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Fiverr is a go-to for many, including myself, due to its vast talent pool and straightforward pricing. However, its one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t always fit specific needs. You may want to explore other freelance platforms if you’re on a budget, seeking more specialized skills, or prefer comprehensive project collaborations and long-term partnerships.
After researching several platforms, I discovered Upwork stands out as the best Fiverr alternative. While both Fiverr and Upwork have similarities, Upwork is less gig-centric and facilitates long-term hires at competitive rates. It’s also known as the largest freelancing platform, offering a wide range of freelance services starting as low as $3.00 per hour. Keep reading to learn more about Upwork and five other Fiverr alternatives.
While searching for the best Fiverr alternatives, I focused on a few key features that can make or break a freelance platform:
Range of services. Fiverr is known for offering a wide range of services across multiple industries. I ensured that all the alternatives listed here are also versatile.
Freelancer vetting. Since Fiverr’s vetting process is somewhat limited, I decided to include platforms implementing rigorous vetting processes for freelancers – a great way to ensure higher service standards.
User interface and experience. Like Fiverr, all my recommendations offer a user-friendly interface. They’re all easy to navigate, thus reducing learning curves and simplifying the search for suitable talents.
Pricing and fees. Fiverr is famous for its $5 service offerings. So, while my recommendations aren’t as affordable as Fiverr, I made sure they at least offer competitive pricing and reasonable fee structures.
Long-term projects. I included freelance platforms that facilitate long-term relationships and collaborations with freelancers, unlike Fiverr’s more gig-based, short-term project focus.
Upwork lets you post a job or browse freelancers’ project catalogsUpwork is the largest freelance platform in the world, with over 18 million skilled freelancers. Like Fiverr, it offers various services, including graphic design, writing, IT support, software development, and data science. However, unlike Fiverr, it supports long-term collaborations with freelancers by providing management tools such as a work diary, a chatting tool, advanced reports, and a payroll feature.
Upwork offers two ways to hire freelancers. You can either post a job and let freelancers submit proposals for that listing or go through freelancers’ project catalogs to find a profile that suits your needs (the project catalog is very similar to Fiverr’s gigs).
I like how easy it is to find the talent that suits your business requirements. Upwork’s search engine1 provides multiple filters like location, job success, hourly rate, earned amount, hours billed, and even English level, so you can narrow your search and find the most suitable freelancer.
Features
Low fees. Upwork charges a 5% fee on every order you make. Unlike Fiverr, it doesn’t charge a small order fee.
Client payment protection. Your payment isn’t released to the freelancer until you approve the work they submitted.
Time tracker. Upwork’s time tracker app takes random screenshots of your freelancer’s screen and records clicks and keystrokes while they work on your project. This way, you can ensure your freelancer only logs time when they’re working on your project.
Video interviews. If you feel the freelancer’s profile isn’t enough, you can conduct video interviews where you ask questions, communicate your needs, and even negotiate the terms of the contract.
Toptal only offers six freelance categories to choose fromToptal is known for having the best freelancers in the world. This is due to its rigorous 5-week screening process, which only 3% of participants pass. The process consists of 5 steps: Language and Personality, In-Depth Skill Review, Live Screening, Test Projects, and Continued Excellence. So you can rest assured that whichever freelancer you hire can deliver quality work.
That said, there are two caveats to Toptal’s top-talent-only offering1. First is the high cost, which includes an initial deposit of $500. Second is the limited freelance categories – you can only hire designers, developers, finance experts, project managers, marketing experts, and product managers (unlike Fiverr, which offers a much wider range of freelance categories to select from).
While Toptal isn’t as cheap as Fiverr, it does provide a full deposit refund in case you choose not to proceed with any of its recommended freelancers. This is Toptal’s way of minimizing risk for you in addition to its freelancer screening and quality control.
Features
Team builder. If you need multiple freelancers to manage a project, Toptal’s recruiters can build a remote team to suit your needs.
Fast matching system. After you speak to a staff member over the phone and present your needs, Toptal will match you with your ideal freelancer within 2 days of your phone call.
2-week free trial. Each job engagement has a trial period of up to two weeks. After 2 weeks, if you’re satisfied with the results, Toptal will bill you for the time and continue the engagement for as long as you want. If, on the other hand, you’re not satisfied, you won’t be billed.
Detailed user profiles. While Toptal will find the best matches for your job request, you can still review each freelancer’s profile and learn about their education, certifications, skills, and employment history.
GrowTal lets you choose from a handful of selected freelancersGrowTal specializes in helping you find digital marketing experts1 for your business. Some of these experts include SEO consultants, interim CMOs, full-stack marketers, content marketers, social media advertisers, UX designers, email marketers, and more. All you have to do is fill out a form, and GrowTal will present you with some freelancers.
Like Toptal, GrowTal has a rigorous vetting process through which freelancers test their skills and capabilities. However, unlike Toptal, hiring talent on GrowTal can take up to 10 days – sometimes even longer. On the other hand, Fiverr allows you to glance through profiles and contact the freelancer of your choice directly.
GrowTal can be pricey, especially on a tight budget. For instance, you’ll also have to pay a $500 initial deposit to move forward with a freelancer. That said, GrowTal’s high cost ensures you get an experienced professional to handle your project.
Features
Creative-On-Demand. GrowTal’s Creative-On-Demand connects you to creators and production teams that deliver professionally produced creative work. Project prices range from less than $5,000 to $80,000+.
Custom teams. If you’re managing a large project and need a team to handle it, GrowTal can connect you to the right freelancers. All you have to do is present your project’s scale and requirements.
Accelerator Packages. Starting at $499 for marketing strategy consultations and going up to $4,999 for more extensive services like customer relationship management (CRM) platform rollouts, GrowTal’s Accelerator Packages aim to speed up project commencement and execution by providing immediate access to GrowTal’s network of professional marketers.
Grow your agency initiative. If you own a marketing agency, GrowTal can help enhance your services and increase your team’s output by facilitating the hiring of pre-vetted freelance marketing experts.
DesignCrowd offers you discounts on your projects
While Fiverr offers many talented designers capable of meeting your diverse project needs, DesignCrowd focuses exclusively on design. This allows it to deliver services that are more aligned with your specific design needs, offering higher quality and more customized solutions than generalized platforms like Fiverr.
DesignCrowd’s hiring process involves running “contests” where you create a design project and set the contest’s difficulty level. You can then invite specific designers to participate or open it up to any designer. You can also have DesignCrowd select a designer for you, but I doubt their recruiting process is as efficient as Toptal’s.
On DesignCrowd, you can hire designers for just about anything – logos, T-shirts, cartoon characters, business cards, you name it! It’s also very easy to rehire a particular designer who’s worked on a project for you. Most designers offer multiple services, so rehiring is a great way to maintain consistent design across all your projects. I just wish DesignCrowd would improve its user interface, as it can be a bit tough to navigate.
Features
Save projects for later. If you still need to gather the necessary funds or conclude your project requirements, you can save your projects until you’re ready to launch.
DesignCrowd discount. If you scroll to the bottom of DesignCrowd’s website, there’s a Popular Pages section with a DesignCrowd discount Click it and enjoy!
Keep projects private. DesignCrowd allows you to hide your project from competitors, search engines, and other clients. You can even use a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to protect the work your designer delivers to you.
Money-back guarantee. You can request a full refund of your project budget within 15 days after approving the designer’s delivered work.
You can hire experts for any major marketing position through Mayple
Mayple is another great freelance platform for hiring marketing experts. It caters to established medium/large businesses with fixed marketing budgets for different projects. Some of the experts that Mayple connects you with include email marketers, SEO experts, advertisers, and more.
To join Mayple, freelancers must pass through a rigorous vetting system where they submit their past work and prove that they’ve produced good results for clients before. This strict process is why you can expect top-notch service from Mayple’s freelancers. Plus, past clients have nothing but good things to say about the quality of work that Mayple’s talents offer.
My main issue with Mayple is that you have minimal control over the hiring process. You can’t select a freelancer of your choosing – instead, Mayple assigns you a vetted expert to work with. While this can be annoying, Mayple has proven to have a pretty accurate matching process. Still, it would be nice to go through a freelancer’s profile and pick who you prefer, as you can on Fiverr.
Features
Dedicated success manager. As a Mayple client, you’re assigned a success manager who monitors your freelancer’s performance and ensures they meet your needs.
Intuitive user interface. Mayple’s UI offers a streamlined process of managing your campaigns, tracking progress, and viewing reports.
Dedicated Slack channel. Once you purchase a plan and are assigned a marketer, you can communicate with your marketer and success manager via a dedicated Slack channel.
Live campaign monitoring. If you opt for a paid ads service, you can monitor live CPC and revenue stats (currently only available for Google and Facebook ads). You’ll also receive monthly reports and a built-in notification system that alerts you whenever you meet a target.
Choose a talent from a pool of professionals
Bark is an excellent choice if you’re looking for one-off local services like house cleaning, painting, gardening, etc. Not many freelance platforms (including Fiverr) offer such services, so that’s one way Bark stands out from the rest. Bark also stands out in that its sellers consist more of small companies and agencies than independent freelancers.
While most of Bark’s job listings are for local services, the platform also provides digital services like copywriting, web design, and consulting. That said, Bark’s digital offers are more costly than Fiverr’s. For instance, when my colleague posted a logo design request on Bark, the cheapest offer they got was $50. Meanwhile, logo designs on Fiverr start from as low as $5.
One thing I like about Bark is that you don’t have to pay a penny to use the platform. The caveat is that you’ll handle payments by yourself – Bark doesn’t provide an escrow service or involve itself with how and when you pay your freelancer. Fiverr, on the other hand, holds your payment in escrow and will not release it to your seller until you’ve approved the work.
Features
24/7 customer support. While Bark lacks live chat support, it offers phone and email support, both available 24/7.
Multiple matches. Although you can’t search Bark’s database for suitable sellers, you’ll get many matches once you submit your job details.
Communication via phone. Once you’ve selected a professional, you can hop on a quick call to explain project details and requirements.
Fast sign-up process. You can create your Bark account in a few minutes and post a job immediately. That said, it might take a while to hear from a seller.
Are You a Freelancer Looking To Sell Your Services?
Upwork is a great Fiverr alternative if you want to offer your services globally. With its user-friendly interface and vast audience, Upwork provides an accessible entry point for freelancers of all levels, from novices to seasoned professionals.
The platform caters to a wide range of services, including digital marketing, writing, graphic design, and programming, ensuring a niche for almost every skill set you have. Unlike Fiverr’s gig-based approach, Upwork allows freelancers to bid on projects, giving you the flexibility to negotiate terms and rates directly with clients.
To start on Upwork, go to their website, click the Sign Up button, and select I’m a freelancer looking for work.
Click Sign Up to set up your Upwork accountSelect the freelancer option to get started
Registration is free. You can sign up using your email or by linking your Google or Apple account. Follow the prompts to complete your profile, including your professional experience and skills.
Sign up with your email, Apple, or Google account
You must then complete your profile by listing your skills, experiences, and rates. Your profile is crucial as it’s what potential clients will review to decide if they want to work with you. Once your profile is ready, you can browse job postings and submit proposals for projects that interest you.
All the platforms I’ve discussed above are excellent Fiverr alternatives. At the end of the day, it all comes down to your budget and specific job requirements.
If you want an affordable freelancer with whom you can work over an extended period, I highly recommend Upwork1. While it’s not as cheap as Fiverr, it does have professionals willing to work for as low as $3.00 per hour. Plus, it offers tools that support long-term projects, such as a work diary and a live chat tool.
If you want to hire world-class professionals who have been strictly vetted, go with Toptal1. Its rigorous vetting process weeds out low-performing freelancers and leaves only the top 3% of talent.
Or, if you have a large budget and are looking strictly for professional digital marketers, consider GrowTal1. GrowTal focuses solely on providing your business with experts across several marketing fields.
Here’s a straightforward comparison of the best Fiverr alternatives:
Yes, there are other great freelance platforms besides Fiverr. There’s Upwork, which is almost as affordable as Fiverr and offers a wide range of services from millions of professionals. There’s also Toptal – a renowned platform with a rigorous screening process that results in a 3% acceptance rate. And then there’s GrowTal, which focuses solely on providing marketing experts.
Is Upwork better than Fiverr?
No, Upwork isn’t necessarily better than Fiverr unless you’re looking to collaborate with freelancers for longer-term projects. Fiverr is generally more cost-effective, user-friendly, and great for quick, straightforward projects. It simplifies hiring freelancers by allowing you to browse gigs directly, so you can quickly find what you need and know the price upfront.
Is Fiverr still worth it?
Yes, Fiverr is still worth it. It offers a wide range of services at competitive prices, and its user-friendly interface and robust review system help you make informed decisions. Moreover, Fiverr’s escrow payment system protects your investments until you’re satisfied with your freelancer’s work. That said, if you have unique or complex project requirements, you might be better off seeking alternative freelance platforms.
Is Fiverr the best freelance platform?
Yes, Fiverr is the best freelance platform for buyers seeking services at competitive prices. Its transparent pricing and service descriptions help you know exactly what you’re getting without the need for extensive negotiations. Fiverr’s review and rating system allows you to make informed decisions by evaluating freelancers based on previous buyer feedback.
Besides Fiverr, there are also several other platforms you can count on, especially if you’re looking for vetted niche experts and lower fees. Check out our list of the best freelance websites in 2024.
Kamso specializes in writing about credit card processing and fintech. He has been writing for over three years and has worked on several comparisons, product reviews, and news stories. He has a degree in mechanical engineering and has a strong fondness for anything tech-related.
You might want to add that Fiverr charges as 20% service charge on tips. I didn't notice this last time, so I don't know if this is new. I will change companies because of this so thanks for this information above.
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