The Best 20 Upwork Alternatives for Freelancers and Businesses

As the gig economy continues to thrive and the number of freelancers in the United States alone reaches 60 million, platforms such as Upwork have become increasingly essential for connecting businesses and individuals on a flexible basis.

We've done the research and gathered the top hubs that offer similar services to Upwork but with their own unique features and benefits.

Exploring the list of 20 Upwork alternatives can help those looking for new chances as a freelancer and businesses seeking suitable employees find the best solution for their needs with ease.

4 Essential Factors to Evaluate When Choosing a Freelance Hiring Solution

We reviewed the following categories to evaluate the platform.

• User Interface and Experience: It encompasses the convenience, ease, and overall functionality of the platform, which must make navigation for both freelancers and clients seamless.
• Payment Systems and Fees: These refer to assessing how the platform covers matters regarding payment.
• Quality of jobs and freelancers: This category helps measure client satisfaction on both job types and freelancers’ performance.
• Customer Support and Dispute Resolution: This category captures the assistance provided by the platform to address complaints or disputes, which helps establish customer satisfaction levels.

Online platform	User interface and experience	Payment system and fees	Quality of jobs and freelancers	Customer support and dispute resolution
Fiverr	Good	High fees	Mixed quality	Adequate support, fair resolution
Guru	Average	Moderate fees	Good quality	Adequate support, fair resolution
Bark	Good	Free to use	Mixed quality	Limited support, unclear resolution
Task Rabbit	Good	High fees	Good quality	Adequate support, fair resolution
Toptal	Good	High fees	High quality	Good support, excellent resolution
Twine	Good	Moderate fees	Good quality	Adequate support, fair resolution
Golance	Good	Low fees	Mixed quality	Limited support, unclear resolution
Field Nation	Good	Moderate fees	Good quality	Good support, fair resolution
LDTalent	Average	High fees	Good quality	Adequate support, fair resolution
HubStaff Talent	Good	Free to use	Good quality	Good support, fair resolution
CloudPeeps	Good	High fees	Good quality	Good support, fair resolution
FreeUp	Good	Low fees	High quality	Adequate support, fair resolution
Gigster	Good	High fees	High quality	Good support, excellent resolution
Hirable	Good	Moderate fees	Good quality	Adequate support, fair resolution
Simply Hired	Good	Free to use	Mixed quality	Limited support, unclear resolution
Workhoppers	Good	Low fees/higher rates	Good quality	Adequate support, fair resolution
Freelanced	Average	Low fees	Mixed quality	Limited support, unclear resolution
Nexxt	Good	Moderate fees	Mixed quality	Adequate support, fair resolution
Freelance Writing Gigs	Average	Free to use	Mixed quality	Limited support, unclear resolution
Workana	Good	Moderate fees	Mixed quality	Adequate support, fair resolution

Upwork Alternatives in Detail

Fiverr

Fiverr is a platform that offers all kinds of services on graphic design, writing, programming, digital marketing, video and animation, audio and music production, and business research.

Fiverr offers a messaging system for direct communication between freelancers and businesses. Another unique feature of Fiverr is its gig-based system, where freelancers can create “gigs” that businesses can purchase.

💸 Fiverr takes a 20% fee from the freelancer's earnings

Guru

It is a platform that features a well-working bidding system that provides an easy way to search for jobs and highly-qualified freelancers globally.

Also, Guru offers an advanced payment protection feature, which ensures secure and timely compensation for projects completed.

💸Platform charges 2.9% per transaction.

Bark

Bark is a platform that’s primarily focused on connecting businesses with local freelancers for one-off projects.

Freelancers on Bark have access to more than 1000 job categories, which means they can find work that matches their skills and interests more easily.

💸Bark offers a fee-free service.

Task Rabbit

Task Rabbit is a platform that’s primarily focused on home services, such as cleaning, furniture assembly, electric help, etc.

It offers a matching system connecting businesses with freelancers based on their location and availability.

💸Task Rabbit adds a service fee to each task, approximately 15% of the total cost. Customers are aware of the final cost before the booking is confirmed, and there are no further fees or charges. (A minimum duration for a task starts with one hour).

Toptal

Toptal is a platform that’s specifically focused on connecting businesses with top-tier freelancers.

Its screening process is rigorous, so businesses can rest assured that they’re working with highly skilled freelancers.

Toptal also offers a project management feature that allows businesses to manage their projects and freelancers in one place.

💸Freelancers set their own rates. The service for them is free. For hiring businesses, there is a project commission fee.

Twine

Twine differs from other freelance websites due to its focus on scaled hiring (an option enabling businesses to hire the whole team).

It does not take any fees from any payments made for jobs, meaning freelancers keep all the money they earn.

For estimating the cost of video or audio-based dataset projects, the platform offers AI Project Calculator for free.

💸For freelancers, it's free on Starter, and it's $7.49 per month on Pro Plan featuring increased visibility and portfolio feedback. Payments can be made in both US and UK currencies.

goLance

It allows clients to work on multiple projects from one platform. It provides additional tools to make finding freelancers easier, such as goMeter for tracking time, a work diary for task management, and a smartphone app for accessing services on the go.

💸The service is free for clients. Freelancers pay a flat fee of 7.95% to use GoLance. Note that goLance uses multiple currency conversion partners to convert USD earnings into the freelancer's currency of choice, which can mean additional fees on withdrawal.

Field Nation

It is an online matching service for IT contractors and other freelancers to get on-site work done. Its freelancer management system includes portals Find Talent and Find Work.

For more detailed information, there is a Service Catalog that covers dozens of specialties, including networking, cabling, point of sale, digital signage, computers & printers, security, and more

💸It charges businesses a service fee of 8.5% to 10% of the cost of each work order that they contract via the platform. This fee covers the cost of platform maintenance, service provider payment processing, and access to Field Nation's support team.

LDTalent

It is a relatively new player in the freelancer hiring space. However, it gained wide popularity since its launch in 2017.

Candidates can directly register as a Talent, and after verifying their expertise, they will be visible to clients from over 80 countries.

Easy-to-use functionality of the platform contributes to reducing hiring costs by one-third.

The platform has helped over 100 remote teams find and manage diverse developers, AI/ML experts, and designers for a wide range of projects, from website development to mobile app development and more.

💸The platform is free for developers to join and use, and there are no charges or fees for their services.

HubStaff Talent

Hubstaff Talent is a platform that’s specifically focused on connecting businesses with remote talent.

Hubstaff Talent has an advanced matching system that offers services such as programming, design, writing, and more. Using Hubstaff Talent provides an opportunity to increase online visibility, which can lead to more networking opportunities.

💸Hubstaff Talent is free for both freelancers and businesses: unlike many other freelance platforms, Hubstaff Talent is completely free to use but in order to submit an application for a job, it is necessary to have a public freelancer profile.

CloudPeeps

CloudPeeps is a platform that links businesses with experienced freelance marketing, content, and community professionals for hourly and fixed jobs.

Its simple functionality enables users to enjoy smooth platform maintenance, payment processing, and support of a help center.

💸CloudPeeps charges a commission fee of 15% on the total project cost for businesses that use the platform to find freelancers.

FreeUp

It's a platform that provides pre-vetted freelance talent with an efficient and easy-to-use hiring process.

The matching system enables clients to connect with freelancers within 24 hours.

Web development, digital marketing, and writing are some of the service categories available for hire.

💸 The platform charges a 15% commission fee, which is included in the freelancer's rate and paid by the employer.

Gigster

Gigster's platform connects businesses with a network of software engineers, designers, and project managers with the expertise to complete projects quickly and efficiently.

Its elastic staffing model enables companies to shape the teams on the go catering to the project's expected deliverables with precision.

💸Gigster provides customized quotes for each project based on a number of factors, such as the complexity of the project, the expertise and experience required, and the tools and technologies needed.

Hirable

Hirable is a platform that’s specifically focused on connecting businesses with tech talent. It offers services such as software development, data analysis, and cybersecurity.

Freelancers on the Hirable platform are able to set their own rates and negotiate their hourly, daily, or fixed project rates with clients directly.

💸Freelancers on the Hirable platform are able to set their own rates and negotiate their hourly, daily, or fixed project rates with clients directly.

SimplyHired

It's a job board aggregated from various sources that also allows freelancers to search and apply for freelance gigs.

It offers several filters for hire search including local searching (jobs near you) and search by job titles and skills. Applicants can get help with their resumes and browse gig opportunities across cities or companies.

💸Simply Hired does not charge job seekers to use its platform, and it is free to search and apply for jobs on the site.

Workhoppers

The platform offers the best options for freelance, contract, temporary, or part-time positions upon users' providing specifications on skills, location, budget, and timeline.

Its unique benefit is the assistance of freelancers in locating short-term projects quickly as it is designed for companies to find and hire professionals in their own city.

💸On Basic Plan, it offers AI-matched job alerts for 1 job for $39 per month.

Freelanced

A platform that connects freelancers with clients and allows for job bidding for services across accounting, design, programming, recording, sales, and writing globally. Users can also enable a search by a keyword.

Clients can pay freelancers through a variety of payment options available on Freelanced, including PayPal, credit cards, bank transfers, and other electronic payment methods.

💸Freelanced charges freelancers a commission fee of 10% on their project earnings from clients sourced through their platform.

Nexxt

It's a powerful suite offering great options for hiring for freelance and remote jobs.

The platform boasts a vast network of job seekers and over 10000 employers.

Nexxt uses an AI-powered matching algorithm to pair job seekers with relevant job listings. This means that job seekers receive personalized job recommendations.

💸 The pricing plans include pay-per-post, monthly subscriptions, and performance-based pricing plans. Nexxt's basic job posting package costs $199 per month.

Freelance Writing Gigs

Also known as FWJ (Freelance Writing Jobs), this platform, aside from a job board, offers lots of useful resources for writers including writing tips and a list of writing contests running in 2023.

Overall, it offers a wide range of writing services, including copywriting, blogging, editing, publishing, SEO-editing, content writing, and technical writing.

💸For those hiring, a 30-day job listing costs $30. The platform does not post job ads for jobs that pay under $15.

Workana

A platform that allows freelancers and businesses to connect for IT & Programming, Design & Multimedia, Writing & Translation, Sales & Marketing,
Admin Support, Legal, Finance & Management, and Engineering & Manufacturing services globally.

For new freelancers, 80 new gigs (connects) are available every week. As freelancers progress, the number of connects they have goes up.

Workana has three different levels of reputation ranking – general, by category, and by client feedback.

💸There are several pricing plans. On Free plan, users get six weekly connects. The Plus plan costs $4.90 per month and offers users an upgraded experience of interaction with clients.

Conclusion

No matter if you are a freelancer seeking out fresh job openings or a business owner on the lookout for dependable and experienced remote workers, there are a lot of alternatives to Upwork in the market.

Each platform offers unique features and caters to different industries and skill sets, so take the time to research and compare before making a decision.

By exploring the multiple options listed above, you can increase your chances of finding the perfect match for your needs.