12 Best LATAM Staffing Agencies for US Companies (2026)

If you are a US company looking at Latin America for engineering, design or sales talent, you have probably noticed that almost everything written on the subject is a sales page. Every vendor claims to be the best. None of them tells you when they are the wrong choice.

This guide tries to fix that. We grouped the options by hiring model, because that is what actually determines whether a vendor fits you, and for each one we say what they publish, when we would pick them and when we would not. Last updated: October 2026.

Disclosure: Interfell is on this list and it is our company. It sits in the category it belongs to, with the same stated limitations as everyone else.

Looking beyond agencies? Our guide to the best companies to hire remote developers in Latin America (2026) also compares vetted talent platforms and EOR tools.

TL;DR

There are four ways to hire in Latin America: staffing (the vendor finds the person and handles their contract and payments), EOR (the vendor employs someone you already found), recruiting (you hire into your own entity) and marketplaces (you pick from a pool). For a US team adding remote LATAM professionals without opening an entity, staffing is the default lane; Interfell, TECLA, Near, Howdy, Revelo and Teilur Talent run it with different trade-offs in speed, vetting depth and price. If you already have the candidate, Deel or Remote solve payroll and compliance. If you need a whole delivery team, BairesDev. If you only need a closed freelance project, Upwork or Workana.

Best by use case

• Fastest shortlist for a remote tech or sales hire, no entity needed: Interfell (first shortlist in 72 hours, start in about 5 days; contracts and payments handled, one monthly invoice).
• Recruiting-led staff augmentation with published rates: TECLA (all-inclusive hourly averages of $28 junior, $48 mid and $58 senior, as published; confirm the guarantee window in writing).
• Multi-function hiring (finance, ops, sales, engineering) on a pay-on-success model: Near.
• Long-term dedicated engineers where retention matters more than speed: Howdy (15% Howdy fee inside an all-inclusive price, 98% retention across 12,500+ placements, company-reported).
• Large pre-vetted engineering pool with a trial period: Revelo (14-day placement advertised).
• Full-time LATAM engineers with a transparent fee split: Teilur Talent (flat 20% of the invoice, 80% to the talent, shortlist in about 5 days, as published).
• Enterprise-scale delivery or a whole outsourced team: BairesDev.
• You already have the candidate and only need the legal vehicle and payroll: Deel or Remote.
• Short, well-defined project: Upwork or Workana.

First, the four models

Most comparisons mix companies that do fundamentally different things. Picking the wrong model is a more expensive mistake than picking the wrong vendor.

• Staffing. The vendor sources the professional, signs the contract with them in their country, pays them and handles administration. You get one invoice and work with the person like any other team member. No local entity needed.
• EOR (Employer of Record). The vendor becomes the formal employer of someone you already found. It solves payroll and compliance, but it usually does not source candidates.
• Recruiting / headhunting. The vendor finds and vets the candidate, and you hire them directly into your own entity. You need the legal infrastructure to do that.
• Marketplace or freelance. A platform gives you access to a pool. Selection and the contractual relationship are on you.

Quick rule: if you have no entity in the professional's country and no appetite to build local admin, you are in staffing or EOR territory. If you already have a local entity and an HR team, recruiting may be enough.

How we compared them

Six criteria, the same for everyone: hiring model (who signs the contract with the professional), vetting (technical tests, English, psychometrics or profile-only), time to first candidates, who handles contracts, payments and local compliance, pricing structure (published or quote-only) and what happens if the hire does not work out. Figures for other vendors are what they publish on their own sites as of October 2026; we did not test their services. Where a vendor's own pages disagree, we use the more conservative figure and say so. Our own numbers are the ones we publish on interfell.com.

At a glance

Nearshore staffing and recruiting focused on LATAM

1. Interfell

Model: remote staffing and IT recruiting. Since: 2016. HQ: Miami, Florida. Part of the Simera group.

We connect Latin American IT, sales and operations talent with companies in the United States and Spain. Under the staffing model, Interfell handles the contracts with the talent in their own country, their payments and local compliance; the client signs one agreement and receives one monthly invoice, without opening an entity. Under IT recruiting, we source, test and shortlist and you hire directly. Since 2016: 2,300+ successful hires, 250+ client companies and 210+ professionals currently active across 18 countries. Candidates come from Simera's network of 2.5M+ pre-qualified professionals and are screened on technical skills, English and psychometrics.

The most concrete differentiator is the talent search: describe the profile you need and see real candidates with video, assessments and verified availability before talking to anyone, free and without signing up. First shortlist in 72 hours; your hire can start in about 5 days. Recruiting is priced per search (Smart Hiring Basic, Plus and Pro plans) and carries a 60-day replacement guarantee; staffing is one all-in monthly invoice (80% is the professional's pay and 20% is Interfell's fee) with unlimited replacements at no cost for as long as the service runs. Reviews: 4.7/5 on Clutch.

We would pick it if: you want to see available talent before committing, you need someone to handle contracts and payments across several countries, or you are hiring tech, sales or support profiles who work full time on your team.

We would not pick it if: you need a formal employment relationship under a specific country's labor law (Interfell is not an EOR), or you want a consultancy to own an entire project end to end.

2. TECLA

Model: recruiting-led staff augmentation for US tech companies. HQ: Dallas, Texas.

TECLA publishes more pricing detail than most of the category: all-inclusive hourly averages of $28 (junior), $48 (mid) and $58 (senior) for nearshore staff augmentation, covering vetting, EOR and compliance, benefits and equipment management, with nothing paid until you hire. Its network spans 50,000+ vetted professionals in 18 LATAM countries. Its own pages disagree on two points: time to candidates (about a week on its FAQ, 1 to 2 weeks on its pricing page) and the guarantee (a 90-day risk-free period on its staff augmentation page, a window that varies by engagement and seniority on its pricing page). Confirm both in writing.

Worth a look if: you are hiring senior engineers or AI talent and want a published rate card before the first call.

Check first: the guarantee window in your contract and where your seniority band lands against the published averages.

3. Near (hirewithnear.com)

Model: recruiter-led recruiting and staffing across LATAM. Since: 2021.

One of the most visible players in the US market, covering engineering, sales, finance, marketing and virtual assistants, with 950+ client companies published, a pay-on-success model, video shortlists and a 90-day guarantee. In the staffing model Near handles payroll, contracts and compliance; in the recruitment-only model you employ the person yourself, so decide which one you are buying before any offer goes out.

Worth a look if: you are hiring across several functions, not just engineering.

Check first: the per-placement fee and how it compounds across a multi-hire quarter.

4. Howdy

Model: "workforce partner": recruiting, employment and retention under one contract. Since: 2018 (Austin, Y Combinator).

Howdy differentiates on retention rather than speed: psychologist-led vetting (it markets the top 1% and says fewer than 5% of candidates reach placement), Howdy Houses offices in 10+ Latin American cities, performance coaches, and a company-reported 98% retention across 12,500+ placements in eight countries. Pricing is the most transparent in the group: an all-inclusive price where 85% goes to the professional and 15% is Howdy's fee. It does not publish a time to hire on its site, so ask for one.

Worth a look if: you are building a long-term dedicated team and can wait for the cycle.

We would not pick it if: you need someone next week, or you want a third-party review profile (Clutch, G2) before committing.

5. Revelo

Model: vetted LATAM talent marketplace with EOR and payroll bundled. Since: 2015.

Revelo publishes 2,500+ client companies, a 400,000+ engineer network with a top 2% acceptance rate, a 14-day placement timeline and a trial engagement. Strong presence in Brazil. Two things to check before signing: whether a deposit is required to start, and what fees apply if you later hire the person directly.

Worth a look if: speed and a trial period matter and you want recruiting and compliance under one vendor.

6. Teilur Talent

Model: nearshore staffing for full-time LATAM tech talent. HQ: Delaware (US corporation with a remote team).

Teilur Talent places full-time Latin American tech talent with US teams; it does not take project-contractor or freelance roles. Its pricing is a flat, disclosed split: 20% of what the client pays is Teilur's fee and 80% goes to the talent, with no subscription. On its monthly plan Teilur handles recruiting, payroll and compliance and bills one monthly invoice; a buy-out plan lets you hire the person directly for a one-time fee with a 2-month guarantee. It publishes a shortlist in about 5 days and a network of 10,000+ tech professionals.

Worth a look if: you are a US team hiring full-time LATAM engineers and want a transparent fee split.

Check first: the focus is tech roles, and replacement terms on the monthly plan are not published, so confirm them in writing.

7. BairesDev

Model: large-scale software outsourcing, dedicated teams and staff augmentation.

One of the biggest names in Latin American software services, with 500+ active clients and 1,250+ projects published. Best suited to sizeable engagements and full teams, and it can own project management when you buy outsourced delivery. Pricing is by custom quote only; its 96% figure measures client retention, not engineer retention.

We would not pick it if: you need one or two people and want to interview them yourself. The model is built for scale.

8. Terminal

Model: global remote engineering platform with EOR through its own entities in 180+ countries. Since: 2016.

Self-serve candidate browsing (Talent Hub), a top 7% acceptance standard and coverage of LATAM, Canada and Europe from one engagement. It publishes candidates within 48 hours of kickoff and a hire within 14 days, plus a 14-day risk-free guarantee; pricing is not published.

Worth a look if: you want LATAM plus other regions under one vendor and value browsing profiles yourself.

Global EOR platforms

9. Deel

Model: EOR, contractor management and global payroll in 150+ countries.

The best-known generalist. Very solid if you are hiring across many countries at once and want contracts, payments and documentation centralized in one platform.

We would pick it if: you already know who you want to hire and your only problem is the legal vehicle and payments.

We would not pick it if: your real problem is finding the person. An EOR does not recruit: it gives you the infrastructure, not the candidate.

10. Remote

Model: EOR operating through its own entities in many markets.

Particularly relevant when intellectual property and confidentiality weigh heavily in the decision.

11. Ontop / Multiplier

Model: EOR and contractor payments with a LATAM focus (Ontop) or price-led global coverage (Multiplier).

Worth comparing when cost per worker is the dominant criterion. Confirm coverage and fees for your specific country.

Freelance marketplaces

12. Upwork / Workana

Model: open freelance marketplaces, with Workana (Buenos Aires, 2012, 3M+ professionals) strongest in Latin America.

We would pick it if: you have a closed project with defined deliverables.

We would not pick it if: you need someone embedded in your team full time. Freelance means attention shared across clients.

How to choose without getting it wrong

1. Is your problem finding or hiring? If it is finding, you need sourcing capability. If it is hiring, an EOR will do. Paying for what you do not need is the most common mistake.
2. Full time or per project? This decides between staffing and freelance, and they are not interchangeable.
3. How many countries? With one, almost anything works. With five, centralized administration stops being a luxury.
4. What happens if the person does not work out? Always ask about the replacement process, in writing. It separates a vendor from a partner.
5. Can you see the talent before paying? Some vendors let you check real availability first; most ask for a deposit or a call. Prefer the former when you are still exploring.

Frequently asked questions

Which LATAM staffing agency is fastest?

By published timelines: Interfell delivers a first shortlist in 72 hours and the hire can start in about 5 days; Terminal cites candidates within 48 hours and a hire within 14 days; Teilur Talent a shortlist in about 5 days; TECLA a vetted shortlist in 1 to 2 weeks; Revelo 14 days to placement; Howdy does not publish a timeline. Speed and vetting depth trade off, so ask what happens in those days.

Which ones handle contracts and payments for you?

Staffing and EOR vendors do: Interfell (staffing model), TECLA, Howdy, Revelo, Teilur Talent (monthly plan), Terminal, Deel, Remote, Ontop and Multiplier. Near does in its staffing model but not in recruitment-only. Marketplaces such as Upwork and Workana leave the contractual relationship with you.

Do I need to open an entity in the professional's country?

Under staffing and EOR models, no. The vendor signs the contract with the professional in their country and you sign a single agreement with the vendor. Under pure recruiting you do need an entity, because you are the one hiring.

How much does a LATAM developer cost?

It depends on role, seniority, country and English level, and any single number is misleading. Our 2027 LATAM salary guide covers 81 roles across 19 countries; the cost to hire in Latin America page has monthly ranges by country tier. The vendor's rate is built on top of that and, under staffing, also covers contract, payments and administration.

What about time zones?

Latin America overlaps the full US workday, between the same hour and three hours of difference depending on the country. People join your standups rather than handing work off at midnight.

Does hiring this way create permanent establishment?

Under staffing, your company buys a service from the vendor rather than employing the individual, and the contract with the professional is signed in their country. Each case still depends on how your company operates and on the applicable tax treaty, so have your tax advisor review the agreement.

How do I know an agency actually has the profile I need?

Ask before signing anything. Some platforms let you check real availability: on talent.interfell.com you can search the profile and see candidates without registering.

Bottom line

There is no best agency in the abstract. There is a model that fits your situation and several companies that execute it well. If your case is adding Latin American tech professionals to a team that already exists, without opening an entity and without building country-by-country administration, staffing is your lane.

Start with the cheapest and fastest step: search for the profile you need and see who is available before talking to any salesperson. If you would rather start with a conversation, book 20 minutes.