PeoplePerHour vs Upwork
A side-by-side look at 2 Freelance Marketplaces tools for 2026 — the verdict, pricing, ratings, features, and what readers think.
P
peopleperhour.com
Best for UK small businesses buying quick fixed-price Offers, and freelancers building long-term UK client relationships
UK-born freelance marketplace: buy fixed-price Offers or post a project and get AI-matched proposals, with escrow until you're satisfied.
Visit PeoplePerHour
U
upwork.com
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 UpworkPricing compared
PeoplePerHour
Free to join; clients pay 10% + £0.60; freelancers 20% to 3.5% tiered
Upwork
Free Basic plan; clients pay up to 7.99%; freelancers 0-15%
Head to head
| PeoplePerHour | Upwork | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ||
| Starting price | Free to join; clients pay 10% + £0.60; freelancers 20% to 3.5% tiered | Free Basic plan; clients pay up to 7.99%; freelancers 0-15% |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | No sign-up fee for clients or freelancers | Free Basic plan for clients; free sign-up for freelancers |
| Platforms | Web · iOS · Android | Web · iOS · Android · macOS · Windows |
| Founded | 2007 | 2015 |
| HQ | London, UK | San Francisco, California, USA |
Pros & cons
PeoplePerHour
Pros
- Freelancer fee falls to 3.5% once lifetime billing with a client passes GBP 5,000.
- Escrow holds payment until the client confirms satisfaction.
- Two hiring routes: ready-made fixed-price Offers or custom projects with proposals.
- Long-established UK marketplace with GBP pricing and a strong UK client base.
Cons
- 20% freelancer fee on the first GBP 250 billed with every new client.
- Client fee of 10% plus GBP 0.60 is high compared with other marketplaces.
- Extra fees for currency conversion, disputes, upgrades and dormant balances.
- Its Trustpilot profile has been removed, so there is little independent review data.
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.