Upwork vs. Fiverr

Freelancing is on the rise with over 50 million active freelancers in the U.S. alone. With remote work becoming more popular in 2020, there’s no better time than now to become a freelancer.

But where do you start? Where can you find reliable work?

I do want to preface this post with a note on where we here at School For Freelancers stand on platforms like Upwork and Fiverr; we preach and teach that these platforms can be a great way to kickstart and sustain a lasting freelance career, BUT they are not always the best way to go about it.

Finding your own clients without these platforms can take a lot of work and is very time consuming, but once you build up momentum with a strong portfolio and a network of clients, word of mouth begins to take off and you could eventually find yourself turning down work to stay sane.

Again, these platforms are great and can really help freelancers make a lot of money if done right, but they may not be best for you depending on where you are at in your career or what services you are offering. Now back to your regularly scheduled post…

Two of the most popular sites for freelancers are without a doubt Fiverr and Upwork. But when you put Upwork vs Fiverr, which is the better platform?

That’s what we’re looking at today. Read on to find out whether Fiverr or Upwork is right for you.

Fiverr is an online freelancing marketplace. Users flock to the site to find reliable freelancers for all kinds of services.

Whether you want some cheap graphic design, blog writing, or even some remote clerical work, Fiverr has you covered. All services were priced at $5 back when Fiverr launched, but the price is much more dynamic in 2021.

There’s no shortage of freelance work on Fiverr. If you need to contract digital work of any kind, you’re likely going to find a reliable freelancer there.

How Does Fiverr Work?
Fiverr users pay for “gigs” in advance based on the price their freelance charges. Freelancers deliver the work in a set amount of time, and users can accept or reject them.

Freelancers on the platform can set their own prices. Users provide reviews for each freelancer, and their status on the site can be boosted with positive feedback.

Upwork is an advanced job board that serves freelancers of all backgrounds. Employers and freelancers all flock to Upwork to propose and accept different jobs.

Freelancers can get hourly or fixed-price depending on their preference or their employers. Upwork takes a cut of your earnings, but the percentages change depending on the scope of your work.

How Does Upwork Work?
Upwork is relatively simple. You sign up with a free account, select your payment option, then search for freelance work on the site.

Delivering quality work can get you higher on searches for employers. You’ll be able to find work ranging from software development all the way to audio transcriptions on Upwork.

So is Fiverr better than Upwork, or the other way around? To really get to the bottom of this, we need to look at their processes, payment, accessibility, and the type of work you’re doing.

Let’s break those sections down here:

Process
Upwork uses a bidding process that lets freelancers see a posted job and create a proposal for it. Once the employer accepts their proposal, they can create a contract. This means you will not only need to establish an impressive portfolio, you will need to hunt down the right jobs for you.

Fiverr works differently with a streamlined job posting process. Employers have to come searching for them instead of the other way around so you will need to do the upfront work of making your portfolio stand out above all of the noise.

Fees and Payment

Both platforms offer multiple payment options including direct deposit and PayPal.

Fiverr has a 20% fee for all work, but Upwork’s fee structure is more dynamic. Cheaper projects have higher fee percentages, while jobs for over $10,000 have fees as small as 5%.

Type of Work
Both platforms offer great opportunities for freelancers across industries. However, Upwork is more geared towards software developers and customer service professionals.

Meanwhile, Fiverr has a better marketplace for writers and graphic designers. While you can certainly succeed on either platform, these are important to consider when choosing between the two.

Choosing between Upwork vs Fiverr can be tough since they’re both great options if it is right for you. We hope this guide helped you get closer to making a decision on which platform is right for you.

Want to learn how to freelance the right way? Want to get started on the right path for your freelancing career? Apply with us today and we’ll work with you on a promising career!