Freelance Jobs

Long-term clients across every field · Fee: 5-20% sliding

The deepest freelance marketplace, with roughly 18 million freelancers and hundreds of thousands of active clients across tech, design, writing, marketing, and admin. Its sliding fee rewards loyalty — 20% on your first $500 with a client, 10% up to $10,000, then 5% — so it pays off for long-term relationships. Strong escrow and a Job Success Score that drives visibility make it the best all-round starting point.

Beginners and packaged services · Fee: 20% flat

Fiverr’s “gig” model lets you sell pre-packaged services buyers order directly — no proposals to write, so you can start earning quickly. That makes it the most beginner-friendly platform, though the flat 20% fee is steep. Best for productized work (a logo, an article, a video edit) where you can define a clear scope and price up front.

High volume, contests and bidding · Fee: ~10%

One of the largest platforms by sheer scale, with tens of millions of users across 247 countries and an auction-style bidding model. Competition is fierce — jobs draw dozens of bids, often within seconds — so it rewards fast, sharp proposals. It also runs contests, which can suit designers building a track record.

Flexible payment terms · Fee: ~5-9%

A long-established marketplace covering tech, design, writing, and business services, with lower fees than the giants and flexible payment options (fixed, hourly, milestone, or recurring). Its WorkRoom tools and escrow-style SafePay make it a solid, lower-cost alternative to Upwork for ongoing project work.

Elite developers, designers and finance · Fee: 0% (vetted)

A premium network that accepts only around the top 3% of applicants, matching them to high-paying projects in software development, design, and finance. Getting in is genuinely hard, but once accepted you charge premium rates (senior developers often $150+/hr), pay no freelancer fees, and skip the race-to-the-bottom bidding entirely.

Keeping 100% of what you earn · Fee: 0%

A fast-growing, commission-free platform built for independents — freelancers keep 100% of their earnings, since clients cover any platform costs. It leans modern and portfolio-led, popular with designers, marketers, and creators who want direct client relationships without a marketplace skimming their pay.

Scientists, researchers and PhDs · Fee: Varies

A specialist marketplace for freelance scientists, researchers, and academics — statisticians, medical writers, R&D consultants, and data scientists, many with PhDs. If your expertise is scientific or highly technical, its focus means far more relevant work than a general board.

UK-based freelance work · Fee: ~3.5-20%

A UK-focused marketplace (with global reach) offering both client-posted projects and freelancer “Offers” — packaged services much like Fiverr’s gigs. Pricing is in GBP and fees taper as you earn more with a client, making it a natural home base for British freelancers in design, writing, and web work.

Freelance graphic design · Fee: ~5-15% (design)

A design-specialist marketplace built around contests and one-to-one projects — logos, branding, packaging, and web design. Contests involve speculative work, so treat them as a way to build a portfolio and client base early, while direct projects suit established designers with a track record.

Local, in-person tasks · Fee: Set your own rate

For hands-on, local work rather than online gigs — furniture assembly, moving help, mounting, cleaning, and errands. “Taskers” set their own rates and pick jobs nearby, making it one of the better-paying options if you’d rather work with your hands in your own area than at a screen.

Free, local gig listings · Fee: Free

The long-running classifieds site still has an active “gigs” section for local, short-term, and creative work — often roles that never reach the big platforms. It’s free and local, with no fees or middleman, though it lacks the payment protection of a marketplace, so vet clients carefully.