Top 10 Freelance Websites to Find the Best Work

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Has the 9 to 5 corporate grind started to get on your nerves? Wish you could find a working situation that allows you to be your own boss? Your creativity sets you apart from the competition, so why shouldn’t the salary you earn reflect that? You also have dreams to start your own business as a specialist entrepreneur in your industry but don’t yet have the funds to kick things off. So, what should you do?

Knowing where to look for roles can make the job hunt less frightening than you would expect. There are numerous job boards for freelancers that offer exciting new opportunities. Here is our pick of the ten most popular and well-known freelance websites to give you some guidance.

Online Freelance Websites – Why you need to work from home

Online freelancing websites emerged as versatile, universal platforms for skilled, talented, and creative professionals who wish to make money with their unique craft. Moreover, freelancing websites act as a hub for recruiters who want to hire or outsource their projects to varied talents in the industry. Finally, freelancing websites enable people to work from home without worrying about waking up for a gruelling job in the corporate world or how to pay for their upcoming income tax, bills, or unexpected expenses.

With the help of these freelance platforms, most freelancers could earn millions and hire personal freelancer accountants to manage capital gains. However, with that being said, freelancing websites tend to get pretty competitive due to the saturation of the marketplace and respective industries.

To know which of these might help provide the best work for you, let us discuss the top ten freelancing websites below.

Top 10 Freelance Websites to Find the Best Work

toptal logo

Toptal is renowned for providing the world’s finest freelance graphic designers, web developers, and software programmers to established and renowned enterprises such as Zendesk, Airbnb, Thumbtack, Pfizer, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, to name a few.

They provide companies with elite talent hourly, full or part-time basis. Their talent pool is rigorously tested and curated by a team of highly acclaimed experts. In addition, they pride themselves on specialising in providing the most talented freelancers and dynamic cross-functional teams to start-ups, businesses, and organisations based on their specific needs.

They will match your company with talent with extensive experience relevant to the role you are trying to fill. Toptalers are also screened on their soft skills, including attitude, ethical values, energy, education, and English proficiency. They want to ensure you not only have excellent workers but amazing teammates as well.

Each time you work with a new Toptal freelancer, you are offered a trial period to decide whether they meet your specific needs. If you don’t find them extraordinary, you will not be charged (and you can even keep any work completed during the trial).

Pros:Cons:
Exclusivity – Thorough screening process seeking out the top 3% performersMost of the employers are Western so non-western freelancers can face time zone related issues. 
Expedited recruitment process (three weeks)Can’t upsell your work without involving Toptal which is a slower process. 
Upfront payable after an immediate hire (trial period of two weeks).

Rating: 5/5

upwork logo
upwork rating

Upwork, formerly launched as ODesk before its acquisition and merger with Elance, is probably one of the biggest freelance marketplaces in the world. With a wide variety of short-term tasks, recurring projects, and full-time contract options to choose from, Upwork has become one of the biggest market hubs for freelance graphic artists, web and mobile developers, content writers, and marketing and accounting specialists.

Ranging from the provision of a free plan to a top tier Enterprise plan, Upwork ensures to provide security to its hiring recruiters for maximum scalable opportunities.

Upwork’s billing system ensures immediate payment after receiving, reviewing, and authorising a project. Recruiters can use the refund option to hold money in their accounts for faster payouts or use personal credit cards or electronic payment methods. The recruiter can also seek to see the freelancer’s work diary during or after the project to ensure accurate billing.

Pros:Cons:
World’s largest Freelancer work platform harbouring new starters to specialists across every industry.Every project is open to bidding, so you might not be able to get the rate you deserve
Exclusive in-app messaging tool for on-the-go and timely coordination.The number of free bids you can submit is limited.
Work diary for the proof of hired freelancers’ working hours, ensuring accurate billing.A huge amount of money is lost as the transaction cost is 20%.
Secure payments with a ‘refund option’ available for recruiters.
Credit card and other secure electronic payment options available

Rating: 5/5

fivver logo

Fiverr Business is a dedicated freelance site designed specifically for larger teams and enterprises, offering a more convenient and tailored experience. This is in addition to increased communication and management capabilities that enable corporations to work more efficiently with freelancers.

With over 200 categories to choose from, Fiverr provides every creative, non-tech savvy artist to sign up on their platform for free and sell their craft which will reach hundreds to thousands of entrepreneurs globally. Fiverr also provides the guarantee of secure payments, therefore, preventing sellers from waiting for months on end.

Pros:Cons:
Ideal for non-tech savvy freelancers who are just starting out in their careerCan be really difficult to acquire the first few jobs due to lack of credibility.
Extreme protection of data via the provision of anti-fraud security measuresNo way for a buyer and seller to discuss expectations in detail before placing an order
Hub for over 200 versatile categories such as lifestyle, voice-over, music or audio, and content writing and translation services as well.
Ability to hire a freelancer for as little as £5 to as high as £10,000 with varied gig packages
24/7 customer service for the resolution of issues at both ends

Rating: 5/5

people per hour logo

PeoplePerHour has facilitated millions of freelancers worldwide to bid and apply for gigs according to their preferences and qualifications. The freelance platform provides immense financial protection with its guarantee of secure down payments that can be agreed and paid upon before the start of each project. PeoplePerHour uses cookies and demographic data to bring buyers freelancers that best fit their job specifications and regional requirement.

Moreover, PeoplePerHour offers varied pricing plans that allow freelancers to choose from hourly jobs to full-time contract offers. As a result, businesses can network and build a team proactively with millions of freelancers to choose from.

Pros:Cons: 
Secure down payments prevent the freelancer from worrying about scams and fraud.The interface of the website is not very user-friendly and can be confusing.
Regional recruitment allows you to work with people close to you to better understand freelance work initiatives and opportunities.Jobs are very limited for certain categories, for example, translation
Varied pricing plans ranging from hourly to monthly and fixed payments as well.

Rating: 4.5/5

freelancer logo

Freelancer, a crowdsourcing platform, took the entrepreneurial world by storm with its grants of offers, pricing plans, and global accessibility. With a 95% rehire rate and the ability to handpick a freelancer as per their showcased services and a recruiter’s project’s standards, Freelancer has, up till now, closed a minimum of 14M jobs. With its milestone payment system at hand, Freelancer has ensured timely payments to millions of freelancers recorded at each step of completion of the assigned project.

PROSCONS
Your client can set aside monies for you to be paid after the project is finished. Your client can pay you for each task completed. Every payment also comes with a tax invoice.Withdrawing money takes 14 days which can be a bit too long.
A job alerts system that keeps you updated once new projects that match your skills and expertise become available.There are a lot of fake projects and scams on the platform you need to be wary of.

Rating: 4.5/5

guru logo

Guru’s Freelancer work platform harbours 3M professionals who are always on the go and ready to dispatch their sheer creativity or tech-savvy mastery. With over 1M jobs completed since Guru came into recognition, the freelancing platform has helped facilitate the entire process for its ‘gurus’ by incorporating the milestone payment system into its database.

Moreover, freelancers can also opt for payments by the hour or upon completion of each task. Since Guru provides freelancers with the ability to work with their recurring employers, this helps create a secure relationship that offers regular work opportunities.

PROSCONS
Region-specific recruitmentFreelancers get the option to delete bad reviews, so you cannot determine if someone is as good as they claim to be
Dashboard with state-of-the-art features for precision in handling private communication and organising day-to-day tasks, alerts, and files
Ability to establish a long-term relationship with recurring employers
Delivery of secure payments prior to the completion of the project at hand.

Rating: 4/5

envato logo

Envato Studio’s community of aspiring tech-savvy and creative contractors provides a comprehensive list of 3,000+ services growing as we speak. Each service is entailed to perfection, mainly because of the platform’s sheer exclusivity and an easy-to-use customised dashboard. Moreover, the Project Development Tool allows employers to give feedback to the freelancers they’ve worked with via the platform, which boosts their confidence, therefore, helping them improve and grow with each task. With personalised options, contractors can regularly update their portfolios so that recruiters can observe and handpick the ‘chosen one’ according to their services for their projects.

Most freelancers opt for hiring specialist accounting services to manage their bookkeeping and accounts management which allows them to focus on their projects and act according to the feedback provided by their employers.

PROSCONS
Helps to boost careers of non-tech savvy, creative freelancersStandards are very high, so difficult for newbies to start out
Provides an easy-to-use, in-built app messaging feature for maintaining secure, private communication between recruiters and freelancersMarketing is essential as the supply is far greater than demand
Allows freelancers to upload their portfolios into the database along with a detailed enlisting of their personal and professional data
Equipped with a Project Development tool that allows employers to provide constructive feedback to freelancers for time-to-time improvement of freelancer work

Rating: 4/5

task rabbit

TaskRabbit, one of the biggest players in the gig economy where people offer their time and services as housecleaners, movers, furniture assemblers etc.” Their same-day service platform instantly connects you with skilled Taskers to help with odd jobs and errands, so you can be more productive, every day.

You can earn money as a ‘tasker’ by providing your location, hourly rate and the category you will be able to personally assist with.

PROSCONS
Provides all kinds of delivery services from furniture assembly to tech-savvy market-competitive jobs such as logo design and animation.Fuel and maintenance costs are not reimbursed.
On-site messaging system that allows you to communicate on all servers, irrespective of using a desktop screen, web server or mobile.There is insurance or safety cover available, so any injury during the task will need to be taken care of by the taskers themselves.

Rating: 4/5

Nexxt

nexxt logo

Nexxt’s freelance work platform has provided freelancers with the ability to filter their job search criteria by sorting through several categories. State-of-the-art technology uses detailed information the job seeker provides when creating their profile and behavioural data to score and match the best job content to each user. Nexxt’s broadest feature is that it focuses primarily on diversity, therefore, shedding light on LGBTQ+, disabled, and senior citizens who are retired.

PROSCONS
Keen advertising practices enable small to large enterprises in their professional search of contractors and vice versaSome employers have some reservations about hiring employees who may be too old or have been through some previous problems in their professional careers
Improved communicative standards warranting necessary feedback on the platform
Enables freelancers and recruiters to focus exhaustively on separate career, regional, diverse and global options

Rating: 3.85/5

hireable logo

Based in California, USA, hireable is an innovative regional collaboration of nonprofits, school districts, companies, funding, and referral agencies that connects people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (i/dd) with employers in need of competent, qualified employees. Additionally, hireable provides training, transition services, and support to increase inclusion in the community through employment.

PROSCONS
Free job-hunting accelerated with quick SEO (keyword) searchHiring over the internet lacks the security an employer receives when hiring through referrals by employees, which sometimes stops companies from using the platform.
Automated push-notifications feature allows contractors to stay updated and on the go regarding pre-existing projects and new job offers.

Conclusion

Online freelancing websites have emerged as viable alternatives to the regular 9-to-5, offering competitive rates. Of course, not every platform offering these jobs is perfect, but each has its advantages.

Upwork, for example, is better for specialists, whereas Fiverr allows for a wide range of skills. Toptal is for experts, whereas Freelancer is for newcomers who gradually want to build up their portfolio.

Envato is best for people associated with the tech industry. Still, TaskRabbit has a broader offering, including tasks that do not require a computer, such as a handyman job. At the same time, Nexxt and Hireable are both great platforms if you are looking to connect with a more specific type of employer.

If you start your freelancing career using freelancing platforms, be sure to check out our tax services for sole traders to make sure that the money you are making is being managed in a legally compliant and secure manner.

Most freelancers hire specialist accounting services to manage their bookkeeping and account management allowing them to focus on their projects.

For further details contact our Hounslow Accountants office.