Upwork
Upwork is a comprehensive freelance marketplace where employers can find freelancing professionals from 180 countries. Using the platform, employers can source top talent in design, video and audio, marketing, business consulting, project management, and more.
Previously known as Elance-oDesk, this U.S.-based freelance marketplace maintains its headquarters in California. Upwork has no office in Europe, but according to LinkedIn, there are 984 registered users in the U.K. The site is great for finding local and international talent, receiving a rating of 4.9 out of 5 from U.K. clients and freelancers.
Pricing:
Plan | Pricing |
|---|---|
Basic | Free |
Plus | US$49.99 /mo. |
Business | US$499.00 /mo |
Enterprise | |
Featured Job Upgrade | US$29.99 |
A 10% client fee applies for Business Plan and no payment processing fee.
A 3% payment processing fee applies for Basic and Plus plans when you pay your freelancer.
Review:
Upwork is a marketplace and network where freelancers can connect with clients and employers offering remote work. The platform has helped over 30% of Fortune 500 companies find top-quality, independent professionals.
More than 200,000 British clients have used Upwork to source high-quality professionals for various projects in marketing, web development, engineering and architecture, IT and networking, translation, and more. Projects can be searched by skills, city, or region, making it easier for job seekers to find viable opportunities.
Pros:
- Brands such as Airbnb, Dropbox, Microsoft, Samsung, and more use Upwork to find quality freelancers.
- Employers can post projects at no cost or choose from paid options, depending on their hiring needs.
- Millions of projects are posted on the platform with over 5,000 skills represented across more than 70 categories.
- AI-matching technology instantly generates a freelancer shortlist based on your project requirements.
- Employers can connect with a remote workforce representing 180 countries.
- You can receive invoices through Upwork's platform to easily pay for the work you've authorized.
- Projects include social media visibility on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
- Employers have access to individual freelancers' profiles and can see their ratings.
- Upwork is more affordable than remote job boards like SkipTheDrive, and local job boards such as CV-Library.
Cons:
- The basic plan excludes advanced candidate management tools.
- Some freelancers might be deterred by having to pay a fee based on their earnings.
- There is no option to search for projects by employer, which can make it difficult for freelancers to find you.
- Pricing is not available in pound sterling.
- There are no multilingual site options, which may deter freelancers from other parts of Europe.
- There is no local contact number.
Reputation:
On Sitejabber, Upwork has more than 1,700 reviews and a rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars. On Trustpilot, the platform received also received 3.9 stars based on the reviews of more than 9,000 users.
How to Post a Project on Upwork:
Four easy steps for posting a project on Upwork.
Posting a Project on Upwork.
Click on "Sign Up."
You'll find this green button toward the top-right corner of the Upwork home page.
Create an account.
Select "I'm a client, hiring for a project" and click on "Join as a client." Then, complete the online form and click on "Create my account."
You can also sign up with your Apple or Google account.
Add some details about your company and click on "Continue."
Verify your email address.
Start the job posting process.
To start the job posting process, click on "Post a Job" on your dashboard.
Select the length of the project and click on "Continue."
Add a headline for your project in the field provided and select a job category. Click on "Next: Skills" when you are done.
Add the required skills, the project's scope, experience level, and location, clicking on "Next" each time you are ready to proceed to the next section.
Add an hourly rate or project budget and click on "Review Job Post" to continue.
Review and post your job.
Add the project's description and read through your post to make sure all the details are correct. When you are ready, click on "Post Job Now."
To make changes, click on the grey pen icon on the far right of each section. Click on "Update" to save your changes.
To save your changes and post the job at a later stage, click on "Save as draft."
Upwork vs. PeoplePerHour:
While Upwork offers a free plan with paid options from US$49.99, PeoplePerHour is completely free. Upwork freelancers pay an earnings-based fee, while PeoplePerHour freelancers can submit 15 free proposals before they are charged. Unlike Upwork, most of PeoplePerHour's traffic comes from the U.K., which is great for local hiring.
Upwork vs. SkipTheDrive:
Upwork is a talent marketplace, while SkipTheDrive is a job board for remote work. At US$99.00 per posting, SkipTheDrive is more costly and is searchable by keywords as opposed to location and project type, making it trickier for local talent to find your job. However, SkipTheDrive is better for finding remote workers further afield.
Upwork vs. CV-Library:
For employers looking to hire local freelancing talent, CV-Library may be a better option than Upwork. With a database of 16.2 million candidates from the U.K., employers are more likely to find freelancers within their timezone on CV-Library than Upwork. However, CV-Library is more costly than Upwork, and offers no free plan.
Key Information
Legal Name | Upwork Global Inc. |
Founder | |
Founding Date | Jan 01, 2015 |
Address | 2625 Augustine Dr., Ste. 601, Santa Clara, California 95054 USA |
Telephone | |
Website |
FAQs:
What does it cost to post a project on Upwork?
Upwork's pricing options include a free basic plan and paid packages.
How can I edit a project on Upwork?
- Click on the "My Jobs" tab from the Upwork dashboard.
- Select the project you would like to edit under "Open Jobs."
- Click on "Edit Posting" in the "Actions" menu.
- Make your changes.
Is Upwork better than Fiverr?
Both Upwork and Fiverr offer platforms that connect employers with talented global freelancers. Upwork has both free and paid pricing plans, while Fiverr offers customized service packages. Both charge freelancers a fee based on their earnings.
Is Upwork dying?
Upwork members have expressed concern over this, with many citing issues such as fake job postings, poor project quality, and lack of client responses as some of the problems they've encountered when searching for work. That said, if you obey Upwork's terms of service, you should be able to avoid most scams and use the platform safely.
What kind of projects are on Upwork?
There are a number of projects in various categories on Upwork, including ones in design, video and audio, development and IT, marketing, writing and translation, admin and customer support, HR, and more.