Fiverr Vs. Upwork: Which freelancer website offers the best service for both freelancers and online business owners?

Online freelance work is one of the most popular ways to make money these days, and holds great rewards for both online business owners and the freelancers. But sometimes, it can be difficult to both find work as a digital creator, or on the other hand, find a freelancer you want to work with. Thankfully, there are many tools and services that help freelancers connect with business owners.

Today, we’ll be taking a look at two of those services, and comparing the features to see which is the best fit for you, whether you’re a digital creator looking to sell your services, or you own an e-commerce shop and are looking to hire a freelancer. The websites we will look at today are Fiverr and Upwork.

Fiverr

What is Fiverr?

Fiverr is a freelance community full of artists, photographers, digital marketers, and more. It is by far one of the most popular websites for this type of work, and perhaps the one you have heard the most about.

Founded by Micha Kaufman and Shai Wininger in 2010, the original idea was to create a website that allowed people to buy and sell digital products created by freelancers, with services starting at just $5 USD. These services were translations, writing, graphic design, video editing, and programming.

Although the name has stuck around, rarely can you find services for just $5 anymore. As of 2021, the company is reported to have made a revenue of $189 million, with many services costing hundreds, and even thousands of dollars.

How does Fiverr work for a freelancer?

Once you sign up for Fiverr, you can begin to start selling your services. Fiverr claims a gig from their site is purchased every 4 seconds, and that there have been over 50 million transitions so far.

Let Fiverr know what type of service you will be selling, choosing from a range of options. Start filling out your profile with basic information like bio, languages spoken, and give a more detailed explanation to the type of service you will be providing. Below are just a few of the options.

Once your account is verified and completed, you can start to sell!

Here’s what your first ad posting will look like. You will need to add a gig tile, category, and tags. Remember, this is your first impression, so you will need to sell yourself in a memorable way.

Next, you can start pricing your services and add packages and bundle deals.

(Note – this is specifically for those looking to design a website)

After you post your first gig, you can look in your dashboard for analytics such as response time, order completion, ratings, earnings to date, and monthly earnings. Below is an example of what some of your analytics could look like.

Fiverr also has a system of sellers, labeling you as Level 1, Level 2, and Top Rated Seller. You automatically start as a New Seller.

As a Level 1 seller, you have to have been a seller for at least 60 days, earn $400 or more, maintain 4.7 star reviews, and more. The higher your rank, the more features you unlock, such as being able to create more gigs, receive priority customer support, and access your earnings quicker.

As of November 2022, Fiverr takes 20% of all earnings. So, for every $100 you make, you will take home $80. This does not change regardless of what level you move up.

How does Fiverr work as a buyer?

You can easily switch between being a buyer and a seller on Fiverr, and can even use your same profile. Instead of creating gigs, you can scroll and look at all the services the website has to offer. 

You can even post a request if you have something specific you’re looking for. This request form will look a bit like this.

Once you find a service you want, you can contact the seller directly to let them know more about the project, what you’re expecting, etc. Remember, a seller does not have to accept your request.

There is a 5.5% fee for all buyers, and an extra $2 charge if the payment is $50 or under.

Once you submit your request, you will hear back from the seller to see if they accepted your request. If so, wait the allotted time for your project, and don’t forget to review the product when you receive it.

Fiverr will organize all your orders for you so you have easy access to what you services you have completed, as well as see what has been rejected, and what is pending.

Upwork 

What is UpWork?

Similarly to Fiverr, Upwork is a freelance website designed to connect independent workers (the talent) with buyers (the client). Upwork has been used by major companies such as Microsoft and Airbnb.

How does Upwork work for creators?

Unlike Fiverr, you can not switch between buyer and seller from the same account– either you are buying freelance work, or you are creating it. 

Once you sign up as a freelancer, you can tell Upwork about the type of content you will be selling.

Once you upload your resume or input information from LinkedIn, you can set your hourly rate, and learn what Upwork’s service fee is, which will change depending on your rate.

Submit your profile, and you’re ready to start browsing for jobs!

Unlike Fiverr, where you post advertisements and wait for people to book your services, Upwork has you apply for specific tasks. An example of these tasks are below.

Buyers write advertisements and give specific requirements of what they are looking for, including how much they are willing to pay, time restrictions, and more.

As the freelancer, you apply for individual gigs as job postings. This is more in line with typical job posting platforms such as Indeed or LinkedIn. 

You can talk to the poster, apply for the job, and read reviews to see if they are a reliable source. Create a proposal and see if you can come to an agreement with the original poster.

How does Upwork work as a buyer?

Upwork helps you create a memorable job posting as someone looking to purchase digital content. You can search through talent and look at individual creators, or search through pre-made projects with ready-to-buy services.

While creating an ad, Upwork walks you through each step.

Set your budget and location to provide a more accurate listing.

Finish writing your description and you’re good to post your ad! 

You can access all your freelancer data in your dashboard, including tips on how to work with talent, see all your hires, and save workers you want to continue to purchase services from.

You can also view freelancers timesheets, total budget and transaction history if you have multiple projects going on at once. This allows you to keep track of your money as you pay your freelancers for their time.

For all services as a buyer, you will pay a 3-5% marketplace fee.

Which service is the best freelance website?

Both services are great tools for freelancers and those looking to purchase services from freelancers, offer reasonable transaction fees, and don’t seem to favor buyer over seller like some freelance websites. 

Which service will you use? Is there another freelancing tool you use? Let us know down below.