Comparison of GLG, Malt, and Catalant in terms of reach, pricing, and flexibility—each being a platform for accessing expert talent, but with different positioning and models:
1. Reach (Talent Pool & Geography)
Platform
Talent Reach
Geographic Presence
Industry Focus
GLG (Gerson Lehrman Group)
1M+ experts
Global, strong in North America, APAC, and Europe
Broad; especially strong in life sciences, finance, industrials
Catalant
80K+ vetted professionals
Strong in North America, growing in Europe
Business strategy, operations, finance, digital transformation
Malt
700K+ freelancers
Strong in Europe (France, Germany, Spain)
Tech, creative, product, marketing, data
2. Pricing
Platform
Pricing Model
Cost Range
Notes
GLG
Per-hour or project-based
High ($200–$1,000+ per hour for expert calls)
Premium for expert consultations; often used by corporates and investment firms
Catalant
Project-based, with platform fee
Mid to high (often $100–$300/hr)
Transparent pricing; larger projects usually $10K+; Catalant takes 20–30% margin
Malt
Freelancer sets rate
Wide range (e.g. €200–€800/day)
Transparent pricing; platform fee of ~10% added on top of freelancer’s rate
3. Flexibility
Platform
Type of Engagements
Onboarding & Matching
Client Control
GLG
Short calls, surveys, some long-term advisory
High-touch matchmaking, less self-service
Low; platform controls access to experts
Catalant
Project-based (weeks to months)
Hybrid: algorithm + human curation
Medium; clients post project briefs and select from shortlists
Malt
Freelance gigs, short/long term
Direct search and contact, self-service
High; clients can browse and contract directly with freelancers
Summary
Criteria
GLG
Catalant
Malt
Best For
Expert calls, market research
Strategic projects, agile consulting
Freelance work in tech & creative fields
Strength
Global expert network
Strategy & ops professionals
Easy, direct access to freelancers
Weakness
High cost, limited project flexibility
Less Europe presence, more enterprise-oriented
Mostly focused on Europe, less enterprise consulting depth
Let me know if you want a specific use case (e.g., hiring a product strategist in the U.S.) to recommend one over the others.