13 Sites Like UpWork Offering Alternatives for Freelancers to Make Money

• Admin
• Business support
• Creative arts
• Software development
• Tutorials
• Design
• Mobile
• Social media
• Marketing & PR

When a client pays you on UpWork, your money has to remain in your account for 6 days before you can withdraw it. This is a security period, but it can be frustrating if you need cash fast.

That’s why I like PeoplePerHour – you can withdraw your earnings right away.

As with UpWork, PeoplePerHour also allows you to set your own rates, based on the client’s budget.

There’s also an app available:

• Download PeoplePerHour for iOS devices here.
• Download PeoplePerHour for Android devices here.

2. Freelancer

• Why it’s a good UpWork alternative: Low fees

Freelancer.com is another one to check out. It offers tons of jobs.

Since there are more than 900 job categories on the site, you’re sure to find a gig that suits you.

There are jobs available in:

• Graphic design
• Writing
• Data entry
• Web design
• Programming
• And more!

It has more than 45,000 jobs on offer at the time of writing.

You might want to consider Freelancer.com over UpWork because its fees are lower.

On UpWork, you’re charged 20% commission on new contracts, and 5% to 10% on existing ones. On Freelancer.com, you’re only charged 3%.

There’s also an app:

• Download Freelancer for iOS devices here.
• Download Freelancer for Android devices here.

3. Truelancer

• Why it’s a good UpWork alternative: Huge selection of jobs available

Truelancer is another similar site to UpWork. You can find freelance jobs in lots of different categories, such as:

• Writing, Content & Translation
• Data Entry and Admin
• Graphic Design & Multimedia
• IT & Programming
• Social Media, SEO & SEM
• Sales & Marketing
• Finance & Accounting
• Sales & Marketing

There’s also an app available:

• Download Truelancer for iOS devices here.
• Download Truelancer for Android devices here.

4. FlexJobs

• Why it’s a good UpWork alternative: Some bigger name clients available

The problem with UpWork is that many of the jobs posted on there are from clients who are just starting their site or company, meaning their budget is limited, and they may not offer long-term work.

On FlexJobs (review), you’re more likely to see bigger, more well-established companies posting freelance jobs. So you can often find higher paying and more long-term freelance work on there.

There are jobs available in more than 50 career fields, such as:

• Accounting & Finance
• Graphic Design
• Art & Creative
• Web Design
• Software development
• Transcription
• Translation
• Customer service
• Writing
• Editing
• Data entry

Give FlexJobs a try if you’re looking for remote work and freelance jobs.

5. Guru

• Why it’s a good UpWork alternative: It’s a well-established site for freelancers

Next up we have Guru. This site has been around longer than UpWork – it was founded in 1998. So it’s a well-established platform for freelancers looking for work.

It doesn’t have as wide a range of jobs available on there compared to UpWork. But there’s still a good selection on there.

At the time of writing, there were more than 3,000 jobs available on the site.

There are jobs available in categories, like:

• Programming & Development
• Design & Art
• Writing & Translation
• Administrative & Secretarial
• Business & Finance
• Sales & Marketing
• Engineering & Architecture
• Legal
• Education & Training

6. Toptal

• Why it’s a good UpWork alternative: You can find high quality jobs

Toptal is good for finding high quality jobs. It describes itself as an exclusive network of freelancers. For that reason, the site only hires 3% of freelancers. This means its tough to get started with. The site only accepts freelancers who have years of experience.

According to the site, you can work remotely with leading brands from Fortune 500 to Silicon Valley startups.

Unlike UpWork, Toptal isn’t designed for freelancers in all industries.

Instead, it’s focused on jobs in:

• Software development
• Design
• Project management
• Product management
• Finance

While UpWork has you bid on jobs, this site doesn’t. Instead you just set your own rate and the site’s team matches you with the right client.

7. SimplyHired

• Why it’s a good UpWork alternative: Some bigger name clients available

You may have already heard about SimplyHired. The site offers a range of employment opportunities. While it’s good for finding regular jobs, the site also offers a great selection of freelance writing jobs.

Just visit the site and enter the word “freelance” followed by the job you’re interested in – so for example you could enter “freelance graphic designer” into the search field and hit enter. You’ll then see a great selection of freelance jobs.

8. Remote.co

• Why it’s a good UpWork alternative: Easy to use for both beginners and experienced freelancers.

Remote.co is a job board for freelance/remote jobs. What’s great about the site is how easy it is to search jobs. If you are a beginner, you can select the “Entry Level” filter to view jobs for beginners. If you have more experience, you can click the “High-paying” filter to view jobs that pay more.

There are jobs available across a huge variety of categories, like:

• Data entry
• Customer service
• Writing
• IT
• Marketing
• Design
• Writing
• Editing
• Sales

9. Fiverr

• Why it’s a good UpWork alternative: Easy for beginners to get started

Fiverr is good for beginners, because getting started is pretty easy. You can offer a service from freelance writing to graphic design to customers. You can charge anywhere from $5 to $10,000 for a service.

While it’s good for beginners, the pay isn’t always the highest. Plus, the site takes a 20% cut like UpWork. So the fees for freelancers are pretty high. Although there are other sites like Fiverr that you can use to find higher paying gigs as well.

If you’re just starting out, you may want to give Fiver a try to build up some experience and client testimonials that can help you in your future freelancing career.

There are more than 200 categories on the site, so you can easily make money as a freelancer on there.

There’s also an app available:

• Download Fiverr for iOS devices here.
• Download Fiverr for Android devices here.

10. 99Designs

• Why it’s a good UpWork alternative: It’s great for design jobs

A good alternative to UpWork for freelance designers is 99Designs. The website allows you to find freelance writing jobs in the design field.

You can work with the site in two ways:

• Work directly with clients. So you get hired by businesses and individuals with a 1-to-1 project. You can set your own prices.
• Submit your concepts to a Design Contest and earn money

Pay is a little slow – you’ll be paid in three business days or less once you become a Top Level Designer. But it’s still quicker than UpWork.

11. Outsourcely

• Why it’s a good UpWork alternative: It’s great for finding steady work

Outsourcely is good for finding steady remote jobs in categories, like:

• Web development
• Mobile applications
• Writing & Content
• Administrative support
• Customer service
• Sales & Marketing
• Business Services

You can find lots of full-time remote positions. So if you’re looking for something a little steadier than your usual freelance gigs you’ll find on sites like UpWork, you may want to give Outsourcely a try.

12. Hubstaff Talent

• Why it’s a good UpWork alternative: It doesn’t charge fees

Unlike UpWork which charges between 5% and 20% commission, Hubstaff Talent doesn’t charge fees which is awesome.

This really sets it apart from UpWork and other sites.

On Hubstaff Talent, you can find jobs in multiple categories, like:

• Data entry
• Customer service
• Graphic design
• Web development
• Content writing

You don’t have to bid on jobs either. Companies can just have a look at your experience, check out your website and links and get in touch if they want to work with you.

13. Bonus tip: Check Craigslist!

Craigslist isn’t just a place to sell stuff. No, it’s actually a good place to find freelance work.

I used Craigslist years ago to look for freelance writing work and actually landed a few jobs.

I didn’t even apply to that many on there and still found success – so if you put more time into applying for jobs than I did, you’ll likely get more work.

Just enter the words “freelance [job type] jobs” into the search bar and hit enter. So for example, you could enter the term “freelance writing jobs” and you’ll likely find plenty of results on there!

• Browse Craigslist for jobs here.

So What’s the Best Alternative to UpWork?

It really depends on what you are looking for. Each of these platforms have their advantages and disadvantages. Check them to see which ones fits your needs best.

There are lots of websites out there nowadays where you can find freelance work. Whether it’s data entry or web development, you’re sure to find a freelance job on one of the sites above.

So give these sites like UpWork a try and start making money as a freelancer.