Freelancer.com vs Upwork
A side-by-side look at 2 Freelance Marketplaces tools for 2026 — the verdict, pricing, ratings, features, and what readers think.
Global freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace: post projects free, take bids or run contests, and pay through milestone escrow.
Visit Freelancer.comThe largest work marketplace: hire independent talent hourly, by fixed-price milestones or from a project catalog, with funded-milestone protection.
Visit UpworkOur take
Upwork and Freelancer.com are the two largest open, proposal-based marketplaces, and they look similar at first: post a project, receive bids, pay through escrow-style protection. The differences are in cost, hiring options and the quality of the bids you receive. Freelancer.com is cheaper for clients. You pay 3% or USD 3, whichever is greater, on fixed-price awards, compared with up to 7.99% plus a contract initiation fee on Upwork's Basic plan. It also supports contests, which are genuinely useful for logos, naming and other creative work where you want many options before paying, and its Trustpilot score (4.4) is slightly higher. The trade-off is volume: open bidding attracts many very low-priced proposals, so filtering takes time. Upwork is our overall pick for most businesses because its hourly contracts, Work Diary time tracking and funded-milestone protection make ongoing work easier to manage, and its talent pool is broader in professional categories. Choose Freelancer.com when budget is the main constraint or when a contest fits the job; choose Upwork when you expect to keep working with the same people.
Pricing compared
Head to head
| Freelancer.com | Upwork | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ||
| Starting price | $4.99/mo | Free Basic plan; clients pay up to 7.99%; freelancers 0-15% |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Free account; Plus membership has a 1-month free trial | Free Basic plan for clients; free sign-up for freelancers |
| Platforms | Web · iOS · Android | Web · iOS · Android · macOS · Windows |
| Founded | 2009 | 2015 |
| HQ | Sydney, Australia | San Francisco, California, USA |
Pros & cons
- Very large global pool of freelancers and clients.
- Many ways to hire: fixed price, hourly, contests and ready-made Services.
- Low client fee of 3% (minimum USD 3), and posting a project is free.
- Milestone escrow, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee on most contest prizes.
- Well-rated apps: 4.7 on the US App Store and 4.2 on Google Play.
- Freelancers pay 10% or USD 5, whichever is greater, charged when the project is awarded.
- Free accounts get few bids and must keep a USD 20 balance to bid.
- Many small add-on fees for upgrades, withdrawals and verification.
- Open bidding attracts many low-priced proposals, so clients must screen carefully.
- Huge talent pool across almost every remote skill.
- Hourly contracts with Work Diary time tracking and fixed-price milestones.
- Funded milestones are held as project funds with a dispute process.
- Free Basic plan for clients; eligible US clients paying by bank get a 3% fee.
- Publicly listed company (Nasdaq: UPWK) that issues 1099-K forms to US freelancers.
- Fees stack on both sides: up to 15% for freelancers and up to 7.99% or 10% for clients.
- One-time contract initiation fee of USD 0.99 to 14.99 per new contract.
- Freelancers pay to apply with Connects, and the number needed varies by job.
- Fixed-price work is protected only if the milestone was funded in advance.
Similarities & differences
- Both are open marketplaces where clients post projects and freelancers send bids or proposals.
- Both support fixed-price and hourly work.
- Both hold client funds for fixed-price milestones before work starts.
- Both charge freelancers to bid beyond a free allowance (Connects on Upwork, bids on Freelancer.com).
- Both have iOS and Android apps.
- Client fees: Freelancer.com charges 3% or USD 3; Upwork Basic charges up to 7.99% plus a contract initiation fee.
- Freelancer fees: Freelancer.com charges 10% or USD 5; Upwork charges 0% to 15%.
- Contests: Freelancer.com supports funded contests; Upwork does not.
- Hourly tools: Upwork has Work Diary time tracking with weekly limits and a review window.
- Bidding costs: Upwork Connects cost USD 0.15 each; Freelancer.com uses monthly bid allowances with paid memberships from USD 4.99.
- Korean access: Freelancer.com runs a Korean-language site (freelancer.co.kr); Upwork's app is English-only.
Who should choose which
Choose Freelancer.com if you want the lowest client fees, want to run a design contest, or are happy to filter many low-cost bids.
Choose Upwork if you need hourly or ongoing freelancers and value time tracking, a broad professional talent pool and structured contracts.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper for clients, Upwork or Freelancer.com?
Freelancer.com is usually cheaper: 3% or USD 3 on fixed-price projects and 3% on hourly payments. Upwork's Basic plan charges up to 7.99% plus a one-time contract initiation fee of USD 0.99 to 14.99. Fees as of November 2026.
Which is cheaper for freelancers?
Freelancer.com charges 10% or USD 5, whichever is greater. Upwork charges 0% to 15% depending on the contract. Both also charge for bidding beyond free allowances.
Does Upwork have contests like Freelancer.com?
No. Contests, where you fund a prize and choose from many entries, are a Freelancer.com feature.
Which has more freelancers?
Both are very large. Freelancer.com says it connects more than 90 million users; Upwork describes itself as the world's largest work marketplace. Quality varies on both, so check reviews and portfolios.
Is Freelancer.com available in Korean?
Yes, Freelancer runs a Korean-language site at freelancer.co.kr. Upwork's mobile app is English-only.