Finding the best freelance websites to start your freelancer journey can be confusing. That’s why starting on Upwork or Fiverr is a great starting point depending on your talents.

Upwork Freelancing Platform

Upwork has been a fantastic starting point for me not only as a writer, but quick starting my career in being a freelancer. Here is my final review on Upwork and why its one of the best freelance websites.

Pros

Low Fees: Upwork offers some of the lowest fees for not only the freelancer but also for the client. Recently, they have updated all fees to be maximum 10% for each project. So if you are getting paid $10 for a project, you will receive $9.

Easy Work: You can find fast easy work on Upwork without needing to wait for anyone to find you first. Upwork uses your interests to provide the most relevant gigs based on your skills

Fast Ratings: Once you are rated 5 times, you are given more and more gigs. Which is great as ratings can show you to the right clients for the best paying projects.

Tax Forms are Sorted: Thats right, legally Upwork is bound to give you a tax form every year based on your earnings. For me that is super helpful especially with how busy I get with work.

Safe Payments: All payments through “payment verified” gigs are covered by Upwork third-party platform that requires a legal, verified payment to avoid any possible scams as we know happen more often than they should.

Cons

Weird Clients: Sometimes you will run into some strange clients who will ghost you after completing a few tasks. Although they are ensured to pay you, more work is not always guaranteed even if youre under a contract.

Strange Payout System: For the longest time I only used PayPal on Upwork simply because of the amount of extra steps it takes you to put in your banks credentials. If you don’t have PayPal, its a bit more difficult.

Too Many “US Only” Gigs: If you are not based in the US, you will find it extremely annoying that most higher paying gigs are only for US clients. Along with long-term, solid projects.

Many freelancers complain in the beginning of their Upwork journey due to “Connects” and how fast you spend them. Which is why a good cover letter is important to ensure you wow clients at the very beginning. Another good tip is to always be searching for “Most Recent” gigs so you can be one of the first to apply.

Upwork Pay Rates & Fees

Depending on the talent field you are aiming for, the pay rates will depend on your level of skill, and your proven reliability on the Upwork platform.

Pay Rates:

SEO Content Writer: $5-$100 per article

Administrative Assistance: $10-$60hr

Digital Marketer: $15-$70hr

Developer: $100-100,000 per project

UI/UX Designer: $100-$80,000 per project

Fees:

Upwork charges 10% on any project given as a universal amount given to all freelancers and clients.

Fiverr Freelancing Platform

Fiverr is a legit freelancing platform that is used among many designers, and even writers who like to grab a quick gig. Although my main platform is Upwork, I have has a few clients on Fiverr, and I have had my full opinion created in the process.

Pros

Lots of gigs: Fiverr always has clients looking for gigs, so you will always find yourself with a couple projects

Rules made by you: Since you set your own terms, its much easier to understand what you are getting into before a project starts. You also have the right to charge for extra labor.

Professional UI: Fiverr presents itself as a very professional platform for freelancers, giving them options to set out of office days, terms, and personalized pay rates.

Cons

High Fees: The fees make Fiverr difficult to make a decent amount of earnings. including the currency exchange fees and platform service fees.

Less Potential: As a freelancer you have less potential on Fiverr to land higher paying projects as you have your terms already set at the price you ask.

Less Client Reliability: Clients could or could not stick around, making them very temporary.

Fiverr is a much more personalized UI which is really nice for designers or coaches for different subjects. Although as a writer who needs to write many articles, starting out on Fiverr can be challenging.

Fiverr Pay Rates and Fees

Fiverr seems to be one of the higher fee based freelancer platforms out there. Although you set th ebar for your rate.

Pay Rates:

SEO Content Writer: $5-$250 per article

Administrative Assistance: $5-$50hr

Digital Marketer: $5-$70hr

Developer: $5-$1,000 per project/task

UI/UX Designer: $5-$800 per project/task

Fees:

Fiverr charges a 5.5% fee for both the client and freelancer including a small gig fee of $2.50 for anything below $70. Along with conversion fees that can range from 1-2% depending on the conversion rates.

Toptal Freelancing Platform

I have to say Toptal is probably my third favorite platform when it comes to finding a solid freelancing project through a third-party platform. The only downside to Toptal is that it is very limited to what kind of jobs you can apply for, as it is a very professional platform and you would need to consider it as such.

Pros

Long Term Projects: Toptal offers some great long term projects that are through some reliable businesses.

Customer Service: If you have any problems Toptal has probably the best customer support for anyone in the freelancing market.

Global Reach: No matter where you are, Toptal will find work for you.

Cons

Limited Professions: You only have availability in a handful of professions, and they typically want you to have some sort of degree.

Rough UI: The UI is not the best, and crashes from time to time.

Clients: Clients expect a lot especially for jobs that are freelance based.

Although Toptal could be tough to start at for anyone new to freelancing, it is definitely worth attempting to step a foot in the door for some gigs!

Overall, depending on where you are in your freelancing journey there are plenty of opportunities available. Depending on your skills and talents, the best you can do is experiment with these platforms and see which one works best for you!