More freelance platforms are emerging as freelancing and freelance services gain popularity. Still, two early entrants maintain a strong market presence.

Fiverr, launched in 2010 in Tel Aviv, is one of the largest freelance platforms globally. It reported $430.9 million in revenue for the full year 2025, and serves roughly 3.1 million active buyers. Upwork, founded in 2013, is also among the leading freelance platforms. Its operating model differs. Upwork reported $787.8 million in revenue in 2025 and lists over 18 million registered freelancers across more than 180 countries, with about 785,000 active clients.

While both companies generate significant revenue, competition for success on these platforms is fierce. Discover which platform aligns best with your needs in this Fiverr vs Upwork guide. Additionally, we will present another freelance platform where you can try selling your services.

Fiverr vs Upwork: For freelancers

Both freelance platforms have pros and cons for freelancers. While Fiverr is a platform that offers a wide range of services at various prices, it often has a more affordable and user-friendly image. Services start from $5, but higher-quality work usually costs at least $100. Upwork has a better reputation and is considered more professional and high-quality.

Since both platforms are huge, they both have had issues with scams. They also have a reputation for siding with the client when things don't go well, which is a real concern: your work can be jeopardized and you can end up not being paid for work you have already completed.

Fiverr for freelancers

Pros

• Simple order process to start working with clients.
• Modern, easy-to-use website.
• Large client base and high demand.
• Flexibility: freelancers decide what to sell, set their own prices and delivery times.

Cons

• Very high 20% commission on every order.
• Fierce competition and race-to-the-bottom pricing.
• Easy sign-up means more scams.
• The platform often sides with clients in disputes.

Upwork for freelancers

Pros

• Professional reputation in the freelance world.
• Option to apply for posted jobs or list your services.
• Many clients have mid-to-high budgets.
• Secure and user-friendly platform.

Cons

• Since May 2025, the freelancer service fee is a variable 0% to 15% per contract, set by Upwork when you submit your proposal and locked for the life of the contract. In practice, most freelancers report a rate around 10% to 13%.
• You also need to buy Connects (around $0.15 each) simply to apply for jobs.
• Intense competition for projects.
• The platform can suspend freelancers unexpectedly.
• Disputes are often resolved in favor of clients.

While both platforms can help freelancers find work online, they often have a lot of competition, and it can be difficult to find work consistently.

Our recommendation: be present on more than one platform to increase your chances, then pick one as your preferred platform, the one where you bring your outside clients. Consider a platform where sales bump you up higher in algorithms and rankings, so you appear more frequently at the top and find more work opportunities. Putting all your eggs in one basket is risky, because a single suspension or algorithm change can cut off your entire income.

Fiverr vs Upwork: For clients

As a client, you may think that most platforms will get the job done, but the results are often vastly different, and the experience provided by each service is also different.

If you're looking for a service you can easily purchase from a freelancer, Fiverr might be the easiest solution. But if you want to describe what you need and have applicants apply for the opportunity to work on your project, Upwork might be the best solution. The main difference is the type of experience you want on the website where you collaborate with a freelancer.

Fiverr for clients

Pros

• A wide range of services is available instantly.
• Affordable entry-level pricing.
• Fast and simple ordering process.

Cons

• High transaction fees on top of the displayed price.
• Inconsistent quality due to the low entry barrier.
• Scam risks exist.

Upwork for clients

Pros

• Large pool of professional freelancers.
• Wide range of pricing options.
• Secure payment and project management tools.

Cons

• Client-side marketplace fee of 3% to 8% depending on your payment method, plus a one-time contract initiation fee of $0.99 to $14.99 per new contract.
• Scams are still possible despite stronger verification.

Both Upwork and Fiverr can help clients complete projects, but there are a few things they have to be careful about to ensure the order goes smoothly. They have to be extra careful about the freelancer they choose to work with. They also need to carefully go through the service they are interested in.

What each platform really costs, on both sides

Most comparisons only look at the commission charged to the freelancer. That's half the picture. Platforms also charge the client, and those fees matter to freelancers too, because they reduce the budget a client can actually spend on your work.

Fiverr is the clearest illustration of this. Sellers keep 80% of each order, which is the well-known 20% commission. But once buyer-side service fees are added, Fiverr's own reported overall take rate was 27.7% in 2025. In other words, more than a quarter of the money moving through the platform stays with the platform.

Here is the real cost on both sides, on a $500 order:

Two takeaways. First, with a ComeUp Plus subscription, the total cost is by far the lowest of the comparison. Second, and this matters more than the percentage: ComeUp Plus is the only option where the freelancer's cost does not grow with the order value. On a €1,000 order, a freelancer pays €1 on ComeUp Plus, against €200 on Fiverr. The bigger your projects get, the more decisive that gap becomes.

To be clear though: on the free ComeUp account, at 20%, you are on par with Fiverr, not better. It is the Plus subscription that makes the difference.

Fiverr vs Upwork: Which one should I use?

If you're still not sure which one you should use, you should consider trying multiple platforms until you find the one that's right for you. There's no one-size-fits-all. We can't guarantee one platform will be 100% better than all others.

The best way to find out which platform is right for you is to make an informed decision based on the information we have provided. Try a few out and see which works best for you. Give yourself plenty of time and invest real effort rather than making a hasty decision.

A different option: ComeUp

Fiverr and Upwork are known around the world. But there are also other freelance marketplaces, like ComeUp. Present in the French-speaking market for over 10 years and now expanding internationally, ComeUp attracts millions of visitors yearly and has many high-quality services available. The system is quite similar to Fiverr, as freelancers create services they want to sell online. Entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized businesses can order these services to complete their projects.

ComeUp for freelancers

ComeUp is a great platform for freelancers because of the flexibility it gives them. They can create their services, choose what they offer, and choose their prices. In addition, the platform is fair in treating disputes, and the customer service is always ready to help.

How the ComeUp algorithm works is transparent, so freelancers know precisely what they need to do to rank their services higher. The platform is also transparent about all orders and pricing, explaining precisely how much a freelancer gets from an order, and how much the client paid.

Pros

• A €1-only commission option with a ComeUp Plus subscription.
• A transparent platform to earn money on, including how the ranking algorithm works.
• A reactive and helpful human customer service team.
• Money is credited to your ComeUp wallet as soon as the client validates the order, with no 14-day wait.

Cons

• A monthly subscription (from €12 excl. VAT) is required to access the €1 commission.
• Some competition on the platform.

In addition to having a €1-only commission option, ComeUp also works with the Fairwork initiative to improve the working conditions of workers on the platform. In 2023, ComeUp was rated as one of the freelance platforms with the best working conditions. The platform does not want to stop there and continues trying to improve conditions for all freelancers who offer their services on it.

ComeUp for clients

Clients have many reasons to choose ComeUp over other freelance platforms. The main one is the very helpful human customer service team: you can reach a human representative from the very first message sent through the help center, usually with an answer within 24 hours on business days.

All freelancers are verified before they can offer their services, and the services themselves are checked to make sure they provide real added value. When a client places an order, they pay for it right away, but the money goes into an escrow account. The freelancer is only paid once they deliver the order and the client confirms it. This avoids any negative surprises.

Pros

• Many professional freelancers to choose from.
• Great human customer service.
• A more human-sized alternative to big freelance platforms.
• All freelancers are verified before they can create and offer their services.
• A safe and secure website to make payments and withdrawals.

Cons

• There are some transaction fees.

The platform is easy to use and is rated 4.5 stars out of 5 on Trustpilot (as of July 2026).

FAQ

Is Fiverr or Upwork cheaper for freelancers?

Upwork is generally cheaper on the freelancer side (0–15% variable, typically around 10–13%) than Fiverr (a flat 20%). But Upwork adds the cost of Connects to apply for jobs, and both charge the client on top, which reduces the budget available for your work.

Why does the client-side fee matter to me as a freelancer?

Because it comes out of the same pot. A client with a €1,000 budget who pays 5% in platform fees only has €950 left for your work. Platforms advertising "0% commission for freelancers" often charge the client 15–20% instead, which limits what they can offer you.

Can I work on Fiverr and Upwork at the same time?

Yes, and it is generally recommended, at least while you are building your reputation. Relying on a single platform is risky: a suspension, a policy change or an algorithm update can cut off your entire income overnight.

Which platform is best for high-value projects?

Upwork tends to attract larger budgets than Fiverr. But on percentage-based platforms, the higher your project value, the more you pay in commission. This is where a flat-fee model like ComeUp Plus becomes significantly more advantageous.

Do these platforms protect freelancers in disputes?

Both Fiverr and Upwork have a reputation for siding with clients in disputes, which is a recurring complaint from freelancers. Checking how a platform handles disputes, and whether a human reviews the case, is worth doing before you commit to one.

Conclusion: Fiverr vs Upwork

It can be hard to choose a freelance platform with so many options out there and so much information to process. We hope this article helps you gather the information you need to make an informed decision.

As we mentioned earlier, there is no one-size-fits-all platform. So try a few until you find the one that fits you, and be careful not to become too dependent on a single one. Diversifying your sources of work is the safest approach.

ComeUp is a great alternative to both Fiverr and Upwork as it's a more human-sized platform with great freelancers available to help you complete your projects, and it's also possible for new freelancers to join the platform and start offering their services.