15 Best Upwork Alternatives & Competitors in 2024

Feeling frustrated with Upwork's high competition and overwhelming fees? Or it’s getting hard to pull off an outsourced project even after being scammed by multiple freelancers?

You're not alone. Many businesses and freelancers face these challenges daily, struggling to find a balance between quality work and fair compensation. But don't lose hope yet.

Our carefully selected comprehensive list will guide you to the best Upwork alternatives & competitors that promise more job variety, lower fees, best talents and better matchmaking for your skills and businesses.

If you’re a freelancer or a business looking for talents, it’s your one stop guide to find the best match.

Let’s dive in!

Our Featured Top 15 Alternatives/Competitors to Upwork At a Glance

Best Overall: Fiverr

Best for Quality Clients: FlexJobs

Best for Low Competition: PeoplePerHour

Best for Beginners: Freelancer. com

Best for Developers: Toptal, Truelancer, Revelo.

Best for Designers:  99Designs, Coroflot, CrowdSpring.

Best Platforms for Writers: Contena, ProBlogger.

Best Platforms for Marketing Professionals: Contently, ClearVoice, Torchlite.

How We've Chosen the Best Alternatives: Key Factors of Considerations

Job Variety and Quality of the Talent Pool

We prioritized platforms that offer a wide array of projects, subjected to various skill sets and professional levels.  Besides, for businesses we kept in mind the quality of available freelancers along with their job diversity.

Yes, we’ve addressed your biggest fear here so that you can hop in and delve into massive job opportunities in your industry.

Fee Structure and Earning Potentials

Understanding the importance of fair compensation, we focused on alternatives with transparent and reasonable fee policies that justify their earnings across all skill levels.

Trustworthy Payment Systems

Our 3rd & one of the most crucial concerns was on the security and dependability of the payment processes.  The priority was scam proof guaranteed payment.

User Experience

We prioritized platforms with intuitive interfaces and robust support systems for a hassle-free freelance experience. From beginning to end each of the platforms has to facilitate a seamless workflow.

Trust-worthy Clients

Whereas there's no guaranteed way to dodge scammers, a few platforms offer you more security than others. All these options either have a debate determination benefit, a curated client list, an employer review framework, or all three!

How Our Experience Guides You Towards the Best Solution

By default our years of through experience in the freelance & remote industry has helped us master the subtle intricacies that a freelancer or business often goes through. Even we personally faced so many roadblocks trying the platforms by ourselves.

Opinions from freelancers, experts & businesses across different industries furthermore helped us to reshape and justify our final judgment. And qualify only the best sites like Upwork for everyone’s purpose.

1. Fiverr – The Most Creative Marketplace

Just like Upwork, Fiverr is also one of the largest freelance platforms for freelance services on demand. Here the freelancers post the gigs according to their talent, and the clients explore these posts to find out what service they need to get their job done. Fiverr could be a potential Upwork alternative for agencies as well for it's range of available freelancers.

No matter what services you want to sell or want to buy, you can sell or find them on Fiverr, from designing a t-shirt, beatboxing your name to prank-call someone, and lots of other weird, wild services.

Getting started on Fiverr can be difficult; at first, you may need to lower your price to get things going. But once you've gone through selling experiences and earned enough reputation on Fiverr, you can make some serious cash.

If you want to get yourself started on Fiverr and need help from a pro freelancer, You can check out how to post a gig to Fiverr.

You can earn thousands of dollars for a single gig by doing something you love based on your talent. If you want to use it to make a little side cash or as your primary income, most reviewers agree that Fiverr can be an outstanding alternative to Upwork.

Active Buyers/Clients: 3.42 Million

Reviews: 3.8 (10,312 ) Trustpilot

Features

• In Fiverr, creativity is the main focus. You can sell any services imaginable on Fiverr, as long as it's legal.
• One of Fiverr's original features is that here gig finds you; on this platform, clients come to you.
• On Fiverr, apart from your main gig, if you create other gigs, it helps the seller to lure buyers into spending more cash.
• After you start selling gigs and receiving positive feedback, Fiverr will raise your rank.
• For people who want a gig completed within a small budget and quickly, Fiverr is the best place for them.

Pros & Cons of Fiverr

For Freelancers:

Pros:

Global Client base: One of the world’s largest freelancing platforms with a massive client base from across the world.

No Bidding System: Unlike some Upwork, Fiverr allows setting up gigs without the need to bid on projects.

Flexibility in Pricing: Freelancers can set their own rates and offer package deals.

Ease of Use: Straightforward platform for creating and managing gigs.

Cons:

High Competition: A large number of freelancers can make it hard to stand out.

Commission Fees: Fiverr takes a 20% commission from each gig, affecting earnings.

Limited Client Interaction Before Purchase: Often clients purchase gigs without prior discussion, which can lead to misunderstandings.

Payment Hold Period: Earnings from gigs are subject to a hold period before withdrawal, which can impact cash flow.

For Businesses & Clients:

Pros:

Diverse Talent Pool: Access to a global array of freelancers with versatile skills, from data entry operator to aerospace engineers.

Budget-Friendly Options: Ability to find services matching various budget ranges, making it cost-effective for small businesses.

User-Friendly Interface: Easy navigation and clear categorization of services for quick hiring.

Secure Payment System: Funds are held in escrow until project completion, ensuring financial security.

Cons:

Variable Quality: The quality of work can vary significantly, requiring careful vetting of freelancers & their profiles.

Service Fees: Fiverr charges a service fee on each transaction, which can add up.

Limited Customization: Some freelancers offer packaged services with limited scope for customization.

Upwork vs Fiverr: Key Aspects of Comparison

Simplified Hiring Process: Fiverr's gig-based model allows clients to quickly select services without the need for lengthy proposal reviews, making it more straightforward and time-efficient if we compare Upwork vs Fiverr job posting and bidding process.

Clear Pricing Structure: Fiverr's set prices for gigs offer transparency and predictability in costs, which can be more appealing for clients who prefer knowing the exact price upfront, unlike Upwork’s variable pricing based on proposals.

Speed and Specificity: Fiverr stands out for handling short-term, specific tasks efficiently, an advantage over Upwork which typically caters to longer, more complex projects.

Diverse Talent Pool: Both platforms offer a wide range of freelancers, but Fiverr’s global reach and gig-based model provide a unique diversity in skill sets and creative services, potentially offering more variety for specific project needs.

2. FlexJobs­— Only Quality Opportunities

When you get tired of scammers on different platforms and looking for Fiverr & Upwork alternatives, FlexJobs is the place you need to go. Here you can only see job listings from serious clients. Though FlexJobs does charge a monthly or annual fee, it's a worthy place if you have enough of the scammers in Upwork.

FlexJobs is so reliable that each job posted to this platform has been specially investigated and decorated. The investigators over FlexJobs ensure that only trustworthy jobs from trusted clients are assigned to the platform, so you don't have to worry about scams and unpleasant experiences.

Available Opportunities: 53,107 online jobs

Reviews: 4.6 (1,772) Trustpilot

Features

• By opening an account in FlexJobs, you can demonstrate your worth. FlexJobs provides free skill tests that can help prove your talents to potential clients.
• After opening an account in FlexJobs, if you're not happy with their services, you can cancel your subscription within 30 days with a full refund.
• Since all the jobs on this platform have been investigated and decorated by FlexJobs researchers, you don't have to waste your time by creeping around the platform.
• FlexJobs can also help you with your resume and give career advice through proper Career Coaching and Resume Review.

Flexjobs Pros & Cons to Consider:

For Freelancers:

Pros:

Curated Job Listings: Offers a vetted selection of legitimate remote and flexible jobs, reducing the risk of scams to a significant level.

Diverse Opportunities: Provides access to a wide range of industries and job types, from part-time to full-time remote roles.

Resource Hub: Includes additional resources like skill tests, webinars, and career coaching, aiding in professional development.

Cons:

Subscription Fee: Requires a membership fee to access job listings, which may be a barrier for some freelancers.

Limited Free Access: Free accounts have restricted access to job details and application processes.

High Competition: Popular listings can have high competition due to the quality of opportunities.

For Businesses & Clients:

Pros:

Quality Talent Pool: Attracts serious professionals looking for flexible work, ensuring a higher caliber of candidates.

Flexible Hiring Options: Offers diverse hiring options, from freelance to permanent remote roles, suiting various business needs.

Job Posting Visibility: Listings are visible to a motivated and niche audience, increasing the chances of finding the right fit.

Cons:

Membership Costs: Posting jobs may come with a fee, which could be a consideration for small businesses or startups.

Focused Niche: Primarily targets remote and flexible jobs, which might not be suitable for all business hiring needs.

Time to Hire: The process of attracting and vetting candidates might take longer compared to larger, more generalized job boards.

Upwork vs FlexJobs: Key Comparison

Job Quality Assurance: FlexJobs stands out with its thoroughly vetted job listings, ensuring high-quality, legitimate opportunities, a contrast to Upwork where the quality and legitimacy can vary significantly.

Resource-Rich Environment: For freelancers seeking professional growth, FlexJobs provides valuable resources like career coaching and skill tests, which are less emphasized on Upwork.

Focused Talent Pool: FlexJobs attracts professionals specifically seeking flexible and remote work, offering businesses a more targeted approach to finding dedicated remote talent compared to Upwork's broader freelancer base.

Simplified Pricing Model: FlexJobs’ subscription model for freelancers is straightforward, avoiding the variable commission fees on earnings found in Upwork, making budgeting more predictable.

3. PeoplePerHour—The Least Competition

PeoplePerHour is kind of different from some of the other freelance platforms. You need to apply to find jobs on this platform. PeoplePerHour will only accept your application if there's a real demand for your talent.

This can be bothersome, but it lessens the competition. So, if there are jobs available for your talent, there's a good chance that you'll be accepted here readily.

Active Clients: 1.4 Million

Reviews: 3.9(5,053) Trustpilot

Features

• PeoplePerHour uses its powerful AI system to match you with projects that you're likely to get. Here you can find your perfect match.
• On this platform, you don't have to submit countless proposals to find work. Here you can create custom offers for your unique services at the price you want to set. And clients will come to you.
• Manage your projects at ease with PeoplePerHour's project stream tool, where it is easy to share files, receive feedback, and collaborate with your clients in one place.
• After you're done with your project, PeoplePerHour automatically generates an instant invoice, which you can edit if needed.

Pros & Cons of PeoplePerHour

For Freelancers:

Pros:

Global Client Reach: Offers exposure to an international client base, which can be particularly beneficial for niche skill sets.

Direct Proposal Submission: Allows freelancers to proactively send proposals to potential clients, enabling them to pitch their unique skills directly.

Control Over Pricing: Freelancers have the autonomy to set their rates per hour or per project, providing flexibility in how they value their work.

Cons:

Intense Market Competition: With many skilled professionals on the platform, standing out to potential clients can be challenging, especially for those new to the platform.

Commission Structure: The commission fee, which varies based on the lifetime billings with a client, can take a significant portion of the earnings, particularly for lower-priced gigs.

Profile Building Takes Time: New freelancers may find it takes considerable time and effort to build a strong profile and gain positive reviews, which are crucial for attracting clients.

For Businesses & Clients:

Pros:

Vetted Freelancers: Many freelancers on PeoplePerHour undergo a vetting process, offering a degree of quality assurance to clients.

Project-Specific Proposals: Clients receive tailored proposals, ensuring that freelancers have a clear understanding of the project requirements before starting.

Secure Payment System: The escrow system protects payments, releasing funds to freelancers only after the client’s approval of the work.

Cons:

Time-Consuming Selection Process: The need to go through numerous proposals which can be very time-consuming.

Upwork vs PeoplePerHour Comparison

Direct Proposal System: PeoplePerHour allows freelancers to send direct proposals to clients, offering a proactive approach to securing work, compared to Upwork's model where clients post jobs and freelancers submit proposals.

Niche Project Focus: PeoplePerHour often features more niche, specialized projects, which can be advantageous for freelancers with specific skill sets, whereas Upwork covers a broader range of generalist and specialist jobs.

Simplified Communication: The platform's structure encourages straightforward communication between clients and freelancers, potentially streamlining the negotiation process more than Upwork's often more complex proposal and interview system.

Fixed and Hourly Rate Flexibility: PeoplePerHour provides the flexibility to offer services at fixed rates or hourly charges, which can be more appealing for freelancers preferring a clear-cut pricing strategy over Upwork’s varied pricing models.

Localized Opportunities: While both platforms are global, PeoplePerHour has a strong presence in certain regions, offering a competitive advantage for freelancers and clients in these locales compared to Upwork's more global focus.

4. Freelancer. com—The best for beginners

Just like Upwork, Freelancer.com is one of the most popular and largest freelance platforms on the internet. More than thousands of great jobs available with no screening process, and that's why it's evident that it gets such great user reviews.

Though the competition can be a little tough, it's a great platform to land your first few gigs and start building your portfolio if you're new to freelancing. Here making an account is free, but it comes with a minimal number of bids. But premium options can let you apply for more jobs.

Reviews: 4.5 (12,884) Trustpilot

Number of Total Clients: 70 Million

Features

• Here you have many options to land work on freelancer.com. You can find a job posted by a client, enter a competition for a project, or create a service; in this case, the clients will come to you.
• Freelancers from all skill levels can serve at Freelancer.com. Many established freelancers started to build their portfolios from Freelancer.com.
• In this platform, both the clients and the freelancers can review each other, which can avoid difficult or untrustworthy people.
• Unlike other platforms like Upwork, Freelancer.com allows anyone to make an account free of charge.

Pros & Cons of Freelancers.com

For Freelancers:

Pros:

Vast Project Variety: Offers a wide array of projects across various industries, catering to different skill levels and preferences.

Extensive Opportunities: Provides an opportunity to work with international clients, broadening market reach and experience.

Bid System: Enables freelancers to bid on jobs that align with their skills and rates, offering control over the work they pursue.

Cons:

High Competition: The platform's popularity means stiff competition, especially for new entrants who may struggle to get their first projects.

Fee Structure: Charges a project fee and a membership fee for additional bids, which can eat into profits, particularly for lower-value projects.

Inconsistent Project Flow: The availability of desirable projects can be sporadic, affecting consistent income generation.

For Businesses & Clients:

Pros:

Diverse Freelancer Pool: Access to a large pool of freelancers from around the globe, ensuring a wide selection of skills and price points.

Project Management Tools: Offers tools for tracking progress, making collaboration and management more efficient.

Secure Payment System: Payments are held in escrow, offering security and ensuring freelancer payment upon satisfactory completion of work.

Cons:

Quality Control Challenges: The vast number of freelancers means varying levels of quality, necessitating careful vetting.

Overwhelming Proposals: Posting a project can result in an overwhelming number of proposals, requiring time to sift through.

Additional Fees: Clients may encounter various fees, such as posting premium listings or for enhanced project management features.

Upwork vs Freelancer.com: Head to Head Comparison

Ease of Entry: New freelancers might find it easier to start on Freelancer.com due to its vast array of smaller projects, as opposed to Upwork, where the competition for high-value projects can be more intense.

Fee Structure: While both platforms charge a fee, Freelancer.com's simpler fee structure might be more straightforward for freelancers managing multiple small projects.

Project Variety: Freelancer.com often boasts a broader range of smaller, diverse projects, appealing to freelancers who prefer varied short-term tasks, in contrast to Upwork's focus that includes more long-term, comprehensive projects.

Bidding System: Freelancer.com's bidding system allows freelancers to actively compete for a wide array of jobs, providing more control over the selection of projects compared to Upwork’s proposal and interview process.

These are the best alternatives to Upwork, which are somewhat similar to Upwork's structure. Now we're going to mention some of the freelancing platforms explicitly based on a particular profession like Developer, Designer, Writer, and Marketing Profession.

If you are searching for a specially created platform for your profession, you can find it here from the list.

Upwork Alternatives for Developers

Finding the exact help, you're looking for can be hard these days, especially in the development and engineering-related sectors. The internet provides excellent freelancing platforms out there for you to trudge through and seek out which is the best for you to get your job done. This freedom can be a double-edged sword. It's suitable for the accessible candidates but tiring because there is only too much to comb through.

We're going to make this exhausting process easier by detailing some of the best alternatives of Upwork for the developer.

1. Toptal

Toptal connects businesses and startups with the top talent in software development from around the world. The platform uniquely boasts that it can give you access to the top 3% of freelance developers all over the world.

They can ensure this through their unique screening process that all the applicants have to face before entering their platform. Their screening process includes a language and personality test, algorithm testing, technical screenings with other developers, a test project, and a commitment for freelance developers to maintain a perfect track record while working with clients.

Reviews: 4.8 (1,667) Trustpilot
Number of Total Clients: 10,000+

Pros

• One of the best screening processes ensures quality and vetted freelancers and saves you screening costs.
• Risk-free trial.

Cons

• More expensive than other platforms.

2. Truelancer

If you're looking for Web development done at a reasonable price, Truelancer is the best option to consider. With tens of thousands of web developers located worldwide with various programming languages, Truelancer is a unique freelancing platform for web development.

Reviews: 4.5 (433) Trustpilot
Number of Total Clients: N/A

Pros

• Inexpensive fees.
• Funds are on hold until work is approved and done.
• Dedicated support.

Cons

• No live chat support.
• Only web development-related.

3. Revelo

Revelo offers the largest online platform for US companies to hire remote developers and software engineers from Latin America. The platform enables US companies to source, hire, and manage highly qualified, English-speaking, full-time remote tech talent in US time zones.

Revelo recognizes the trial of recruiting developers from overseas when it comes to dealing with payroll, taxes, health benefits, and compliance. Revelo takes care of all that for you and more.

Revelo provides benefits for the developers to make them happy employees who are excited to work, as well as rolling out new tools and resources like career ladders to help design developers' career goals in your company, and payroll, to easily pay across borders and track time.

Reviews: 3.8 (3) Trustpilot
Number of Jobs Available: 321,337+

Pros

• Dedicated support through the hiring and employment process
• Time-zoned aligned with U.S.
• Quickly hire so you can get back to business
• Fluent English-speaking developers

Cons

• More costly than outsourcing

Upwork Competitors for Designers

If you are searching for the right platforms to hire great freelance designers, we hope this listing will help you give you the idea you need. Also, if you're a designer and looking for a hassle-free platform to find the gigs, then you can try one of these platforms we've listed.

1. 99Designs

A very famous community of creatives helps you find designers in two ways: the first one is by creating a contest. The process is simple; you make a contest by detailing a brief of your project. When you publish the competition, designers can start submitting their entries from which you can choose your favorites. The platform also offers services for businesses who want precisely what they need to be done.

Reviews: 3.8 (1,132) Trustpilot
Number of Jobs Available: 81,042

Pros

• Flexible pricing with a different packaging system.
• Money-back guarantee policy.
• A streamlined and straightforward process.

Cons

• Most of the entries may not be of the quality or relevant to your needs.
• You have to pay for the designer and also the fee for the platform.

2. Coroflot

Coroflot is a career community exclusively created for professionals in design and creative individuals. Designers of all backgrounds are available here. Here you can post the project you need to be done, and it will be on the platform for 90 days. This popular platform is used by many world-famous companies that need talented designers, so it is a must worth checking.

Reviews: 3.2 (3) Trustpilot
Number of Jobs Available: N/A

Pros

• You can explore designs based on salaries to help with your salary consultations.
• You can post jobs anonymously.
• Also, it can create job ads and reach designers more easily.

Cons

• Services are a bit pricy.

3. CrowdSpring

CrowdSpring is also one of the most diverse communities of more than 210 thousand designers skillful in various design fields. The website allows you to post a project in over 40 categories for design and writing. This platform's rules are that you post a project, then receive actual design entries during the next seven days, and then you can choose a winner.

Reviews: 2.2 (249) Trustpilot
Number of Jobs Available: N/A

Pros

• Diversity of design categories.
• A money-back guarantee policy.
• An interactive Q&A session.

Cons

The prices are a little high, as they cover both the award for the winning designer and the fee for the platform.

Alternatives to Upwork for Content & Copy Writers

1. Contena

Contena is one of the best premium freelance writing platforms aiming to be more than 'just another job board.' They have their own "writing job finder" system, which automatically gathers the best freelance writing gigs around the internet.

You can search and group through them to find the best writing gigs, whether it's a $10,000 a month or a one-off blog in a specific niche, which saves a lot of time trying to prowl around a bunch of different sites to find the gigs.

2. ProBlogger

Blogging veteran Darren Rowse created the ProBlogger job board, where two things are going on: the jobs are stable, and they'll likely be focused on blogging. The website itself is pretty straightforward. It's free to browse through and apply for jobs as a writer.

No sign-up is needed; find the job from the platform you are interested in and apply. If you want, they have a writer's dashboard; you can add your portfolio, manage applications, and get job alerts.

Freelance Sites for Marketing Professionals

Suppose you want access to the largest range of skills at a reasonable price. In that case, you can always use a freelance platform to find a freelance digital marketing specialist or a consultant in the location of digital marketing you need.

There are lots of platforms which are offering talents to choose from. Lucky for you we've done our research for you and listed the top platforms to hire freelance digital marketers with just a click.

1. Contently

This platform is the best for finding brand content marketers. It's also an excellent choice for brands looking for a wide range of Content with the security of knowing they're working with vetted professional digital marketers.

Digital marketer freelancers join the platform by creating a free Contently portfolio. They can then apply to become part of Contently's talent network, where the platform will let them before being accepted. Brands like IBM, Google, Walmart, and Marriott continuously work with Contently.

2. ClearVoice

Best for unified digital marketing service. Just as Contently, ClearVoice invites freelancers to set up portfolios showing their best projects. After that, they can apply to be part of the ClearVoice community.

This platform has a smaller talent pool than Contently, but its 4,000 digital marketer freelancers have all been thoroughly vetted by their professional specialists. Besides writing and editing roles, ClearVoice can help your agency or brand hire designers, videographers, and content strategists.

3. Torchlite

This site is the best for digital marketing project management. You'll only find digital marketers here. This platform is newer to the internet. From this platform, digital marketers are experts in specialized fields as they have to go through a severe screening process before they can offer their talent to brands or agencies.

With this platform, it's easy to manage digital marketing projects. Torchlite has a built-in timeline, an internal communication system, and time tracking tools. These tools are highly integrative with Asana, Slack, and Trello to make project management smoother.

What's Your Ideal Match?

So, what do you think? What's your ideal match? Which one did you like most?

Do you have any of your personal favorites that we missed on the list? You can choose any of the alternatives of Upwork, whichever suits you the best.

Instead of investing in multiple freelance platforms, you should stick to the one that is based on your profession and passion. Whichever you choose to work on, you have to pursue it with passion and patience because it takes time to build a rich portfolio. Stick to your passion and gradually build your portfolio doing what you like most and earn your freedom with it.