# Abillio vs Lemon.io: vetted developers or direct contractors?

Lemon.io matches startups with vetted freelance developers. Abillio pays contractors and handles the invoices and taxes. Here is how the two compare and how they work together.

**Quick answer:** use Lemon.io to get matched with a vetted contract developer within about a day. Use Abillio to pay the contractors you work with directly, in any role: 4% of each paid invoice for businesses (3% above €50k a month), with no subscription.

## Lemon.io vs Abillio at a glance

Lemon.io

Abillio

What it is

Vetted contract developer marketplace

Payment and compliance layer for contractors you already work with

How you pay

Through Lemon.io, typically one month in advance; 160-hour minimum

The contractor’s own rate, plus Abillio’s fee, when an invoice is paid

Price

Not published; no upfront fees

3% to 5% depending on volume, custom pricing available

Roles

Developers

Any role

Best for

Fast, vetted contract developers

Paying direct contractors

Prices as of November 2026, from each company’s own pricing page (checked 12 November 2026).

## What Lemon.io does

Lemon.io is a vetted developer marketplace. It says matching takes about 24 hours, that you interview two or three developers per role, and that only about 1% of applicants pass its vetting. There are no upfront recruitment or setup fees. Engagements have a 160-hour minimum, and payment is typically made one month in advance. Rates are not published on the page ([Lemon.io pricing](https://lemon.io/pricing/), checked 12 November 2026).

## What Abillio does

Abillio is not a marketplace, a recruiter or an employer of record. It is the payment and compliance layer for the freelancers and contractors you already work with. More than 17,400 freelancers have used it, and it has paid out over €30M.

*   **Invoices in the contractor’s name.** The contractor does not need their own company or VAT number.
*   **Identity checks and payouts** to bank (SEPA or SWIFT), card, PayPal or Airtm in 170+ countries, one by one or in bulk.
*   **Reporting:** DAC7 for everyone outside Latvia and Estonia, and 1099 support for US freelancers.
*   **Income tax withheld and paid** for Latvian and Estonian tax residents, through Abillio’s own entities there.
*   **Setup in about 5 minutes** for a freelancer or a business account.

**Price: 3% to 5% depending on volume, custom pricing available.** A freelancer who invoices their own client pays 5% of each paid invoice, with no subscription. When a business pays contractors it is 4% of each paid invoice, paid by the business or by the freelancer, their choice, and 3% above €50k a month. Above that, pricing is custom. There is no setup fee and no per-seat fee.

## The key differences

*   **Speed vs compliance.** Speed of matching is Lemon.io’s strength; compliant invoices and payouts are Abillio’s.
*   **Commitment.** Lemon.io works in blocks of at least 160 hours, paid ahead. Abillio charges only when an invoice is paid.
*   **Where they meet.** Once a developer works for you directly, Abillio handles the payments.

## When Lemon.io is the better fit

Pick Lemon.io when you need a vetted contract developer quickly and do not have a candidate yet.

## When Abillio is the better fit

Pick Abillio for contractors you engage directly and pay every month, in any role.

## Using Lemon.io and Abillio together

Use Lemon.io to start fast, and Abillio once a developer becomes a direct, long-term contractor, following Lemon.io’s terms for doing so.

**Paying contractors you found through Lemon.io?** [Talk to us](/book/). In a 30-minute call we work out what your setup would cost on Abillio.

## For contractors in Latvia and Estonia

If a client you met through Lemon.io pays you directly as a contractor, you can invoice them through Abillio without a company or VAT number of your own. For Latvian and Estonian tax residents, Abillio withholds and pays the income tax and sends the rest to your bank account. In Latvia this runs through the Abillio Services cooperative, in Estonia through Abillio Services OÜ. [Create a free account](https://app.abill.io/auth/signup/) in about 5 minutes.

## Frequently asked questions

### How fast does Lemon.io match developers?

Lemon.io says matching takes about 24 hours (checked 12 November 2026).

### Does Abillio find developers?

No. Abillio pays the contractors you already work with, issues invoices in their name and handles payouts and reporting.

### How much does Abillio cost a business?

4% of each paid invoice when a business pays contractors, and 3% above €50k a month, with custom pricing above that.

Source: https://abill.io/en/compare/lemon-io/