Millions of individuals are reaping the benefits of professional freelancing, just as the digital nomad lifestyle rises in popularity. Using a freelance website is great for those searching for additional ways to earn extra money, those who simply enjoy the freedom of freelancing, and those who want to gain more development professionally.

Today, there are many job websites that claim to help you find immediate employment. If you are an employer and looking for remote workers, you probably know how overwhelming the task can be. For those looking for administrative or technical jobs, including web developers, social media managers, or finance consultants. You can try to use some websites including Upwork, Toptal, LinkedIn... Meanwhile, if you’re looking for creative jobs, such as writers, graphic designers, or illustrators Fiverr, Flexjobs, and Dribbble… are recommended.

1. Upwork

• Founded: 1998.
• Freelancing type: brand marketing, programming, website design.

Upwork is a freelancing website for businesses to find and work with highly-skilled freelancers. Whether you're looking for web designers, developers, writers, or customer support staff, you can find them on Upwork. This site connects over 1.5 million clients, and there are jobs for every type of freelancer. Upwork used by companies such as Microsoft, Airbnb, and GE.

1.1 Usage

Upwork can use by buying a job or choosing freelance work. The platform lets hirers and freelancers communicate easily through its online chat and video call system, ensuring that they’re always clear on the task at hand. Project managers create job posts specifying their requirements, including project scope and timing, after which freelancers are required to submit their bids.

As a freelancer, you’ll begin by creating your profile. Let clients know who you are, and what you can do. Your profile acts as your resume; be sure to let your past experience speak for itself. You’ll find projects in the Project Catalog or on the Job Board. Bid on jobs of interest; communicate with potential clients through Upwork’s messaging system

1.2 Pros and Cons

Pros

• Many job opportunities.
• Often immediate hiring.
• Simple payment system.
• Payment protection, credible clients, budget-based projects.

Cons

• Must pay service fees.
• Limited job applications.
• Smaller budgets for some jobs.
• The long selection process, high service fee.

2. Toptal

• Founded: 2010.
• Freelancing type: software development, financial consulting, management.

Toptal is the easiest way to hire design and engineering talent. Work with the best-matched freelancers and remote employees, hand-picked just for you by a specialized team of matchmakers. You’ll get access to the top 3% of global freelance talent to meet your deadline, on budget, every time.

2.1 Usage

Toptal is available in 158 countries with 16,000 clients served. It counts Airbnb, Bridgestone, and Fortune 500 companies among its clients. The platform connects employers with specific freelance professionals, including software developers, designers, finance experts, product managers, and project managers by hiring industry experts who match companies with freelancers to ensure that both get the right fit.

To join the freelancer platform, you’ll need to pass Toptal’s five-stage screening process. This ensures only the top 3% of freelancers make it to the platform. Once you do, you can look through the long project lists and bid on jobs that match your expertise.

2.2 Pros and Cons

Pros

• Flexibility in freelancer pricing.
• No project fees for freelancers.
• Wide global reach.
• Top-tier companies and talent, free invoicing and payments.

Cons

• Must pass the screening process.
• No open job searches.
• Recruiter-reliant job opportunities.
• The extensive screening process, big projects only.

3. LinkedIn

• Founded: 2003.
• Freelancing type: copywriting, translation, graphic design.

LinkedIn is a social network designed for professionals and business people to connect and interact with each other. It is one of the most popular job boards and provides an easy way to find jobs in different fields.

3.1 Usage

Just sign up and create a profile to get started. Provide as much information as possible, such as B. Your skills, education, and work experience. A comprehensive LinkedIn profile can open up more job opportunities. Users can add new posts to increase the visibility of their profiles. Potential employers can discover freelancer profiles and offer them offers. LinkedIn is a great resource for job-seeking professionals.

There is a strong emphasis on networking and using your family, friends, and colleagues to build a professional network, gather references and make recommendations. It is also known for excellent employment opportunities to incorporate work and freelance work, especially in copywriting, graphic design, and translation.

There are several plans to choose from, including the basic plan that is free for all users. For other features, you can upgrade to a range of plans based on your goals: browsing job postings on LinkedIn is also a great way to find freelance opportunities. To find the freelance jobs you want, make sure you use relevant keywords and sort the results by recent.

3.2 Pros and Cons

Pros

• Generous free plan.
• Affordable networking.
• Extended sales and job search features.
• Networking opportunities, recent news updates, cost-effective.

Cons

• Pricey paid plans.
• Limited messaging under the free plan.
• Profile inactivity can be common.
• Spam content from malicious users.

4. Freelancer

• Founded: 2009.
• Freelancing type: content translation, web development, social media marketing.

Freelancer.com is a freelance site where professionals and companies from all over the world collaborate on projects ranging from website development and logo design to writing and marketing. Due to the extensive expertise, clients can easily find any type of specialist. Used by companies like Microsoft, SAP, Airbnb, and Intel.

4.1 Usage

Employers simply post jobs and receive competitive offers from freelancers within minutes. For freelancers, you can sign up and fill out a short registration form. Provide details including your skills, educational background, and work experience. Freelancers can browse jobs in over a million projects that match their skill level and, if selected, qualify to get the job done and be sure to get paid.

They can also upload samples of their past work, update employees on their progress on tasks, and chat with employees using the live chat feature. Therefore, this is a great place to showcase your talents and efforts to attract future clients.

In addition to projects, there are many contests, such as visual or design work. Payments are secured by the Milestone Payments System and available in 39 currencies. Freelancer takes a 10% fee for projects and contests and 20% off services. Every freelancer will receive full payment after completing a job.

4.2 Pros and Cons

Pros

• Access to global events.
• Available recruiter support.
• 24/7 customer support.
• Progress tracker, live chat, 24/7 customer support.

Cons

• May pay in other currencies.
• High fees.
• Watch out for spammers.
• Complex interface, spam applicants, and fake client.

5. Flexjobs

• Founded: 2007.
• Freelancing type: writing, content marketing, transcription.

Flexjobs is an online platform for finding jobs, including remote work, freelance work, and part-time positions. There are broad categories, from education and training to journalism and writing jobs. It ensures every job listed on the website is legitimate.

5.1 Usage

All of the telecommuting jobs are screened, so those freelancers can feel confident that they are applying for a position at a legitimate company. Freelancers can also participate in skill tests, read up on tips for job searching, and members can get special discounts through partnering websites. Freelancers will have access to great resources like webinars, to learn how to land better clients.

5.2 Pros and Cons

Pros

• Scam-free, 30-day money-back guarantee, reliable support.
• No advertisement like other freelancer websites.
• Variety of jobs with over 50 job categories.

Cons

• Some premium jobs can be found outside the platform.
• Need subscription to find freelance jobs from $6.95/week.
• Jobs are listed on other sites.

6. Fiverr

• Founded: 2010.
• Freelancing type: digital marketing, web development, social media.

Fiverr provides a streamlined method for both freelancers and business owners to interact with one another. Note that on the website, freelancers are called sellers, their services - gigs, and business owners - buyer.

6.1 Usage

With Flexjobs, freelancers will create their own jobs based upon what they are good at, rather than companies posting jobs that freelancers can apply for. Freelancers are able to market their services to companies and are able to put their gigs into categories by using keywords that show up in different searches. The name comes from the idea that the freelancers will start their prices at $5 per project.

Joining Fiverr is free, so there is no need to pay for a subscription, and there are no fees to advertise your services, either. Instead of sending out bids, sellers can sign up for free, list their gigs, and set their prices. Whenever a buyer purchases a gig, the system automatically charges their account and puts the money on hold.

Depending on each freelancer’s seller level, it can take up to 14 days to withdraw their earnings. There are multiple options to withdraw the payments, such as debit card, PayPal, and wire transfer.

6.2 Pros and Cons

Pros

• Free membership.
• Free to advertise services.
• 24/7 customer support.
• Diverse category, free registration, online courses.

Cons

• High fees off each project.
• Orders automatically accepted.
• Buyers can cancel projects.
• High commission charge, the long payment process.

7. Guru

• Founded: 1998.
• Freelancing type: marketing, programming, administration.

Guru is a flexible and cost-effective platform that lets people hire freelancers on anything from programming and development to writing and translation, design and arts, sales and marketing, and much more.

7.1 Usage

For freelancers, Guru is more flexible than most when it comes to issuing payments, offering four options: fixed price, hourly, task-based, or recurring. They can bid for long or short-term projects and give a fixed price for each project. However, paid membership plans include more tools to make your profile stand out.

With a worldwide user base, an employer can have access to a directory and the portfolios of a wide pool of independent freelance professionals they can hire for certain projects. The platform allows users to be listed as groups or individuals offering their services in more than eight categories. Employers can easily and carefully select a guru or freelancer that matches a required project.

Guru.com accepts payments in the form of e-checks, checks, wire transfers, and in-website cash funds. This makes payment procedures more convenient and ensures freelancers get paid timely with SafePay protection.

7.2 Pros and Cons

Pros

• Secure payment, customized job listings, free membership.
• Easily accessible, to read and create cards.
• The ability to make comments and ask questions.

Cons

• Potential fake clients.
• The comments have been made is permanent and cannot be erased.
• More accountability for unverified cards.
• Some frauds can also be expected.

8. People Per Hour

• Founded: 2007.
• Freelancing type: programing, journalism, branding.

People Per Hour is a web-based freelance job marketplace that matches business needs with talents. It is ideal for both small business and enterprise human resource requirements, whether here or abroad.

8.1 Usage

As the name suggests, People Per Hour helps businesses find professional freelancers to hire by the hour or project. There are millions of freelancers from different industries, such as public relations, marketing, and journalism. It’s simple and free for freelancers to create a PPH account and set up their profiles.

Freelancers can send 15 proposals to clients for free before they will need to sign up for a paid plan, but they can browse jobs and get notified of new openings at no cost. They can choose to pay someone hourly, create a project for a fixed price, find the services or even let the freelancers find their business. PPH charges freelancers a service fee per client.

8.2 Pros and Cons

Pros

• Automated invoice, location-based listings, secure payment.
• Users can set your own rates.
• Escrow protection guarantee that the hired talents accomplish the task.
• Free to join.

Cons

• Less job security and no guaranteed level of work.
• Free bids are limited to 15 per month.
• Spam accounts can infiltrate the platform.

9. Dribbble

• Founded: 2009.
• Freelancing type: mobile design, illustration, animation.

Dribbble is one of the most popular platforms for creative talents to meet, connect, and interact with each other. Designers and artists use this website to build portfolios and promote their brands. It is loved by users for factors like - Huge Community, Easy-to-use, Design collaboration, Productivity.

9.1 Usage

Freelancers can create a work portfolio on the website and increase their chances of getting hired by signing up for an account and uploading their designs. Dribbble gets a lot of traffic, with plenty of clients looking for talented designers.

Another way to find work opportunities is to open the job board on your browser. However, access to freelance job lists is limited to premium users. That allows others to seek them out. Dribbble premium version ranges from $5 to $15/month.

9.2 Pros and Cons

Pros

• Specialized focus on graphic and other design job opportunities.
• Ideal for location specific use.
• Large Network.
• Good number of job listings across categories.

Cons

• No free job posting.
• Lack of Customization.

10. We work remotely (WWR)

• Founded: 2011.
• Freelancing type: Sales and Marketing, Management and Finance, Programming, content writer.

WeWorkRemotely is an online website that lists different remote jobs that people can do at home. It describes itself as “the largest remote work community in the world” and is a go-to website for finding, and listing remote job opportunities. Their advanced search function allows you to search for a job by keyword, or to filter through by category, location, companies, or even whether you’re looking for a full-time or contract position.

10.1 Usage

Hirers can approach a handy list on WWR website including the most experience hiring remote workers, as well as those that have utilized WeWorkRemotely the most for job postings. The website connects companies with people who are seeking full-time or part-time employment. It’s free to search online and there is no need to register with the site.

Once freelancers find an interesting job that they qualify for, just click on the link and it will redirect them to the site so that they can start the application process. We Work Remotely boasts that they get around 2.5 million users a month and are used by Google, Amazon, and InVision all listed as companies who’ve posted on it, this is a legit platform. The platform accepts payments from a variety of sources, and they range from bank transfers, and Visa, MasterCard, and others.

10.2 Pros and Cons

Pros

• Posts can be shared on social media.
• Jobs are organized by category.
• Only remote jobs are posted to the site by legitimate companies.
• Several add-on features are available, such as job highlights, logo displays, and being placed prominently in emails.

Cons

• High monthly price.
• The website automatically selects add-ons for purchases. Employers must manually un-select these.
• All three job posting plans limit social media sharing to two posts.
• Advanced features like company logo displays and featured email placement are not offered in the entry-level plan.

Conclusion

Hiring a freelancer allows a business to reduce costs without sacrificing work output. Therefore, freelancer websites are increasing dramatically nowadays. Freelancer websites are the perfect opportunity to find legitimate work that you can do in the comforts of your own home.