Upwork

What is Upwork?

Upwork is a popular freelance platform that connects a database of billions of freelance professionals with jobs from around the world. This global platform is a great way for independent contractors to find work, and for companies or individuals to find talented freelancers.

Below are some general questions about Upwork that we hear pretty often, followed by common questions from freelancers and companies. We hope these answers will be useful to you as you explore the benefits of remote work and outsourcing in your careers and businesses.

How is Upwork different from oDesk?

oDesk and Upwork are the same thing. Upwork was created as a merger between oDesk and another popular freelancing site, Elance. One of the biggest improvements from oDesk to Upwork is a new Upwork Message Center that will allow companies to chat with a freelancer available for immediate work. Even those who are not signed up for Upwork can use this message system.

How does Upwork work? How much do they charge?

Upwork fees are paid by the freelancer. The Upwork Service Fee is 20% of the total amount charged to the client, which is paid automatically depending on the size of the contract.

It’s important to note that although the fees are paid by the freelancer, many will adjust their fees depending on what they want to make. Therefore, businesses pay higher fees indirectly as a result. Businesses can avoid these higher fees by using an alternative service (a few are covered in a question below) such as Hubstaff, which doesn’t charge a percentage.

I’ve seen a lot of blogs online talking about how to make big bucks on Upwork if you do it right. Is this an exaggeration?

There have been many success stories, being successful on Upwork is not guaranteed. How much you make on Upwork depends on a number of things, from your work ethic, how many hours a week you’re willing to work, your hourly fee and the quality of clients you attain.

Should I hire on Upwork or hire independently?

Whether or not Upwork is a better choice for you than the many alternatives depends on what you’re looking for. Upwork has a free app to help you track time and ensure automatic weekly payments, 24-hour customer support and a client feedback system you can use to find great freelancers. Upwork also has a large database of talented freelancers, but there are more than 100,000+ projects posted each month. That means you’re facing competition all around for the best talent. Upwork is also a little expensive, with a 10% fee taken from every payment. See More.... 
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