Freelancer vs Upwork

The main difference between Freelancer and Upwork lies in their approach to freelancing. Upwork is a premium platform that caters to a diverse range of freelance professionals and businesses. It offers a more structured hiring process, with a focus on quality talent and project management tools. It appeals to those who value quality and project management. On the other hand, Freelancer provides a broader and more budget-friendly marketplace that attracts a wide array of freelancers and projects. It emphasizes affordability and the flexibility to find freelancers for various tasks. It is favored by users seeking budget-friendly and versatile options for their freelance needs.

In this versus, we compare Freelancer vs Upwork in-depth to help you choose one of them. If you want to know more details, we recommend you to read our Freelancer review and Upwork review.

However, you can also directly find the Best Freelancing Platform, we list them by ranking (based on our review rating), you can find all the comparisons we made and we explain how you should choose the proper one.

Here is what we will talk about in the rest of this article:

To make your choice quick and efficient, here is a short summary about our comparison of Upwork vs Freelancer. Find out their ratings, features, prices and then discover the winner of the versus.

Pros and Cons comparison

9.1

Freelancer Review, Pricing, Features with Pros and Cons

In this Freelancer review, you’ll find more information about its features, pricing, pros and cons and why you should …

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Average Score 9.1

Customer support

9

Value for money

9.2

Ease of use

9.2

Features

9.1

PROS:

• Quality assurance
• Time tracker
• Mobile app
• Fast bidding process

CONS:

• Presence of spam bids
• Additional fees
• Inconsistent work availability
• Lack of built-in community

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9.3

Upwork Review, Pricing, Features with Pros and Cons

In this Upwork review, you’ll find more information about its features, pricing, pros and cons and why you should …

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Average Score 9.3

Customer support

9.1

Value for money

9.3

Ease of use

9.4

Features

9.2

PROS:

• Wide range of job categories
• Payment protection
• Quality clients
• Easy to navigate

CONS:

• Highly competitive
• Review-dependent success
• No in-office collaborations

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Specifications comparison

Find out which software has the best valuable pricing, which one offers a free trial and money back guarantee.

Freelancer Pricing details

With plans ranging from just $4.99 to $99 per month, you can choose the perfect fit for your budget and project requirements.

Whether you’re a newbie looking for a basic plan or a seasoned pro in need of premium features, Freelancer has got you covered. Dive in to explore a flexible fee structure, daily withdrawal options, and a host of perks designed to elevate your freelancing game !

Paid Membership Plan

Basic Plan : $4.99 per month

• 50 Bids Per Month: Allows you to bid on up to 50 projects each month.
• 50 Skills: Add up to 50 skills to your profile.
• Unlock Rewards: Gain access to platform rewards.
• Unlimited Project Bookmarks: Bookmark as many projects as you like.
• Preferred Freelancer Eligible: Eligibility to become a Preferred Freelancer.
• Custom Cover Photo: Personalize your profile with a custom cover photo.
• 3 Free Highlighted Contest Entries Per Month: Stand out in contests.
• 12 Free Sealed Contest Entries Per Month: Keep your contest entries confidential.
• 5 Employer Followings: Follow up to 5 employers.

Plus Plan : FREE ($8.95 after 1-month trial)

• 100 Bids Per Month: Double the number of bids compared to the Basic plan.
• 80 Skills: Add more skills to your profile.
• Client Engagement: Enhanced client engagement features.
• Daily Withdrawal Requests: Withdraw funds daily.
• 5 Free Highlighted Contest Entries Per Month: More highlighted contest entries.
• 25 Free Sealed Contest Entries Per Month: More sealed contest entries.
• 10 Employer Followings: Follow more employers.
• 5 External Invoicings: Invoice clients outside the platform.
• Free Project Extensions: Extend project deadlines for free.
• High Value Project Bidding: Bid on high-value projects.

Professional Plan : $49.00 per month

• 300 Bids Per Month: A significant increase in the number of monthly bids.
• 100 Skills: Showcase a wide array of skills.
• Bid Insights: Get insights into your bidding performance.
• 15 Free Highlighted Contest Entries Per Month: Even more highlighted entries.
• 75 Free Sealed Contest Entries Per Month: Keep more of your contest entries confidential.
• 20 Employer Followings: Follow a larger number of employers.
• 15 External Invoicings: More external invoicing options.
• Premium Freelancer Insights: Access to premium insights.

Premier Plan : $99.00 per month

• 1500 Bids Per Month: An enormous number of bids for the serious freelancer.
• 400 Skills: Showcase a vast range of skills.
• 30 Free Highlighted Contest Entries Per Month: Maximum number of highlighted entries.
• 150 Free Sealed Contest Entries Per Month: Maximum number of sealed entries.
• Unlimited Employer Followings: Follow an unlimited number of employers.
• Unlimited External Invoicings: No limit on external invoicings.
• Free NDA Projects: Ability to work on projects that require a Non-Disclosure Agreement.

Fee and charges ( Excluded from Paid Membership )

• Fixed Price Projects: Freelancers are charged a fee of 10% of the project’s total cost or $5.00 USD, whichever is greater, upon accepting a project award. If you receive payment exceeding the original bid amount, additional fees will be charged on the overage payments.
• Hourly Projects: A 10% fee is applied to each payment received from the employer. This fee covers the platform’s administrative and operational costs.
• Contests: If you win a contest, a fee of 10% of the prize amount or $5.00 USD, whichever is greater, is charged. This fee is applied when the prize money is released to you.
• Preferred Freelancer Program: If you are part of this program, a 15% project fee is charged when you are awarded and accept a Recruiter project. This fee is not charged upfront but is applied when you receive payment.

Withdrawal Fees

• The platform offers multiple withdrawal methods, each with its own set of fees. For example, International Wire Transfers come with a $15.00 USD fee. However, methods like PayPal and Skrill are free.

Upwork Pricing details

Whether you’re a freelancer or a client, Upwork offers a range of pricing options to fit your needs. From zero upfront costs to a standard 10% service fee for freelancers, there’s something for everyone. Dive in to discover how you can make the most of Upwork without breaking the bank !

Membership Plans :

• Basic Plan: This is a free plan that comes with 10 free Connects each month. It’s suitable for freelancers who are new to the platform or those who use it occasionally.
• Freelance Plus: This plan costs $14.99 per month and comes with 70 Connects. It’s designed for freelancers who are more active on the platform and need additional Connects and features like a customized profile URL.

Service Fees :

1. Standard Freelancer Service Fee : Upwork charges a standard service fee of 10% on all earnings, whether the contract is hourly, fixed-price, or a Project Catalog project. For instance, if you earn $500 on a project, you’ll pay a $50 service fee, leaving you with $450 in earnings.
2. Agency Service Fees : Agencies are also subject to the same 10% service fee structure as individual freelancers when working with non-Enterprise clients.
3. Rounding Estimated Earnings : Upwork’s rate calculator estimates your net earnings after fees to help you bid accordingly. However, the actual fee may vary slightly due to rounding to the nearest cent in each transaction.
4. Exceptions to the 10% Fee :

• • Legacy Contracts: If you had a 5% service fee on a contract before May 3, 2023, you’ll continue to pay a 5% fee through the end of 2023.
  • Upwork Payroll: Freelancers in the Upwork Payroll service are exempt from Upwork service fees.
  • Any Hire Contracts: No service fees are charged on Any Hire contracts.
  • Direct Contracts: A 3.4% processing fee is charged, but the 10% service fee is waived.
  • Bring Your Own (BYO) Contracts: Some BYO contracts may have a 0% service fee, while others may have the standard 10% fee.
  • Enterprise Clients: Generally, a 10% service fee applies, but exceptions exist for contracts transitioning from a 5% marketplace fee.

Upwork Connects :

• Cost and Bundles: Connects are used to submit proposals for jobs. Each Connect costs $0.15. You can buy them in bundles of 10, 20, 40, 60, and 80.
• Usage: The number of Connects required to apply for a job varies, generally between one and six. This means applying for a job could cost you between $0.15 and $0.90.

Freelancer operates on a bidding system where project owners post their requirements, and freelancers bid with their proposed prices. It charges you 3% or $3(whichever is greater) for each project that you post. And as freelancer, it charges you 10% or $5 for each project that you complete. Apart from that, it charges a transaction fee on every transaction that is equal to $0.30 + 2.3%. And the other charges and fee range from minimum $0.10 to a maximum of $30. Optional fee for a full-time project can be charged at $229.99. On the other hand, Upwork charges you flat 10% as service fee on your earning as a freelancer. And for the clients, the service fee is 23% of the total bill rate. So, by comparing these rates to both the platforms, we can clearly see that Upwork’s service fee is relatively higher than the service fee offered by Freelancer, which makes later the winner. 

🏆 Winner: Freelancer

Learn more in the section below with our comparison of the different features of Freelancer vs Upwork .

Here is a quick summary of the differences between the features and services offered by Freelancer vs Upwork:

Features overview

In this section, we will compare only the big differences between Freelancer and Upwork, and we will assign a winner for each feature or service.
So we will compare first:

• Pricing and Affordability
• Search and Matching
• Payments
• Review and Ratings
• Customer Support

Pricing and Affordability

Freelancer charges up to 10% for each project. And its normal fee can also go as high as up to $30. On the other hand, Upwork also charges service fee of 10% to the freelancers. But it charges up to 23% service fee to the clients. So, Freelancer is clearly winner in this category.

🏆 Winner: Freelancer

Search and Matching

Upwork offers an advanced search and matching system that helps clients find freelancers based on specific criteria, skills, and project requirements. On the other hand, Freelancer provides search filters to narrow down freelancers by skills, but its matching system is less advanced compared to Upwork.

🏆 Winner: Upwork

Payments

Upwork offers an integrated payment system and escrow service that ensures secure and timely payment for freelancers upon project completion. On the other hand, Freelancer also has a payment system, but it lacks an escrow service which makes payment security less robust.

🏆 Winner: Upwork

Review and Ratings

Upwork features a review and rating system for both clients and freelancers that help build trust and credibility within the platform. Whereas Freelancer also includes a similar review and rating system that allows users to provide feedback and assess the quality of work.

🏆 Winner: Tie

Customer Support

Upwork offers customer support to clients and freelancers, including help center resources and the ability to contact support for assistance. On the other hand, Freelancer also provides customer support, with a help center and the option to contact support for inquiries and assistance.

🏆 Winner: Tie

If you need some external reviews of Ciroapp, you can read the reviews written by their users. Feel free to add your own on these platforms once you are an experienced user of Freelancer or Upwork, to help our community to choose.

Freelancer Reviews

9.1

Freelancer Review, Pricing, Features with Pros and Cons

In this Freelancer review, you’ll find more information about its features, pricing, pros and cons and why you should …

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Upwork Reviews

9.3

Upwork Review, Pricing, Features with Pros and Cons

In this Upwork review, you’ll find more information about its features, pricing, pros and cons and why you should …

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Read full review

Now that you have read everything and know all the differences between Freelancer and Upwork, it’s time to define a winner! Find out in the following whom the winner of this versus is ⚡.

Upwork is the winner as it offers a wide array of features, including detailed user profiles, a comprehensive range of project categories, mobile apps for on-the-go access, flexible payment options, and robust customer support. These features fulfill the needs of both clients and freelancers.

On the other hand, Freelancer is the runner-up for its budget-friendly pricing and the availability of a broad project category selection. So, if you are a client looking for a budget friendly platform, then you must try Freelancer.

Freelancer vs Upwork

• 1Quick overview
• 2Pricing comparison
• 3Features comparison
• 4User Reviews
• 5Winner