Index.dev vs micro1: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Index.dev (4.5/5) edges ahead of micro1 (3.7/5) overall. Index.dev is the better choice for startups that want their money back if the first month doesn't work. micro1 is the stronger option for many contract contributors, with a short test before paying for longer. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Index.dev vs micro1: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Index.dev | micro1 |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2019 | 2022 |
| HQ | London, United Kingdom | California, USA |
| Team size | 30,000+ network | Estimates vary widely |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 3.7 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | A refundable 30-day trial on every placement, plus direct hire | High-volume AI interviews and a one-week test |
| Pricing model | Monthly rate per engineer; direct-hire fee; 30-day refundable trial; rates on request | Hourly or monthly per contractor; one-week test; 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 | AI labs, Technology, SaaS, Finance, Healthcare |
Index.dev vs micro1: 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.
micro1
micro1 was founded in 2022 and is based in California. Its AI recruiter, Zara, interviews every applicant for 20 to 40 minutes, which lets it screen in high volume. Buyers can take contractors hourly or monthly and start with a one-week test. It raised a Series A at a $500 million valuation in September 2025, and most of its business now supplies experts to AI labs. Product teams can still buy engineers, but an automated interview is not an engineer's review.
Services and capabilities: Index.dev vs micro1
| Capability | Index.dev | micro1 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 micro1
| Framework / platform | Index.dev | micro1 |
|---|---|---|
| PyTorch | ✓ | ✓ |
| TensorFlow | N/A | N/A |
| LangChain | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hugging Face | ✓ | N/A |
| OpenAI | ✓ | ✓ |
| AWS | ✓ | ✓ |
| Azure | N/A | N/A |
| Google Cloud | ✓ | N/A |
| Databricks | N/A | N/A |
| Kubernetes | N/A | N/A |
Pricing comparison: Index.dev vs micro1
| Criterion | Index.dev | micro1 |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Engagement models | Full-time dedicated, Dedicated team, Direct hire, Trial period | Freelance contract, Trial period |
| Rate transparency | Not public | Not public |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Mid-market |
Target audience comparison: Index.dev vs micro1
| Dimension | Index.dev | micro1 |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | SaaS, Fintech, E-commerce | AI labs, Technology, SaaS |
| Best use cases | Trialling a Latin American LLM engineer for a month, Hiring a PhD-level specialist to fine-tune a model | Hiring twenty model evaluators, Testing a contract ML engineer for a week |
| Typical project type | Full-time dedicated | Freelance contract |
Index.dev vs micro1: 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 |
| micro1 | |
|---|---|
| + | One-week test |
| + | Very fast screening |
| + | Large contributor pool |
| - | AI interviews instead of engineer review |
| - | Focus on AI-lab work |
| - | Headquarters differs by source |
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 micro1?
A typical fit: hiring twenty model evaluators.
High-volume AI interviews and a one-week test. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in AI labs, Technology, SaaS, Finance, Healthcare.
Decision matrix: Index.dev vs micro1
| 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 | Neither advertises part-time experts; ask about reduced hours |
| You want to test an engineer before committing | Both; Index.dev rates higher overall |
| 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 micro1 (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 micro1
| Use case | Index.dev fit | micro1 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 twenty model evaluators | Strong | Strong | Both equally |
| Testing a contract ML engineer for a week | Limited | Strong | micro1 |
Verdict: Index.dev vs micro1
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.
micro1 (3.7/5) is worth a look if you need testing a contract ML engineer for a week. If your situation matches that, micro1 is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Index.dev vs micro1 FAQ
Is Index.dev better than micro1?
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. micro1's strongest advantage: one-week test.
How do Index.dev and micro1 differ in pricing?
Index.dev uses monthly rate per engineer; direct-hire fee; 30-day refundable trial; rates on request pricing. micro1 uses hourly or monthly per contractor; one-week test; 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 micro1?
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 micro1?
Index.dev's primary differentiator is: a refundable 30-day trial on every placement, plus direct hire. micro1's primary differentiator is: high-volume AI interviews and a one-week test. They also differ in team size (30,000+ network vs Estimates vary widely), minimum engagement (Not published vs Not published), and primary industries served (SaaS, Fintech vs AI labs, Technology).
Verify all details directly with each provider before making a decision.