Upwork is a platform where businesses both big and small find experienced freelancers to get important things done. Upwork is a great place to find quality talent but there are better Upwork alternatives ⇣ out there.
Whether you need a t-shirt design, WordPress development, or an enterprise-level software application, there are talented freelancers on Upwork who can get it done.
- Best overall: Toptal ⇣ only allows the best freelancers to join their platform, so if you want to hire the top 3% of the talent then TopTal is the place to find them.
- Runner-up, Best overall: Freelancer.com ⇣ has 30 million freelancers on their marketplace. I love its transparency as you receive free bids for your project and you only pay for the work when the gig is completed.
- Best budget alternative to Upwork: Fiverr ⇣ is good for when you want to get work done that doesn’t require much customization or complexity.
What is Upwork
Upwork (formerly Elance-oDesk) is a freelance marketplace where businesses post freelance jobs that freelancers on the platform can apply to.
Once you post a freelance job with some details, freelancers apply to your job posting with proposals that include a price quotation.
Then, you can select a freelancer of choice from the proposals to work with.
Benefits of Upwork
Upwork has thousands of active freelancers on their site. Whatever work you need to get done, you will easily find qualified freelancers for the task.
Their platform offers you an easy way to message and manage all your freelancers and the payments are done via escrow system developed by Upwork themselves.
Best Upwork Alternatives
Are there better Upwork alternatives out there? Here is a list of sites like Upwork to help you find top freelancers.
1. TopTal
- Official website: www.toptal.com
- Hire the Top 3% talent from around the world.
- Only the best of the best vetted freelancers are allowed to join the platform.
- Read my detailed Toptal review here.
Why Use TopTal Instead of Upwork
If you want to hire the Top 3% of the talent available, then TopTal is the way to go.
Although freelancers on their platform are a bit more expensive than Upwork, they are one of the best at what they do and you can rest assured that they will get the work done and do it well.
Why Use Upwork Instead of TopTal
If budget is a concern and you are okay with hiring less experienced freelancers, then Upwork is the way to go.
2. YouTeam
- Official website: youteam.io
- YouTeam is a platform for building remote teams of world-class engineers.
- Hire the best developers from vetted outsourcing agencies in Eastern Europe and Latin America.
YouTeam is a marketplace for hiring full-time remote developers from vetted and top outsourcing agencies in Eastern Europe and Latin America, known for employing top quality local talent that can offer much lower rates than those in the US or UK.
Why Use YouTeam instead of Upwork
Upwork is a marketplace for freelancers. YouTeam, on the other hand, is a platform for hiring top developers and engineers from outsourcing agencies that you won’t find on freelancing portals like Upwork. All companies in YouTeam’s talent pool have to pass through a rigorous vetting and due diligence process.
Why Use Upwork Instead of YouTeam
Upwork is a freelancer platform where you actively have to choose the right freelancers based on proposals. Freelancers on Upwork usually work on multiple projects but on YouTeam you get assigned full-time dedicated resources.
3. WorkHoppers
- Official website: www.workhoppers.com
- Hire local freelancers matched with an algorithm for you.
- Doesn’t charge any commissions.
Why Use WorkHoppers Instead of Upwork
WorkHoppers helps you hire local freelancers for any type of work ranging from graphic design to web development.
The best part about this service is that they don’t charge you anything for hiring and working with freelancers on the platform.
Why Use Upwork Instead of WorkHoppers
Upwork offers access to a global community of freelancers to choose from. Unlike WorkHoppers, you get to choose freelancers based on proposals.
4. Freelancer.com
- Official website: www.freelancer.com
- Access to 32 million professional freelancers.
- Allows design contests where you can pick the design you like the most.
Why Use Freelancer.com instead of Upwork
Freelancer offers access to more freelancers than Upwork. You also get to post design contests where freelancers from around the world post design work and you reward the designer whose work you like the most.
Why Use Upwork Instead of Freelancer.com
Upwork is similar to Freelancer in a lot of ways. If you want work done cheap and fast, go with Upwork.
5. Fiverr
- Official website: www.fiverr.com
- Known for cheap $5 services.
- Service categories ranging from Graphic Design to Podcast Editing.
Why Use Fiverr Instead of Upwork
Fiverr.com is best when you want to get work done that doesn’t require much customization like Voiceovers, Animations, Simple Graphic Designs, Podcast Editing, etc.
Why Use Upwork Instead of Fiverr
If you want to get some custom work done, then Upwork is much better than Fiverr.
6. 99Designs
- Official website: www.99designs.com
- Home to some of the best designers on the planet.
- Allows contests where the best designers on the platform compete to create the best design.
Why Use 99Designs Instead of Upwork
99Designs is one of the best platforms when it comes to design work. If you want to work with the best designers on the Internet, then this is the place to go.
The best part about this platform is that it allows you to run a design contest where all the designers on the platform can submit a design and you can reward the one you like the most.
Why Use Upwork Instead of 99Designs
If you want anything done that is not design, then Upwork makes sense. Or if you want to get some graphics designed for cheap, then 99Designs might not be the best place to look.
7. Hubstaff Talent
- Official website: talent.hubstaff.com
- Hire freelancers from around the world for free.
- Freelancers with skills ranging from Android Application Development to Social Media Marketing.
Why Use Hubstaff Talent Instead of Upwork
Hubstaff Talent is the free way of finding and working with freelancers from around the world. The platform offers access to over 66,000 freelancers from around the world.
Why Use Upwork Instead of Hubstaff Talent
Hubstaff talent is a newcomer in the market and hence has a smaller selection of freelancers to offer than Upwork.
8. Credo
- Official website: www.getcredo.com
- Hire SEO, PPC, and Digital Marketing freelancers.
- Only vetted and verified freelancers.
Why Use Credo Instead of Upwork
Unlike Upwork, Credo’s team helps and guides you through the whole process of hiring the best freelancer possible for your job.
They will match you with the best freelancers and will also help you with the proposals you receive.
Why Use Upwork Instead of Credo
Upwork offers you access to freelancers with skills of all types including Digital Marketing and Sales.
If you want to work with all freelancers in one place or want to get some work done for cheap, then Upwork is the best option.
9. Guru
- Official website: www.guru.com
- Platform with over 3 million freelancers you can hire.
- Allows paying by hour, milestones, and tasks.
Why Use Guru Instead of Upwork
Guru offers access to over 3 million freelancers from around the world. You can hire experienced freelancers for anything from logo design to sound engineering.
Why Use Upwork Instead of Guru
If you want access to a wider variety of freelancers and want work done for cheap, then Upwork is the better option.
Best Upwork Alternatives: Summary
If you want to get some work done for cheap, then go with Fiverr.
If you want to get development or design work done without compromising on quality, then go with Toptal. They offer access to the best freelancers on the Internet and it’s one of the best Upwork competitors.
If you want to hire digital marketing freelancers including SEOs and PPC experts, then go with Credo. They help you hire vetted and verified digital marketing freelancers.