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Kmong vs Upwork

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

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

upwork.com

4.2 (16,841 · Trustpilot)

Best for companies hiring freelancers for ongoing, hourly or custom-scope work across any remote skill

The largest work marketplace: hire independent talent hourly, by fixed-price milestones or from a project catalog, with funded-milestone protection.

Visit Upwork

Pricing compared

Kmong

Free to join; buyers pay 4.5% fee; sellers pay tiered 4.4-16.4% + 3.3%

Upwork

Free Basic plan; clients pay up to 7.99%; freelancers 0-15%

	Kmong	Upwork
Rating	4.9 (20,500 · Google Play)	4.2 (16,841 · Trustpilot)
Starting price	Free to join; buyers pay 4.5% fee; sellers pay tiered 4.4-16.4% + 3.3%	Free Basic plan; clients pay up to 7.99%; freelancers 0-15%
Free tier	Yes	Yes
Free trial	Free to register as a buyer or expert	Free Basic plan for clients; free sign-up for freelancers
Platforms	Web · iOS · Android	Web · iOS · Android · macOS · Windows
Founded	2012	2015
HQ	Seoul, South Korea	San Francisco, California, USA

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.

Upwork

Pros

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.

Cons

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.