What Is Upwork?
Upwork, "the world's work marketplace," is one of the largest online freelance marketplaces in existence. Clients go here to find global talent while freelancers and agencies use the platform to monetize their digital skills and services.
General Details 📜
| Status: | Active, Legit |
|---|---|
| Helps You: | Hire Help Make Money |
| Platform Type: | Freelance Marketplace |
| Opportunities: | Administration Artificial Intelligence (AI) Audio Production Computer Science Copy Editing |
Contact Info ☎️
| Socials: | LinkedIn • Facebook • Instagram • Twitter • YouTube |
|---|---|
| Emails: | support@upwork.com (for general support) • legalnotices@upwork.com or privacyrequests@upwork.com (for privacy inquiries) • press@upwork.com (for press inquiries) • partners@upwork.com (for partnerships) |
| Phone: | (866) 676-3375 (for support requests) • (866) 262-4478 (for enterprise solutions) |
| Support Pages: | Contact |
Company Details 🏢
| Founded: | 2015 |
|---|---|
| Legal Name: | Upwork Global Inc. |
| Also Known As: | Elance • oDesk |
| Founders: | Odysseas Tsatalos |
| Headquarters: | San Francisco, California |
Who Is Upwork For?
If you have a skill or service to sell, Upwork can be a good place to promote and monetize your abilities (no matter if you're a beginner freelancer or a seasoned expert).
If you're a business owner (or just someone looking for help with a project), Upwork can connect you with global talent within a range of skill levels and prices.
Requirements 🔎
| Minimum Age: | 18 years old |
|---|---|
| Supported Locations: | Afghanistan, Åland Islands, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa |
| Supported Languages: | English |
| Supported Devices: | Computer, Smartphone, Tablet, Android Phone, iPhone Upwork has apps on Google Play and the App Store. There are separate apps for freelancers and clients. Upwork also has a desktop app available if you prefer that over the web-based version. |
How Does Upwork Work?
There are 2 types of users on Upwork: Freelancers and Clients.
Here's how Upwork works for each of those user types:
For Freelancers
Upwork freelancers (i.e. service providers, sellers) can sign up for free and make money selling their skills to clients. This can happen organically (the client reaches out to you) or by applying to available jobs. After landing a job, all project communications and payouts happen directly through Upwork.
Getting Started 🔢
To apply as an Upwork freelancer, go to the website and create an account. You can register using your email address or sign up using your Google or Apple account.
Once your freelancer account is created, you'll need to fill in your profile. For this, you'll need to provide your availability, languages, education, skills, and portfolio pieces. You'll also need to write a title and description describing your skills and why clients should work with you.
From there, Upwork will review your profile. Only approved freelancers can apply for jobs and sell services, so all that's left to do is wait. If you don't get approved the first time around, you can modify and resubmit your profile to try again.
Earning Money 💵
There are three ways to get clients and earn as an Upwork freelancer.
- Talent Marketplace. The Talent Marketplace is essentially a job directory. Here, you can browse available work and submit proposals using Connects. You'll get free 10 Connects monthly, but if you need more, you can purchase them for $0.15 USD each. Upwork may also reward you with free Connects after registration, completing a skill certification, earning a Rising Talent badge, and more.
- Project Catalog. With the Project Catalog, you can offer your services by creating easy-to-buy, pre-set projects (e.g. "I'll design a cartoon logo"). The process includes describing what your service is all about, setting up the price, and posting sample works.
- Talent Scout. If you specialize in development, marketing, or design, you can apply to Upwork's Talent Scout. The screening process consists of skill assessments and interviews. If you're approved, Upwork will match you with exclusive jobs.
Once you get a client, you can communicate with them about the details of their project within the platform. Payments happen within Upwork, so be wary of clients asking you to work through other channels.
Cashing Out 💰
Once you have earned any amount of money (there's no minimum payout), you can cash out your Upwork earnings via Direct Deposit, M-Pesa, Payoneer, PayPal or Wire Transfer.
After cashing out, you can expect to receive your Upwork payout in 5-19 days. (Payout speed will vary based on the type of project you're working on (i.e. hourly, fixed-price) and the payout option chosen.)
Key Points 📝
| Work Type: | Freelance |
|---|---|
| Income Type: | Active |
| Work Schedule: | Flexible |
| Workplace: | Remote |
| Minimum Payout: | None |
| Payout Options: | Direct Deposit M-Pesa Payoneer PayPal Wire Transfer Note: Some payout options are only available in certain countries. For example, Payoneer is only available outside the U.S. M-Pesa is available in Kenya only. |
| Payout Speed: | 5-19 days Payout speed will vary based on the type of project you're working on (i.e. hourly, fixed-price) and the payout option chosen. |
| Commissions / Fees: | Upwork seller fees vary based on the amount billed to the client (20% for the first $500, 10% for total billings between $500.01 and $10,000, and 5% for total billings over $10,000). Depending on the payout option you choose, you may also be charged a fee for each withdrawal. |
| Pros: |
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| Cons: |
Pros and cons are based on real Upwork Freelancer reviews. |
For Clients
Upwork clients (i.e. service buyers, employers) can sign up for free, discover talent (i.e. freelancers), post jobs, and make hires. After a hire is made, communication, contracts, and payments go directly through Upwork, with Upwork taking a small marketplace fee.
Getting Started 🔢
To register as a client on Upwork, go to the website and click the "Sign Up" button. Select "I'm a client" when joining and provide your full name, work email, password, and country. Once Upwork approves your registration, you'll be able to start hiring freelancers.
If you're currently signed up as a freelancer but would like to create a client account, you may go to Settings and select Contact Info. Find the "Additional Accounts" section and click "New Client Account." Once finished, you may switch accounts through the account menu at the top-right corner of the website.
Hiring Freelancers 💼
Before you hire any freelancers, make sure that you have a billing method set up.
There are four ways to use Upwork as a client:
- Talent Marketplace. The first way to hire freelancers on Upwork is by posting a job on the Talent Marketplace. For this option, you'll list the details and set the budget for your project. You can then review all proposals and select/interview the freelancer best fit for the task.
- Project Catalog. Another option is Project Catalog which allows you to browse and purchase predefined projects. For example, you could search for "video editing" and see qualified freelancers offering that service. This option would be the best if you'd like to view the freelancer's sample projects and style before paying for their services.
- Talent Scout. If you need help hiring the best freelancer(s) for your project, you can talk with Upwork's recruiters through Talent Scout. Just provide your requirements and budget, and you'll get a list of talented freelancers suitable for the job.
- Enterprise Suite. If you'd like to work with a team of freelancers, you can contact Upwork about the Enterprise Suite. This solution provides a lot more customization and support and is typically suited for large companies looking to really scale their outsourcing.
Once you've selected someone (or multiple people) for your job, you can communicate with them directly through Upwork.
After the freelancer delivers the output and you're satisfied with the outcome, you can release their payment (with an optional bonus). You may also provide a testimonial and rating if desired.
Key Points 📝
| Commissions / Fees: | Clients are charged 5% per transaction (or 3% for eligible U.S. clients who pay with a checking account). These fees don't apply to Upwork Enterprise clients. |
|---|---|
| Payment Options: | Credit Card, Debit Card, PayPal If you have an Upwork balance, you can also use those funds to pay freelancers. |
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Our Editorial Upwork Review
Is Upwork Legit?
We believe Upwork is legit. Rebranded in 2015, the platform was the result of a merger between Elance (founded in 1998) and oDesk (founded in 2003), putting a lot of history behind the platform.
On top of that, Upwork is owned and operated by a publicly traded company, meaning that all of its financial and business info is regularly shared with the public. It also means it had to go through a due diligence process before being publicly listed.
All in all, taking the above into account along with Upwork's 500k+ active clients and $15B+ in total freelancer earnings, we have no reason to believe it could be a scam.
Note: All research is done independently and could be wrong or change as new information is gathered. Please do your own due diligence.
Is Upwork a Good Way to Make Money?
Our editorial review is currently incomplete. Showing what we have so far...
Payout Minimum Rating: 5/5
Upwork has no minimum payout amount.
Payout Speed Rating: 3/5
Payout speed will vary based on the type of project you're working on (i.e. hourly, fixed-price) and the payout option chosen. Overall, based on our data, you can expect to get paid in 5-19 days after reaching the minimum payout amount.
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Try It!Upwork Statistics
General Platform Statistics
#913
Global Site Rank
39.3M
Monthly Visitors
$15B
Lifetime User Earnings
771k
Active Clients
$4.6K
Avg. Client Spend
Data as of April 01, 2022 • Sources: SimilarWeb, Upwork
Freelancer Earnings Statistics
Based on real data from our 30 Upwork Freelancer reviews. View all Freelancer statistics here.
Help make this data more accurate by writing a review!
Upwork Reviews From Freelancers
Average Scores
Reviewer Recommendation
😁 100%Rating Breakdown
Reviews By Total Earnings
- Unknown (3.33%)
- Less than $100 (20%)
- $100-$999 (56.67%)
- $1,000-$9,999 (13.33%)
- $10,000-$49,999 (6.67%)
- $50,000-$99,999 (0%)
- $100,000+ (0%)
Reviews By Age Range
- Unknown (0%)
- 13-17 (0%)
- 18-24 (50%)
- 25-34 (43.33%)
- 35-44 (6.67%)
- 45-54 (0%)
- 55-64 (0%)
- 65+ (0%)
Reviews By Length of Use
- < 1 month (0%)
- 1-3 months (10%)
- 3-6 months (16.67%)
- 6-12 months (26.67%)
- 1-2 years (23.33%)
- 2-3 years (0%)
- 3-5 years (23.33%)
- 5+ years (0%)
It's a great site
I plan to keep use it for a long time, there is something for everyone. I would recommend it to anyone looking to make money online doing real jobs
Very professional. Lot's of jobs.
Upwork's % is high. Lots of competition.
Cultivate a strong profile and get a good reputation, apply for jobs everyday. Don't be afraid to learn new skills to complete specific jobs. Don't scam anyone, your profile is very important.
You must work hard to be successful
Upwork sucks. I have to constantly look for orders and invest in this time and effort. The higher the price of the services, the more time I have to spend on finding customers
High earnings potential. Simple UI. Service fees is low. More diverse. Flexibility.
Withdraw fees. “Cheap”-ness and scammers. No Support. You need to pay for Connects to apply for jobs.
It’s safer to write memos every now and then when working on hourly contracts
Good but lots of competition
Upwork is a very good marketplace to market your skills. The payments are guaranteed since they are held at escrow. The problem is there are way too many freelancers making the market competitive. They don't have any payment issues.
There is a huge selection of skills for the freelancers to choose from. Payments are secured by escrow so it's guaranteed. You can get repeat clients after you submit quality work.
Very high competition since there are plenty of freelancers available in the platform. Some freelancers bid so low making it hard for freelancers with High level skill to make money.
Have a very impressive profile. This will attract clients. Bid among the first people to increase chances of being hired. Avoid Rushing through projects and deliver quality work instead. Also avoid missing deadlines
Upwork Reviews From Clients
No reviews yet. Help out by writing one!
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