Are you looking to hire remote workers? Outsourcing is an integral part of operating a successful business, just like using effective marketing tools. Many small business owners outsource their work to freelancers, which they hire on freelance marketplaces like Fiverr or Upwork to have more time to focus on important tasks that will increase their bottom line.
Wondering which platform is better – Upwork or Fiverr? Both popular outsourcing platforms are reliable, verified companies. So if you are considering hiring freelancers, your choice will depend on your budget, the specific type of work you need to be done, and your preferences.
Read this article where we compare Fiverr vs. Upwork to help you get a better understanding of the features and advantages of each platform. Let’s start with Upwork professional overview.
Upwork: Features and Advantages
Many people ask, “Is Upwork legit?” Yes, the platform is legit; it has a considerable presence in a freelancing world, and according to many Upwork reviews, it’s a great place to start.
How does Upwork work? First of all, you need to create an account on the platform, and it is free to join. After that, you can start posting a job listing. You can post a task description and wait for freelancers to apply, and you can browse through their profiles and search for suitable candidates. Freelancer will bid for your project, and you can hire the best fit.
You can hire the best talent in different categories, including web and software development, customer service, sales and marketing, writing, data science and analytics, and more. Whether you need to hire someone to build a mobile app, design a website, write an SEO article, or create a presentation for a webinar, you are sure to find a perfect match for your job. One of the biggest benefits of Upwork is that you can communicate with freelancers through the platform in real-time using chat, text, or video and share files.
The Upwork payment system is secure and protects both freelancers and clients. You can pay your freelancers using different methods, including PayPal, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. Most payments are subject to a standard 3% processing Upwork fee. Freelancers also pay Upwork fees based on the total amount of money they’ve got from the client.
Upwork is one of the best-known platforms to hire a remote employee and boast of millions of freelancers. It is well suited for large projects and projects that require special skills. But what if your project is small, or you want to outsource an easy job on a very low budget? Consider Upwork competitors, for example, Fiverr.
Fiverr Jobs
What is Fiverr? This freelance network started as a marketplace where you could hire a freelancer to complete a project for $5. But things have changed since that time, and now, most high-quality Fiverr jobs that are called gigs don’t start at $5. But new freelancers who need to build their customer rating can still offer services for as low as $5.
How to hire freelancers in Fiver? On Fiverr, you, as a client, can purchase particular services that the freelancers have already defined. You don’t need to post a job; instead, you have to sort through a database to find someone that suits your needs. You can also use Fiverr suggestions based on data science and algorithm match.
And what about the Fiverr fees? You can purchase fixed price-offers posted by freelancers, and you will need to pay a $2 USD fee for all purchases up to $40 USD. You will be able to communicate with freelancers before placing an order to ensure your project will be completed in the manner and time frame you need.
Fiverr outsourcing is a good option if you have basic jobs or those that require very specific technical expertise. Besides, this platform is good for infrequent gigs that you need to be completed quickly and within a small budget. But you should provide clear job descriptions with lots of details and examples. It’s not for the best option for long-term projects that require a great deal of ingenuity. In this case, Upwork is a better alternative.
Fiverr Competitors
Fiverr is popular among freelancers and businesses because of its large, competitive community and low-cost work. But there are a lot of alternative sites out there, and many of them are more specialized and offer more flexibility and security. So what are Fiverr competitors?
- 99designs hosts the biggest and most diverse designer community and specializes in graphic design jobs.
- PeoplePerHour is a powerful platform for small businesses to meet freelancers who specialize in web design and development, marketing and sales, content creation, legal services, and accounting to name a few.
- Guru is a freelance site that emphasizes professional services and where you can outsource administrative, engineering, marketing, and finance jobs.
- Toptal is an exclusive freelance network where companies can hire highly qualified freelancers for their most important projects.
- Outsourcely is a network where startups can hire temporary remote workers long-term
- Truelancer is one of the cheapest platforms because it gathers skilled professionals around the world who charge less as they come from areas with a lower cost of living.
- Freelancer offers flexible payment options for businesses and allows them to find professionals of virtually any skill level for virtually any price.
Fiverr vs. Upwork vs. Freelancer.com
Just like Upwork, Freelancer.com focuses on creating long-term working relationships between businesses and freelancers, and not individual, one-time assignments like it is done on Fiverr. It’s much similar to Upwork in its offerings, and the only major differences are access to tools for the subscription level, pricing, and quality of the tools they provide. Employers or clients can post their projects on the platform for free and freelancers bid for them. Clients are also allowed to post contests to which freelancers may apply. You get to choose the winner who will ultimately get the prize. Upwork doesn’t have this feature available. While at Fiverr, you have to pay before receiving any work, at Freelancer, you pay after milestones are met.
The Bottom Line
As an employer, you want the best possible freelancers for your projects, while staying within your budget. If we compare Upwork vs Fiverr, we see that both platforms can be valid choices because they have lots of highly qualified candidates who can cope with just about any project. Both platforms vet their freelancers. Still, one website may be preferable over the other, depending on your specific situation.
The main difference between these platforms is that Upwork focuses on building long-term relationships between freelancers and clients, while Fiverr focuses on hiring freelancers for one-time projects. While choosing the platform for your specific needs, you should also take into account such aspects as the quality of work, freelancer costs, and fees associated with the job posting. If you want to get work done quickly for a low price, choose Fiverr, but if have a good budget and want to get high-quality work done, use Upwork.
We hope that our comparison of Fiverr vs. Upwork vs. Freelancer.com will help you make an informed decision. We also have many other interesting articles on our website where we compare different online platforms, for example, Aweber vs Mailchimp.