Bonsai
Business, project and billing management solution used by 500,000+ small businesses globally.
Upwork
Visit Upwork →Upwork is a large freelance marketplace where clients post hourly and fixed-price jobs, freelancers send proposals, and payments run through Upwork with payment protection and dispute resolution.
| Category | Freelancing |
|---|---|
| Pricing | Free to join; freelancers pay a 0%-15% service fee per contract, shown before you bid and locked once the contract starts; clients pay separate marketplace fees — official pricing |
| Website | https://www.upwork.com/ |
| Last checked | 2026-10-26 |
Description summarized from Upwork's official help center; fees from Upwork's Freelancer Service Fee help article.
Our take
Upwork is one of the largest freelance marketplaces. Clients post jobs, you send proposals, and payments run through Upwork with hourly and fixed-price payment protection. Joining is free. Freelancers pay a service fee of 0% to 15% per contract; Upwork shows the rate before you bid and locks it once the contract starts. It suits writers, designers, developers and marketers who can win work through proposals.
Best for: you want the biggest pool of posted freelance jobs, both hourly and fixed-price.
Pros
- A large volume of posted jobs across most skills.
- Payment protection and dispute resolution.
- You see the exact fee before you submit a proposal.
Cons
- Competition for entry-level jobs is intense.
- Fees of up to 15% eat into smaller contracts.
- Winning work means writing many proposals.
Editorial note last updated October 26, 2026. How we review tools. Send a correction.
Upwork in our guides
- Best freelance marketplaces to find clients (2026) · picked for: Most posted jobs; 0%-15% fee shown before you bid
- Best AI tools for freelancers
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