As freelancers we depend on various ways to find work from our previously developed networks to mutual clients and then, of course, there are freelance job platforms. 

The internet is flooded with a list of platforms where you can find plenty of online freelance jobs or freelance professionals. Specifically since the pandemic, many job platforms are pushing sponsored advertisement and it can be hard to filter down what the pros and cons are of each. 

Two of the most popular platforms are Upwork and Fiverr attracting hundreds of thousands of freelancers and freelance jobs every year. 

Upwork was created by two friends – in Silicon Valley and Athens – to create a new web-based platform that provided remote work with visibility and trust. Developed in 2015 Upwork is now the world’s largest freelance job site, where every year, millions of jobs get published, and freelancers earn good money with over 5,000 skills in more than 70 working categories. The platform became so successful that both the partners thought of making it more beneficial for other businesses and talented workers.

In terms of how Upwork, well, works, it’s a little bit like this; once you create an account, Upwork advanced algorithms will highlight the best jobs for you. You can then also search for projects and reply to client invitations. Though the achievements you have on projects increase your chances of getting hired, by adding the status of your prestigious programs, you can gain more visibility. You can get extensive work with top clients.

Receiving pay on Upwork is fairly easy and you can also access your transactions and invoice history on the platform. For hourly work, you need to submit timesheets via Upwork. For fixed projects, the set funds and milestones are released as per fixed-price escrow instructions. You can also choose the payment method that works best for you.

Fiverr works similarly to Upwork but with a few niche features. Once you create your seller profile, you create the Gig you want to sell. This gives you an opportunity to show off your talent and help buyers get the information required to help them choose their sellers. Fiverr also allows users to add videos to introduce your service which adds a personal touch and will attract more buyers. Packages (up to three) are also encouraged to add onto your Gig page. This will not only give your buyers more choices but will also push your average order value higher. Fiverr enables users to maximise their income by upselling your Gigs with extra services before, during, and after the order.

In terms of payments, Fiverr releases payments to a seller once the project is approved by the buyer. You can find Gigs within minutes and know the exact charges that need to be paid off. ​​There are, however, no hourly rates.

Fiverr is completely free to sign up and use. Once you get into buying jobs, or selling services, however, is when the fees come in. As a freelancer, Fiverr will take 20% from every job.

Let’s outline the main advantages of the two platforms: 

Fiverr:

Secure Payments
All clients who place requests from the platform are checked by Fiverr. This gives a sense of security to sellers or freelancers for getting paid correctly.

Stable source of income
Since Fiverr has a fixed-priced model, it can be a great source for stable income.

Encourages clients to give feedback
Fiverr encourages clients to give feedback or tips on work. This motivates the freelancers and helps them improve their skills.

Easy Bidding
Fiverr makes it easy for the sellers to find buyers by matching their profiles with the Gigs they require.

Upwork:

Build long-term relationships
If a client hires a freelancer and they like their work, the client may choose to take the services of the same freelancer in the future. It helps freelancers build a long-term relationship with clients. It also gives them relief from communication and payment related issues.

Hassle-free communication
Upwork helps in sending and receiving files in a protected environment. Clients can share your feedback with the freelancer via chat, text, or video. Also, to avoid any confusion, Upwork keeps records of all your transactions and invoices, which can easily be accessible by clients.

Free Signup
Upwork charges zero fees to sign up on their platform. Also, soon after creating an account, freelancers get 60 connections to bid for a job.

Fixed-price protection
Escrow lets clients double-check the final work before they release payments to freelancers.

Hourly payment protection
As part of the service, Upwork collects the information of freelancers’ work on a client project. This feature is known as a work diary. The feature helps in ensuring that an hour paid is an hour of work – providing you with an easily accessible, billable time system with work details and in-progress screenshots.

In terms of which platform works best for you and your type of freelance work, the best thing to do would be to test out both platforms – as well as Wishu – for a couple of weeks to a month. Measure the outcomes and weigh up which brings you the best and most work. You may even find that subscribing to a few platforms and dividing your attention to different demographics is the best way to harness diverse work.