Instant Expert vs Topmate
Topmate sells calls, priority messages and digital products from creators who built a Topmate page, at prices they set. Instant Expert reaches the specific professional you need, including people with no profile anywhere. We find their work email, send your note with a paid offer, and you pay only if they book a call or send an answer.
Searching is free. You pay only if they book or answer.
Facts about Topmate last checked October 15, 2026, on their own public pages.
The main difference
Topmate is a storefront for people who chose to sell their time. A creator sets up a page with calls, priority messages and products, and you buy from it. If the person you need has a Topmate page, you can book a slot and pay right away.
Most of the people founders and sales teams need to hear from don't run a storefront. Instant Expert invites them directly: you name or describe the person, set one offer for a call or a written answer, and nothing is charged until they say yes.
Side by side
| Question | Instant Expert | Topmate |
|---|---|---|
| Who you can reach | Anyone you name or describe whose work email we can find, whether or not they sell their time anywhere. | Creators who set up a Topmate page. Topmate says it has handled 4.8 million+ bookings. |
| How pricing works | You set the offer per person (minimum $5) and a cap on total spend. The offer is what the person receives, and our fee is added on top: a $100 offer costs you $125. Our fee is 20% of what you pay. No subscription. | Each creator sets their prices; one listed 15-minute video call was $250. Topmate takes 10% of each sale from the creator, or 20% on sales from its marketplace. |
| When you pay | Only when someone books a call or sends a written answer. Declines and invitations nobody accepts within 7 days cost $0. | When you book or buy. For a priority message, Topmate's refund policy says a refund is normally approved if no real reply arrives within the creator's stated window. |
| Speed | The invitation goes out when you approve the send. People have 7 days to book or answer, with up to two reminders. There's no guarantee a given person says yes. | Calls go straight onto the creator's calendar, and digital products are delivered as soon as you pay. |
| Best for | Getting time with a particular operator, executive or specialist who doesn't sell sessions. | Booking a creator who already sells calls or products on Topmate. |
Last checked October 15, 2026. Sources: Topmate homepage, Topmate pricing, Topmate refund policy, A public Topmate call listing. Prices change; check their sites before you decide.
Where Topmate falls short
Topmate works well for buying from a creator. For reaching a particular person, it has gaps:
- You can only book people who built a Topmate page. The head of procurement or former product lead you need usually hasn't.
- You pay when you book. If a priority message goes unanswered, getting your money back goes through Topmate's refund policy. On Instant Expert nothing is charged until the person books or answers.
- The creator sets the price. On Instant Expert you set the offer, from $5, and price it for the person.
If the person you want already sells sessions on Topmate, booking a slot on their calendar there is faster.
Searching is free. You pay only if they book or answer.
Questions
Can I book someone on Instant Expert who isn't on Topmate?
Yes. That's what it's for. Paste their LinkedIn URL or email, or describe the kind of person you need. We find their work email and send your note with a paid offer, and they can book or answer without creating an account.
How do Topmate's fees work?
Topmate charges creators, not buyers: 10% of each sale through their own page or link, and 20% on sales to new customers who come through Topmate's marketplace. On Instant Expert our fee is on the buyer side. The offer is what the person receives, and our fee is added on top: a $100 offer costs you $125.
What if the person doesn't reply?
On Instant Expert you pay nothing. Declines and invitations nobody accepts within 7 days cost $0, and the hold on your card is released.
Related
- Reaching one specific person you have no connection toA reply from one particular person, when you don't know anyone who knows them.
- Expert calls for founders and small teamsAn hour with someone who has already done the thing you're about to try, without a contract.
- How to ask an expert online: free forums work until you need one specific personTo ask an expert online, use a free forum when many people know the answer, and pay for a call when you need one person's experience. Four routes compared.
- How to write a cold email in 7 steps (two happen before you type)To write a cold email, pick one person for a true reason, ask for one small step, meet CAN-SPAM basics and plan one or two follow-ups that add something.
- How Instant Expert worksRefunds, no-show rules and who you can reach.