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Guru vs Kmong

A side-by-side look at 2 Freelance Marketplaces tools for 2026 — the verdict, pricing, ratings, features, and what readers think.

Guru
guru.com
1.7 (210 · Trustpilot)
Best for US clients who want the lowest marketplace fees for coding, writing or design and will vet carefully

Long-running US freelance marketplace with low fees: 2.9% for clients, 5-9% for freelancers, SafePay escrow and flexible payment agreements.

Visit Guru
Kmong
kmong.com
4.9 (20,500 · Google Play)
Best for korean businesses buying fixed-price design, IT, marketing or content work delivered in Korean

South Korea's largest gig marketplace: buy fixed-price services from vetted experts in about 700 categories, paid through escrow.

Visit Kmong

Pricing compared

Guru
$8.95/mo (billed yearly)
  • Free tier Yes
  • Free trial Free plan for freelancers; free posting for clients
Kmong
Free to join; buyers pay 4.5% fee; sellers pay tiered 4.4-16.4% + 3.3%
  • Free tier Yes
  • Free trial Free to register as a buyer or expert

Head to head

Guru Kmong
Rating 1.7 (210 · Trustpilot) 4.9 (20,500 · Google Play)
Starting price $8.95/mo (billed yearly) Free to join; buyers pay 4.5% fee; sellers pay tiered 4.4-16.4% + 3.3%
Free tier Yes Yes
Free trial Free plan for freelancers; free posting for clients Free to register as a buyer or expert
Platforms Web · iOS · Android Web · iOS · Android
Founded 1998 2012
HQ Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Seoul, South Korea

Pros & cons

Guru
Pros
  • Low freelancer fees of 5% to 9%, below most large marketplaces.
  • Low 2.9% client handling fee, effectively zero by US eCheck or wire.
  • Four payment agreement types, including recurring payments.
  • SafePay escrow with arbitration, plus WorkRoom collaboration tools.
Cons
  • Very poor Trustpilot rating of 1.7 from 210 reviews, mostly 1-star.
  • The free plan has the highest fee (9%) and only 10 bids per month.
  • Memberships are non-refundable.
  • Smaller talent pool and weakly rated mobile apps.
Kmong
Pros
  • Very broad catalogue of about 700 service categories with a large Korean buyer base.
  • Escrow safe payment releases money only after the client confirms the purchase.
  • Fixed-price Standard, Deluxe and Premium packages make services easy to compare.
  • Seller fee falls on larger orders, down to 4.4% service fee above 2 million KRW.
  • Well-rated mobile apps: 4.9 on Google Play and 4.6 on the Korean App Store.
Cons
  • Small orders are expensive for sellers: 16.4% service fee on the first 700,000 KRW, plus 3.3% and VAT.
  • Buyers pay a 4.5% purchase fee on top of the gig price.
  • Tax invoicing is split: the seller invoices the service and Kmong invoices its fee separately.
  • Korean-only and KRW-only, so it does not suit non-Korean buyers or freelancers.