Introducing G2.ai, the future of software buying.Try now

Upwork Reviews & Product Details

Pricing

Pricing provided by Upwork.

Marketplace

Free

Upwork Media

How to Hire Freelance Talent on Upwork
Play Upwork Video
How to Hire Freelance Talent on Upwork
Creating Opportunity in Every Era of Work
Play Upwork Video
Creating Opportunity in Every Era of Work
AI + IQ | Upwork Updates Summer 2025
Play Upwork Video
AI + IQ | Upwork Updates Summer 2025
How Huntr Expands Reach With Freelance, AI-Savvy Talent
Play Upwork Video
How Huntr Expands Reach With Freelance, AI-Savvy Talent
The Costs of Hiring a Freelancer vs. In-House Employee: What You Need To Know
Play Upwork Video
The Costs of Hiring a Freelancer vs. In-House Employee: What You Need To Know
Product Avatar Image

Have you used Upwork before?

Answer a few questions to help the Upwork community

Upwork Reviews (2,929)

View 2 Video Reviews
Reviews

Upwork Reviews (2,929)

View 2 Video Reviews
4.5
2,929 reviews

Pros & Cons

Generated from real user reviews
View All Pros and Cons
Search reviews
Filter Reviews
Clear Results
G2 reviews are authentic and verified.
Blessing E.
BE
Customer Service Representative | Email, Phone & Chat Support | Shopify
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"My experience as a freelancer on Upwork, my likes and dislikes"
What do you like best about Upwork?

I like that my payment is secured as long as I do a good job for clients and track my hours of work using Upwork tracker. Also, I like that I can easily schedule a meeting with a client using the Zoom feature in the message room. I also like that when a client view my proposal, I get a notification immediately, that pop up gives me joy. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Upwork?

I don’t like the fact that connects can’t be shared, like my friend has up to 300 plus connects which she is not using because she’s not currently applying, she told me sometime ago that if Upwork has that feature of sharing connects, she would have shared it with me be cause I currently don’t have connects at all, reason I'm not applying for work, and I’m not happy about it. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Shelby G.
SG
Owner
Accounting
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Overall Easy to Use for finding talent"
What do you like best about Upwork?

Upwork makes it incredibly easy to find talent quickly. I really like the variety of freelancers available — different skill levels, specialties, and price points — so it’s simple to match the right person to the job. The platform is user-friendly, and I appreciate being able to review profiles, portfolios, and past feedback before hiring. Messaging, contracts, and payments are all handled in one place, which keeps everything organized. I also like that I can hire for one-time projects or build long-term working relationships, depending on what I need. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Upwork?

I’ve hired a couple of people whose actual skills didn’t quite match what they listed on their profiles. While that was frustrating at first, it pushed me to improve the way I hire. I’ve learned to ask more specific questions during the interview process and to write more detailed, clear job posts to help weed out applicants who aren’t a good fit. The search talent feature is also really helpful when I want to just invite people to my job post that look promising. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Kimiko C.
KC
Founder
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Effortless Client Connections and Business Growth on Upwork"
What do you like best about Upwork?

I love how Upwork connects me with clients who are actively looking for specialized skills. It makes it easy to build meaningful working relationships, collaborate with people around the world, and grow my business through projects that align with my strengths. The platform feels streamlined, efficient, and supportive for both freelancers and clients.

I received a gift card for sharing my honest. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Upwork?

I don’t like how applying for opportunities now requires so many more Connects, and despite being a top Upwork user, I’m not seeing enough high-quality job invitations in return. It feels like the balance has shifted, making it harder to access the right projects. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Jennifer D.
JD
Bookkeeper/Small Business Owner
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Great Opportunities, But High Competition and Costly Applications"
What do you like best about Upwork?

The marketplace is massive, so there’s a wide variety of job opportunities. The infrastructure (contracts, payments, dispute resolution) is solid, which is attractive to both clients and freelancers. There are a few ways to get free Connects (the credits you need to apply for jobs), depending on your plan or promotions. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Upwork?

The biggest challenge is the limited number of Connects compared to the number needed to apply for jobs. With only a small amount provided each month, freelancers often have to purchase more just to stay competitive, and those credits disappear whether or not a client ever views the proposal. On top of that, the competition is extremely high, with some job posts receiving hundreds of bids. This makes it hard to stand out unless you spend even more Connects to boost your proposal, creating a system that feels pay-to-play. While Upwork has solid tools and a wide range of opportunities, the cost of applying, combined with the intense competition, makes it very challenging to consistently land work. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Denny S.
DS
Product, Co-Founder
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Upwork Makes Hiring Easy and Efficient"
What do you like best about Upwork?

I’ve been using Upwork for years now, and it’s honestly been a great tool for getting a wide range of work done. I’ve hired people for everything from website drafting and logo design to architectural drafting support, BIM modeling, and even Odoo setup. The variety of freelancers you can find here is pretty amazing.

My usual process is simple — I check a freelancer’s portfolio and send a quick message before sending an offer, just to make sure we’re a good fit. That little step has always helped me find the right person.

The platform itself is easy to use. Setting up a contract takes just a couple of minutes, and managing everything afterwards is straightforward. Overall, it’s been a really solid place to get work done and collaborate with people from all over the world. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Upwork?

I think the service fees can feel a bit high at times, especially for long-term or larger projects. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it definitely adds up.

Also, some parts of the interface (like messaging and file sharing) can be a little clunky. It works, but it could definitely be smoother. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Dan B.
DB
Owner and Creative Director
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Upwork Review"
What do you like best about Upwork?

It's convenient, I can find projects, work and get paid from home. I can be my own boss and choose projects and other freelancers using search features that promise the best jobs and workers for my needs. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Upwork?

Upwork used to rank freelancers based on quality of work, talent, and performance via client reviews and scores. Now, Upwork uses a pay to play scheme that ranks you higher through the use of "connects" which cost money. It's not performance or talent based. So, if you want to show up as a top prospect to clients, you need to use connects to boost your ranking. You also use connects to promote yourself and to show clients that you are available. So, you now you need to pay for membership, pay to promote yourself and run ads, pay to indicate that you're available, and then Upwork takes 10% out of whatever you earn. Additionally, having a complimentary "Agency Account" used to be free, and allowed you to team up with other freelancers and create your own online agency. Now you need to pay for another membership to have an agency. So, all in all, it's difficult to make and clear the same income I was making before, and to rank as high as I did before. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Alisha A.
AA
Freelancer
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Great place to make some extra cash"
What do you like best about Upwork?

I think upwork is a great place to make some extra cash. I do find it difficult sometimes to be chosen for a job or task but you have to be persistent. It's great to have a place to go where I can make some extra money for my family. I received a gift card for sharing my honest opinion. I'm going to keep putting myself out there and keep making money. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Upwork?

I love the FAQ section and I receive frequent emails on tips to have a better resume or how to stand out which is so helpful and nessesary. I would recommend Upwork to everyone! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Caitlin G.
CG
Senior Manager (RN) of Published Resources
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Freelancer Payment Protection and Access to Quality Clients on Upwork"
What do you like best about Upwork?

What I appreciate most is the payment protection. With features like the Time Tracker for hourly projects and mandatory escrow for fixed-price contracts, Upwork ensures that I always receive payment. This takes away the usual stress of invoicing, following up, and having awkward discussions with clients, so I can concentrate fully on delivering quality work.

Another major advantage is the vast and varied client base. Although it requires some effort to sift through opportunities, the platform does a great job of helping to connect with large companies and verified mid-sized businesses that are prepared to pay competitive rates for specialized expertise. I also find the option to create specialized profiles extremely useful for reaching different client segments more effectively. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Upwork?

The biggest pain point is the "Connects" system, which feels like a compulsory barrier to entry and a constant financial drain. The cost of submitting proposals (often 8-16 contacts per job) has inflated significantly during my time as a freelancer, turning proposal writing into a gamble. There is no Connect refund if the client never views or hires, which is problematic, because there are many people who post jobs and never return.

Secondly, the platform is full of low-budget clients and poorly defined job postings, requiring considerable time investment to filter out scams or "race-to-the-bottom" opportunities. I've never had much luck with customer support when reaching out. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Matthew L.
ML
President
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Effortless Hiring, But Beware of Scammers on Upwork"
What do you like best about Upwork?

Connecting with, vetting, hiring, and paying top freelancers across a wide range of fields is incredibly straightforward. The process is simple and efficient, making it easy to find talented professionals from around the world. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Upwork?

I wish that Upwork had stricter criteria for becoming a freelancer. Anyone with an ID and a pulse can join. There are a lot of scammers on the site. For instance, you get them to place guest posts on sites, but the articles are taken down after you have paid. Why? because it was a scam. The freelancer promised the site owner money to publish the article, but did not tell you and did not pay the site owner. I lost a lot of money like this. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

MB
Owner
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Great marketplace if you know exactly what you need"
What do you like best about Upwork?

Easy to post a job quickly and set parameters. Screening is easy, and you get a variety of proposals back based on what you prefer/select. Payment is easy, and you can spread payments out with milestones (pay once a freelancer has satisfied the request) or hold payment until the job is complete. You also have the ability to add a bonus to a job if the worker went above and beyond. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Upwork?

If you don't screen well, you end up with a lot of jokers who just are not qualified for the job. Some freelancers are terrible at following directions, and you sometimes find out that the work they provide is no where near the quality you saw in their proposal/portfolio. Some freelancers get angry and belligerent when you call them out on this, and some will ghost you. One even asked for a loan weeks after unsuccessfully submitting work. All in all, a good marketplace, but you get out what you put in. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Pricing Options

Pricing provided by Upwork.

Marketplace

Free

Business Plus

Free
Upwork Comparisons
Product Avatar Image
Fiverr
Compare Now
Product Avatar Image
CloudDevs.com
Compare Now
Product Avatar Image
Freelancer.com
Compare Now
Upwork Features
RFP Creator
Messaging
Freelance Screening
Calendar
Guidelines and Policies
Digital Asset Management
Payment Automation
Secure Payments
Multi-Currency Payments
Project Management
Dashboard
Product Avatar Image
Product Avatar Image