Freelancer.com vs Upwork Comparison

When fresh talent is considering the option of freelancing, they usually end up with two freelance platforms: Freelancer.com or Upwork. There is no surprise in that, since both sites are the best-known places for aspiring and professional freelancers. But these websites are also appreciated by employers as well, who prefer a service with an established presence where more applicants can be expected – in other words the exact thing Freelancer.com and Upwork offer.

All of the above suggests that these sites are very much alike in many aspects. So the main question is: is there a defining difference between the two?

Speaking of employers, the hiring process is very easy, particularly due to the fact that the site provides help for each step. To make things better, Freelancer.com offers two attractive features for employers: the first one is a work management app with built-in time tracker available as a smartphone app and as a feature in the mobile browser version. This clever app occasionally takes snapshots of the employee’s work, thus serving as clear evidence whether or not the task was properly finished. The second feature catering to employers is a money back guarantee that refunds your deposit if the results are clearly subpar compared to what you were expecting.

Freelancer.com’s pricing policy is pretty simple: the site deducts up to 20% from the fee of freelancers, but you also have the option to get extra perks by going for the premium subscription.

On the other hand, employers have access to an in-built monitoring program that records the freelancer’s work every 10 minutes, plus the option to screen and rate employees. To make sure both parties are satisfied, clients can pay workers either by the hour or after completing a set milestone. In addition to that, the Upwork Payment Protection feature guarantees that employers only need to pay freelancers after their task has been properly validated.

Like Freelancer.com, Upwork also cuts off 20% from the freelancer’s salary to maintain the overall quality of the site. However, there is an extra service for employers: by paying $500 for Upwork Pro, employers don’t have to go through the tedious selection process, since a team of dedicated professionals will choose the best worker for the upcoming task.

Honestly, we don’t envy you at all, since the feature set of both Freelancer.com and Upwork are almost identical: you have a monitoring app and a work system where freelancers bid on projects with their offer, not to mention their equally compelling smartphone apps. Even the contribution fee they ask from freelancers is exactly the same at both sites.

Therefore, when it comes to picking a side, our only advice is to look for those smaller details that are the most appealing to you – in this case the site’s main audience and the extras provided. Freelancer.com mostly caters to freelancers with its straightforward rating system and the option get extra perks via a premium subscription. Upwork, on the other hand, leans a bit in favor of the employers, as proven by Upwork Pro, a team of ‘Santa’s little helpers’ who ease clients from the task of searching for the right freelancers.