The Beginner’s Guide
Updated: 08.10.2026
PeoplePerHour has been connecting freelancers with clients since 2007. It boasts over two million freelancers and lets clients hire for both hourly and fixed-price work. It’s less well-known than Upwork or Fiverr in the US, but that’s actually an advantage if you’re just starting out. Less competition, more approachable, and a genuinely different model worth understanding.
Short version: PeoplePerHour runs on two tracks, fixed-price Offers that work like a passive storefront, and Project Proposals where you actively pitch for posted jobs. Fees start at 20% with a new client but drop to 7.5% and eventually 3.5% as that relationship grows, one of the better long-term fee structures on any major platform. New freelancers also go through a 3-month probation period with limited visibility, worth knowing before you start so it doesn’t feel like something’s wrong.
How PeoplePerHour Works
PeoplePerHour runs on two parallel tracks:
Hourlies (now called Offers), these are fixed-price service listings you create, similar to Fiverr gigs. A client browses, likes what they see, buys your Offer, and you deliver the work. You set the price, describe what’s included, and specify the delivery time. This is the passive side of the platform, your listings work for you while you’re doing other things.
Project Proposals, clients post jobs and freelancers submit proposals to win them. Every new freelancer gets 15 free credits per month to send proposals, with additional credits purchasable if you need more. This is the active side, you’re pitching directly for specific work.
Most successful PeoplePerHour freelancers use both. Hourlies bring in passive inquiries; proposals bring in targeted, higher-value work. Communication and payments both run through the platform’s WorkStream system, which holds funds in escrow until you deliver and the client approves.
The Fee Structure: Better Than It Looks
PeoplePerHour uses a tiered commission structure: 20% on the first £500 earned with each client, 7.5% on earnings between £500 and £5,000, and 3.5% on anything beyond £5,000 with the same client.
The 20% starting rate matches Fiverr, but unlike Fiverr, it drops significantly as client relationships develop. Build a handful of repeat clients and your effective commission rate becomes one of the lowest on any major platform. This makes PeoplePerHour particularly well-suited to freelancers who prioritise long-term client relationships over high volume one-off gigs. Worth knowing: the fee resets for each new client relationship, a brand-new client always starts you back at 20%, regardless of how much you’ve earned on the platform overall.
Payments are held in escrow until work is delivered and approved, protecting both sides of the transaction. On Offers specifically, if a buyer doesn’t leave feedback or raise an issue, payment automatically releases after 7 days.
The 3-Month Probation Period
This is something many newcomers don’t expect. New freelancers on PeoplePerHour go through a probation period during which your visibility and access to proposals is limited. The platform uses this to assess your responsiveness, delivery quality, and client feedback before giving you full access.
It sounds frustrating, and it can be at first. But it filters out low-quality accounts, which means clients trust the platform more and the signal-to-noise ratio is better than Freelancer.com or Fiverr. Getting through probation with strong early reviews puts you in a noticeably better position than most new accounts on competing platforms.
How to get through it cleanly: respond to every message quickly, deliver on time without exception, and focus on winning a small number of jobs well rather than applying to everything.
Setting Up Your Profile
Fill out your profile as completely as possible and pay particular attention to your headline and the first three lines, this is what shows above the “read more” tag when clients browse profiles. Most clients won’t click through to read more unless those first lines hook them. Write those three lines for the client, not for yourself.
Portfolio samples: Upload your best work. Even self-created samples are better than an empty portfolio. Clients on PeoplePerHour, especially UK and European clients, tend to be detail-oriented, a polished portfolio matters more here than on some other platforms.
Skills and certifications: PeoplePerHour has a certification system that lets you verify skills through tests. Passing skill badges noticeably improves your visibility in search results and signals credibility to new clients. Take the tests in your primary skill area before you start applying for work.
Creating Hourlies That Actually Get Bought
Your Hourlie (Offer) is your storefront listing. Getting this right is the difference between a listing that sits dormant and one that generates regular inquiries.
Be specific about what’s included. Vague Hourlies like “I will write content for your website” convert poorly. Specific ones like “I will write a 1,000-word SEO blog post on any personal finance topic, delivered in 48 hours” convert well. The clearer the deliverable, the easier it is for a client to decide to buy.
Price to win early reviews first. Your first few Hourlies should be priced to attract buyers quickly, not so low that you undervalue your work, but competitive enough that the decision is easy. Once you have 5+ positive reviews on an Offer, raise the price.
Use the right keywords. Clients search PeoplePerHour like a search engine. Include the words they’d actually type in your Hourlie title and description. “SEO content writing for finance blogs” targets a specific buyer far better than “professional writing services.”
Offer packages. Like Fiverr, PeoplePerHour lets you create Basic, Standard, and Premium tiers. Use them, clients anchor to the middle option and it increases your average order value without extra effort.
Writing Proposals That Win
The proposal system on PeoplePerHour works similarly to Upwork. Clients post jobs, you spend credits to submit a proposal, and the best pitch wins, not always the lowest price.
The fundamentals are the same across all bidding platforms: open by addressing the specific job, not your credentials. Keep it short, three to four paragraphs. Include one directly relevant sample. End with a clear next step.
What’s different on PeoplePerHour: it has a strong community element and many clients are repeat buyers who value reliability and communication above all else. Mention availability, turnaround time, and what the process of working with you looks like. European clients in particular tend to value professionalism and responsiveness over flashy credentials.
Who PeoplePerHour Works Best For
PeoplePerHour hits a sweet spot for:
Writers, designers, and marketers, these are the platform’s strongest categories. Freelancers targeting UK and European clients, the platform’s roots and largest client base. People who want the Fiverr storefront model but with lower long-term fees, Hourlies work like Fiverr gigs but the commission drops significantly with repeat clients. Anyone who values a smaller, more curated marketplace, less competition than Upwork or Freelancer.com.
It’s less ideal for developers looking for complex technical projects, US-centric niches, or anyone who wants to stay completely hands-off with a purely passive listing setup.
Getting Started
Create your profile, take the skill certification tests, set up two or three Hourlies in your primary skill area, and submit five well-targeted proposals in your first week. The probation period rewards consistency, show up every day, respond fast, and deliver your first jobs exceptionally well.
Ready to start? Create your profile at PeoplePerHour.
If you’re outside the UK and Europe, or just want to compare fee structures before committing, I lined up PeoplePerHour against seven other Fiverr alternatives in this full breakdown
Frequently Asked Questions
20% on the first £500 earned with a new client, 7.5% on earnings between £500 and £5,000, and 3.5% beyond £5,000 with that same client. The fee resets to 20% each time you start with a new client.
New freelancers go through roughly 3 months of limited visibility and proposal access while the platform assesses responsiveness, delivery quality, and client feedback. Responding quickly and delivering on time consistently gets you through it with a stronger starting position than most new accounts on other platforms.
15 free credits per month. Each proposal you submit typically uses one credit, whether or not the client accepts it, though being the first freelancer to respond to a job posting is sometimes free regardless.
Most successful freelancers use both. Offers work passively, generating inquiries while you’re not actively pitching, while proposals let you target specific, often higher-value jobs directly.
No, but its client base is strongest in the UK and Europe, and pricing is denominated in pounds. US-based freelancers can still use it, but may find a larger client pool on platforms with a bigger US presence.
Sources
Current 2026 fee thresholds (£500 tier confirmed): AiProposer
Free proposal credits and 3-month probation period: Wise, EarnPace