Upwork vs Fiverr: Which Pays Better and Offers More Opportunities?
Written by
Terence Loose
Edited by
Melanie Grafil
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Have you been wondering if Upwork vs. Fiverr is better for your freelance career? That all depends on your goals, your skills and how you prefer to find work.
Freelancing can provide a great lifestyle — the ability to create your own schedule, do what you love and choose who you work with. There are downsides to consider, too, including a lack of job security and benefits, as well as taking the time to establish yourself and maintain consistent work.
Which is best for your situation? Here’s a look at Fiverr vs. Upwork.
Quick Take
Choose Upwork if you want bigger, long-term projects. Choose Fiverr if you want fast, creative gigs with less pitching required.
How Upwork and Fiverr Work
Although both Fiverr and Upwork share the goal of connecting those who need work done with freelancers, the sites go about it in different ways.
| Feature | Upwork | Fiverr |
|---|---|---|
| Work style | Apply to the posted jobs | List services and wait for buyers |
| Project size | Larger or long-term projects | Smaller, one-off creative gigs |
| Cost to use | Pay for connections and a variable commission of up to 15% | 20% commission per gig |
| Ease of setup | Slower, but more detailed | Faster and simple |
| Best for | Professional services and maintaining long-term clients | Creative services and quick projects |
Fiverr
Fiverr models itself after a true marketplace, labeling employers as Buyers and freelancers as Sellers. On Fiverr, Sellers create packages of their services, which are known on the site as “Gigs,” and offer them up for sale. Each Gig has up to three different versions at three different prices. Sellers price their Gigs themselves.
Buyers choose a Gig and hire the Seller — you — to fulfill a job they have. Importantly, Fiverr categorizes Sellers according to four levels, with the highest enjoying perks such as faster payment. For this reason, you can build your brand and trustworthiness over time.
Upwork
If Fiverr is more freelance-focused, i.e., the Seller in this case, Upwork is the opposite.
On Upwork, the platform revolves around the buyer, which Upwork calls Clients. Clients post jobs to the site’s Talent Marketplace, while freelancers pitch themselves to the Client and bid for the jobs.
As a freelancer, you can also post your services to Upwork’s Project Catalog. This allows Clients to skip the hassles of creating and posting a job, and instead choose a freelancer who performs the service they need.
For example, if you’re an illustrator, you could post your previous work and skills so that a Client who needs a logo could find you, instead of wading through various illustrator bids.
Do the Types of Jobs Differ on Fiverr and Upwork?
While you can sell most freelancer services on either platform, the sites do highlight certain skills, and they do differ, said Taylor Cameron, a freelance writer who uses both platforms for her copywriting business, Taylor Celeste Creation, aimed at mental health professionals. “Upwork typically has job postings for a wider range of services, such as writing, accounting, social media marketing, or translating,” she said. “Fiverr has more of a focus on creative and digital services such as graphic design, video editing, and voiceover.”
Fiverr
The Fiverr site lists the following categories as their “Popular Services”:
- AI Artists
- Logo Design
- WordPress
- Voice Over
- Video Explainer
- Social Media
- SEO
- Illustration
- Translation
- Data Entry
- Book Covers
Upwork
Under Upwork’s “Find Talent” tab for Clients who want to search the Talent Marketplace, these categories are listed:
- Development & IT
- Design & Creative
- Sales & Marketing
- Writing & Translation
- Admin & Customer Support
- Finance & Accounting
- HR & Training
- Legal
- Engineering & Architecture
How Difficult Is Creating a Profile on Fiverr and Upwork?
With the highly competitive nature of freelancing, how you present yourself to potential clients is vital to success. Both Fiverr and Upwork allow you to create personal profiles, but each is very different. “Fiverr was faster to set up a profile,” said Cameron. “Setting up my profile with Upwork took longer because they asked for more detailed information and then had to verify me,” she said.
Creating a Profile on Fiverr
Creating your Fiverr Profile is quite simple. It is divided into two general categories: Personal and Professional. Under the Personal section, you’ll enter your name, a photo or logo, a description of your services, and your language(s). Your Professional section will include your occupation, skills, education, certifications, and your website, if you have one. That’s it. After an email verification procedure, you’re ready to create your Gig.
Creating a Profile on Upwork
Your Upwork Profile includes all the same information that Fiverr does. However, Upwork also allows you to include an introductory video that can feature you and your work. As of this writing, Fiverr is Beta testing this with certain Sellers. Your Upwork video is done via a link to a YouTube video you create. It also allows you to create a Project Catalog to show off your work and include non-Upwork client testimonials.
How Much Do Fiverr and Upwork Cost?
While there is no cost to create a profile on either Fiverr or Upwork, it will cost you to use their platforms. The fee structure is very different for each, however, so you should consider it carefully and make sure you choose the one that fits your needs.
Fiverr Costs
On Fiverr, you’ll pay nothing to list Gigs and shop them to Buyers. However, once you complete a Gig, Fiverr will take a 20% commission from your payment. This fee remains the same, no matter how large or small the payment is.
Upwork Costs
Unlike Fiverr, on Upwork, freelancers must use Connects, which are used to apply for jobs.
As an Upwork freelancer, you’ll receive 10 Connects per month if using the Freelancer Basic free plan. You’ll also receive a one-time bonus of 50 Connects 48 hours after you sign up. After that, you’ll need to buy Connects at $0.15 each. You can also sign up for Freelancer Plus, for $27 a month, which gives you 100 Connects per month, plus other perks. Bidding on jobs sometimes costs more than one Connect. Clients can also invite freelancers to work on a project, which costs the freelancer nothing.
Once you have completed a job and the Client pays you, Upwork will take a variable fee up to 15%, which is based on the demand for the work. This rate applies to all contracts with a Client, whether hourly, fixed-price, or a Project Catalog project. That said, there are exceptions, which are nuanced and detailed. For instance, rounding calculations, BYO (bring your own) contract exceptions and more exist.
How Do You Get Paid on Fiverr and Upwork?
Anyone who has ever freelanced knows that tracking outstanding invoices and getting paid can be a big part of your life. Both the Fiverr and Upwork platforms seem to understand this and have made this aspect easy.
Getting Paid on Fiverr
In Fiverr, your payments from Buyers, minus Fiverr’s 20% fee, are deposited into your Fiverr account. Once cleared, anywhere from 12 hours to seven days, depending on your account type, you can withdraw them using PayPal, direct deposit — U.S. only, Payoneer, or Fiverr Revenue Card. There’s no limit to how much you can make on Fiverr.
Getting Paid on Upwork
As you complete projects, you can invoice and track earnings on the Upwork platform. You can also choose how you get paid, with direct deposit, PayPal, Payoneer, wire transfer, and other payment methods available. Upwork will take its 10% cut before distributing your payments. With your personal Billings and Earnings report and Transaction History report, all your Upwork financials are easily accessible so you always know how much you are making.
The Bottom Line: Is Fiverr or Upwork Best for You?
Although Fiverr and Upwork may seem very similar at first glance, they have some major differences. One of the largest is in the way you find work. If you don’t mind paying to pitch your skills and services and being extremely active in establishing yourself, Upwork may be a great fit. However, if you prefer to list your services and wait for buyers to come to you, Fiverr might be more your jam.
“Upwork is good for those who want to work on bigger or more long-term projects,” said Cameron, who has developed several long-term business clients through Upwork. “Fiverr is better for creatives who like one-time projects,” she said.
Whether you choose Upwork, Fiverr, or both, the best platform is the one that matches your work style. Test both to see where you get better results — and build your freelance career your way.
