Index.dev vs Go Fractional: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Index.dev (4.5/5) edges ahead of Go Fractional (4.1/5) overall. Index.dev is the better choice for startups that want their money back if the first month doesn't work. Go Fractional is the stronger option for startups that need a senior AI engineer for a few hours a week on a monthly retainer. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Index.dev vs Go Fractional: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Index.dev | Go Fractional |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2019 | 2021 |
| HQ | London, United Kingdom | New York, USA |
| Team size | 30,000+ network | Not published; network of fractional professionals |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.1 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | A refundable 30-day trial on every placement, plus direct hire | A marketplace built only around part-time professionals |
| Pricing model | Monthly rate per engineer; direct-hire fee; 30-day refundable trial; rates on request | Monthly retainer for part-time engagements; rates on request |
| Min. engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Primary tech stack | Python, PyTorch, LangChain | Python, PyTorch, OpenAI |
| Industries served | SaaS, Fintech, E-commerce, AI labs, Healthcare | SaaS, Fintech, Healthcare, E-commerce, Technology |
Index.dev vs Go Fractional: overview
Index.dev
Index.dev, legally Index Soft Limited, is a London talent platform that its job ads date to 2019. Its buying terms are the clearest of any network here: every placement carries a 30-day trial with a full refund if the match fails. You can contract one engineer, build a dedicated offshore team or hire someone directly. The main pool of more than 30,000 engineers sits in Latin America and Central and Eastern Europe, and a separate AI unit supplies Master's and PhD-level people for fine-tuning and retrieval work. Vetting runs through five stages with human reviewers.
Go Fractional
Go Fractional was founded in 2021 and is based in New York. It matches companies with experienced professionals who work part-time, across engineering, product, marketing and other functions, and it has dedicated pages for hiring fractional AI developers and engineers. It says most companies are matched and onboarding within three days. Fractional work is the whole model here, not an add-on, so it suits buyers who need senior judgment a few hours a week. It is less suited to buyers who need several engineers writing code full-time.
Services and capabilities: Index.dev vs Go Fractional
| Capability | Index.dev | Go Fractional |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time dedicated engineers | ✓ | ✗ |
| Part-time / fractional experts | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dedicated team | ✓ | ✗ |
| Trial before commitment | ✓ | ✗ |
| Published rates | ✗ | ✗ |
| Direct hire option | ✓ | ✗ |
| Subscription or output-based pricing | ✗ | ✗ |
| Nearshore time-zone overlap | ✓ | ✗ |
| LLM / GenAI engineers | ✓ | ✓ |
| MLOps | ✗ | ✗ |
| Computer vision | ✗ | ✗ |
| Data engineering | ✗ | ✗ |
Tech stack comparison: Index.dev vs Go Fractional
| Framework / platform | Index.dev | Go Fractional |
|---|---|---|
| PyTorch | ✓ | ✓ |
| TensorFlow | N/A | N/A |
| LangChain | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hugging Face | ✓ | N/A |
| OpenAI | ✓ | ✓ |
| AWS | ✓ | ✓ |
| Azure | N/A | N/A |
| Google Cloud | ✓ | ✓ |
| Databricks | N/A | N/A |
| Kubernetes | N/A | N/A |
Pricing comparison: Index.dev vs Go Fractional
| Criterion | Index.dev | Go Fractional |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Engagement models | Full-time dedicated, Dedicated team, Direct hire, Trial period | Part-time fractional |
| Rate transparency | Not public | Not public |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Mid-market |
Target audience comparison: Index.dev vs Go Fractional
| Dimension | Index.dev | Go Fractional |
|---|---|---|
| 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 LLM engineer for a month, Hiring a PhD-level specialist to fine-tune a model | Hiring a part-time AI lead to set a startup's roadmap, Adding an LLM engineer one day a week |
| Typical project type | Full-time dedicated | Part-time fractional |
Index.dev vs Go Fractional: pros and cons
| Index.dev | |
|---|---|
| + | A full refund in the first 30 days lowers the cost of a bad match |
| + | Contract and direct-hire routes from one provider |
| + | Talent in both U.S.-friendly and European time zones |
| - | Engineers are network members, not employees |
| - | Acceptance-rate figures are the company's own |
| - | No published monthly rates |
| Go Fractional | |
|---|---|
| + | Part-time hiring is the core product |
| + | Matching within about three days (per company) |
| + | Covers AI leadership as well as hands-on engineers |
| - | Not built for full-time or team staffing |
| - | Founded in 2021, so a short track record |
| - | Vetting process is not described in detail |
Who should choose Index.dev?
A typical fit: trialling a Latin American LLM engineer for a month.
A refundable 30-day trial on every placement, plus direct hire. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in SaaS, Fintech, E-commerce, AI labs, Healthcare.
Who should choose Go Fractional?
A typical fit: hiring a part-time AI lead to set a startup's roadmap.
A marketplace built only around part-time professionals. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in SaaS, Fintech, Healthcare, E-commerce, Technology.
Decision matrix: Index.dev vs Go Fractional
| Your situation | Recommended choice |
|---|---|
| You want one engineer full-time on a monthly contract | Index.dev |
| You only need a specialist a few days a week | Go Fractional |
| You want to test an engineer before committing | Index.dev |
| You need a rate before the first call | Neither publishes rates; ask both for a written rate card |
| Your budget is at the lower end | Compare: Index.dev (Not published) vs Go Fractional (Not published) |
| You may want to hire the engineer permanently later | Index.dev |
| You want several engineers working as one team | Neither lists dedicated teams; check team size before signing |
Use case fit: Index.dev vs Go Fractional
| Use case | Index.dev fit | Go Fractional fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trialling a Latin American LLM engineer for a month | Strong | Limited | Index.dev |
| Hiring a PhD-level specialist to fine-tune a model | Strong | Strong | Both equally |
| Hiring a part-time AI lead to set a startup's roadmap | Strong | Strong | Both equally |
| Adding an LLM engineer one day a week | Limited | Strong | Go Fractional |
Verdict: Index.dev vs Go Fractional
Index.dev (4.5/5) is the stronger overall choice for most AI Staff Augmentation projects. A refundable 30-day trial on every placement, plus direct hire.
Go Fractional (4.1/5) is worth a look if you need adding an LLM engineer one day a week. If your situation matches that, Go Fractional is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Index.dev vs Go Fractional FAQ
Is Index.dev better than Go Fractional?
Index.dev (4.5/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Index.dev's strongest advantage: a full refund in the first 30 days lowers the cost of a bad match. Go Fractional's strongest advantage: part-time hiring is the core product.
How do Index.dev and Go Fractional differ in pricing?
Index.dev uses monthly rate per engineer; direct-hire fee; 30-day refundable trial; rates on request pricing. Go Fractional uses monthly retainer for part-time engagements; 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 Go Fractional?
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 provider before shortlisting.
What are the main differences between Index.dev and Go Fractional?
Index.dev's primary differentiator is: a refundable 30-day trial on every placement, plus direct hire. Go Fractional's primary differentiator is: a marketplace built only around part-time professionals. They also differ in team size (30,000+ network vs Not published; network of fractional professionals), minimum engagement (Not published vs Not published), and primary industries served (SaaS, Fintech vs SaaS, Fintech).
Verify all details directly with each provider before making a decision.