Upwork Reviews & Product Details

I received a gift card for sharing my honest review.

Upwork is an excellent freelance platform, especially if you have some experience. Having used it for years, what I like most about Upwork is the ease with which a freelancer can get paid for the work they've done.

The time tracker for hourly jobs works excellently, and earnings are accurately computed based on hours logged. And the pay is always released on schedule after a period during which the client can review it.

The protection offered for fixed-price jobs also gives the freelancer peace of mind. Once a contract or milestone has been funded, the freelancer is certain that their pay will be released once the contract is completed. And any dispute is resolved by Upwork

Upwork also has multiple payment options that allow freelancers from all over the world to withdraw their earnings. These options include a Direct to Bank option that allows freelance to get their earnings directly into their local bank account without jumping through multiple hoops. This feature is very important for freelancers in countries that do not support PayPal or Payoneer. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I received a gift card for sharing my honest review.

The amount of spam/scam jobs on Upwork is a big concern, and it's one part of Upwork that I know can be improved upon.

It's very frustrating to craft a proposal and spend precious connects to bid for a gig only for it to turn out to be a spam or scam.

To be fair, sometimes, some of these clients are banned and the connects returned, but this doesn't always happen.

Also, the availability of low-priced jobs is very concerning and allows some clients to exploit freelancers, especially those just starting out. This is can be discouraging for new freelancers and frustrating for older and experienced ones alike. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I use Upwork to write insurance claims for me, which helps me manage my time and secure new business while someone else handles the data entry. The person I work with is punctual, has great communication skills, and is very good at writing estimates. Upwork allows me to hire top talent without having to keep someone on payroll. It saves me money since hiring a full-time estimate writer would probably cost me about $4K a month, but I only spend about $1K per month and rehire my talent only when needed. I recommend it all the time and would rate it a 10. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I found it problematic that I couldn't talk or reach out directly to the person without going through the app, which led to missing a deadline. The first time I hired someone, things didn't go well because the person wasn't on the system, and I had no way to contact them. I also find some items hard to navigate, though I can't point to anything specific. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I've worked with a work for many years. Probably around 15. I was very grateful to find on the have enjoyed my experience with them up until recently. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

It seems that recently they're becoming very relying on AI. It's becoming increasingly difficult to talk to a real person in chat or on the phone. This used to be a whole lot simpler. But now they've made it very, very difficult to get to a real person. I've had several experiences where I posted ads for freelancer only for them to be taken down a few minutes later. I had one experience where I kept posting an ad and it was taken down three or four times by of work. I'm not quite sure the reason I could ever find out why. Every time I asked all I get was a canned response that was pretty much useless. I wound up having to have to put way more detail into the doctor description was necessary and even put things in there that weren't necessarily what I needed. But I had to provide way more detail than I should've had to so they had wouldn't be rejected again. I try to be pretty thorough with my ads, but your system just seems to be very critical. I've also had several problems with that work going down and throwing up very errors. Again, though I don't have any proof for this I would probably attribute to an over-reliance on AI. I had pretty good experiences with customer service in the past and even up until it was almost impossible to get a hold of anybody. But your AI is horrible and I would strongly recommend moving away away from so much dependent on it because it's only causing more and more problems. I've even heard about freelancer that have been kicked . One of the people that was kicked off with someone that worked for me. He kept asking for review and what happened but he never got an answer. So unfortunately, I ended up no longer being able to use this guy. I have no idea if it was his fault or just a problem with AI. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What I like best about Upwork is the way it helps build capacity for my nonprofit. Leading a small team means we often wear many hats, and it isn’t always feasible to bring on full-time staff for every need. Upwork allows us to access highly skilled professionals on demand—whether it’s for grant writing, design, data analysis, or specialized projects—which strengthens our ability to deliver on our mission without overextending our team. It’s an incredible tool for nonprofits looking to scale impact while staying lean and efficient. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

“What I find least helpful about Upwork is that it can sometimes be overwhelming to sort through the large pool of freelancers to find the right fit for our needs. As a nonprofit leader with limited time, I wish there were even more tailored tools to help match us quickly with professionals who understand the nonprofit sector. Occasionally, the fees also make it a bit harder for us to stretch our budget, which is always top of mind in the nonprofit world Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I like how easy Upwork is to use and how quickly I can start working with a contractor on projects. This is especially useful for last minute projects. It's simple to type in job search exactly the type of skills or job I'm looking to hire for. I love how easy it is to view contractors' profiles and check out their successfully completed jobs and reviews. This makes me more confident in using the platform. Setting up Upwork was very easy as well. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

It's a little hard to read the timesheets and reporting - I wish that part could be a bit more simple. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

It’s great to be able to usually find pretty good contract candidates. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Extremely high fees and membership costs. There also seems to be a lack of proper vetting of contractors: we’ve worked with multiple contractors whose work was atrociously poor, and some lied and acted deceitfully. Many also claim they’re based in the USA, but I’ve been told numerous times by contractors themselves that they use someone else’s ID to fake their profile location. We’ve used Upwork multiple times and have spent thousands of dollars, yet lately the overall quality has felt close to what I’ve seen on other platforms like Fiverr, which are typically far cheaper.

Upwork also consistently lies to the cashback platforms they partner with, telling them that we didn’t make a purchase when that is blatantly untrue. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Upwork provides excellent flexibility and global exposure for freelancers. The platform makes it possible to connect with clients from different countries and industries, which has helped me expand my professional network and gain diverse project experience. It allows me to showcase my skills, portfolio, and client feedback in a structured way, helping build long-term credibility. The secure payment system is another strong advantage. With fixed price and hourly contracts, milestone tracking, and payment protection, I feel confident working with both new and returning clients. The built-in messaging and contract management tools keep communication organized and projects streamlined in one place. There is also a wide variety of projects available, from short-term assignments to long term collaborations. This flexibility allows me to select work that matches my expertise, availability, and career goals. The review and rating system promotes transparency and encourages professionalism on both sides. Upwork has played an important role in helping me grow my freelance career by providing consistent opportunities, reliable payments, and access to a global client base. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

One of the main challenges on Upwork is the high level of competition. Many freelancers apply for the same projects, which can make it difficult to stand out, especially for newer profiles. The cost of Connects to submit proposals can also add up without guaranteeing work. Additionally, service fees reduce overall earnings, particularly on smaller projects. Sometimes clients post unclear job descriptions or have unrealistic expectations regarding budget and deadlines. The proposal process can be time consuming, and not all clients respond after receiving applications, which can be discouraging for freelancers investing effort into detailed proposals. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Varieties of the projects and getting to work with clients from different parts of the world beside able to work on your own terms like if you want to work on hourly or fixed type of projects you get to choose as well the hours you can work per week and able to find the good or bad reviews on the clients feedback and able to differentiate those clients with payment verified vs those who doesnt have one to make sure your payment will go through smoothly. Also upwork payment protection is amazing as long as you track your hours for work related and adding memo notes.Upwork changed my life to be better and able to know many team members across the world and learn about their culture beside flexibility schedule. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

No of connects are now slim and you have to purchase them now if you want to submit proposal and each client requires no of connects to be submitted unless you are invited directly. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What I like best about Upwork is how it makes finding and managing freelance work simple and secure. It brings clients and professionals together in one place, with built-in tools for proposals, communication, and payments, so you can focus on delivering work instead of chasing clients or worrying about getting paid. The flexibility to choose projects that match your skills and schedule is also a big plus. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

One thing I dislike about Upwork is the level of competition, which can make it harder—especially for new freelancers—to stand out and win projects. The service fees can also feel high at times, and some job postings attract low budgets or unrealistic expectations, which means you have to be selective and spend time filtering for quality opportunities. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I like that as a small to medium-sized business in the US, I can access talent across the world at rates that I couldn't get here. The time journal or workers' journal is very helpful as it lets me see partial progress on a project. The ability to give workers a bonus also helps. It was pretty easy to set up, as I was able to hire someone within the first hours of signing up. The platform is great, and the people on there are very good at what they do. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I think the fees could be improved. You know, I feel like I'm paying a high marketplace fee every time I hire talent or pay my workers. I think I've spent more than a 100,000 US dollars to date on Upwork. And I could imagine a smaller percentage going to the marketplace fee so I can get more work done. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.