8 Platforms Worth Trying
Updated 10.01.2026
The Real Cost of Staying on Fiverr
Fiverr is the name everyone knows. It’s also the platform that takes 20% of everything you earn, on every order, forever. For a beginner building reviews that’s manageable, but as your income grows, that cut becomes a serious number. At $2,000 a month in sales, it’s $400 a month, close to $5,000 a year.
Short version: Contra and Toptal charge freelancers no commission at all, though Toptal only accepts a small slice of applicants. Upwork charges a variable 0% to 15% per contract, Freelancer.com takes 10%, Guru takes 5% to 9% depending on your membership, and PeoplePerHour starts at 20% but drops to 7.5% and then 3.5% as you earn more from each client. Almost everything here beats Fiverr’s flat 20% somewhere. The real question is which trade-off fits your skills and how much work you need.
There are solid alternatives. Some have lower fees, some have better clients, some charge nothing at all. Here’s the honest breakdown of what’s actually worth your time.
Why Look Beyond Fiverr?
Fiverr works well for certain things: packaged gigs, creative work, quick one-off projects. But it has real limits:
- The 20% fee applies to every single order, with no reduction over time or with repeat buyers.
- Search favors established sellers, which makes the slow start for new profiles especially painful.
- Quality varies wildly, so buyers are skeptical, and that skepticism hits new sellers hardest.
None of this makes Fiverr bad. It makes it worth comparing before you put all your energy into one platform.
1. Upwork: Best Overall for Long-Term Work
Upwork is one of the largest freelance marketplaces and the most direct Fiverr alternative for ongoing or higher-value work. Instead of waiting for buyers to find a listing, you send proposals to jobs clients post.
Since May 2025, Upwork charges freelancers a variable service fee of 0% to 15% per contract, shown before you submit a proposal and locked for that contract. Many contracts land around 10%. You also pay to apply: proposals cost “Connects,” at $0.15 each, and a free account gets 10 a month. The old sliding scale that dropped to 5% with long-term clients ended back in 2023, so ignore any guide still quoting it.
Best for: writing, design, development, marketing, virtual assistance, and almost any other category, especially ongoing projects. Not ideal for: complete beginners with no portfolio, since competition is real and new profiles aren’t always approved.
Full guide: How to Make Money on Upwork
2. Freelancer.com: Best for Competitive Bidding
Freelancer.com is one of the oldest platforms in the space, with well over 50 million registered users. Its bidding model means you compete directly for jobs with proposals, which gives motivated beginners a real shot if they pitch well.
The fee is 10% or $5 per fixed-price project, whichever is greater, and 10% on hourly work. Free accounts get only a handful of bids a month. Design contests let you submit work up front and get paid if the client picks yours.
Best for: beginners willing to pitch actively, short-term and international projects. Not ideal for: anyone who dislikes the proposal grind or wants a Fiverr-style storefront.
Full guide: How to Make Money on Freelancer.com
3. PeoplePerHour: Best for UK and European Clients
PeoplePerHour mixes Fiverr-style fixed-price service listings, called Hourlies, with regular job postings you send proposals to. Its client base leans UK and European, and it works well for creative, content, marketing, and technical services.
The fee is tiered per client: 20% on the first £500 you earn from a client, 7.5% after that, and 3.5% once you’ve billed roughly £5,000 or more with that same client. Every new client starts back at 20%. That makes it rewarding for repeat relationships and roughly Fiverr-priced for one-off jobs.
Best for: UK and European freelancers, creative and marketing work, long-term clients. Not ideal for: one-off small jobs, where you pay the same 20% as Fiverr, or heavily US-focused work.
Full guide: How to Make Money on PeoplePerHour
4. Guru: Lower Fees for Ongoing Work
Guru has been around since 1998 and leans toward ongoing client relationships rather than quick one-off jobs. Its WorkRoom keeps messages, milestones, and payments for each client in one place, which helps on longer projects.
The fee depends on your membership. Free accounts pay 9%. Paid plans lower it step by step, down to 5% on the top plan, which runs about $50 a month. Do the math before upgrading: dropping from 9% to 5% only covers a $50 monthly plan once you’re billing more than about $1,250 a month through Guru.
Best for: ongoing client work and freelancers who want lower fees without a bidding war. Not ideal for: quick one-off gigs, or beginners who need lots of job volume, since the client pool is smaller.
Full guide: How to Make Money on Guru
5. Contra: Commission-Free, With a Real Track Record
Contra charges freelancers 0% commission, and unlike a lot of “no fee” platforms, it has real backing behind it. Founded in 2019, it’s raised about $45 million, including a $30 million Series B led by the venture firm NEA in 2021.
You keep the full rate you agree on. Clients cover payment processing, so a 20% platform cut never comes out of your side. There’s an optional paid Pro plan with extra visibility and portfolio features, but the free plan is enough to start.
The trade-off: Contra skews heavily toward design, development, and creative work, the client pool is smaller than Upwork or Fiverr, and some users report a strict, sometimes frustrating review process for new profiles. It fits best once you have a portfolio and some track record.
Best for: designers, developers, writers, and video editors with an existing portfolio who want to stop paying commission. Not ideal for: complete beginners who need lots of entry-level gigs, or non-digital work.
Full guide: How to Make Money on Contra
6. Jobbers.io: Zero Commission, but Verify Before You Commit
Jobbers.io also runs on a zero-commission model. Freelancers and clients agree on rates directly, and you keep 100% of the agreed payment. On paper, that ties Contra for the best deal on this list.
Here’s the honest caveat. Independent information is still thin. If you search for Jobbers, most of what comes up is articles written by Jobbers itself, and its Trustpilot page has only around a dozen reviews. They’re positive, but that’s a small sample for a platform handling real money. None of that is proof of anything wrong. Plenty of legitimate newer platforms have a thin footprint early on. It does mean you should be more careful here than with the established names on this list.
If you try it, start small, use a payment method with buyer and seller protection for your first project, and don’t run significant work through it until you’ve seen payments clear yourself.
Best for: experienced freelancers comfortable doing their own homework and testing a newer platform alongside an established one. Not ideal for: beginners who need a built-in client base and established trust signals.
Full guide: How to Make Money on Jobbers.io
7. 99designs: Best for Designers
99designs is design-only: logos, branding, web design, packaging, illustration. Clients either run a contest, where several designers submit concepts and the client picks a winner, or hire a designer directly for a one-to-one project.
Designers pay a platform fee based on their level: 15% at Entry Level, 10% at Mid Level, and 5% at Top Level. Higher levels also unlock bigger contests and better visibility, so building a track record there pays off in both access and fees.
Best for: designers who want to specialize, especially in logo and brand work. Not ideal for: anyone outside design, or designers who don’t want to do unpaid contest entries while they build up their level.
Full guide: How to Make Money on 99designs
8. Toptal: Best for Senior Professionals
Toptal isn’t for everyone, and that’s the point. It says it accepts only the top 3% of applicants, through a screening process with skill tests, live interviews, and test projects. Most applicants don’t make it.
If you do, the clients and rates are in a different league from everything else here, and Toptal charges freelancers no commission. It makes its money by marking up what the client pays.
Best for: senior developers, designers, finance experts, and project managers with strong portfolios and interview skills. Not ideal for: beginners or anyone without a proven track record.
Full guide: How to Make Money on Toptal
If Your Skills Are Hands-On
Every platform above is built for work you deliver online. If your best skills are hands-on, like repairs, assembly, mounting, or installs, the online marketplaces aren’t where your money is. Local service platforms are.
TaskRabbit charges a one-time $25 registration fee, then you set your own rates and keep them, since the client pays the service fee. Thumbtack works differently: you pay for leads rather than a commission on the job, so the cost depends on how many leads you buy and how many you close. If you’re a mechanic, YourMechanic is built for mobile repair work. And sometimes the best “platform” is skipping platforms entirely, as covered in starting a handyman side hustle.
Which One Should You Choose?
| Platform | Fee to freelancers | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Upwork | 0-15% per contract, plus paid Connects | Best overall, long-term work |
| Freelancer.com | 10% or $5 minimum | Competitive bidding, beginners |
| PeoplePerHour | 20%, then 7.5%, then 3.5% per client | UK/European clients, repeat work |
| Guru | 5-9% depending on plan | Ongoing relationships, lower fees |
| Contra | 0% | Design, development, creative work |
| Jobbers.io | 0% | Zero commission, but test carefully |
| 99designs | 5-15% depending on level | Designers only |
| Toptal | 0% | Senior talent, premium rates |
The honest answer: most successful freelancers don’t rely on just one platform. Start with one that fits your skill level, build reviews, then add a second. Contra makes more sense once you have a portfolio. Jobbers.io is worth testing carefully alongside an established platform, not as your only source of income.
Whatever you pick, two things carry over everywhere. Price your work for what your time is actually worth after fees and taxes, which the side hustle hourly rate calculator does for you. And remember that none of these platforms withhold taxes for US freelancers, so 1099 and self-employment tax is worth reading before your first big month. If you don’t have samples yet, start with how to start freelancing with no portfolio.
This article is for general informational purposes only and isn’t financial, legal, insurance, or tax advice. For guidance specific to your situation, talk to a licensed professional.
Related: How to Make Money on Fiverr – A Beginner’s Honest Guidee
Frequently Asked Questions
Upwork and Freelancer.com are the most practical starting points, since both have large volumes of entry-level jobs and let you pitch directly instead of waiting to be found. Freelancer.com is easier to get into, while Upwork reviews new profiles but tends to offer better long-term clients. Zero-commission platforms like Contra work better once you have a portfolio.
Contra, Toptal, and Jobbers.io charge freelancers no commission. Contra is open to anyone and well funded, Toptal only accepts a small share of applicants and makes money by marking up client rates, and Jobbers.io is newer with little independent review history, so test it carefully with small projects first.
Yes, once you have some traction. Start on one platform until you have a few reviews, then add a second. Spreading across platforms protects you if one changes its fees or rules or suspends your account, and lets you compare which brings better clients for your skills.
Since May 2025, Upwork charges a variable fee of 0% to 15% per contract, often around 10%, shown before you apply. You also pay for Connects to send proposals, at $0.15 each. The old sliding scale that dropped to 5% with long-term clients ended in 2023.
Only with repeat clients. PeoplePerHour charges 20% on the first £500 you earn from each client, the same as Fiverr, then 7.5%, and 3.5% once you have billed roughly £5,000 or more with that client. For one-off jobs the cost is about the same as Fiverr.
If you are an experienced developer, designer, finance expert, or project manager, applying costs only your time and the screening shows where you stand. Toptal says it accepts about the top 3% of applicants, so beginners are better off building a track record elsewhere first.
Online marketplaces like Fiverr and Upwork are built for remote work. For repairs, assembly, and installs, local platforms fit better: TaskRabbit charges a one-time $25 registration fee and lets you keep your rate, Thumbtack charges pros for leads instead of a commission, and YourMechanic is built for mobile auto repair.
Sources
https://www.upwork.com/resources/is-upwork-free
https://www.freelancer.com/feesandcharges
https://aiproposer.com/learn/peopleperhour-service-fee
https://earnifyhub.com/blog/freelancing/peopleperhour-review-2026
https://www.hireinsouth.com/post/guru-pricing
https://www.clay.com/dossier/contra-funding
https://www.remogrid.com/blog/reviews/is-contra-worth-it-freelance-review
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/jobbers.io
https://support.99designs.com/hc/en-us/articles/360022097311-What-are-the-benefits-for-each-designer-level