9 Freelancer Alternatives To Buy & Sell On

Freelancer.com is the biggest freelance marketplace with over 41,000,000 freelancers registered on the platform.

However due to the huge number of people competing for jobs on the platform, it can be harder to establish yourself there than on other platforms, they also charge monthly membership fees which allow freelancers to bid on a certain number of jobs depending on their membership level.

So there are plenty of reasons for freelancers to look for a Freelancer.com alternative, plus it’s always a good idea not to be totally reliant on just one platform either as a seller or a buyer too.

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Below are 9 Freelancer.com alternatives for both buyers and sellers:

1. Upwork

Upwork is one of the best-known online marketplaces.

It is one of the closest competitors of freelancer.com.

Upwork Fees Vs Freelancer Fees

Upwork’s fees are more expensive than Freelancer, particularly for smaller job less than $500 in value, Upwork will charge a 20% fee on those whereas Freelancer will charge a 10% fee.

For jobs between $500 & $10,000, the fees on Freelancer & Upwork are the same; 10%.

However for big jobs above $10,000, Upwork’s fees drop to 5%, half what you’d pay on Freelancer.

So if you’re looking to hire a freelancer for a big job then Upwork is a more budget-friendly bet.

Upwork For Sellers

Winning jobs on Upwork is a lot easier than winning jobs on Freelancer.

The reason for this is that there are far more freelancers registered on Freelancer (41,000,000+) than Upwork (6,000,000+) and a similar number of available jobs.

This means that sellers are competing against significantly more people on Freelancer than Upwork.

Upwork For Buyers

Upwork generally has higher quality freelancers on the platform thanks to their vetting procedures.

They also make it very easy for buyers to find high-performing sellers by using job success scores talent badges.

This means that as a seller it is usually much quicker to find a high-quality seller on Upwork than it is on Freelancer.

Upwork Stats

2. People Per Hour

People Per Hour is a UK-based Freelancer alternative.

Also Read: 9 People Per Hour Alternatives

People Per Hour Fees Vs Freelancer Fees

As with Upwork, People Per Hour has a sliding fee scale, the bigger the spend the smaller the percentage they take.

This makes People Per Hour a more budget-friendly choice than Freelancer for anyone who is planning to spend over $6,500.

People Per Hour For Sellers

Jobs on Peopler Per Hour tend to err towards the cheaper end of the spectrum however buyers may be willing to negotiate on price and often one small job can turn into a lucrative long-term business relationship.

People Per Hour allows you to negotiate on price after applying to a job, this works well for sellers, particularly if you regularly submit bids for jobs on their Projects board.

People Per Hour For Buyers

People Per Hour is very easy to use, very quick to get set up on and allows you to easily manage multiple ongoing jobs in your dashboard.

People Per Hour Stats

3. Fiverr

Fiverr is a very well-known budget-friendly freelance platform. With prices starting at $5 Fiverr is a great place to go for quick jobs on a budget.

Also Read: 9 Fiverr Alternatives For Freelancers & Buyers

Fiverr Fees Vs Freelancer Fees

Fiverr’s fees are significantly more expensive than Freelancer’s.

All jobs are charged a flat-rate fee of 20%, this is more than double Freelancer’s maximum fee of 10%.

However Fiverr does not charge monthly membership fees to sellers as Freelancer does, so Fiverr is a great alternative for sellers more so than buyers.

Fiverr For Sellers

Work on Fiverr is structured around quick, one-off, gigs whereas Freelancer is focused more on building longer-term relationships.

Becoming a successful seller on Fiverr hinges around managing to get your gig ranking well on the platform so that you get a constant stream of work.

One of the big positives of Fiverr vs Freelancer.com is that there are no monthly fees, anyone can sign up for free and bid on as many work requests as you want.

Fiverr For Buyers

Fiverr has many positives for Buyers, if you need a quick turnaround on a small job then Fiverr is a great place to go.

Fiverr is also one of the cheapest freelance platforms so is ideal for buyers on a tight budget.

Fiverr Stats

4. 99 Designs

99 Designs is an exclusively graphic design-focused marketplace, it costs quite a bit more than Freelancer.com but if you’re looking to hire the best design specialists in the business then you should certainly consider them.

99 Designs Fees Vs Freelancer Fees

99 Designs uses a very different pricing structure to most other freelance platforms.

They have two systems:

• A design competition – these can range from as little as $49 for a ‘Bronze’ banner ad competition to as much as $2,499 for a ‘Platinum’ WordPress theme design package.
• Negotiate directly with designers – You can request quotes from multiple designers and receive quotes.

99 Designs For Sellers

99 Designs is all about graphic design, with thousands of highly talented graphic designers on the platform who have all been vetted for quality, it’s important that you have strong design skills to be able to stand out from everyone else.

99 Designs For Buyers

If you’re looking for a cheap alternative to Freelancer.com then 99 Designs isn’t it as their prices will often be more expensive.

However, unlike Freelancer.com, 99Designs vets all their designers and offers a money-back guarantee if you are unhappy with the end result.

When you’re looking for a designer on their platform you can either host a design contest, where designers will all submit designs and you can choose your favorite one or you can browse their marketplace (like Freelancer).

If you are willing to pay a bit more for a higher quality end product then 99 Designs is a good place to go for any graphic design work.

99 Designs Stats

5. Guru

Guru is a more focussed marketplace than Freelancer with all of its gigs relating specifically to business services.

Also Read: 9 Guru Alternatives For Buyers & Sellers

Guru Fees Vs Freelancer Fees

For sellers Guru also has a paid account system, the same as Freelancer.com does, that allows you to bid on more jobs.

With a free account, you can only bid on up to 8 jobs per month. Paid accounts allow you to submit up to 50 bids:

Guru’s basic account is free and its business account is cheaper than Freelancer.com, whereas the two middle-tier accounts are more expensive.

Each level also offers additional benefits which can be seen on the Guru membership plans page.

Guru For Sellers

As with Freelancer, Guru sellers are incentivized to purchase premium plans so that you can bid on more jobs.

In fact, Guru’s setup is very similar to that of Freelancer.

Competition on Guru tends to be lower as there are fewer active users on the platform, so if you are struggling to win jobs on Freelancer then Guru could be worth trying.

Guru For Buyers

Guru offers a smaller pool of freelancers however they are generally more focused on specific business services such as admin and secretarial jobs, sales and marketing and translation so if you need service in any of these areas it is well worth a look.

Guru Stats

6. Truelancer

Truelancer is a relatively new (circa 2016) but fast-growing marketplace that offers professional service at very low prices which are comparable with those of Fiverr.

Truelancer Fees Vs Freelancer Fees

For sellers Truelancer also has a paid account system that allows you to bid on more jobs, the same as Freelancer.

With a free account, you can only bid on up to 20 jobs per month. Paid accounts allow you to submit up to 150 bids:

For the budget-conscious Freelancer.com is the clear winner here however it may be worth getting at least a Free account to scope the platform out.

Each level also offers additional benefits which can be seen on their curated membership plans page.

Truelancer For Sellers

Truelancer has fewer freelancers than Freelancer.com and other platforms such as Upwork so there is less competition which makes it ideal for people who are new to freelancing.

Truelancer For Buyers

Truelancer has a lot of freelancers from countries where the cost of living is relatively low meaning that their prices are cheap.

This means that are looking for high-quality work on a budget then Truelancer is a good Freelancer alternative to try.

Truelancer Stats

7. Servicescape

Servicescape has been around for a long time but has largely flown under the radar, it specializes in Editors, Translators, Graphic Designers & Writers.

Servicescape Fees Vs Freelancer Fees

Servicescape For Sellers

Servicescape features a directory of all their freelancers, if you hit certain targets then you will receive ‘Elite’ status and gain more visibility in their directory which will lead to more jobs.

You can view those targets here under ‘The Freelance Directory’ heading.

This is both a pro and con for sellers as it can be hard to get yourself established on the platform initially, however if you stick at it and gain ‘Elite’ status you can do very well on there.

Servicescape For Buyers

Unliked Freelancer, Servicescape vets their freelancers meaning you can be confident that whoever you hire will be experienced.

While the pool of freelancers is smaller than other platforms the overall quality is typically higher than Freelancer.com.

Servicescape Stats

8. TopTal

Toptal is a very different platform to Freelancer.com.

Unlike Freelancer, which boasts the largest number of freelancers, Toptal vigorously vets all of its candidates so just getting accepted onto the platform is quite an achievement.

Freelancers on TopTal are taken from the top 3% of performers in their industry.

Whereas Freelancer.com features anyone and everyone.

TopTal Fees Vs Freelancer Fees

TopTal For Sellers

Getting accepted onto Toptal is an impressive feat in itself, with a 5 stage testing process to get through!

If you manage to accomplish this then you can expect to be able to bid on some big jobs for big national and international companies.

The good news is there is far less competition on this platform as 97% of your competitors have been screened out.

TopTal For Buyers

Toptal features top talent, top talent isn’t cheap.

If you’re looking for someone to do a quick, budget-friendly, job then Toptal isn’t for you, as their prices start at $60/hour.

However, if you need a certified expert in their field who can be trusted to deliver quality results then Toptal is a great place to look.

TopTal Stats

9. SEO Clerk

SEO Clerk is a niche marketplace specifically to service the SEO industry.

SEO Clerk Fees Vs Freelancer Fees

SEO Clerk For Sellers

Becoming a successful seller on SEO Clerk is all about ranking your gig.

Promoting your gig outside of the platform, getting positive reviews and responding quickly to client requests will all help with this.

SEO Clerk For Buyers

SEO Clerk doesn’t vet their sellers so it can be a risky place to shop unless you know exactly what you’re looking for.

There are countless gigs selling valueless link packages and other ‘snake oil’ gigs.

I’d only recommend SEO Clerk for people who are experienced in SEO and know how to sift the good from the bad.

Fees are more or less the same as Freelancers, with both platforms charging 10% on most gigs, so it can be a good alternative for anyone looking specifically for SEO services.

SEO Clerk Stats