Freelancing Sites like Upwork

Are you a freelancer looking for work? There are a lot of websites to choose from, and each one offers different pros and cons. Today, we’ll take a look at Upwork and compare it to other similar sites.

Comparing Upwork to other freelancing sites can be a difficult task. There are many factors to consider, such as the types of services offered, the fees associated with each platform, and the quality of the freelancers available. It’s important to weigh all of these elements before making a decision to move of the platform or spend the effort to join a new platform.

Here is a short summary, sites like Upwork include, top freelancing platforms like Fiverr, Toptal, and Guru in 2024. Each offers unique features, from creative gigs to exclusive high-paying jobs, with varied competition and fees.

Platform	Key Features	Pros	Cons	More Info
Upwork	Diverse job categories, large user base	Transparent review system, flexible payment options	High competition, significant service fees	Upwork
Fiverr	Unique gig-based system, ideal for creative services	Transparent rating system, quick transactions	Limited pricing flexibility, high competition in popular categories	Fiverr
Toptal	Exclusive access to top-tier talent	High-quality projects, personalized matching system	Challenging onboarding, high project costs	Toptal
Guru	User-friendly interface, Workroom feature	Efficient communication, flexible payment options	Smaller user base, limited to mid-level projects	Guru
SimplyHired	Job aggregation, free job tools	Email alerts, helpful guides	Spam from third-party sites	SimplyHired
LinkedIn	Professional networking, job listings	Networking opportunities, updates	Potential spam content	LinkedIn
Behance	Network for creative talents	Large audience, networking opportunities	Competitive, limited image file size	Behance
99designs	Dedicated to designers	Payment security, active community

Too lazy to read? This video does a great job of explaining other sites like Upwork

Upwork

Upwork is one of the most popular and widely-used freelance sites. It’s great for freelancers and clients because it offers a lot of features and services, such as a rating system, payment protection, and a range of payment options. The downside is that Upwork has been known to take a hefty cut of the payments, and their fees can really add up.

Fiverr

Fiverr is another popular option that prides itself on its simplicity. Clients can easily create a project and find a freelancer to do the job. On the other hand, Fiverr doesn’t offer the same level of protection as Upwork, and there have been reports of scams.

Fiverr has come a long way from its origins as a platform where freelancers could earn $5 for simple tasks. Now, freelancers on Fiverr can charge hundreds or even thousands of dollars for their services. The introduction of the Extra Fast Delivery option allows freelancers to earn money by completing tasks in less than 24 hours. With the acquisition of Fiverr Workspace, an invoicing tool, Fiverr has become a strong competitor to platforms like Upwork. The website is user-friendly and offers a wide range of jobs in fields such as graphic design, content writing, digital marketing, and web design, making it a great choice for freelancers from all backgrounds.

Freelancer

Freelancer is the oldest of the three, and it has the most options for payment and dispute resolution. It also offers a variety of different services and features. The downside is that Freelancer has a lot of competition, so it can be hard to stand out from the crowd.

When it comes to freelancing, there are a lot of options to choose from. Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer all have their pros and cons, so it’s important to do your research and decide which one is right for you. With the right platform, you can make the most of your freelancing career.

Perhaps one of the most similar sites to Upwork on the market is Freelancer. They offer a steady stream of new freelance jobs across various disciplines and have a low barrier to entry. You can browse most jobs without signing in.

Freelancer boasts over 1800 job categories and a user base of more than 32 million in 2022, making it one of the world’s largest job-seeking marketplace platforms. With over 10 years of experience, Freelancer has become a go-to site for thousands of freelancers and businesses looking to collaborate on projects of all sizes and types.

For freelancers, the main benefit of this platform is the wide range of projects to choose from. Businesses, on the other hand, can find freelancers capable of almost anything at an affordable price. The platform also provides useful tools like private chat, allowing direct communication with clients through text, voice call, and video call.

SolidGigs

I also want to mention SolidGigs in this list. SolidGigs is a platform that goes beyond being just one of the many Upwork competitors. It not only filters through numerous sites like Upwork and other freelance job boards, but it also hand-picks the best options for you on a weekly basis.In addition, SolidGigs provides freelancers with their very own gig-hunters who meticulously search through thousands of job listings to find personalized matches that perfectly fit your scope and level of expertise. By doing so, SolidGigs can help you save a significant amount of time while granting you exclusive access to the top 1% of freelance listings that are perfectly aligned with your skills and interests. To get a more comprehensive understanding of how this process works, I encourage you to check out our in-depth SolidGigs review.

Freeup

Built with the purpose of connecting clients with the top 1% of high-quality freelancers, Freeup is a premium marketplace that stands out from other sites like Upwork, Fiverr, or lower-quality platforms.The catch? To become a premium freelancer on Freeup’s site, you need to apply and undergo a pre-vetting process before being able to take on projects. However, if approved, you can expect higher rates from clients who value your skills and don’t bargain excessively.

Toptal

Another company that is emerging as a strong competitor in the freelancing industry, aiming to surpass platforms like Upwork, is Toptal. Toptal, which is short for “Top Talent,” sets itself apart by exclusively recruiting and onboarding the most exceptional 1-2% of freelance professionals who submit their applications. If you possess a high level of specialization in your field and aspire to secure top-tier positions and projects, Toptal may prove to be the perfect fit for you. With its rigorous selection process and commitment to excellence, this freelancing site offers an unparalleled opportunity to showcase your skills and network with elite clients and projects.

Vollna

What’s great about Vollna, you might ask? Created by a fellow freelancer, Vollna is a unique app that searches the top freelance websites (Upwork, Fiverr, Guru, Freelancer, etc.) and sends you the latest job listings directly to your inbox or mobile phone, anytime and anywhere.

Vollna has a mobile app that provides real-time notifications via email or the app itself when job listings matching your skills are posted. This allows you to have more time to apply for new jobs and maximize your earning potential.

FlexJobs

One site that deserves a place on our list of sites like Upwork, based on the sheer number of job postings they have, is FlexJobs. They have dozens of categories (over 50 and counting) for freelancers of all kinds, making it virtually impossible not to find clients using FlexJobs.

As of now, FlexJobs has more than 50,000 listed clients searching for freelancers like you. The platform even offers career coaching services, advice, webinars, and events to help you achieve your professional goals in 2022 and beyond.

Here is an overview of how to use FlexJobs

We Work Remotely

We Work Remotely is a popular job website with approximately 3 million active users per month. It offers a wide range of job postings, including freelance design-related positions. To list their projects on the website, employers need to pay $299, ensuring that the jobs posted are of high quality and more likely to have competitive compensation.

We Work Remotely collaborates with exclusive clients such as Amazon, Google, and InVision. Freelancers can easily access the available listings without creating profiles. By clicking on the job link, they can view the details of the job offer. Whether you are looking for part-time or full-time freelance opportunities, We Work Remotely provides a variety of filter and search tools to help you find jobs that match your skill set.

Behance

Behance, a dynamic and comprehensive platform, has established itself as a cornerstone for creatives around the world. With its integration into the Adobe ecosystem, Behance offers a plethora of features and opportunities for freelancers and creative professionals.

Key Features and Opportunities on Behance

• Diverse Community: Behance boasts a community of over 50 million members, offering an expansive network for creatives to connect, collaborate, and showcase their work. This platform has become a hub where billions of creative works are viewed annually, providing immense exposure for professionals in various fields.
• Project Showcase: Users can create detailed profiles with projects, consisting of images, videos, and digital content, each with a unique URL for easy sharing. This setup allows creatives to track views and appreciations, gaining valuable insights into their audience engagement.
• Curated Galleries and Featured Work: Behance curators highlight exceptional work in curated galleries, offering additional visibility for outstanding projects. These features enhance a freelancer’s chance of being noticed by potential clients and collaborators.
• Learning and Skill Development: The integration of Adobe Live and member livestreams on Behance enables creatives to access tutorials and workshops, fostering skill development and community learning. Users can also attach source files to their projects, contributing to the educational aspect of the platform.
• New Opportunities for Earning: The platform introduced creator subscriptions, allowing artists to monetize their work through memberships to premium content like livestreams and source files. This feature is seamlessly integrated with existing Behance projects, empowering creators to set their own prices and control what they share.
• Job Board for New Opportunities: Behance’s job board facilitates the discovery of freelance and full-time positions from companies worldwide. It allows users to filter opportunities by location and creative field, streamlining the job search process.
• Selling Creative Assets: The platform enables the selling of digital assets, with creators setting their own prices and license types. This feature diversifies income streams for freelancers, allowing them to sell downloadable files directly.
• NFT Artwork Display: Behance has embraced the evolving digital art scene by allowing users to showcase their NFT artwork. Creators can connect their crypto wallets to display NFTs on their profiles, providing an innovative way to exhibit digital art.
• Direct Payment and Hiring: Through its partnership with Stripe, Behance offers a direct payment system, simplifying transactions between clients and freelancers. This system enhances the ease of getting hired and paid for freelance projects.

Behance’s evolution, especially in the past few years, underscores its commitment to fostering a thriving community for creatives. From showcasing high-quality work and facilitating learning opportunities to providing new avenues for monetization and job discovery, Behance stands as a versatile platform for both seasoned professionals and those beginning their creative careers. By leveraging Behance’s diverse features, creatives can significantly expand their professional network and unlock new opportunities in the digital landscape.

This is what the Behance platform looks like:

This is the Behance project page

Behance hire page. This could be you!

GURU

Guru, as a freelancing platform, stands out for its versatility and broad range of disciplines, making it an attractive option for freelancers with various skill sets. The platform hosts professionals and groups offering services in nine primary categories, including popular areas like design and art, writing and translation, and programming and development. This diversity is one of Guru’s key strengths, providing opportunities even for those specializing in more niche fields.

One of the unique aspects of Guru is its membership structure, which tends to attract more experienced professionals. The platform offers several ways of commissioning work, including hourly and milestone-based contracts, catering to both short-term and long-term projects. Additionally, Guru’s flexibility can sometimes lead to confusion, particularly regarding its fee structure. The platform charges a commission on rates plus a nominal handling fee of 2.9%, but freelancers can opt to request that the buyer pay part of this commission, a detail that is important for buyers to note.

Guru has a significant global presence, with members from around the world, enhancing its appeal to those looking to work with international clients. The platform has been in the market for over 20 years, demonstrating its longevity and reliability in the freelancing industry. Furthermore, Guru uses a weighted percentage rating for both sellers and buyers, allowing both parties to post feedback and ratings at the end of a contract, which is crucial for maintaining a reputable profile on the platform.

The platform’s interface is described as clean and intuitive, with a personalized dashboard for each user, simplifying the navigation and management of interactions on the platform. While Guru does not feature live chat support, it offers an email-based ticketing system and phone support, along with a comprehensive Help & FAQ section that provides resources for both employers and freelancers.

In summary, Guru’s extensive list of disciplines and niches, combined with its flexible contract options and global reach, make it a strong contender in the freelancing market, especially for those seeking a broad range of opportunities and international collaborations. However, users should be aware of its unique fee structure and ensure they understand the terms before engaging in projects on the platform.

For more detailed information, you can explore Guru’s features and offerings on www.guru.com.

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Designhill

Designhill is a platform that connects employers with freelance designers for creative projects. Employers can create project contests to find the best freelancers and benefit from unique design entries. They can also search for specific freelancers using the Designhill search feature.

For graphic designers, web designers, and other freelance design experts, Designhill offers the opportunity to design and sell their own shirts in online stores. This provides an additional source of income and helps build their brands and recognition. As of 2022, Designhill has over 152,000 designers and has satisfied the needs of 116,000 clients.

Hubstaff Talent

As of 2022, Hubstaff Talent has over 108,000 active profiles registered in more than 100 countries. It is available to freelancers worldwide and integrates with other remote work apps. It allows you to send personalized messages to your clients and offers customer service tools, including live chat features.

What’s great about this site is that it is similar to Upwork, but it is completely free. Unlike many of its Upwork competitors, Hubstaff Talent does not take a finder’s fee. It is an excellent platform for finding new clients and building your portfolio.

While they do have many full-time positions, which may not be suitable for freelancers, they also offer a wide range of part-time or contract jobs.

Credo

When it comes to websites similar to Upwork, one platform stands out for its distinct and specialized approach. Credo, available at getcredo.com, sets its focus squarely on the fields of SEO, PPC, and digital marketing freelancers. By doing so, it caters specifically to clients who require the expertise of such professionals in order to meet their unique marketing needs.Now, if you happen to fall outside of these aforementioned categories, there’s no need to fret. Rest assured that this list includes a multitude of other worthy contenders in the realm of Upwork alternatives. However, if you identify as an SEO specialist, PPC guru, or digital marketing expert, then Credo is precisely the platform tailored to your specific needs and requirements.

Freelance Platforms FAQ

What site is better than Upwork?

Outsourcely is an alternative that stands out for long-term remote work opportunities, allowing direct employer-talent interaction without extra fees. It also offers a free plan with 1 job post per month. More about Outsourcely.

What freelance site is best?

The best site varies based on individual needs. Freelancer.com offers a broad range of services and is beginner-friendly, with free job posting and a secure payment system. Learn more about Freelancer.com.

Is Deel better than Upwork?

While Deel wasn’t directly compared, platforms like Outsourcely and Freelancer.com offer unique advantages over Upwork, such as lower fees and a focus on long-term relationships. Outsourcely details and Freelancer.com information.

Is Upwork easier than Fiverr?

Ease of use depends on personal preference and work style. Upwork caters to a variety of job categories, while Fiverr is tailored for quick, creative services. Upwork’s features.

What pays most on Upwork?

Specialized skills in IT, programming, design, and marketing are among the highest-paying jobs on Upwork. Upwork job categories.

What is the most wanted job in Upwork?

In-demand jobs often include web/software development, creative design, writing, and digital marketing. Job trends on Upwork.

Which freelance website pays highest?

Toptal and Codeable are known for high-paying opportunities, especially for top-tier talent and specialized skills. Toptal and Codeable comparison.

Which skill is in demand in freelancing?

High demand skills include web/software development, graphic design, content writing, digital marketing, and SEO. Skill demand in freelancing.

Freelancer Trends from Upwork

Which website is best for freelancing for beginners?

Freelancer.com is recommended for beginners due to its wide project variety and no mandatory screening process, making it easier for new freelancers to start. Freelancer.com for beginners.

These insights should help guide your decision in selecting the most suitable freelancing platform for your needs. The best choice varies depending on your specific skills, the type of work you’re looking for, and your personal work preferences.

Conclusion

In the freelancing world, there are many platforms to choose from, such as Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer. Each platform has its own unique features, advantages, and potential drawbacks. Upwork is popular and offers comprehensive services, while Fiverr is simple and quick for project creation. Freelancer provides various payment options and dispute resolution features.

Other platforms like SolidGigs, Freeup, Toptal, Vollna, FlexJobs, We Work Remotely, Behance, Guru, Designhill, Hubstaff Talent, and Credo cater to specific needs, offering curated job opportunities and unique features. Some focus on remote work, others specialize in connecting designers, and Credo focuses on SEO, PPC, and digital marketing.

Choosing a freelancing platform depends on individual preferences, skills, and career aspirations. Conducting thorough research and weighing the pros and cons is crucial. With the right choice, freelancers can unlock opportunities and achieve their professional goals.

Comprehensive Resources for Various Freelancing Platforms

1. Upwork Insights and Tips: For detailed guidance on getting started, optimizing profiles, and understanding Upwork’s fee structure, visit Upwork’s Resource Center. It provides valuable tips for both freelancers and clients to effectively use the platform.
2. Fiverr for Beginners and Experts: Fiverr’s Online Learning Courses offer tutorials and tips to enhance your skills and success rate on the platform. These resources are invaluable for both new and experienced freelancers.
3. Toptal Insights: For an understanding of Toptal’s rigorous selection process and tips on how to get selected, visit the Toptal Resources page. This is especially useful for highly specialized freelancers.
4. Guru Freelancer Guide: Guru’s guide offers insights into creating strong profiles and effective project bidding. Check out Guru’s User Guides for comprehensive information.
5. Behance Creative Network: To maximize your use of Behance, explore their blog for tips on portfolio creation, finding job opportunities, and connecting with the creative community.
6. LinkedIn for Freelancers: LinkedIn offers various resources on networking and job hunting. Visit LinkedIn Learning for courses on enhancing your profile and effectively using the platform for freelance work.
7. PeoplePerHour Tips: For insights on how to stand out on PeoplePerHour and secure projects, explore their blog which provides tips and best practices for freelancers.
8. FlexJobs for Remote Work: FlexJobs offers resources for those looking for remote and flexible job opportunities. Their blog contains tips on remote work, job searching, and succeeding in a flexible work environment.
9. Freelancer.com Community and Support: For beginners on Freelancer.com, visit their Community and Support page which offers guidance on getting started, finding projects, and building your freelance career.
10. 99designs for Design Professionals: If you’re a designer, 99designs’ Designer Resource Center provides helpful tips, design trends, and advice to help you succeed on the platform.

These resources offer a wealth of information across various freelancing platforms, catering to a range of skills and experience levels. They are valuable for anyone looking to start or enhance their freelance career on these platforms.