For most clients and businesses, who are looking for a freelancing platform, Fiverr may seem like the obvious choice as it’s one of the most popular freelancing platforms out there. That still doesn’t mean, just because it’s well-known, that it’s the best fit for you, and if you’re reading this, you’re curious to know what other freelancing platforms are worth considering.
As an avid user of freelancing platforms, including Fiverr, which I’ve worked on both sides of, I can offer a comprehensive review of alternative freelancing platforms. I’ll delve into how each platform works, the pricing structure, fees, services, and refund guarantees, while also sharing my honest thoughts and opinions.
Catherine CookeUpskillwise Advisor
So, before committing to a freelancing platform, it’s definitely worth reading on to compare Fiverr alternatives.
The Top 9 Fiverr Alternatives
Let’s dive into the Fiverr Alternatives. In case you are in a rush and don’t have time to read the full article, you can check out our top Fiverr alternatives in the ranking table below to give you an overview of which are the top alternatives.
| Fiverr Alternative | Starting Price | Platform Fees | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
 Upwork |
Upwork Rates: $15 – $100 per hour.
|
Client Platform Fees: 3% – 5% |
|
 Toptal |
Toptal Rates: $60 – $200 per hour.
|
Client Platform Fees: 0% |
|
|
99 designs: Basic logo designs start at $249. | Client Platform Fees: 5% |
|
 Codeable |
Codeable Rates: $80 – $120 per hour. | Client Platform Fees: 17.5% |
|
 SolidGigs |
SolidGigs Freelance Membership: Yearly $372 or Monthly $49 | Non-Applicable |
|
 |
Freelancer Rates: Starting at $10 | Non-Applicable |
|
 |
PeoplePerHour Rates: Starting at $8
(good talent will cost way more) |
Non-Applicable |
|
 |
Guru Rates: Starting at $25/seat per month (annual billing, 10-seat minimum) | Client Platform Fees: 2.9% |
|
Fiverr Pros & Cons
Although this article is about Fiverr alternatives, I thought it would be interesting to highlight the pros and cons of Fiverr so you can compare them with the other freelancing platforms.
- Wide Variety: Its big pool of categories and subcategories means there is something for most and that you can find what you are looking for.
- Affordable: It’s a very affordable freelancing platform, with some gigs costing $10, so if you are on a budget it’s definitely worth considering.
- One off Projects: If you are looking for a job to be completed quickly, then Fiverr defiantly has you covered with its quick turn around of jobs.
- Customization: With Fiverr’s Gig packages and add-ons, you can tailor the service to get exactly what you ask for.
- Ratings: Fiverr has a robust rating and review system so that clients can leave feedback on its freelancers, which helps future clients make informed decisions when selecting a freelancer.
- Customer Service: Fiverr offers a responsive support team that’s 24/7 with a live chat, email and phone.
- Fiverr Pro: Its premium service with its top freelancers is available in case you decide you want to upgrade to this service, naturally the costs are higher.
- Secure Payment: Fiverr holds on to the payment until the buyer marks the order as ‘Completed’ before it pays the freelancer, this then protects the client.
- Refund Policy: As a buyer, you can request a refund within 14 days of delivery, after reviewing your request, you may be entitled to a partial or full refund.
- Lack of Quality: As some jobs are completed so quickly, it does mean that the quality can suffer, this is something to keep in mind, before committing.
- Due diligence: It’s important that you do your due diligence and read reviews from past clients about freelancers before committing to work with anyone.
- Timezone: Fiverr is a global platform, which means freelancers may be located in different time zones, it’s important to be aware of this before choosing your freelancer, so it doesn’t leas to communication delays.
- Additional Costs: Even though Fiverr is a budget – friendly freelancing platform, depending on your project requirements, extra costs may arise like extra revisions, add-on services etc.
The Fiverr Alternatives in Detail
Upwork
In 2015, Upwork relaunched from Elance-oDesk and quickly established itself as the world’s largest freelance talent marketplace. If you are a freelancer looking for work or a client needing help with a project, it’s one of the top platforms to consider.
Upwork’s catalog covers a wide range of categories, including Design, Development & IT, Marketing, Writing and Translation, Admin and Customer Support, and more. The interface is intuitive, and as a client you can either post a job or browse for freelancers (Talent) directly yourself.
Rates vary quite a bit depending on skill level and category. Beginner freelancers typically charge around $10 to $25 per hour, while more experienced professionals can charge well above $100 per hour in specialist fields.
Upwork Pros
- Free Sign Up: Upwork is completely free to sign up to, you can create a client account and job posting.
- Categories & Offerings: A wide variety of categories including Accounting and Consulting, Design and Creative, Software Development and much more.
- Long-Term Relationship: It focuses on building long-term relationships, whether it’s a long project or that you plan to use the freelancer multiple times.
- Flexible Payment: It offers the option to pay either monthly or annually.
Upwork Cons
- Fees: Upwork charges a 5% service fee on client payments for both fixed-price and hourly jobs.
- Scams: There is always a risk of scams, so do your due diligence before hiring a freelancer.
As A Client: Why Choose Upwork over Fiverr?
Upwork is a freelancing platform that focuses on building long-term relationships between freelancers and clients. Fiverr, on the other hand, is geared more towards one-off projects. If you have a project that will run for several weeks or months, or you work with an agency that plans to hire the same freelancer repeatedly, Upwork is the more suitable option. If you’re still unsure, check out our detailed Upwork vs Fiverr article.
As A Freelancer: Why Choose Upwork over Fiverr?
Upwork makes it easy to reach out to clients directly, and you can apply to hundreds of job postings a day if you want to. Fiverr works differently, where you list your services and rely on buyers finding you through search keywords. On top of that, Upwork gives freelancers strong flexibility over their rates, supporting both hourly billing and fixed-price contracts, though be mindful that the platform does set a minimum hourly rate of $3.00 and a minimum fixed-price rate of $5.00. Fiverr has traditionally been a fixed-price marketplace, but it now also offers an hourly work option for eligible freelancers and agencies. If you’re still undecided, check out our detailed Upwork vs Fiverr article to help you choose the right one.
Toptal
Toptal meaning Top Talent is a freelancing platform that has the very best freelancers in business, design and technology topics. It prides itself on having the top 3% of freelance talent from software developers, designers, finance experts, product managers and project managers in the world. Its rigorous screening process means that typically fewer than 3% of freelancers are accepted.
Toptal offers a flexible hiring system, you can work with your freelancer on an hourly or full-time basis and the possibility to scale up or down is available depending on your needs. You will be matched with an industry expert who will work with you to match you with the right talent.
TopTal Pros
- Top Quality: You can rest assured that its freelancers are the very best.
- Topic Specific: 99designs specializes in design related categories and subcategories.
- Guaranteed: 99designs offers contest-based refunds depending on the stage of your project, so you have some protection if things don’t go to plan.
TopTal Cons
- Expensive: It isn’t the cheapest freelancing platform, but what it does have is top quality freelancers. If you are on a tight budget, it maybe worth considering Upwork
- Fewer Options: As it’s a platform with high standards, the pool of freelancers isn’t as big and there may not be the right freelancer available when you need them.
As a Client: Why Choose Toptal over Fiverr?
Toptal is a freelancing platform that focuses on providing top quality freelancers who are specialists in specific topic areas like business, design and technology. Unlike Fiverr, Toptal’s network of freelancers are rigorously tested and vetted, giving you the reassurance that you will have a positive working experience.
As a Toptal client, you will be provided with an account manager who will act as a liaison between you and the freelancer, helping to make the working relationship as smooth as possible. Fiverr does offer some forms of support, but nothing as dedicated and hands-on as having a personal account manager in your corner. If you are looking for a top quality freelancer and a supported working experience, then Toptal is a platform worth considering.
As a Freelancer: Why Choose Toptal over Fiverr?
Toptal has a reputation of attracting high-quality clients who value and are willing to pay for top-tier talented freelancers. You are more likely to work on rewarding projects that you can add to your portfolio.
Although Fiverr does have a big pool of clients, they may not have the budget and are less likely looking for help on a long-term project. Toptal charges clients a premium rate for its services, which means freelancers will earn a much higher rate for their work. Fiverr has a much wider price range, which could result in freelancers being paid less. If you are looking for top quality clients and being paid a premium rate to work on leading projects, then Toptal maybe your best bet.
99designs
99designs is the freelancing platform of graphic design, it offers a global community of professional designers. There are a couple of ways for you to find the right designer to work with, either 99designs can help you find a designer or you can open your brief up to an entire design community and then pick your favorite designer.
99designs offers services in Logo & identity, Web & app design, Business & advertising, Book & magazine and more. Depending on the design category you are interested in, each category has different budgets, its logo designs start at $289.
99designs Pros
- Top Quality: You can be rest assured that its freelancers are the very best.
- Topic Specific: 99designs specializes in design related categories and subcategories.
- Guaranteed: You will work with your freelancer on a trial basis and only pay when you are satisfied.
99designs Cons
- High Price Tag: 99designs does have a much higher price tag, so depending on your budget, it might not be right for you.
- Only Design Topics: Only offers design-related topics. If you are looking for a wider range of categories, then check out Upwork.
As a Client: Why Choose 99designs over Fiverr?
99designs is one of the closest alternatives to Fiverr when it comes to graphic design. One of the main differences is pricing. Fiverr is renowned for its low price tag, whereas 99designs sits at a much higher level, with logo design contests starting at $249. If you are looking for high-quality design work and a money-back guarantee, 99designs is the stronger option.
As a Freelancer: Why Choose 99designs over Fiverr?
99designs has a reputation for producing high-quality work, and that reputation comes with better pay. Freelancers earn higher rates here than they typically would on Fiverr. The platform also has a rigorous vetting process, ensuring you are working with serious clients who are willing to pay a premium.
Signing up as a freelancer is free. From there, you move through the ranks as a designer, and as you level up, the platform fee drops from 15% down to 5%. Be mindful that Fiverr works differently, charging sellers a 20% commission on completed orders, so the earning structure between the two platforms is quite different.
If you are a freelancer who specializes in graphic design and wants to work with top-quality clients, 99designs is well worth considering.
Codeable
Codeable is one of the most specialized WordPress freelancing platforms on the market. You can work with one of its 700+ WordPress experts for a short-term job or a full-time project. Its developers go through a rigorous six-stage vetting process, including behavioral interviews, a technical exam, and a live coding assessment, so you can be rest assured they are the very best.
Each project posted on Codeable gets its own individual price, with rates ranging from $80 to $120 per hour. It’s completely free to post a project and get an estimate, with no obligation to hire. Plus, a money-back policy is available if the developer doesn’t deliver the agreed project.
Codeable Pros
- Free estimate: You can post a job and get free estimates from potential developers with no obligation to hire them.
- Experts: Codeable only works with the very best WordPress talent, with 275+ handpicked and pre-screened experts who represent the top 2% of applicants.
- Range of Tasks: You can post anything from small fixes to full custom WordPress development work, all within a platform built exclusively for WordPress projects.
Codeable Cons
- Higher Cost: It may be a bit more expensive than other freelancing platforms, but it does guarantee a vetted team and project management support.
- Topic specific: Codeable specializes in wordpress, if you are looking for a wider range of categories, then check out Upwork.
As A Client: Why Choose Codeable over Fiverr?
It’s true that Fiverr does offer WordPress services, but I can almost guarantee that the experts working at Codeable are far more qualified and experienced. Its prices are more expensive, but you have the guarantee of a higher quality of work and a money-back policy if the job or project isn’t delivered to your satisfaction.
As A Freelancer: Why Choose Codeable over Fiverr?
Codeable is a platform that specifically focuses on WordPress development projects. Therefore, it will attract high-quality WordPress projects that will match your skill set, which may result in being paid a higher rate. On the other hand, Fiverr is open to everyone, which may leave you sifting through lower quality job posts. Codeable provides a project management feature so that you can work more closely with your clients, keep track of your project and communicate with your clients. On top of that, Codeable screens freelance applicants and only accepts the top 2%, so from a client perspective, you can be rest assured you are working with a WordPress expert.
Freelancer
Freelancer is one of the largest freelancing platforms on the market, connecting freelancers and clients from all over the world. As a client, you can post any sized project, from small one-off tasks to large, multi-stage projects. With 3,100+ categories covering everything from Website Design and Data Entry to Logistics and beyond, there is no shortage of options.
You can browse freelancers’ portfolios to get a better idea of their past work. From there, you can request quotes for your project completely free of charge. Payments are typically structured around milestones, so funds are released as work is delivered and approved rather than all upfront. Freelancer also has a mobile app where you can track and stay up to date with the progress of your project.
Freelancer Pros
- Intuitive: The platform has a really user-friendly design, making it easy and simple to post projects and find freelancers and their work.
- Categories: It offers a wide pool of 3,100+ categories in total, giving you plenty to choose from.
- Secure Payments: Freelancer uses a secure payment system, that means the client’s funds are held securely until the project is 100% completed.
Freelancer Cons
- Quality Control: Even though Freelancer has measures in place to vet its freelancers, it’s not always guaranteed that the freelancer is right for the project or has the qualifications.
- Lack of Support: Some clients have experienced a lack of support and communication in the past.
Why Choose Freelancer over Fiverr?
If you are looking for a global pool of freelancers from a wide range of categories, Freelancer may have more choices than Fiverr. The fact that its project proposals are customizable means that it gives clients more flexibility in choosing the right freelancer for the job, sadly Fiverr doesn’t have this feature. Its safe and secure payments is another big plus as clients’ funds are held securely until the project is 100% complete.
PeoplePerHour
PeoplePerHour connects clients to expert freelancers available to hire by the hour or for a fixed project. As a client, you can post a project through its quick and easy form, and its AI matching system will connect the right freelancers to your brief. From there, freelancers respond with their own tailored proposals.
Once you receive a proposal you’re happy with, you pay a deposit into escrow to kick things off. When the work is complete, the freelancer raises an invoice for you to review. If you’re satisfied, you approve it and release the final payment through PeoplePerHour’s protected payment system. Be mindful that funds are typically processed within 3 working days, with availability depending on the freelancer’s earnings history.
PeoplePerHour offers services across a wide range of categories, including:
- Technology & Programming
- Design
- Business
- Music & Audio
- And more
PeoplePerHour Pros
- Choice: The platform has a large pool of potential freelancers to choose from offering a wide variety of services.
- Ease of Use: After posting a project, all you need to do is wait for freelancers to send you proposals.
- Secure Payments: PeoplePerHour protects the client, so that only when they are 100% satisfied with the project outcome will they pay in full.
PeoplePerHour Cons
- Quality Control: It’s not always guaranteed that all freelancers are equally qualified or experienced.
- AI System: Its AI matching system may not always be accurate matching clients with freelancers.
Why Choose PeoplePerHour over Fiverr?
Some of the reasons to choose PeoplePerHour over Fiverr is that you have greater flexibility in the pricing and project, as you can pay freelancers per hour and if the project changes whilst working together, it’s easy to make changes. Whereas Fiverr can be pretty rigid in its pricing and way of working. Another key difference is that PeoplePerHour focuses on long-term relationships between client and freelancer and Fiverr is geared towards one-off jobs.
SolidGigs
SolidGigs is a little different from other freelancing platforms, as its focus is on helping find work for the freelancer. I thought it’s still worth comparing, as there may be some freelancers reading this article who are looking to explore their options. Freelancers can sign up to SolidGigs, then you will be matched and alerted with leads (client jobs) via email. Then you can send a pitch to the client and hopefully begin working together.
As a freelancer you pay a flat price. The best way to look at it is like a subscription plan, which covers the costs of SolidGigs finding and sending you leads (clients). You can choose between the Yearly fee: $252 (working out at $21 monthly) or the Monthly fee: $35. Be mindful that pricing and trial offers can change, so I’d recommend checking the SolidGigs website directly for the most up-to-date trial details before signing up.
SolidGigs Pros
- Free trial: Freelancers have 14 days to try out the platform for free and can cancel at any time.
- Time Saving: SolidGigs will match clients with freelancers, saving the freelancer time of scrolling through job postings.
- Range of Tasks: You can post from small tasks to large-scale projects, nothing is off limits in terms of jobs that can be completed.
SolidGigs Cons
- Limited job postings: As SolidGigs curates job opportunities, the number of leads available is limited and may leave some freelancers without enough work.
- Payment upfront: Paying for a monthly or yearly subscription means you need to commit financially before knowing if the leads are the right fit for you.
Why Choose SolidGigs over Fiverr?
SolidGigs is built purely as a lead-generation tool, so its curated job opportunities are a real time saver for freelancers who are tired of hunting through endless job boards. Rather than browsing listings yourself, the platform does the filtering and delivers matched leads straight to your inbox.
If you are a freelancer looking to invest in your career and want a more focused, efficient way to find clients, SolidGigs is worth considering.
Guru
Guru is a freelancing platform that will help to connect employers and individuals with expert freelancers from around the world. Guru offers a wide range of services, that include Programming & Development, Design & Art, Business & Finance and much more. Potential clients can post a job for free and compare quotes they receive from potential freelancers and then hire their preferred freelancer.
Once you have hired a freelancer you can decide on how and when payments are made and even use workrooms to collaborate, communicate and track work. There are multiple payment methods with SafePay payment protection.
Final Thoughts: Fiverr Alternatives
Firstly, thank you for getting this far and hopefully now you have a good overview of the Fiverr alternatives. It’s important to acknowledge that each freelancing platform has its own unique features, which will best suit your needs depending on what it is you are looking for.
It’s true to say that Fiverr does many things right, but its low price tag might leave you a little reluctant or the fact its client processing fees are 5.5% of the total amount. So it’s important to compare with other freelancing platforms to compare and see their differences, good and bad and that way you’ll find the right platform.
Just before you go ahead and decide on a freelancing platform, it’s important to ask yourself the following;
- What category are you looking for?
- How much is your budget?
- Is it a one-off or long-term project?
- How much communication and support are you looking for?
- Do you want the assurance of a money-back guarantee?
I want to add here that although this article is about Fiverr alternatives, it goes without saying that as a freelancing platform it does do a lot of things right. Although it has a reputation for lower prices, most freelancers offer 3 different priced packages, in case buyers want more than a basic freelancing gig. Its wide variety of offerings across digital services gives plenty of choice to the buyer. If you’re looking for a quick turnaround, then its projects can be delivered in as little as 24 hours.
Please leave a comment below if you have any questions, and I’ll do my best to help you out.
FAQ
Sadly, there is no completely free version of Fiverr. It is a paid platform that allows users to buy and sell services like graphic design, copywriting and programming. At times, there maybe a free trial or access to Fiverr, but generally speaking, it’s a paid platform.
One of the significant differences between Upwork and Fiverr is that Fiverr is geared towards smaller one off projects, while Upwork is for larger long-term projects. This is something to consider before deciding between these two freelancing platforms.
The starting price of many of Fiverr’s gigs and services are very low, some from only $5. Therefore, this competitive low price tag means sellers want to attract customers, so they may price their services competitively.
3 comments
Gaurav Kumar
4 November 2023, 15:26
Fiverr alternatives are cost effective solution for marketers and sellers. But does customer trust them. I will visit them and find out. thanks for the massive list.
Catherine Cooke
7 November 2023, 10:39
Thanks for your comment Gaurav. I hope the article helps you find a Fiverr alternative that works for you 🙂
jabbu
20 June 2023, 10:48
Best Online freelance working opportunities.