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 |
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Helps You: | Make Money |
Platform Type: | Freelance Marketplace |
Opportunities: | Administration Audio Production Computing Copy Editing Design |
Contact Info ☎️
Socials: | Linkedin • Facebook • Instagram • Twitter • Youtube |
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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 |
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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 |
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Supported Locations: | Afghanistan, Åland Islands, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa |
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
Freelancers (i.e. service providers) can sign up, create a profile, apply to jobs on the Talent Marketplace by submitting proposals, sell specific projects and skills on the Project Catalog, and get paid securely directly through Upwork.
Cashing out:
Once you have at least $0.01 in your earnings balance, you can cash out via Direct Deposit, M-Pesa, Payoneer, PayPal or Wire Transfer. Payouts typically take 5-19 days to be sent out.
Details for Freelancers 💰
Work Type: | Freelance |
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Income Type: | Active |
Work Schedule: | Flexible |
Workplace: | Remote |
Minimum Payout: | $0.01 |
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
Clients (i.e. service buyers) can sign up, search for services, find and pay workers, and get their jobs done quickly, easily, and safely.
Details for Clients 💼
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. |
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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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Editorial Upwork Review
Is Upwork a Good Way to Make Money?
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Payout Minimum Rating: 5/5
Upwork has a minimum payout of $0.01.
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.
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 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