Fiverr vs Upwork
The two big freelance marketplaces. Fiverr is gig-based (buyers come to you); Upwork is proposal-based (you apply to jobs).
Some links below are affiliate links. If you sign up through them, AgentHustles may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects our numbers or ratings. How we handle affiliate links
Verdict
- 1
Pick Fiverr
if you sell a clearly packaged service at a fixed price and prefer inbound orders. Fiverr keeps 20% of each order.
- 2
Pick Upwork
if you want hourly or larger projects and don't mind writing proposals. The Freelancer Service Fee ranges from 0% to 15% per contract; proposals cost Connects.
Bottom line: Fiverr's 20% is predictable; Upwork's fee is often lower but varies by contract. You can keep a profile on both and move repeat clients to direct invoicing.
Side by side
| Fiverr | Upwork | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free to join, fee per sale | Free to join, fee per sale |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| What the free plan gives | Free to join and list gigs; Fiverr keeps 20% of each order (our 17 Oct check). | Free to join. Upwork takes a Freelancer Service Fee of 0% to 15% per contract; the fee is locked in once a proposal, offer or contract is sent. |
| Plans and prices |
|
|
| Month 1 (our estimate) | Free: $0 | Free: $0 |
| Month 12 (our estimate) | Free: $0 | Free: $0 |
| Commercial rights | Not a content generator | Not a content generator |
| Learning difficulty | 2/5 Easy to list; hard to stand out. | 2/5 Easy to join; proposals take practice. |
| Best for | Productized services with inbound buyers | Hourly and project client work |
| Watch out for |
|
|
| Sources | Fiverr | Upwork Help: Freelancer Service Fee |
| Full profile | Fiverr profile · Official site (paid link) | Upwork profile · Official site (paid link) |
Every price and limit above comes from the linked vendor pages, read on . Month-1 and month-12 figures are our estimate of the plan a solo seller needs, not quotes. The order of the tools never depends on affiliate status.