The Best GoTu Alternatives for Dental Hygienist Staffing

Introduction

GoTu, formerly TempMee, is one of the largest dental staffing marketplaces, covering hygienists, dental assistants, front-office staff and associate dentists in one app. That range is real: an office that wants to source several roles without juggling separate platforms has a reason to start there. For hygienist shifts specifically, though, GoTu is also one of the more expensive published options, and its default worker classification puts more of the compliance question on the office than a W-2 platform does.

This list looks at eight hygienist-staffing alternatives to GoTu, what each publishes on fee, worker model and permanent placement, and where GoTu itself still makes sense. Every figure below comes from each company's own published pricing pages, checked in September 2026.

What GoTu Does Well

GoTu's core strength is breadth. One marketplace covers hygienists, assistants, front-office professionals and associate dentists, which suits an office sourcing more than hygiene coverage in a single place. Professionals can counteroffer GoTu's posted rate, giving both sides room to negotiate rather than working from a fixed number. GoTu also carries a solid App Store rating, 4.6 from about 2,000 ratings as of September 2026, and it offers a W-2 option for offices that want it, on top of its 1099-by-default model.

Where GoTu costs more is the fee itself: 22.5% of the professional's pay for a standard temp shift, and a further 20% of professional pay on top if the office chooses a W-2 shift instead, for a combined rate GoTu itself publishes at 42.5%. Its fee-free cancellation window is also the longest on this list, at 7 days, against the 24-hour windows several alternatives publish.

What to Look For in an Alternative

Fee structure

A percentage on top of the hygienist's pay, a flat subscription, or a mix. A percentage scales with how much an office actually books; a subscription doesn't.

Worker model

W-2 means the platform is the employer of record and carries payroll taxes and workers' compensation. 1099 means the hygienist is an independent contractor, and more of the classification question sits with the office.

Permanent placement

Whether a fee applies when the office hires a temp permanently, and whether that policy is actually published or just silent.

Cancellation window

How far ahead an office can cancel a shift without being billed. Published windows on this list range from 24 hours to 7 days.

The 8 Alternatives

1. Teero

Every hygienist on Teero is a W-2 employee of Teero, which handles payroll, taxes, workers' compensation and liability coverage on every shift. The office sets the pay rate and pays a flat 12% service fee plus W-2 employer payroll costs, both shown before confirming, against GoTu's 22.5% (or 42.5% combined for a W-2 shift). No subscription, no monthly minimum, no onboarding fee. Permanent hires are free with no minimum tenure, where GoTu's placement fee varies by circumstance and isn't published as a fixed number. Fee-free cancellation is 24 hours, support is 24/7, and coverage spans all 50 states. Of the platforms on this list, Teero has the lowest published fee and the only fully free, unconditional permanent-placement policy alongside a specialization in hygienists specifically.

2. Kwikly

The next-closest published comparison: W-2 hygienists at a 15% service fee, no subscription. Kwikly also staffs assistants and front desk at $60 a shift, so it covers more than hygiene like GoTu does, just at a lower published hygienist rate. Unlike GoTu, Kwikly's site states a placement fee applies for permanent hires but doesn't publish the amount, and support hours aren't stated as 24/7.

3. onDiem

W-2 like Teero and Kwikly, with a flat 25% published for ADA members and a $25 rebate on each of the first 20 shifts; the standard rate for non-members isn't published. onDiem also staffs dentists, assistants and front-office professionals, matching GoTu's multi-role breadth, and its permanent placement is free with no subscription or long-term contract. It also offers SafePay, a payment feature for temps a practice sources on its own.

4. Princess Dental Staffing

A different pricing model entirely: $139 a month for Temps Only or $259 for All Access, with no per-shift fee and no hiring fee for a permanent placement. The office is the employer of record from the first shift, unlike GoTu, Teero, Kwikly and onDiem, which all handle payroll for the office. A 14-day free trial and cancel-anytime terms make it low-risk to test against a subscription budget.

5. Toothio

Doesn't publish a service fee at all; pricing is quoted by location, with no subscriptions or upfront charges. Hygienists work as 1099 contractors, the same classification GoTu uses by default. Toothio advertises free temp-to-permanent hiring, separate from its paid Mel recruiting service, similar in spirit to GoTu's policy of a variable placement fee, though Toothio's stated policy is free rather than variable.

6. Cloud Dentistry

A subscription marketplace where the office searches profiles, messages professionals and books shifts itself, mostly with 1099 contractors. Cloud Dentistry's own site reports a subscription of up to several hundred dollars a month depending on plan, plus a per-shift charge around $40. Permanent hires are free and the fee-free cancellation window is 24 hours, both stated directly on Cloud Dentistry's site.

7. Stynt

W-2, with two published pricing options: a pay-as-you-go plan at a 20% temp-shift service fee, or a $100-a-month Pro plan that removes the per-shift fee entirely. That's lower than GoTu's 22.5% on pay-as-you-go, and at high enough monthly hygienist spend, the Pro plan's flat cost can undercut both. Stynt doesn't publish a permanent-placement fee, a cancellation window, or support hours.

8. Clipboard Health

A broader marketplace like GoTu, covering hygienists, assistants and dentists, with 1099 contractors and rates quoted per practice rather than published. Clipboard Health highlights live arrival estimates and dedicated account support as platform features. Its permanent-placement fee, cancellation window and support hours aren't published, so ask directly before comparing it against GoTu's stated 7-day window and variable placement fee.

Comparison Table

Platform	Service fee	Worker model	Permanent placement	Cancellation window
Teero	12%	Always W-2	Free, no minimum tenure	24 hours
Kwikly	15%	Always W-2	Fee applies, not published	24 hours
onDiem	25% for ADA members	Always W-2	Free	Not published
Princess Dental Staffing	None; $139–$259/mo subscription	Office is the employer	Free ("no hiring fees")	14-day trial, cancel anytime
GoTu	22.5%, plus 20% of pay for W-2 shifts	1099 by default, W-2 optional	Varies by circumstance	7 days
Toothio	Not published	1099	Free (advertised)	Not published
Cloud Dentistry	Not published; subscription reported up to several hundred dollars/mo plus ~$40/shift	Mostly 1099	Free	24 hours
Stynt	20% pay-as-you-go, or $100/mo Pro plan	W-2	Not published	Not published
Clipboard Health	Not published, quoted per practice	1099	Not published	Not published

From each company's own published pages, September 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which GoTu alternative has the lowest published fee? Teero, at a flat 12%, against GoTu's 22.5% for a standard temp shift (42.5% combined if the office wants a W-2 shift). Kwikly's 15% is the next lowest among W-2 platforms.

Which alternatives are W-2, like GoTu's optional employee shifts? Teero, Kwikly, onDiem and Stynt all employ hygienists as W-2 workers on every shift, without requiring an added fee the way GoTu does for its W-2 option. Toothio, Cloud Dentistry and Clipboard Health work with 1099 contractors, the same default classification GoTu uses.

Is there a cheaper way to hire a GoTu temp permanently? Teero, Princess Dental Staffing, Toothio and Cloud Dentistry all publish free permanent placement, where GoTu states its fee varies by circumstance without giving an amount. Teero's is the only one that's both free and doesn't require a subscription or minimum tenure.

Do any alternatives match GoTu's multi-role coverage? onDiem and Clipboard Health both staff multiple roles beyond hygienists, matching GoTu's breadth. Teero, Kwikly, Toothio, Cloud Dentistry and Stynt are more hygienist-focused (Kwikly also covers assistants and front desk at a flat per-shift rate).

Can hygienists negotiate rates on these platforms the way they can on GoTu? Not on Teero; the office sets the rate. Kwikly and Cloud Dentistry allow counteroffers, similar to GoTu. The others don't publish a stated negotiation policy.

Conclusion

For hygienist shifts specifically, Teero has the lowest published fee among the alternatives here, at 12% against GoTu's 22.5%, along with W-2 coverage on every shift and free permanent placement with no minimum tenure. Kwikly and onDiem are the next closest on cost while staying W-2. GoTu's own strength, multi-role breadth in one marketplace, is best matched here by onDiem or Clipboard Health if hygienists aren't the only role an office is sourcing. See the full platform comparison and Teero vs GoTu for the detailed side-by-side.