🔥 Who Wins? Upwork vs Freelancer vs Fiverr

It's a real battle for your business. Who's the winner? [View & share this email from your browser]( Last week, we talked all about [filling your client pipeline](. And one of our suggestions was to leverage freelance job sites. But with [so many freelance job sites out there]( how can you know which ones you should actually invest your time in? Well, today we're comparing three of the biggest names in the game: Upwork, Freelancer.com, and Fiverr.com. Think of it like a schoolyard brawl between three eager contenders, all vying for your attention and promising to make your freelancing life easier. Who will win? 🥊 Keep reading and decide for yourself. In this email: - Upwork Pros & Cons - Freelancer.com Pros & Cons - Fiverr Pros & Cons Preston & the Millo Team PS: [Bonsai]( is the only tool you need to run your business. Manage your clients, deliver great work, get paid, and track your finances. 🫶 Note: This is issue #3 of our upgraded newsletter, ‘Freelance Fire.’ You’re receiving this email because you were subscribed to the [Millo]( Newsletter previously. We hope you’re going to love it. [Bonsai]( - everything you need now in one place. Grow your freelance business fast and with confidence. Manage your clients, deliver great work, get paid faster, and track all your finances. [Start Free]( Upwork Pros & Cons First, we’ll start with Upwork. The platform that needs no introduction. With millions of freelancers and clients using Upwork, it's certainly a force to be reckoned with. For more Upwork insight, try these two articles: - [Is Upwork Worth It? (From a Freelancer’s Point of View)]( - [A Real-World Experiment Earning $8,000+ on Upwork]( What we like about Upwork: - The sheer scale of Upwork is incredible. There are over 800,000 active clients using Upwork to hire. 😲 Plus There’s a huge variety of job postings across a wide range of industries ([even for beginners](. - Upwork’s clients are typically high-quality. Due to its higher fees, Upwork tends to attract clients who are willing to pay more for quality work, which means you may have access to higher quality projects and clients who are more serious about paying quality freelancers. - You can get certified and stand out. Instead of leaving you to fend for yourself, Upwork will help you get offers skill certifications that can help you get noticed by your ideal clients. The site also has a unique badge system that rewards top-rated freelancers. It allows them to view jobs that are not yet public. The downside of Upwork: - Upwork may charge you “Connect” credits to apply for a job. 😒 The biggest downside of Upwork has to be [Upwork Connects]( payment credits for applying to jobs. You receive a certain number of Connects each month, but if you run out of Connects, you have to purchase more. It's worth noting that not all job postings on Upwork require Connects to apply. But many do. - Plus, Upwork takes a significant cut of your earnings. I turns out, being a part of the biggest client/freelance marketplace in the world comes with a cost. To be exact: 5-20% or more depending on your situation. “The gig economy is here to stay. Whether you’re a freelancer, a consultant, or an independent contractor, you need to be on a platform where clients can find you." —Neil Patel [Meet Harlow]( - Build the freelance business of your dreams. From pitch to paid, we’ve got you covered. Harlow helps you knock out the little tasks so you can focus on the big picture. [Learn more!]( Freelancer.com Pros & Cons Next up: Freelancer.com. The name pretty much says it all. This platform is all about connecting freelancers with clients in need of their services. But is it the right fit for you? Let's take a closer look. What we like about Freelancer.com: - Freelancer.com lets you collect [milestone payments](. Freelancer.com’s “Milestones Payment” program allows you to get paid along the way as you accomplish important milestones for your clients. That can be really nice for larger projects or new clients you’re unsure about. - There’s no skills tests you have to pass. Unlike Upwork or Fiverr Pro, Freelancer.com does not require freelancers to take skills tests to demonstrate their proficiency in a particular area. We’re not in school—you shouldn’t have to take a test just to offer your services. - Better rates than Upwork.com. For the most part, Freelancer.com takes less of your money than Upwork does—as a percentage. The downside Freelancer.com: - Lower-quality clients. Because Freelancer.com is known for more affordable freelance work than other sites, it tends to attract lower-paying clients and fewer long-term projects. - Difficulties with payments. Some freelancers have reported difficulties with getting paid on time or at all through the platform. Freelancer.com offers a dispute resolution system to address these issues, but the process can be time-consuming and may not always result in a satisfactory outcome. Fiverr.com Pros & Cons The online marketplace got famous by offering ridiculous services for just five dollars has grown to be one of the leading freelance marketplaces—and it’s not just for 5-dollar jobs anymore. It’s a thriving marketplace with plenty of high-ticket offerings. You can also read: - [What earning $33k from Fiverr taught me about building a freelance business]( - [The 10 Best Fiverr Gigs to Start Earning More Jobs (& Money)]( - [Fiverr Reviews You Should Read Before Joining Fiverr as a Freelancer]( What we like about Fiverr: - There’s no need to apply for jobs or send proposals. Unlike Upwork or Freelancer, Fiverr isn’t really focused on client proposals. Instead, you build your own offering (known as a “[gig]( and then market yourself to potential clients both inside the Fiverr marketplace and out. - A simple and straightforward fee structure. Unlike Upwork or Freelancer.com, there’s no strange tiered fee structure on Fiverr. Freelancers keep 80% of their earnings and Fiverr takes 20%. Easy. The downside Fiverr: - You have to market & promote yourself in order to rank high in gig searches. Because Fiverr is primarily search-driven there aren’t a lot of jobs or gigs to “apply” to like on Freelancer or Upwork. So you have to build a killer Fiverr profile and then hope that your gigs rank high in search in order to start generating a lot of business. - Hourly project rates are not really available. While we recommend project-based or value-based pricing anyway, if you prefer charging hourly, Fiverr may not be the best option for you since you can pretty much just charge on a fixed basis. So who wins? So who wins the battle between Upwork, Freelancer.com and Fiverr? The reality is: it depends on what you need in your business. If you want a bit higher-caliber client and don’t mind some tougher competition and potentially paying to bid, [go with Upwork](. If you’d rather do more, smaller jobs for lower-maintenance clients, then you should [go with Freelancer.com](. And if you want to build your perfect gig and have 100% control of what you offer with a fixed fee, [go with Fiverr](. Whew! If you made it this far—thanks for sticking with us. See you in next week’s issue of 🔥Freelance Fire. 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