Freelancing is a multi-billion dollar industry today and the source of income for millions of aspiring and highly talented individuals. These freelancers are always on the hunt for work and new projects to keep their finances in order. As a result of this, sites like Upwork came into existence where entrepreneurs have the liberty to choose any freelancer to get their work done.

Sites Like Upwork: 10 Alternatives to Upwork

The saturation of freelancers on a platform especially like Upwork makes it difficult for many freelancers to win consistent projects. Hence, they realize, sooner or later, that they need to look for other alternatives. In this article, we will highlight 10 Upwork alternatives where you can find a lot of projects to work on.

1. Fiverr

There is vast agreement that if there is ever such a top ten or top five list for freelancing platforms, Upwork and Fiverr will probably grab the top two spots. However, it is difficult to say which freelancing platform will be number one mainly because of the absence of official figures.

Fiverr started out as a platform where you could easily get things done for $5 gigs. Therefore, You could practically get any service ranging from graphic designing and copywriting to application and web development for $5 only. After its success, Fiverr has made changes and now allows projects of all sorts, whether of $5 or $5000.  

If you are not already on it, you can easily create an account on Fiverr for free, and start earning today. Alternatively, you can read more about Fiverr.

2.  Freelancer

In addition to Fiverr, you should also give Freelancer a shot. Primarily, because it is one of the biggest and fastest growing platforms out there. As of now, it boasts more than thirty-one thousand registered users, which includes both employers and freelancers.

Registering on Freelancer is fast and easy. It is completely free, but you are provided with options to upgrade to paid memberships for further benefits.

The major difference between Freelancer and other Upwork alternatives are its versatile membership plans. Moreover, they also have a unique contest feature which encourages freelancers to compete with each other in a winner-takes-all sort of battle.

3. Guru

Guru is another popular freelancing website which stands out from the rest. Above all, for a freelancer, perhaps the most attractive aspect about Guru is its low commission rate. It tends to charge its customers a mere 4.95% commission on their earnings. Therefore, it easily becomes one of the least commission-charging freelancing platforms on the internet.

Guru provides its users with a very simple website interface which is certainly easy to interact with. Moreover, it offers its users free membership so it will practically cost you nothing to give it a try.

4. People Per Hour

People Per Hour is not very different from the other similar sites like Upwork. However, there are a few notable distinctions that we are going to clarify.

First and foremost, unlike most other sites, People Per Hour gives freelancers the power to post their services in the form of jobs in the project feeds. Employers can then get in touch with freelancers on that particular job post and hire them for the services mentioned therein. Similar to Fiverr, where you can create GIGs and employers contact you.

In addition to this, you get around 15 bids as a free member which is good enough to get you started on this platform. In case you run out of bids, you can always purchase some more at any time.

There are lots of projects and talented people available on this platform which provides ample opportunity for both employers and freelancers.

5. Toptal

If you are a highly-skilled freelancer and have immense confidence in your abilities then Toptal is the platform for you. It is different from sites like Upwork in a number of ways which are mentioned below.

Firstly, it does not allow every Tom, John, and Harry to start selling their services after registration. Instead, the website relies on a five-week intensive screening process in order to ensure that only the best freelancers get through.

Secondly, Toptal only allows freelancers who fall into these four categories: designers, developers, finance experts, and project managers. Any freelancer who does not fall into these categories is not allowed to work on Toptal.

However, since only the best make it to the platform, in the end, you get to earn much higher than what you earn on other freelancing sites. Hence, it is worth a try if you feel you are good enough to squeeze through their testing process.

6. 99Designs

On 99Designs, as a freelancer, you get the chance to work on a platform which is solely dedicated to designers and illustrators. Understandably, the competition will be slightly tougher than in other sites like Upwork on this list. The site is flooded with hardworking designers qualified in various skill-sets.

99Designs gives you the opportunity to work on some really high-value and high-paying projects. However, you will have to put in serious effort and hard work in order to make it among the top level designers on this platform.

Moreover, the best part about 99Designs is that the platform does most of the work for you. It brings in quality projects and allows clients to hire you within seconds. Alternatively, it gives you, the freelancer, to participate in genuine contests initiated by various clients. Winning a contest on the platform makes you entitled to the prize money.

7. Envato Studio

This, like other sites like Upwork, is a very popular freelance platform. But, unfortunately, it is only for those who have a knack for creativity and design. Whether you are skilled in developing websites, mobile apps or brand creation, Envato studio has lots of potential clients for you as well.

Envato Studio is positioned as a marketplace that is tailor-made for those who possess premium level production and designing skills. So, there are various niches that are on offer here and almost every one of them attracts a host of potential clients.

There is good money to be earned on this platform. However, the amount varies depending on the project. Some estimates suggest that people usually make between $30 and $599 per project.

You can register on Envato Studio if you fall in any of the following categories: Design, WebDev, Copywriting, Animation and Audio etc.

8. WriterAccess

Well, there is something for everyone on this list. Among sites like Upwork, we have WritersAccess, which happens to be a top-notch platform for professional proofreaders, writers, translators and transcribers.

The platform is similar to other freelancing platforms. You will have to search for projects on WritersAccess and then approach employers to hire you for those projects. However, there is a catch. As a writer, you will have to go through a strict approval process before being allowed to work on WritersAccess.

Unlike other freelancing websites, WritersAccess makes it a point to only allow writers who are really good at what they do. You will be asked to write a bio and submit some samples.

After verification of your profile and your submitted samples, they will grant you permission to work on their platform. Hence, the process can be tedious, and you may have to wait for a couple of weeks before you hear back from the people at WritersAccess.

9. College Recruiter

Are you a student? Are you looking to make some extra cash while you study? If yes, then College Recruiter is the answer for you.

College Recruiter is a platform specifically designed to allow students opportunities to make some money while they continue their studies. It is an excellent portal which remains well-updated with latest jobs for you to find.

There are a lot of diverse projects on the site that you can choose from. Moreover, what makes this site special is that it provides excellent advice for college students as well. It gives young college students insights and information that can help them shape their careers.

Furthermore, there are various opportunities ranging from freelance work to internships, and even entry-level jobs. You should register here today if you want to kick-start your career before everyone else.

10. iFreelance

You might not have heard about iFreelance as much as you would have heard about other sites on this list. However, you should know that this is another good platform which you can use to find some quality projects as a freelancer.

If you are skilled in writing, web designing or anything in between. Then, you should consider registering yourself on this website. The projects are updated regularly and tend to be high paying as well.

The best part about working on iFreelance is that, unlike other major platforms, they charge you absolutely nothing for the service that they provide. As a result, you do not have to pay any percentage of your earnings to iFreelance nor do you have to pay any kind of fee. All in all, you just need to register and start earning immediately.

You will have to showcase your previous work and other credentials in order to win projects consistently. It works similar to Freelancer i.e. you will have to bid on projects and write strong proposals to have any chance of finding work.

Sites Like Upwork: Some Important Things to Keep in Mind

As you can see, there are several sites like Upwork that have made it to our list of alternatives. As a freelancer, it might be confusing for you especially if you are starting out. The list is pretty long and you might be struggling to figure out the best place to start your freelancing journey.

Every freelancing site has something unique about it. It is either with respect to the commission that it charges you, the services that it offers or even something as simple as the user interface. Nonetheless, you will need to know what suits you best in order to start earning some serious money doing what you are passionate about.

Where Do I Start?

Are you confused about where to begin? In this section we will summarize the key points from our extensive list to make things clearer for you.

• If you are the type of person, who is interested in working as a freelancer but does not want to spend time hunting for good projects. Then, perhaps the best option for you is to use Fiverr.

• You should try out 99Designs and Envato Studio if you are in any way related to the Graphics and Design industry. These two sites are ideal for anyone who knows his hand around web design, logo design, animations etc.

• College Recruiter will be great for any student who wants to earn some cash working as a freelancer on projects which are, ideally, related to his field of study.

• If you are having a hard time finding work on popular platforms, then it is best you go for Writers Access or iFreelance. You will find lesser competition and have higher chances of finding success.

• Toptal and PeoplePerHour are probably the two best choices for people who are extremely skilled and have a portfolio to show for it. These are tough platforms to get into. But, they do offer some high-paying jobs as you enjoy being part of the elite club.

• You should make sure you have good sales skills before you consider working on Freelancer and Guru. These two platforms rely on the bidding model. This means you will have to write excellent sales pitches in order to win projects. Just being skilled without having any sales expertise will be detrimental to your progress on these two platforms.

Conclusion

All in all, these were some sites like Upwork which we thought were worth mentioning. We will look forward to your feedback. Please share your thoughs in the comments section below 🙂

Have a nice day!