Index.dev vs KORE1: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Index.dev (4.5/5) edges ahead of KORE1 (3.6/5) overall. Index.dev is the better choice for startups that want their money back if the first month doesn't work. KORE1 is the stronger option for U.S. companies that want to convert a contract AI engineer to staff. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Index.dev vs KORE1: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Index.dev | KORE1 |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2019 | 2005 |
| HQ | London, United Kingdom | Irvine, California, USA |
| Team size | 30,000+ network | Not published |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 3.6 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | A refundable 30-day trial on every placement, plus direct hire | Contract-to-hire terms for AI roles in the U.S |
| Pricing model | Monthly rate per engineer; direct-hire fee; 30-day refundable trial; rates on request | Contract bill rate or placement fee; contract-to-hire conversion; rates on request |
| Min. engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Primary tech stack | Python, PyTorch, LangChain | Python, AWS, Azure |
| Industries served | SaaS, Fintech, E-commerce, AI labs, Healthcare | Technology, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Finance, Aerospace |
Index.dev vs KORE1: 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.
KORE1
KORE1 is an IT and professional staffing agency in Irvine, California, which gives 2005 as its founding year in its company summary (its Irvine page mentions 1999). It recruits for ML, LLM, MLOps and GenAI roles on contract, contract-to-hire or direct-hire terms. Contract-to-hire is the buying model to note: you pay a bill rate while the engineer works for you, then convert them to staff if it works. KORE1 reports a 17-day average time-to-hire for IT roles. Screening is done by recruiters.
Services and capabilities: Index.dev vs KORE1
| Capability | Index.dev | KORE1 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 KORE1
| Framework / platform | Index.dev | KORE1 |
|---|---|---|
| PyTorch | ✓ | N/A |
| TensorFlow | N/A | ✓ |
| LangChain | ✓ | N/A |
| Hugging Face | ✓ | N/A |
| OpenAI | ✓ | N/A |
| AWS | ✓ | ✓ |
| Azure | N/A | ✓ |
| Google Cloud | ✓ | ✓ |
| Databricks | N/A | N/A |
| Kubernetes | N/A | N/A |
Pricing comparison: Index.dev vs KORE1
| Criterion | Index.dev | KORE1 |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Engagement models | Full-time dedicated, Dedicated team, Direct hire, Trial period | Contract-to-hire, Direct hire, Freelance contract |
| Rate transparency | Not public | Not public |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Mid-market |
Target audience comparison: Index.dev vs KORE1
| Dimension | Index.dev | KORE1 |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | SaaS, Fintech, E-commerce | Technology, Healthcare, Manufacturing |
| Best use cases | Trialling a Latin American LLM engineer for a month, Hiring a PhD-level specialist to fine-tune a model | Hiring an on-site ML engineer in California on contract-to-hire, Placing a contract MLOps engineer |
| Typical project type | Full-time dedicated | Contract-to-hire |
Index.dev vs KORE1: 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 |
| KORE1 | |
|---|---|
| + | Contract-to-hire path |
| + | U.S.-based candidates |
| + | Published time-to-hire figure |
| - | Recruiter-led screening |
| - | U.S. rates |
| - | AI is one category among many |
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 KORE1?
A typical fit: hiring an on-site ML engineer in California on contract-to-hire.
Contract-to-hire terms for AI roles in the U.S. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Technology, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Finance, Aerospace.
Decision matrix: Index.dev vs KORE1
| 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 | 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 KORE1 (Not published) |
| You may want to hire the engineer permanently later | Both; Index.dev rates higher overall |
| You want several engineers working as one team | Neither lists dedicated teams; check team size before signing |
Use case fit: Index.dev vs KORE1
| Use case | Index.dev fit | KORE1 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 an on-site ML engineer in California on contract-to-hire | Strong | Strong | Both equally |
| Placing a contract MLOps engineer | Limited | Strong | KORE1 |
Verdict: Index.dev vs KORE1
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.
KORE1 (3.6/5) is worth a look if you need placing a contract MLOps engineer. If your situation matches that, KORE1 is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Index.dev vs KORE1 FAQ
Is Index.dev better than KORE1?
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. KORE1's strongest advantage: contract-to-hire path.
How do Index.dev and KORE1 differ in pricing?
Index.dev uses monthly rate per engineer; direct-hire fee; 30-day refundable trial; rates on request pricing. KORE1 uses contract bill rate or placement fee; contract-to-hire conversion; 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 KORE1?
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 KORE1?
Index.dev's primary differentiator is: a refundable 30-day trial on every placement, plus direct hire. KORE1's primary differentiator is: contract-to-hire terms for AI roles in the U.S. They also differ in team size (30,000+ network vs Not published), minimum engagement (Not published vs Not published), and primary industries served (SaaS, Fintech vs Technology, Healthcare).
Verify all details directly with each provider before making a decision.