Upwork is the world’s largest freelance talent marketplace. It’s a great place to find clients if you’re a freelancer, but it can be competitive and does take a cut of your earnings. If you’re ready for Upwork alternatives, we’re going to suggest a few alternatives you should consider.
The freelance economy is booming – and while platforms like Upwork have certainly added to its growth, there are some big problems with the site. For one thing, its fee structure can be a real problem for freelancers; for another, the competition on the platform can make it extremely difficult for new people to break in.
If you’ve had problems with Upwork or just want to expand your horizons, there are other freelance marketplaces out there that might suit your talents better than Upwork does. Here are some of our favorites:
FlexJobs
If you’re looking for a job search site that offers telecommuting, part-time, and freelance jobs, FlexJobs is an excellent option. With thousands of remote jobs posted weekly, this is one of the largest databases available online. In addition to its large catalog – which includes jobs in areas such as customer service and project management – FlexJobs also has a strong vetting process that helps ensure applicants are not scammers or otherwise unqualified.
This platform allows users to create free profiles that display their work experience and education history; these profiles can be shared with potential employers through email or social media sites like LinkedIn. This feature makes it easy for employers to find out more about candidates before reaching out through either one of these channels (or both).
We Work Remotely
We Work Remotely is a freelance marketplace that allows you to find full-time, part-time, or temporary work. The website is free to post your profile and search for jobs; however, you will have to pay an application fee in order to apply for jobs on the platform.
The We Work Remotely website has a very large pool of job opportunities with multiple categories ranging from technical fields like computer engineering and software development through more creative fields like graphic design and video editing. The site also has some unique features such as skill-testing questions which help employers identify candidates with relevant experience who are likely to succeed in the field they’re hiring for.
Toptal
Toptal is a premium freelancing platform that offers high-end clients and freelancers the opportunity to work together on projects. The platform has some similarities to Upwork, but it’s far more selective. Toptal uses its own in-house talent vetting process to identify the best freelancers for each project, then connects them with their most suitable clients.
Clients pay a $1,500 deposit fee upfront and then pay hourly rates once they’re approved by Toptal’s internal team of experts. This steeper price point means that this isn’t an option for every business owner or individual looking for work done on their website or app; however, it might be worth considering if you want your project handled by only the best of the best in terms of web design/development talent!
Fiverr
Fiverr is a marketplace where you can buy and sell services online. It’s similar to Upwork, but Fiverr has a wider range of services available. There are Fiverr freelancers for everything from dog walking to web development to logo design.
If you’re looking for a particular service that isn’t available through the site’s search tool, there’s an option to “Hire Me” when you browse through the categories or use the Advanced Search feature.
As with any freelancing site, it’s important to ensure that the people you hire have good ratings and are qualified for what they’re offering (you can look up their reviews before hiring them). This is especially true since some people on Fiverr may offer low-cost options as their primary service (for example graphic design). As long as you make sure your freelancers have good ratings and experience in their field of expertise, though, Fiverr is an excellent alternative to Upwork.
PeoplePerHour
PeoplePerHour is a freelance platform for web and software development, writing, design and marketing. This is an excellent place to find work if you’re looking to move on from Upwork or similar sites. PeoplePerHour has built a strong reputation as a safe site where clients can hire freelancers with confidence because all the bids are pre-negotiated by the client and service provider.
The main drawback of PeoplePerHour is that it doesn’t match well with many long-term contracts. Because their marketplace makes it easy for clients to post new jobs and pay quickly (as opposed to Upwork), it’s often hard for freelancers who use this site for more than just one project at a time due to issues with delayed payments by clients or lack of communication between parties involved in each transaction.
Aquent’s Gymnasium
Aquent’s Gymnasium is a marketplace for creative talent. It’s an alternative to Upwork, but with one distinct difference: Aquent’s Gymnasium doesn’t charge freelancers a fee to be listed on the platform. Instead, they receive a commission based on the amount of money they make from gigs on the site. This makes it much more attractive to freelancers because they can keep all of their earnings instead of giving up 20% to Upwork.
Aquent’s Gymnasium is also great because it has many talented professionals available for hire who don’t want to go through the rigmarole of creating an entire profile and posting jobs like you would on Upwork or other freelance job sites. Instead, you can browse through all categories related to design or development and find someone who fits your needs perfectly within minutes!
Freelancer
Freelancer is a freelance marketplace that offers a wide range of services, including software development and marketing. The website has a good reputation among freelancers and employers alike, making it a good alternative to Upwork. Freelancer.com allows you to sign up for free, then browse their listings for potential clients or projects that may be of interest to you.
Here’s how the process works:
- You post your skills and qualifications on the site so employers can find you when they need someone with your expertise;
- Employers post jobs on the site if they’re looking for someone with certain skills;
- When both sides are happy with each other, they agree upon terms and conditions before starting work together (or not).
Guru
Guru is a freelance marketplace for skilled professionals. While it was originally only available in the United States, it’s now expanding to many other regions. You can post your profile on Guru and connect with potential clients looking for your skill set or expertise. As with Upwork and Freelancer, you can set up a profile that includes your experience, education, portfolio, and reviews from previous employers.
Your profile will also show how long you’ve been working as a freelancer – this is important not just because it affects how much money you’ll earn but also because having a long track record may make clients feel more confident in hiring you (or at least give them some reassurance).
Guru offers two ways to accept payments: PayPal or Stripe (which supports all major credit cards). This means that unlike Upwork, there isn’t just one way to pay your freelancers – you have more options here!
Indeed
Indeed is a great resource for finding freelance jobs. Not only does it have a large database of companies, but it also has job forum listings in which you can post your resume and query directly to potential employers.
If you’re looking for more than just one job at a time, then Indeed is an excellent place to start. Once you select your location and category, you’ll be shown all the jobs that are available in your area – and there are plenty! You can even search by skillset as well as salary range if you have specific needs in mind. You can also save these searches so they’re easy to access later; this way when new listings come up they’ll automatically be added to your list without having to type them again manually each time (which would take forever).
Craigslist
If you’re looking for a little more control over the hiring process than a platform like Upwork offers, Craigslist is the place you want to be. It’s free to post jobs there—you just have to do some light legwork and make sure your listing looks professional.
If you’re posting in the “gigs” section, specify how long your job will take (called “duration”) and how much money it pays. If necessary, provide additional details about what kind of skills are needed for this project so clients know whether or not they’re qualified for it.
The other two options are slightly different:
- The “jobs” section is better if you plan on hiring someone full-time; it allows employers to specify things like salary requirements and benefits packages with more detail than in other areas of Craigslist
- The artists’ area is ideal if you’d rather work remotely yourself than hire someone else – but even then it can still help narrow down who might be interested in working with you because many artists advertise their services here
Credo
Credo is a platform for connecting businesses with freelancers. It’s a great alternative to Upwork because it has an awesome reputation and provides excellent services for its users.
If you’re looking for work on Credo, there are two options: post your profile as a freelancer or browse through many different opportunities in the marketplace. As a freelancer, you can set up your rates as well as what kind of work you specialize in such as design or writing; this helps potential employers find exactly who they need without having to sift through thousands of profiles like Upwork does! If you want to search through the marketplace full-time rather than applying specifically to jobs posted by clients, Credo charges $5 per month instead of $25-$35 like Upwork does (depending on the payment plan).
ContentFly
As we mentioned, Upwork is not the only option for copywriters and content developers. In addition to the sites we’ve already covered, there are a few others that you may want to consider.
ContentFly is a great alternative to Upwork for those who want more work done and more clients in their pipeline. ContentFly allows you to bid on projects posted by companies looking for writers and/or designers. Unlike Upwork’s marketplace, where people can post jobs themselves and set their own rates, ContentFly offers an opportunity for clients looking for more than just one writer or designer at a time—and they pay them well too!
One of the best parts about ContentFly is that they allow freelancers to charge clients based on what they believe their work is worth (rather than being limited by Upwork’s pre-set rates). With this kind of freedom comes responsibility: if your rate is too low compared with other freelancers offering similar services then no one will select your profile out of all those competing against each other online!
It also helps when searching for new jobs if there are several open positions listed within your field so users don’t feel pressured into choosing whoever responds first just because he or she happens to be available when the posting went live; having several options makes this process easier since there aren’t any dead ends where only one person wins out over everyone else involved (and hopefully keeps competition fair). If anything were guaranteed about using this service though it would be how easy both parties will find themselves at ease knowing exactly what needs doing without any surprises along the way — whether it’s just being able to communicate effectively with
ServiceScape
ServiceScape is an online marketplace for hiring professionals in the design, development, and marketing fields. The company was founded in 2012 by Trond Arneberg and Thomas Leer-Salvesen. It is a platform where businesses can find, hire, manage and pay their service providers.
ServiceScape has over 20 million users that have completed over 300 million projects on its platform since its launch in 2012. The company operates in over 200 countries worldwide, with over 1 million registered freelancers available through their platform at any given time during any given day (it’s worth noting that this figure includes both experienced professionals as well as beginners).
Traktion
Traktion is an online marketplace for freelancers and businesses to connect. It’s a very well-known platform where you can find high-quality talent, as well as hire freelancers on your own.
The platform has more than 250,000 business profiles, including some big names like PayPal, Tesla and Google. The same goes for freelancers: there are more than 500,000 active users on Traktion who are looking for new jobs.
Traktion also offers access to real-time bidding which matches users based on skill sets and projects that match their preferences from the get go (so no need to interview them first).
What is The Best Upwork Alternative?
The Best Alternative To Upwork For Developers
If you’re a developer looking for a better alternative to Upwork, Toptal is the way to go. Here are some of the reasons why:
- Toptal offers higher-paying jobs
- You can work with companies that would be hard to get through Upwork’s rigorous process
- You get more freedom in your job search, as opposed to being stuck on one site
The Best Alternative To Upwork For Designers
Dribbble is for designers. Upwork is for freelancers. That’s the way it’s always been because Dribbble and Upwork are built to serve two different audiences: one that showcases their work, and another that finds people with skills.
If you want to find a designer who can make your website look good and attract more business, then Upwork is the better option. If you’re already a designer looking to get work, Dribbble will be more helpful in showcasing your portfolio and attracting clients from there.
The Best Alternative For To Upwork Marketers
With many of the best digital marketers already active on Traktion, this is the number one place to be or the place to look. Because of the way Traktion assess people’s skills in advance, this means that anyone searching for marketers will be confident in knowing that they will have all of the necessary expertise, values and experience. This makes the process of finding someone to assist with your marketing much easier.
The Best Alternative To Upwork For Content Developers
ContentFly is a smaller, more focused platform that’s better suited to content marketing professionals. That’s not to say that it won’t work well for hiring freelancers who want to do other things, such as graphic design or web development. But if you’re on the market for a content developer, you should look into ContentFly first.
The Best Alternative To Upwork For Graphic Designers
The best alternative to Upwork for graphic designers is Fiverr. This site has a wide range of design services and they offer you a lot more flexibility in pricing. You can find a designer that matches your budget and needs, with easy access to people’s portfolios and reviews from previous gigs.
Conclusion
When it comes to finding freelance gigs, there are plenty of sites and platforms out there that can help you get started.
However, not all of them offer the same value for your time and effort. While some do provide opportunities for freelancers to connect with clients who need their skills, others are unreliable or poorly managed.
Still, other sites may not be well suited for your specific field or specialization. This is why it’s important not only to have many options available but also to know which ones offer the best experience as well as potential payouts when they match an assignment with your profile on the platform itself (or within Upwork).
