While you never have to depend on a single platform, I think they are an ideal place to get those first clients that will allow you to quit your traditional job.
Of course, make no mistake! It is not free to work through any of these sites. Read the rules carefully before deciding which one is best for you.
These are the best freelance platforms to get freelance work.
1. Upwork (The 5 best platforms to get your first freelance job)
It is currently the largest freelance platform on the market. With more than 4 million clients, it offers a wide variety of jobs, prices, and experiences.
The freelancer has the possibility of applying to short and long-term jobs, working by the hour or by full project.
Upwork as such has been around for a short time. It is the result of the union of two great platforms: Elance and oDesk.
Modality
The client posts the project, and freelancers are free to apply with a proposal and a budget. It does not have a competition mode, and it is expressly forbidden to ask for free work.
Upwork uses a profile suggestion system for clients, but this does not prevent other freelancers from applying.
Every month, freelancers get 60 ‘connects’ for free, necessary to apply to different jobs.
commissions
Upwork charges commissions to freelancers in a staggered manner , depending on the amount earned (not total):
- 20% of the first U $ D500
- 10% in the range of U $ D500.1 up to U $ D10000
- 5% after U $ D10000.1
They also offer memberships with benefits such as more monthly connects, or the possibility of working as an agency through the platform.
2. Freelancer
This is one of the oldest and best known platforms on the market. He has been connecting companies with freelancers for several years.
There are all kinds of jobs for freelancers: web design and development, marketing and SEO, article writing, data entry, and various tasks related to the online world and professionals in the digital environment.
Modality
Freelancer has two work modes. On the one hand, clients post a project to which freelancers respond with a proposal. The client evaluates the profile, and decides which freelancer to work with.
The freelancer has the possibility to apply (bid) to 8 jobs for free every month.
Its other modality is the misnamed ‘contests ‘. The client asks freelancers to do the work, and chooses a ‘winner’ to pay. This mode is actually called SPEC work, or speculative work; and it is one of the most harmful for freelancers.
To learn more about SPEC work, I recommend that you visit No! Spec.
commissions
Creating an account is free for both the freelancer and the client.
Employers are charged 3% of the value of the project, either fixed price or per hour.
Freelancers are discounted 10% of the total value of the project (or contest!), Either fixed or per hour.
There is also the possibility of buying a membership that gives certain advantages over the free account.
For more information on charges and commissions, you can visit the Freelancer website .
3. Toptal
This platform, unlike the previous ones, is aimed at freelancers and experienced professionals.
It has a strict evaluation system, but passing the admission process gives access to projects with clients such as JPMorgan, Zendesk, Airbnb, etc., and compensation accordingly. There are no underpaid jobs on this platform.
You will also be part of the Toptal community, which offers access to meetups and events.
This platform is aimed mainly at programmers, developers, web designers, and software engineers.
Modality
Toptal takes care of connecting the client and the freelancer directly. You don’t need to apply to projects.
The freelancer has the freedom to define his rate per hour, week, or month; and becomes part of the client’s team once the contract details are decided.
commissions
Although freelancers are not charged any commission, clients who want to hire through the platform need to make an initial deposit of U $ D500
4. People Per Hour
This platform aims to be the place where clients can get everything they need for their business, so it presents a wide range of projects that targets marketers, SEO specialists, software engineers, designers, content creators, and more.
Its system is designed to simplify the entire process : from hiring to payment.
Modality
In addition to the possibility of applying to projects such as Freelancer and Upwork, People Per Hour offers the Hourlies modality : the freelancer offers a specific service at a fixed price, which the client can contract directly.
The freelancer can apply for free to 15 jobs per month, with the possibility of buying more credits if needed.
commissions
Posting Hourlies is free, as is applying for jobs 15 times a month. If you want to apply for more, you have to buy credits.
It also charges commissions to freelancers depending on the month, not the total amount of each job: 15% up to the first U $ D280 of the month, and then drops to 3.5%. Be careful that every start of the month, it goes back up to 15%.
5. Guru
This platform is one of the oldest, but not one of the largest. That doesn’t mean there is no competition!
Similar to Upwork and Freelancer, this platform is very simple to use. The downside is that jobs tend to be of lower quality and pay.
Modality
It also has a bids system where the freelancer applies to the different jobs posted by clients. At the same time, clients have the opportunity to explore profiles of freelancers, and hire them directly.
commissions
Creating an account as a freelancer or client is free. As a customer, 2.5% to 3.5% is charged for each payment made. Instead, freelancers are charged from 4.95% to 8.95% of the total project depending on the type of membership (free or paid). This makes it one of the platforms with the best commissions on the market.
Unlike Upwork, you have to pay to take skills certification tests. Its price also depends on the membership.
The 5 best platforms to get your first freelance job: These platforms are very useful to take the first steps as a freelancer. In any case, I recommend that you familiarize yourself with them, as the rules change constantly (as well as the commissions!).
