwork.
What each one actually publishes.
As listed on each company's own site, checked October 20, 2026. "Quote only" means no number is published.
| Provider | Model | Published price | Guarantee or trial | Roles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HireTalent.lat (us) | Recruiting + hiring platform | 20% of first-year salary once, or $88/mo self-serve | 90-day replacement | All common remote roles |
| South | Staffing, one monthly rate per hire | Quote only | 120-day free re-search | All remote roles |
| Near | Direct hire or staffing | Quote only (salary bands published) | 180 days on direct hire | All remote roles |
| Howdy | Staffing and EOR | Fee is 15% of total cost | None published | Mostly tech |
| Tecla | Staffing or direct hire | $24 to $85/hr; direct hire 15% to 25% of salary | Window not published | Tech and growth |
| HireLATAM | Recruiting, flat fee | $3,500 per hire, no markup | 90 days | All common remote roles |
| Virtual Latinos | VA staffing | $1,600 to $4,400/mo all-in | Replacement, conditions apply | Assistants and support |
| Revelo | Staffing, all-in monthly | Quote, with published examples | 2-week trial | Engineers only |
| BairesDev | Development agency | Quote only | None published | Software teams |
| Toptal | Freelance network | $79/mo + talent rate (quote only) | Trial up to 2 weeks | Senior specialists |
| Workana / Upwork | Freelance marketplaces | 4.5% (Workana) or 5% (Upwork) of payments | Escrow only | Any freelance work |
HireTalent.lat: we find them, you hire them.
Tell us the role. Our recruiters source, screen and interview, then send you the strongest candidates in 10 business days. You pick one and hire them directly, so they work for you, not for an agency.
- One fee, paid once. 20% of first-year salary, about $7,200 for a $3,000-a-month hire. A $999 deposit starts the search and is credited against it.
- No monthly margin. South and other staffing firms keep a share every month. After our fee, every dollar goes to your hire.
- A 90-day replacement guarantee. If the hire does not work out, we search again.
- All common remote roles. Operations, sales, finance, support and engineering. Or search our pre-screened pool yourself for $88/mo.
What you get from South.
South charges one flat monthly rate per hire that covers the person's pay and South's service, on one invoice. Sourcing, vetting, payroll, compliance and replacement are included, with no deposit, setup fee, cancellation fee or minimum commitment. If a hire does not work out in the first 120 days, South runs a second search free. It covers all kinds of remote roles, not only engineering, claims more than 120,000 professionals and a hire in under 16 days, and also offers one-time headhunting and an EOR service.
What you cannot do is see the price before a sales call, or see how much of the monthly rate reaches the person. Rates vary by role and seniority and none are published. Its outside review footprint is thin: three reviews on Trustpilot when we checked.
Source: hireinsouth.com/pricing, checked October 20, 2026
The other options, honestly.
Near: best for the longest guarantee
Two models: a one-time placement fee where you employ the person (through your own payroll or EOR), or staffing where Near runs contracts, payroll and benefits for a monthly invoice. Both fees are quote only, but Near publishes salary bands by role, so you know what the person costs before its fee. The 180-day replacement guarantee on direct hires is the longest in this list, and Near says most clients hire within three weeks of kickoff.
Source: hirewithnear.com/pricing, checked October 20, 2026
Howdy: best for the clearest staffing fee
Howdy employs the professional and says its fee is 15% of the total cost, with about 60% going to take-home pay and 25% to benefits and local costs. That split is the most transparent of the managed firms here. Equipment and benefits help retention, which suits long-term engineering hires. The trade-offs: a 4 to 6 week hiring cycle, the slowest published, and no published guarantee or trial.
Source: howdy.com/faq, checked October 20, 2026
Tecla: best for a real number before the call
Publishes average hourly rates for staff augmentation, $24 to $85 an hour by role and level, and a direct-hire fee of 15% to 25% of first-year base salary, rising with seniority. It covers tech plus growth and business roles. Its replacement window depends on the agreement and is not published.
Source: tecla.io/pricing, checked October 20, 2026
HireLATAM: best flat fee for higher-paid roles
A recruiter with one published price: $3,500 per successful hire, as a $500 deposit and $3,000 after you hire, with no salary markup. Payroll admin is a $149 a month add-on, which also stretches the 90-day guarantee to six months. Because the fee is flat, it gets cheaper relative to salary the more senior the role. Its Trustpilot score is low, 2.0 from 11 reviews, though staffing profiles mix candidate reviews in.
Source: hirelatam.com/pricing, checked October 20, 2026
Virtual Latinos: best for bilingual assistants at a set price
Assistant and support roles only, priced all-in by tier: $1,600 to $2,900 a month for 1 to 2 years of experience, up to $2,100 to $4,400 for 6 or more years. No recruitment or setup fees, and raises go to the assistant. Replacement is offered with conditions it does not list. Not the place for engineers.
Source: virtuallatinos.com/pricing, checked October 20, 2026
Revelo: best for engineering teams that want a trial
Engineers only. Revelo quotes one all-in monthly rate and publishes examples, such as a senior full-stack engineer at about $134,000 a year all-in. A two-week risk-free trial and month-to-month terms make it easy to test. If you are hiring anything other than engineers, it is not an option.
Source: revelo.com/pricing, checked October 20, 2026
BairesDev: best when you want a delivery team, not a hire
A large development agency running staff augmentation, dedicated teams and full outsourcing. Prices are quote only; its Clutch listing reports $50 to $99 an hour and a $50,000 minimum project. Strong for shipping software with a managed team. It is the wrong shape if you want one person who works for you.
Source: clutch.co/profile/bairesdev, checked October 20, 2026
Toptal: best for senior specialists, fast
A screened global network of senior freelancers. $79 a month for matching, talent rates by quote, and a trial of up to two weeks with no charge if you are not satisfied. Global rather than Latin America first, and priced for senior work.
Source: toptal.com/faq, checked October 20, 2026
Workana and Upwork: best for projects, not long-term hires
Workana is Latin America heavy and charges clients 4.5% (minimum $2). Upwork charges 5% plus $0.99 to $14.99 per new contract, or 10% on Business Plus. Both hold payment in escrow. Neither vets, runs payroll or replaces anyone, and the fee runs for as long as you pay through them. Moving a Workana freelancer off the platform costs USD 2,500 or more.
Source: help.workana.com, checked October 20, 2026
Source: upwork.com/pricing/client, checked October 20, 2026
A note on Turing
Turing still appears on older lists of South alternatives. Its site now leads with AI model training work, its pricing page no longer exists, and it was never Latin America focused, so we have left it out.
Three questions decide it.
- Do you want to be the employer? If not, a staffing firm (South, Near staffing, Howdy, Revelo) carries payroll and compliance for a monthly margin. If yes, a recruiter or Near's direct hire, and you keep the relationship.
- Is it an engineering role? Revelo, BairesDev and Toptal are built for engineers. For operations, sales, finance or support, South, Near, HireLATAM, Virtual Latinos or HireTalent.lat.
- Do you need a price before a call? Tecla, HireLATAM, Virtual Latinos, Howdy's split and our fee are published. South, Near and BairesDev are quote only.
The arithmetic on a one-time fee against a monthly margin is in direct hire vs staffing agency.
Questions people actually ask.
What are the best alternatives to South?
How much does South charge?
Which LATAM hiring company has the longest guarantee?
Is it cheaper to use a recruiter or a staffing firm in Latin America?
How is HireTalent.lat different from South?
Next in the buying decision.
Prices change. Every figure above was read from the company's own site on October 20, 2026. If you spot one that has moved, tell us and we will update it.