Freelance platforms have changed the way professionals do their job and how companies operate. Through these applications, businesses can easily source workers for projects that do not require permanent employment, and independent professionals can search for work without the pressure of aiming for tenure.
In this guide we take a look at the top 20 platforms for businesses looking to tap the potential of freelance talents. We looked at their usability, flexibility, and affordability. A quick overview has also been provided for each, so that you may familiarize yourself with each platform’s pricing, key features, and other aspects.
What are the top freelance websites for beginners and professionals?
For many employers, implementing a freelance system is a great solution when it comes to lowering overhead costs and improving productivity in their operations. It also helps them shorten hiring processes and training times, and lets them have the flexibility to hire by demand. Additionally, this gives them access to a wider talent pool that is not limited to a local candidate list.
On the other hand, freelancers enjoy flexible work hours that allow them to accomplish tasks on their own terms. As mentioned in a study conducted by Red Brick Research in 2014, 69% of graduates feel that independent work grants them a better work-life balance because they aren’t obligated to travel to and from an office. To add to that, freelancing, be it part-time or full-time, offers workers more room to grow professionally as they can experience a variety of jobs requiring different skill sets.
In the past few years, freelancing has become an increasingly popular option over traditional 9-to-5 jobs in the worldwide work landscape because of its convenience. In fact, according to a survey released by Freelancers Union and Upwork in 2017, the freelance workforce grew at a rate three times faster than that of the U.S. workforce overall since 2014. It also mentioned that almost five million part-time freelancers are planning to quit their jobs to work independently.
Source: Upwork/Freelancers Union Freelancing In America 2017
Freelance platforms are undoubtedly beneficial for businesses and individuals alike. The question now is, “how do you start freelancing?” First off, you need to find a freelance website that will allow you to connect with potential employers or employees.
However, due to the plethora of freelance applications available on the market, it can be difficult to choose which one suits your needs best. To help you make the decision, we have listed the top 20 freelance websites for beginners and professionals. If you’d like to learn more about these solutions you can also check out our what are freelance platforms guide.
1. Fiverr
Fiverr is a freelance service marketplace designed with entrepreneurs in mind. It is a tool that helps employers find individuals brimming with talent to complete a wide variety of short-term projects.
Whether you are looking for graphic artists, writers, digital marketers, programmers, or other freelancers, employers will surely find affordable and skillful talents using this platform. Moreover, joining Fiverr is free. You can easily sign up for Fiverr here.
If you wish to get access to premium tools, you may opt for their single enterprise pricing plan that starts at only $5 per job.
| USER SATISFACTION | 98% |
| OUR SCORE | 9.8 |
Fiverr won our Great User Experience Award for 2018
What is unique about Fiverr?
- Seller Level System. Fiverr prides itself on providing customer satisfaction, on-time delivery, and unparalleled service. This scheme allows them to evaluate the performance of sellers, track their progress, and give them goals to reach before they can take on more freelance responsibilities. Of course, it also allows sellers to enjoy benefits such as getting priority customer support, eligibility to be featured at promotional listings, and the like. In turn, this system helps buyers in picking freelancers with the right set of skills and a rate that falls within their budget.
- Secure/Private Communication Channels. Fiverr values the privacy of the sellers and employers utilizing their application. Thus, they make use of state-of-the-art anti-fraud and data security measures. Other than protecting personal information, these measures also let users communicate and exchange files through a secure messaging system within the platform.
- Freelancer Transparency. The transparency of Fiverr’s system provides buyers with all the information they need to choose a seller for a project. It allows employers to see the seller’s portfolio as well as feedback from previous employers. This makes it easier to decide which sellers to hire and ensures the quality of work that the company is paying for.
- Protected Buyer Payments. Keeping your financial data safe is easy with this platform. The application supports financial transactions coming from varying payment methods.
2. Upwork
Upwork is a cloud-based freelance platform known for having the largest pool of employers and job finders. Perfect for business of all sizes and freelancers with different skill levels, this application allows users to easily sift through available listings per their needs. It also has features that detect potentially fake employers or employees to protect the integrity of legitimate users. Moreover, Upwork offers affordable pricing plans that includes tools for hiring assistance, pre-funding, consolidated invoicing, customized reporting, and more. Should you be interested, they also offer free sign-ups so you may test if the platform works for your operations.
What is unique about Upwork?
- Hassle-Free Screening Features. When it comes to freelancing, assessing applicants can be difficult because there is no personal interaction between the employer and the job finder. Upwork offers a resolution for this through their chat scheduling and profile browsing features. They also help buyers get to know candidates first-hand by allowing them to facilitate interviews online.
- In-App Communication Channels. Coordinating work among workers–be it part-time or full-time- is important to ensure the productivity of your operations. Communicate with your talents on-the-go using the in-app messaging tool of Upwork. Through this feature, you can provide feedback via text or video as well as share files with your freelancers.
- Simplified Billing Process. Tracking the billable time of freelancers is no easy feat, especially because they don’t need to come in to the office to do their job. This is why Upwork provides tools that allow you to verify the work hours of their workers. It also allows you to set up pre-fund accounts of services rendered and helps you schedule billings every hour.
- Top-of-the-Line Freelancer Search Engine. Upwork offers a search engine backed by reliable data science and algorithms to let businesses narrow down the long list of potential employees and allow freelancers to efficiently filter jobs that suit their skill level.
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