There’s absolutely no question sites like
Upwork can be a really quick way to find new clients and get freelance jobs.
I used to be skeptical of sites like Upwork
thinking only low-balling clients hung out there—waiting to take advantage of
unsuspecting freelancers.
After learning more about sites like Upwork, I
have to admit: I was wrong.
I spent a full year checking in via podcast
every week with my friend Andy who quit his job to start freelancing full-time.
After learning how
to get jobs on Upwork, Andy spent the first 18+ months of
his full-time freelance career exclusively using the platform.
And he did really well for himself.
He kept increasing
his prices over and over again until he was making WAY more
than he ever did working for someone else.
I’ll admit, there are some freelancers who can never seem to make sites like Upwork really work for them. I understand. Sites like Upwork can be over-crowded in certain niches and you really have to work hard to stand out.
If you’re just getting started as freelancer,
however, or maybe you want to freelance a little on the side, sites like Upwork
can provide an easy, steady, flow of potential new projects to help you get
your feet under you.
Not only is Upwork itself a pretty worthwhile
option for getting started as a freelancer, there are quite a few Upwork
competitors that can provide the foot-in-the-door you need to get started as a
freelancer as well.
While using sites like Upwork may not be the perfect long-term strategy to use for the rest of your freelancing career, it’s a great way to build your portfolio and learn what it’s like to work with clients.
Without further ado, let’s review the list.
FlexJobs
One site that merits a place on our list of
sites like Upwork based on the sheer number of job postings they have is FlexJobs. They’ve got
dozens of categories for freelancers of all kinds which means it’s virtually
impossible not to find a client or two using Flexjobs.
SolidGigs
I
also have to mention SolidGigs in
this list. While it’s not technically one of the many Upwork
competitors, SolidGigs filters through dozens of sites like Upwork and
other freelance
job boards and then hand-picks the best options for you
each week. You can learn more about how this works in our SolidGigs review.
If you’re tired of the endless scrolling on
sites like Upwork, you can try
SolidGigs for just $2.
Fiverr
If you haven’t been to Fiverr recently, you
should really
check it out. They’ve really taken this site places. While it
used to be a site where a freelance could get paid $5 to do some light work,
now freelancers charge hundreds or even thousands of dollars for some of their
gigs.
With their acquisition of invoicing tool AND.CO,
Fiverr has really stepped up their game for freelancers making them an
extremely valid Upwork competitor.
Freeup
Built with the idea of connecting clients with
high-quality freelancers, Freeup is a premium
marketplace that’s a bar above other sites like Upwork, Fiverr, or some sites
that might be lower on the quality scale.
The catch? You have to apply to be accepted as
a premium freelancer on Freeeup’s site. If you are approved, though, you’ll
likely enjoy higher rates paid by clients who don’t try to nickel and dime you.
Toptal
Another company attempting to raise the bar on
sites like Upwork is Toptal.
It stands for “Top Talent” and their goal is to only bring on the top 1-2% of
freelance talent that applies with them.
That being said, it’s very hard to get accepted
as a freelance on Toptal. But if you’re looking for sites like Upwork that are
a bit higher-caliber, Toptal could be a good fit for you.
Freelancer
Perhaps one of the most similare sites like
Upwork on the market is Freelancer. They’ve got a
steady stream of new freelance jobs for freelancers of all disciplines and have
a fairly low barrier to entry. You can also browse most jobs before you ever
sign in.
GURU
What I like about GURU is,
unlike some of these Upwork competitors, they have what seems like an infinite
list of disciplines and niches. So even if you have an obscure favorite kind of
work, chances are, they have clients looking for you.
Upwork
Of course, I have to mention Upwork at some
point in this list. While there are many quality sites like Upwork, few have
the history and the robust ability to get you freelance clients fast.
If you’re just getting started particularly,
try Upwork and see if it’s a good fit for you.
PeoplePerHour
Next on the list of sites like Upwork is PeoplePerHour.
As you might guess from their name, one thing that sets this Upwork competitor
apart is they focus primarily on work you can get paid by the hour to complete.
While this may not live with you if you’re more
of a value-based pricing or
charge-by-the-project kind of freelancer, it’s still a decent option for
getting your foot in the door with new clients and building your portfolio.
Hubstaff
Talent
What’s great about this next site is that it’s
similar to Upwork, but it’s free. They don’t take a finder’s fee like many of
these Upwork competitors do. Hubstaff Talent is a
great way to find new clients and start building your portfolio.
While they do have a lot of full-time positions
(which may not be what you’re looking for as a freelancer) they do have a lot
of part-time or contract jobs too.
Credo
As far as sites like Upwork go, this next one
has the most narrow focus I’ve seen. It’s not necessarily a bad thing,
but Credo focuses
primarily on SEO, PPC, or digital marketing freelancers.
If you don’t fall into one of those categories,
not to worry: there are lots of other Upwork competitors on the list here. But
if you are an SEO, PPC, or digital marketing expert, Credo could be a great fit
for you.
Outsourcely
Our last recommendation is technically a site
similar to Upwork, but we found it’s pretty basic. Outsourcely’s
goal is to connect freelancers with startups who are on a tight budget but need
extra talent for a short amount of time.
That’s
it!
If you’re on the hunt for sites like Upwork but
not sure where to start, now you’ve got 10+ great new options to review.
Remember, not all Upwork competitors are
created equal—and you may find after a while that even Upwork isn’t the best
fit for you.
However you choose to proceed, I wish you luck in
finding your next freelance clients!
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