Freelancing platforms compared

What it costs you

• A service fee of 0% to 15% on each contract, set by Upwork and fixed when you send your proposal. It replaced a flat 10% fee on 1 May 2025, according to fee trackers (Upwork's own page gives no date).
• Connects to send proposals cost $0.15 each, with a minimum purchase of 10. A free Basic account may get 10 a month, and they aren't refunded if the client hires someone else or the job expires.
• Freelancer Plus costs $19.99 a month, with 100 Connects.

Getting paid

• Hourly work is paid 10 days after the week ends; fixed-price work 5 days after the client approves it.
• Direct to a local bank costs $0.99. Direct to a US bank is free with a US tax address, but from 1 September 2026 costs 2.99 per withdrawal if your tax address is outside the US (Upwork doesn't state the currency). A USD wire is $50. Payoneer and PayPal are also offered.

If you move around

• You can travel as long as your ID and your profile are in the same country. Only change your profile country if you move for good.
• A VPN set to a different country from your profile can trigger an ID check or a pause on your account.
• Not available in Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Crimea, or the Donetsk (DPR) and Luhansk (LPR) regions, and not supported in Syria. Suspended in Russia and Belarus since May 2022.

Worth knowing

• On Trustpilot (4.2 from about 16,000 reviews) the most common complaint is the cost of Connects, which aren't refunded when a proposal goes unanswered. Some reviewers also report accounts restricted without a clear reason.
• Active clients fell 4% in the year to June 2026, to 763,000.

What it costs you

• Fiverr keeps 20%: you get 80% of what the client pays.
• Optional Seller Plus costs $25 a month (Level 1 and up) or $49 (Level 2 and up) and cuts clearance to 7 days. New freelancers can take Seller Plus Kickstart for $15 a month instead.
• Some new freelancers pay a one-off ID verification fee.

Getting paid

• Money clears 14 days after an order is complete, or sooner for Top Rated, Pro and Seller Plus freelancers.
• PayPal is free, a bank transfer (through Payoneer) is $1, and a Payoneer account is $3. Up to $5,000 per withdrawal.

If you move around

• You must turn off any VPN or proxy while you verify your ID, and use an original ID and a selfie.
• US citizens and residents must give a W-9 within 30 days or their gigs are paused.

Worth knowing

• On Trustpilot (3.3 from about 16,000 reviews, 35% one-star) complaints focus on the 20% cut, withdrawal fees, a seller score system that is hard to read, and automated support.
• Buyers are falling: 2.7 million active buyers in the year to June 2026, down 21.9%.

What it costs you

• 10% or $5 (whichever is more) on fixed-price work, 10% on hourly work, 15% on recruiter projects.
• You need at least $20 in your account to bid, and free members get 6 bids a month. Paid memberships add more.
• If you don't log in for 6 months, you can be charged up to $14 a month until you log in again (refunded if you reactivate) or close the account.

Getting paid

• PayPal, Payoneer, Skrill or bank transfer cost $1 each, with a minimum of $50 (or £50 for Skrill). A wire is $25.
• Your first withdrawal is held for 15 days.

If you move around

• Email, phone and ID checks are needed before you can withdraw.

Worth knowing

• Its Trustpilot score is high (4.5 from about 20,000 reviews), but recent complaints mention reversed payments, strict ID checks and memberships renewing into a negative balance.

What it costs you

• 5% to 9% of each job, depending on your membership level. The basic plan is free; paid plans add more bids.

Getting paid

• To a US or non-US bank, PayPal or by wire. Guru's help page doesn't list the fees.

What it costs you

• Toptal takes nothing from your earnings. Clients pay Toptal.

Getting paid

• In US dollars through Toptal Pay, by bank transfer (1-3 working days) or a Toptal prepaid card (3% on foreign currency spending). PayPal and Payoneer aren't listed as payout methods.

If you move around

• More than 200,000 people apply each year and fewer than 3% are accepted. Screening takes a few weeks, and you can try again later.
• You are a contractor, not an employee, so Toptal won't sponsor a visa.

What it costs you

• Braintrust says it never charges talent. Its published terms (last updated July 2023) put the client fee at 15%.

Getting paid

• You are paid when the client pays the invoice. Braintrust charges no fee to receive it, though your bank may.

If you move around

• You build a profile and take an AI-led skills interview, and ID-checked members get a "Certified" badge.

What it costs you

• Free for freelancers. You are paid your hourly rate.

Getting paid

• Arc handles the contract and payment. It doesn't list payout methods publicly.

If you move around

• Everyone takes a communication test; freelancers also have a domain expertise interview.

What it costs you

• Free for freelancers.

Getting paid

• To your bank on set payment terms once the hirer approves your timesheet (YunoJuno's 2023 FAQ says 14 days).

If you move around

• You need at least 3 projects and references, and a business set-up in the country you live in (in the UK: sole trader, limited company or umbrella company).

Worth knowing

• YunoJuno says it never takes a cut of your rate: the hirer pays its fee on top.

What it costs you

• Charged on what you have billed each client in total: 20% up to £250, 7.5% from £250 to £5,000, and 3.5% above £5,000.
• An older, undated PeoplePerHour announcement describes a different scheme for new sellers (20% on the first £500 a month, then 5%). PeoplePerHour's help page and a May 2026 review both give the tiers above, but check your fee when you join.

Getting paid

• A UK bank and US bank transfers are free. SEPA or other local currencies cost £1.99, PayPal 1.9%, Payoneer £2 and an international wire £19.99, with 2.5% on currency conversion.

If you move around

• Every application is reviewed by moderators. A location that doesn't match where you appear to be, or a VPN, is a listed reason for rejection.

Worth knowing

• Some rejected applicants say on PeoplePerHour's own forum that they weren't told why.

What it costs you

• Usually 5%. Some projects in France, Spain and Belgium start at 10%, dropping to 5% after six months. 2% on clients you bring to Malt.

Getting paid

• Clients pay upfront into escrow. You are usually paid within 10 days of the client approving the work, to a bank account in your name.

If you move around

• You must be a registered sole trader or company. What counts is the country your business is registered in, not where you are.
• Malt doesn't accept businesses registered in some countries, including Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Cuba and North Korea.

What it costs you

• Charged on what you have billed each client in total: 20% up to $300, 10% from $301 to $3,000, and 5% above $3,000.

Getting paid

• PayPal, Payoneer or the Payoneer card, from $50. Workana adds no fee of its own.

If you move around

• The payout methods you can use depend on your country of residence.

What it costs you

• No commission. On the free plan a platform fee of $15 or $29 applies to each payment. Contra's own pages differ on who pays it: its client help centre lists a separate client fee of $2 to $29.
• Contra Pro costs $29 a month or $199 a year and removes that fee.

Getting paid

• To a bank (US transfers are $0.75 if you aren't a US person), PayPal (2%), Payoneer ($3 plus 1-2%) or USDC. Faster payouts cost 2% on the free plan.

Worth knowing

• Its Trustpilot reviews are poor, though few: complaints about withdrawals held for security checks, suspended accounts, and paywalled jobs.

What it costs you

• Since 5 February 2026: 10% on the first $500 of a payout, 7% on the next $500 and 4% above that. Nothing on the Pro Standard (yearly) and Pro Plus plans.
• Pro costs $4 to $99 a month, billed yearly.

What it costs you

• No platform fee with Behance Pro, from $9.99 a month on a yearly plan. Stripe and PayPal still take their own fees.

Getting paid

• Through Stripe or PayPal.

If you move around

• Your Adobe account, where you log in and your bank should all be in the same country.

What it costs you

• Free to browse. WWR Pro costs $14.95 a month on a 12-month commitment and adds unlimited applications and job alerts.

Getting paid

• You are hired and paid by the employer.

If you move around

• Jobs tagged "Anywhere in the World" are open globally. Employers can limit a listing to chosen countries.

What it costs you

• Free to browse and apply. Premium ($17.95 a month or $79.95 a year) adds more listings, filters and alerts.

Getting paid

• You are hired and paid by the employer.