Freelancer vs Upwork: Fees, Features and Which to Use

The verdict

Pick Freelancer.com if you want the lowest client fee on a fixed-price job, want lots of bids quickly, or want to run a design contest. Pick Upwork if you plan ongoing hourly work with the same person and want features like monthly invoicing. Either way, freelancers pay a fee too, and many build it into their rates. Compare the total you’ll pay, not just the platform’s headline fee.

At a glance

Fees as of October 2026.

	Freelancer.com	Upwork (Basic)
Cost to post a job	Free	Free
Client fee, fixed-price	3% or $3, whichever is greater	Up to 7.99% (3% for eligible US bank payments)
Client fee, hourly	3% of each payment	Up to 7.99%
Per-contract fee	None listed	$0.99–$14.99 one-time contract initiation fee
Freelancer fee	10% or $5 (fixed); 10% (hourly)	0–15%, variable
Cost to apply/bid	Free, with $20 minimum balance	Connects at $0.15 each
Contests	Yes, free to post	Not offered
Paid upgrades	Featured $10.99, Urgent $10.99, NDA $22.99, etc.	Business Plus at 10% client fee
Card/PayPal processing	$0.30 + 2.3%	Not listed separately

Pricing for clients

Freelancer.com charges clients 3% or $3, whichever is greater, when you award a fixed-price project, and 3% on each hourly payment. Overage payments above the original bid also carry the 3% fee. You can cancel within 7 days of acceptance for a full refund of the fee.

On top of that, card, PayPal and Skrill payments carry a $0.30 + 2.3% transaction fee outside Australia. Optional upgrades add cost: $10.99 to feature a project, $22.99 for an NDA, and $240 for a full-time listing.

Upwork charges a client marketplace fee of up to 7.99% on the Basic plan, or 3% for eligible US clients paying by bank account. The fee is non-refundable, even if a payment is reversed. Each new contract also carries a one-time contract initiation fee of $0.99 to $14.99, which you see at checkout.

Worked example: a $500 fixed-price website fix.

• On Freelancer.com: 3% = $15, plus $0.30 + 2.3% ($11.50) if you pay by card. About $526.80 total.
• On Upwork Basic at the top rate: 7.99% = $39.95, plus a contract initiation fee of up to $14.99. Up to about $554.94 total. Paying by eligible US bank account at 3% lowers the fee to $15 plus the initiation fee.

Small jobs show the gap more. On a $150 task, Freelancer.com’s 3% is $4.50. Upwork’s top rate is $11.99, and the contract initiation fee of up to $14.99 can nearly double the platform cost. If you hire the same person again, Upwork charges a new initiation fee for each new contract, so keeping one ongoing contract open can cost less than starting fresh each time.

These are platform fees only. Freelancers set their own prices.

Pricing for freelancers

Freelancers’ costs matter to you, because they shape the rates you see.

Freelancer.com takes 10% or $5, whichever is greater, on fixed-price work and 10% on hourly payments. Bidding is free, but freelancers must hold a $20 minimum balance. A Verified badge costs $99, and withdrawals by PayPal or Payoneer cost $1.

Upwork charges a service fee of 0% to 15% on standard contracts, depending on contract type and supply and demand. The freelancer sees the rate before accepting, and it stays fixed for that contract. Applying to jobs uses Connects, which cost $0.15 each. Freelancer Plus is $19.99/month and includes 100 Connects.

Hiring and ease of use

Freelancer.com is built around bidding. Post a project and freelancers bid on it. You can also run a contest: post a brief, fund the prize, and choose from submitted entries. That works well for logos and graphics. Expect a high volume of bids to sort.

Upwork is built around contracts. You post a job or invite freelancers, review proposals, and hire on hourly or fixed-price terms. Hourly contracts suit ongoing work like bookkeeping help or website upkeep. See how Upwork compares with its other big rival in Fiverr vs Upwork.

Features that matter to small business

• Payment protection: Freelancer.com holds funds through its Milestone Payment System. Upwork holds funds for fixed-price milestones before release.
• Disputes: Freelancer.com lists an arbitration fee of $5 or 5%, whichever is greater, refunded to the winner.
• Invoicing: Upwork Business Plus offers Net 30 monthly invoicing with no extra fee, on approval. It raises the client fee to 10% (8% for eligible US checking), but has no subscription cost.
• Quick creative work: Freelancer.com contests have no fee to post or award, with a money-back guarantee for up to 30 days on non-guaranteed contests.

For a wider view, read our Freelancer review and Upwork alternatives.

Our take

For a small business hiring now and then, Freelancer.com usually costs less in platform fees, especially if you pay by bank transfer. Upwork costs more per payment but suits steady, ongoing work, and its larger contract tools help if you hire often. Before you post, decide what you’re outsourcing; our guide to tech tasks to outsource can help, and the outsourcing category covers the rest.

If the task is setting up your website, email or business tools, you can skip the marketplace and get it set up.

Questions people ask

Is Freelancer.com cheaper than Upwork?

For clients, usually yes. Freelancer.com charges 3% or $3 per fixed-price project, while Upwork’s Basic plan charges up to 7.99% plus a one-time contract initiation fee. Optional Freelancer.com upgrades, like featuring a project, cost extra.

What do freelancers pay on each site?

Freelancer.com takes 10% or $5, whichever is greater, on fixed-price work. Upwork’s service fee ranges from 0% to 15% depending on the contract and demand, and freelancers buy Connects at $0.15 each to apply for jobs.

Which site is better for hourly work?

Both support hourly contracts. Upwork’s model is built around ongoing hourly and fixed-price contracts, and its Business Plus plan adds Net 30 invoicing. Freelancer.com charges clients 3% on each hourly payment.

Can I run a design contest on Upwork?

Contests are a Freelancer.com feature. Posting and awarding a contest is free for clients, though you fund the full prize up front. Upwork doesn’t list contests among its fee types.

Is Upwork Business Plus worth it?

Business Plus has no subscription fee, but it raises the client fee to 10% (8% for eligible US checking accounts). In return, it waives the contract initiation fee on hourly contracts and offers Net 30 invoicing on approval.

Sources

• Freelancer — Fees and Charges
• What is the Client Marketplace Fee? — Upwork Help
• What is the Contract Initiation Fee on Upwork? — Upwork Help
• Business Plus Fees for clients — Upwork Help
• Is Upwork Free To Join? Our Pricing Breakdown (2026)