--- title: Upwork Reviews meta_title: 'Upwork Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2' meta_description: Filter 3232 reviews by the users' company size, role or industry to find out how Upwork works for a business like yours. aggregate_rating: rating_value: 4.5 review_count: 3232 scale: '5' date_modified: '2026-09-28' parent_category: name: HR url: https://www.g2.com/categories/hr --- # Upwork Reviews **Vendor:** Upwork Inc. **Category:** [Freelance Platforms](https://www.g2.com/categories/freelance-platforms) **Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 3,232 **AI Verified:** At least 10 G2 reviewers have confirmed using this product's AI features and functionality. ## About Upwork Upwork is a freelance hiring platform and work marketplace that connects businesses with independent professionals across more than 10,000 skill categories. It functions as an end-to-end solution for sourcing and managing contingent workforce needs — from project specialists to long-term contractors — without the overhead of full-time hiring. Businesses of all sizes use Upwork to fill skill gaps, execute complex projects, and scale results without adding headcount. Creating an account and posting a job is free. You pay only once a contract begins. Most clients hire within three days of posting. There's also no need for a fully defined scope to get started. You can browse freelancers by skill, experience level, location, and availability, review work histories, and save profiles as you define your needs. Upwork covers a broad range of disciplines, including web and app development, AI engineering, design, finance, customer support, marketing, writing, and consulting. You can hire individual freelancers or assemble multi-person project teams. Upwork is particularly well suited for businesses that need specialized expertise quickly, including freelancers who combine deep domain knowledge with AI tools to amplify their output and deliver results more efficiently. Key platform capabilities include: AI-assisted matching — Uma™, Upwork's Mindful AI, analyzes project details like skills, budget, scope, and timeline to surface relevant freelancers. You can also search and filter independently and invite specific candidates to apply to your job. Transparent freelancer profiles — Evaluate candidates through detailed profiles, portfolios, verified work history, client feedback, skill certifications, and badges. Message or interview freelancers before starting a contract. Flexible contract types — Choose between hourly contracts, billed weekly based on logged hours, or fixed-price contracts funded in milestones, depending on how the work is structured. Built-in payment protection — For fixed-price projects, funds are held in escrow and released only upon client approval. For hourly projects, logged hours can be reviewed before billing is finalized. Centralized project management — Contracts, messaging, milestones, timesheets, and payments are managed from a single dashboard, with dispute assistance available if issues arise. Upwork is primarily used by business owners, hiring managers, and procurement teams looking for a faster, lower-risk alternative to traditional staffing or full-time recruitment, whether for a single project or an ongoing contingent workforce strategy. ## Upwork Pros & Cons Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews. **What users like:** - Users find Upwork's platform incredibly **easy to navigate** , enabling effortless job searches and secure payments. (665 reviews) - Users appreciate the **wide variety of job opportunities** on Upwork, making it easy to find and apply for work. (367 reviews) - Users appreciate the **convenience and security** of Upwork, praising its user-friendly platform and reliable payment system. (358 reviews) - Users appreciate the **time efficiency** of Upwork, enabling quick navigation and straightforward contract completion. (288 reviews) - Users value the **secure payment system** on Upwork, ensuring confidence in job delivery and earnings. (266 reviews) - Talent Quality (231 reviews) - Payment Reliability (215 reviews) - Convenience (191 reviews) - Many Options (186 reviews) - Helpful (149 reviews) **What users dislike:** - Users find Upwork **expensive due to costs of Connects** , which can hinder initial job-seeking efforts and overall satisfaction. (474 reviews) - Users are frustrated with Upwork's **high fees** , which diminish earnings and make finding jobs increasingly costly. (454 reviews) - Users find **job scarcity** on Upwork frustrating, facing tough competition and disappointing Connects requirements to find work. (207 reviews) - Users express frustration over **intense competition** on Upwork, feeling disadvantaged by the bidding process and low pay offers. (155 reviews) - Users express frustration over **low quality talent** and cumbersome processes, affecting their freelancing experience on Upwork. (123 reviews) - Hidden Fees (114 reviews) - Freelancer Issues (106 reviews) - Lack of Information (94 reviews) - Payment Issues (93 reviews) - Users report a rise in **scams** on Upwork, with fake accounts and untrustworthy freelancers causing financial loss. (93 reviews) ## Upwork Reviews ### 1. Efficient for Hiring, But Frustrating Website Issues **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Jake B. **Validated Reviewer:** This review contains authentic analysis and has been reviewed by our team **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** January 20, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** One thing I like about using Upwork for hiring decisions is that I can see ratings and previous work of freelancers to ensure they're a good fit. I really do like that. My favorite thing about Upwork is that it keeps all my business-related discussions on the same website, making management easy. I appreciate the organization Upwork provides. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** I experience serious and frequent delays when trying to use Upwork. The website sometimes refuses to load when I try to pay someone or check a freelancer's message, even though my internet works fine with other websites. It's an intermittent issue, but it often happens at inconvenient times, disrupting my workflow and video production. I also have to use Trello to communicate with multiple freelancers at once because Upwork doesn't currently offer a way for group communication. Furthermore, there are fees to consider when using Upwork. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use Upwork to hire scriptwriters, thumbnail designers, and video editors. It helps by showing ratings and previous work, making it easier to evaluate if they're a good fit. I like that it keeps all business discussions in one place, simplifying management. ### 2. Efficient Freelancer Sourcing for Specialized Creative Skills. **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Zack K. | Content Manager / Producer, Internet, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through LinkedIn **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** January 20, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** I like using Upwork for getting creative work done with specialized, skilled freelancers around the world. I appreciate its talent sourcing features and filtering, which give me the ability to find very specific creative contractors at any time of day/year. The existing global network of contractors is already onboarded and ready to work via Upwork, making it easy to start projects quickly. We all have an existing rolodex in our heads, but that doesn't necessarily mean those folks are available this week, or even this quarter. Upwork's talent sourcing features help me find contractors I've never worked with before, who are qualified for the project and ready produce high-quality work, now. Starting a working relationship on Upwork allows me to further build my network of freelancers, and scale my team's output without committing to longer engagements or full-time hires. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** There are currently a lot of extra clicks to get work done, to pay out contractors, and to revisit past contractors to start new projects. This could be smoother. I would also like recommended Milestone breakdowns or templates depending on the type of work. For example, a video project is always going to have different phases: Script, Storyboard, V1, V2, V3 etc. Could this be a project template with milestone calculations already suggested? Saves clicks and time. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use Upwork to get specialized creative work done quickly, solve resourcing issues, and find new, high-quality freelancers for niche tasks. It helps me source talent globally and build my freelancer network, which is vital given our lack of full-time creative staff in a startup. I run the Marketing dept, which always needs to make creative stuff and experiment! ### 3. Time-Saving Platform with High-Quality Freelancers **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Mark W. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through a business email account added to their profile **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** January 20, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** I like Upwork for the high quality freelancers it provides, which saves me a lot of time vetting people. I generally find freelancers who are very good and meet the quality I expect. I appreciate how intuitive the profiles are, with lots of information that helps me determine if a freelancer is good before I even start chatting with them. The requirement for freelancers to upload their past work is really helpful in the vetting process. The communication functionality is very good, allowing me to attach images and files directly in the chat, making it seamless to communicate with freelancers without needing much communication outside of Upwork. Lastly, the billing process is very straightforward, and setting up is pretty seamless. The tax preparation information is very straightforward as well. Overall, Upwork makes it easier for companies by reducing the time spent on vetting and allowing more focus on getting the job done. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** The only thing I would improve is just basically the fees are on the high side. But still, I think I save money using freelancers on Upwork versus hiring a full-time employee, so the value for money is definitely there. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Upwork solves my problem of vetting high-quality freelancers and saves me lots of time. I can focus on projects instead of spending time interviewing candidates and figuring out who can do the job well. ### 4. Effortless Talent Acquisition and Automation **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Mike C. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through a business email account **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** January 20, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** I use Upwork for my creative businesses, specifically architectural photography and cinematography, to hire contractors for photo and video editing. My primary photo editor, who I found through Upwork, has been with me for 5 years. It's a great platform that makes my life easier and saves a lot of time. I love how communicating with my editor and getting him paid is super simple and automated. I've recommended Upwork to many of my clients and colleagues who are looking for marketing and admin support. I like that it automates payments, setting boundaries, and communication, which makes everything easier and saves time. The initial setup of Upwork was really easy, and I'd rate it a 9 out of 10. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** It's pretty saturated with talent because it's a great platform, so when putting up job postings you just have to be specific to be able to sift through the mess. Perhaps having more advanced filtering options. A lot of them send me generic responses and it's a bit frustrating sometimes because I tend to get a lot of people who send templatized messages. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use Upwork to find quality talent fast. It automates communication and payments, making everything easier and saving me time. ### 5. Streamlined Freelance Hiring with Intuitive Platform **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Sara D. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through a business email account **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** January 20, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** I love Upwork's platform because it's really simple to use and their app is extremely intuitive. It helps me create amazing connections and networks with other designers, which is essential for completing my work. I truly couldn't do as much or make as much without Upwork. It's incredibly easy and intuitive to set up, and I appreciate that I can add my accountant as a member to help organize the back-end payroll stuff. Also, I love all of the freelancers on Upwork and the protections they provide. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** I haven't found anything I really dislike about Upwork. The only thing I would change is having separate charges for each freelancer rather than a single bill when I pay multiple freelancers. This would help with my back-end accounting per project. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Upwork helps me find and vet amazing designers quickly, saving time from posting job openings. It allows me to take on short-term projects without the pressure of maintaining an employee, not cutting into my workload or work time. ### 6. Efficient Talent Sourcing, Payment Flexibility Needed **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Neil A. | Director Of Product Development, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through Google One Tap using a business email account **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** January 20, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** I think the interface works well. It's easy to find good talent. Once I find good people on Upwork, I can continue hiring them for project-based work. As I'm looking for a contractor, I can see their previous work and appreciate the reviews collected and the amount of money they have transacted through Upwork. This gives me a sense that the person is going to work out and has the experience I need. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** I think sometimes on some of my bigger projects, the idea of having to pay upfront for the entire project is a little annoying. I'm forced to set up milestones, and I think the milestones work okay but I don't know that all the talent want to use Milestone. Some of my larger projects I've had to put money into Upwork long before the project is completed. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Upwork helps me find specific talent quickly for short-term projects in the book publishing industry, offering a wide variety and ensuring they meet my project needs. ### 7. Effortless Resource Management with Upwork **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Saurabh S. | Founder **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through LinkedIn **Source: Organic:** Organic review. This review was written entirely without invitation or incentive from G2, a seller, or an affiliate. **Reviewed Date:** January 20, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** I like that the escrow feature in Upwork ensures that our payment amount is fixed, and it's only released once the work is done, which provides a lot of security. I also appreciate that Upwork provides the best ratings and helps me see the success rate, which I think is the best thing for evaluating the output. Additionally, the initial setup was very easy and straightforward. I just signed up, provided all the necessary information, updated the account details, and it was ready to go. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** I would say, like, with some of the resources, they are showing us as a rising talent. But, we are not getting the results, like, as what we expect. So maybe a bit more strict on giving them tags of rising talent or giving them best like, reviews. Like, after giving reviews also, I have seen some of the resources are not best. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Upwork solves a major problem by allowing us to quickly find resources when we can't hire immediately, so we post jobs and get the solution right away. ### 8. A Diverse Community with Deep Experience Across Projects **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Bashar T. | Lab/Test engineer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through LinkedIn **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** August 10, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** There are a lot of people here, each with different experiences across a range of projects and subjects. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** The platform is kind of completed to use and wish that there is a short video that would explain how to use it. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** It is benefiting me in my grad program studying. ### 9. Cost-Effective One-Stop Shop Despite Clunky Interface **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) This reviewer's identity has been verified by our review moderation team. They have asked not to show their name, job title, or picture. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through LinkedIn **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** June 27, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** I like using Upwork because the fees are cheaper compared to other platforms. It's a one-stop shop for an author, handling formatting, illustrating, covers, etc. I also appreciate that the quality of freelancers is comparable to Fiverr, and although it takes a few people to find the right fit, it's worth it considering the cost-effectiveness. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** I don't think it's very easy to navigate. I don't understand how the milestones work. I can't find messages. I think it's clumsy to work in. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use Upwork to get my books formatted professionally and quickly. It's cost-effective with cheaper fees and serves as a one-stop shop for an author—formatting, illustrating, covers, etc. ### 10. Effective Hiring Platform, But Costly for Freelancers **Rating:** 1.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Jerry W. | Co-Founder, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through a business email account **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** April 20, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** I can find freelancers pretty easily on Upwork. It was a long time ago, but I think the initial setup was easy back then. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** As a freelancer, Upwork takes 20% of my income. I have to manually add my time due to security issues or recording my screen(s). Because of this, Upwork provides me no protection and I've lost lots of money. It's upsetting and frustrating. It feels like Upwork doesn't give a shit about their freelancers anymore. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Upwork helps me find freelancers for my projects easily. However, as a freelancer, I face issues with high fees and lack of protection, leading to financial losses. ### 11. Effortless Freelancing and Hiring on Upwork **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Daniel W. | Founder, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through LinkedIn **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** January 21, 2026 At G2, we prefer fresh reviews and we like to follow up with reviewers. They may not have updated their review text, but have updated their review. **What do you like best about Upwork?** I definitely like the ease of finding people for specific tasks that I'm looking for. I think Upwork is a pretty solid platform. I mostly value the search functions, especially for finding people to do certain jobs. The filtering system is quite helpful for checking how much they're charging or their previous experience. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** The main one that I can think of is having to switch accounts from freelancer to, you know, hire. As somebody who has both, that's kind of annoying to have to keep going back and forth. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use Upwork to easily find freelancers for specific tasks without needing full-time hires. The platform's search and filtering functions are quite helpful, streamlining the process of finding the right people for my business needs. ### 12. Reliable Platform with a Wide Range of Freelancers for Every Budget **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** John B. | Media Specialist, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Current User:** The reviewer uploaded a screenshot or submitted the review in-app verifying them as current user. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through LinkedIn **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** June 24, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** Reliable and a variety of freelancers at all skill and price levels. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** More freelancers than I expected that have no experience and no trackrecord. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Finding talent for very specific tasks in marketing and publishing. ### 13. Upwork Makes It Easy to Use and Find the Right Help **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Teresa A. | Licensed Practical Nurse, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Current User:** The reviewer uploaded a screenshot or submitted the review in-app verifying them as current user. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through LinkedIn **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** June 24, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** Easy to use. Easy to find the right help **What do you dislike about Upwork?** Nothing. I like how Upwork is set up with easy to use **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** It help me find a beta reader for my book in my niche ### 14. Effective Platform for Gigs and Visibility Boost **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Joshua K. | Voice-Over Artist, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through LinkedIn **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** March 11, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** I really appreciate Upwork's positive feedback loop. The more work I do, the more the platform recognizes my efforts and makes my profile more visible. I also value the badges, having achieved Top Rated freelancer status a few months ago. Setting up Upwork was easy for me, despite being new to freelancing and the platform itself. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** I dislike the connects system. It was tolerable a few years back, but at some point, the cost became astronomically higher, like 3-4x the connect amount for submitting a proposal compared to the 2022-2023 era. I think the cost needs to be reined in a bit. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Upwork provides both a job board and the ability to market my own offerings, which is unique compared to other platforms. ### 15. Flexible Freelancer Platform with Room for More Customization **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** William M. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through LinkedIn **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** January 20, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** I like that I can review the workers' backgrounds on Upwork. Their profiles plus chat messaging let me see their technical backgrounds and ask questions, which helps me verify their qualifications. Upwork provides accountability controls that allow me to view work performed and decide when to pay. Although portfolio links have some influence, they are not the most important factor for me. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** Maybe if I had more "granular" control over who responds to me the better. When I post a job I get too many responses. For example, for a tee shirt design project I may want an artist who is 14-18 years old and only lives in Boston, San Francisco, Baltimore, and New York. I do not believe I can filter the response channel like that? **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use Upwork for solving software-based problems that I can't solve myself, like logo designs and shopping cart page appearance. ### 16. Great place to make some extra cash **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Alisha A. | Freelancer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Current User:** The reviewer uploaded a screenshot or submitted the review in-app verifying them as current user. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through LinkedIn **Source: Organic:** Organic review. This review was written entirely without invitation or incentive from G2, a seller, or an affiliate. **G2 Icon:** Our network of Icons are G2 members who are recognized for their outstanding contributions and commitment to helping others through their expertise. **Reviewed Date:** September 15, 2025 At G2, we prefer fresh reviews and we like to follow up with reviewers. They may not have updated their review text, but have updated their review. **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. **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! **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** I've had a couple employers choose me on upwork and Upwork has sent me emails right away letting me know those accounts were terminated due to being scammers. I received my connects back for applying and protected by upwork. I feel safe on there because of it. ### 17. Great for Finding the Right Talent and Aligning on Scope Before Hiring **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Adam N. | Managing Partner, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Current User:** The reviewer uploaded a screenshot or submitted the review in-app verifying them as current user. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through a business email account **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** January 20, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** I’ve been able to find talent that fits our needs and to discuss and evaluate their understanding of the scope and goals before hiring. I have successfully used the platform on multiple occasions and found some very talented people. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** The platform can be hard to use for communication. We work with large files which can be difficult to share. The platform is easy to use for the most part, but some of the transactional details have caught me off guard. For example, marking a milestone as complete triggers an immediate payment in full without a confirmation step. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Finding talent quickly with minimal risk. Particularly helpful in finding specialized talent! ### 18. Easy-to-Use Platform with Great Professionals **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Publishing | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) This reviewer's identity has been verified by our review moderation team. They have asked not to show their name, job title, or picture. **Current User:** The reviewer uploaded a screenshot or submitted the review in-app verifying them as current user. **Validated Reviewer:** This review contains authentic analysis and has been reviewed by our team **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** June 12, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** First of all, it’s a very easy-to-use, user-friendly platform, and I can find great professionals here to meet my work needs. It is easy to pay and contact the professionals. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** So far, I haven’t had any complaints at all. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** As a book publisher, I used to struggle to find good editors. Since joining Upwork, though, it’s been a whole different ballgame. I needed excellent editors to revise my manuscripts, and on Upwork I finally found them! ### 19. Effortless Job Bidding, Major Revenue Boost **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Corey V. | Chief Content Curator **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through LinkedIn **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** January 21, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** I really appreciate how easy Upwork makes it to connect with potential customers, bid on projects, and get paid. I like that I can browse available jobs and apply on the spot, which is the biggest revenue driver for me on the platform. The bidding system allows me to see where I stand compared to other applicants, so I can decide whether to invest more connects or money to try and get a specific job. Lastly, the initial setup was very easy, which made getting started a breeze. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** It would be preferred that after a certain threshold users can apply for instant pay. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Upwork makes it easy to connect with potential customers, bid on projects, and get paid. It's the biggest revenue driver for me, allowing me to browse jobs and apply instantly, deciding where to invest effort based on my standing among other applicants. ### 20. Effortless Contractor Hiring with Upwork **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Rich S. | Owner, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through a business email account **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** April 20, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** I like that Upwork is easy to use and provides access to plenty of resources and contractors. It's helpful to find people based on location or project cost and see their experiences and what they've done. I've found that it easily helps find skilled contractors to get the work done as needed. The initial setup was very easy, with no issues at all. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** Have not had any issues **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** I find Upwork helps easily hire skilled contractors to get work done as needed. It's easy to use with plenty of contractor resources. I can find people based on location or project cost. ### 21. Skilled Freelancers That Help Me Scale My Business **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Eileen J. | Author, Speak and Coach, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Current User:** The reviewer uploaded a screenshot or submitted the review in-app verifying them as current user. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through Google using a business email account **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** March 11, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** I value the ease of use and the the ability to connect with such skilled freelancers. I rely on freelancers to help me scale my business and assist me with task I am unable to accomplish myself. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** I dislike having to continuously pay fees for milestone for an ongoing project. I rather pay a one time fee as opposed to paying mutilple fees on a consistant basis. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Upwork is assisting me with saving time, energy and dealing with task I prefer to outsource. ### 22. Effortless Access to Quality Freelancers **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Ryan C. | President, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through LinkedIn **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** January 20, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** I like Upwork for its ease of use and ease of posting jobs. I also appreciate the quality of applicants it brings in and being able to set my own price. The platform opens access to a world of freelancers I wouldn't know where to find or contact otherwise. Plus, the fact that I can post a free job is beneficial, as sometimes the responses are amazing and help push a project forward. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** It's becoming too automated with the postings - let me have total control over what the post is. You can suggest things via AI but it's become reliant on these features and it's very frustrating. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Upwork gives me access to a world of freelancers I wouldn't find otherwise, and it's easy to use. I can post a free job, which helps me decide whether to move forward with projects without upfront costs. ### 23. Freelancer Payment Protection and Access to Quality Clients on Upwork **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Caitlin G. | Senior Manager (RN) of Published Resources, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Current User:** The reviewer uploaded a screenshot or submitted the review in-app verifying them as current user. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through LinkedIn **Source: Organic:** Organic review. This review was written entirely without invitation or incentive from G2, a seller, or an affiliate. **Reviewed Date:** October 25, 2025 **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. **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. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Upwork primarily solves some major freelance headaches: 1) Payment Risk: Their escrow and Time Tracker guarantee payment. 2) Clients: It provides a massive, global marketplace for finding large or specialized contracts. 3) Admin Work: It centralizes contracting, time tracking, and invoicing, saving some non-billable time. ### 24. Effortless Task Outsourcing and Talent Discovery **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Bert V. | Head Differencist and Lead Consultant **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through LinkedIn **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** January 20, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** I like Upwork for the easiness of putting in a task and finding different profiles. It has a good flow for describing a task, so I don't have to think about that much. I just type in my expertise, and the variety of profiles helps in quickly selecting someone with the expertise and cost pricing that fits my needs. I also find the initial setup of Upwork to be quick and easy. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** The weekly payment for a recurring task doesn't ask if I want to continue another week and so it kept running and kept hiring the person while I intended to stop the task already. Could be improved. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use Upwork to delegate tedious tasks like admin and accounting, which saves me time. Its interface makes task description simple, and it helps me quickly find skilled freelancers with the right expertise and pricing. ### 25. Effortless Hiring with Geo-Selection & Candidate Insights **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Daniel K. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through Google using a business email account **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** January 20, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** What I really like about Upwork is the ability to geographically select where the candidate pool is drawn from, whether it be Europe, the US, or even specific countries. This feature adds a lot of flexibility. I also really like how it makes communication with candidates very easy in the hiring process. The chance to have a Zoom call or discuss things by messaging app simplifies everything. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** I don't like that the geographic feature seems to be either hacked by people from different countries or it doesn't work. For example, when I'm searching for a candidate that I want to work with locally, I regularly get many applicants from Asia or East Asia, and that's just noise, wasting their time and mine. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Upwork makes it easy to find qualified candidates, read their bios, understand budgets, and review their portfolios, helping me with hiring decisions. ### 26. Vast Freelancer Pool with Flexible Pricing in an Easy-to-Use Platform **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Troy W. | Proprietor, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Current User:** The reviewer uploaded a screenshot or submitted the review in-app verifying them as current user. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through a business email account **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** March 12, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** The vast pool of freelancers, the flexibility in job stats and pricing structures, and the site's ease of use. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** The ability to build a project could be simplified for very basic tasks. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** I have a wide variety of tasks that need completing and to cull a talent pool independently and navigate it via email would be overly burdensome. Upwork offers solid talent with a competitively price-for-project focus that is amenable to me as a freelancer as well as a hiring party. ### 27. Wide Variety of Experts to Find the Perfect Skill Set **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Clifford B. | Business Owner, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Current User:** The reviewer uploaded a screenshot or submitted the review in-app verifying them as current user. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through a business email account **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** May 01, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** A wide variety of experts to help get the perfect skill set **What do you dislike about Upwork?** If you hire outside of the United States, you may run into language barriers. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** I don’t have time to learn how to create dashboards in Looker Studio. I already have the data; I just need it visualized in a helpful, easy-to-understand, and aesthetic way. ### 28. Upwork Helped Me Build My Career and Find Niche Clients Fast **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Gerardo E. | Paid Ads Manager, Marketing and Advertising, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Current User:** The reviewer uploaded a screenshot or submitted the review in-app verifying them as current user. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through a business email account **Source: Organic:** Organic review. This review was written entirely without invitation or incentive from G2, a seller, or an affiliate. **Reviewed Date:** April 16, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** I like that I can find clients in my niche within a short timeframe, especially with all the features provided. I’ve built my career thanks to Upwork! **What do you dislike about Upwork?** I don’t like that there’s no way to remove fake reviews or reviews that seem to be posted with bad intentions. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** It's getting me clients who can pay what I charge for my paid media services. ### 29. Effortless Hiring, But Beware of Scammers on Upwork **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Matthew L. | President, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Current User:** The reviewer uploaded a screenshot or submitted the review in-app verifying them as current user. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through LinkedIn **Source: Organic:** Organic review. This review was written entirely without invitation or incentive from G2, a seller, or an affiliate. **Reviewed Date:** October 21, 2025 **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. **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. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Helping me connect with and hire the top freelancers in the world. These people have skill sets that are missing on my team, and hiring a freelancer is cheaper than a full time employee. ### 30. Great marketplace if you know exactly what you need **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** MARK B. | Owner, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Current User:** The reviewer uploaded a screenshot or submitted the review in-app verifying them as current user. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through a business email account **Source: Organic:** Organic review. This review was written entirely without invitation or incentive from G2, a seller, or an affiliate. **Reviewed Date:** August 14, 2025 At G2, we prefer fresh reviews and we like to follow up with reviewers. They may not have updated their review text, but have updated their review. **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. **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. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Able to find talent to work on spot jobs or emergency fill ins if someone is not available in our agency. Have used it to fill in for projects outside our skill set, too, so that the client has a seamless experience with us. ### 31. Connecting Talent with Meaningful Work **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** lily m. | Senior UX Designer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Current User:** The reviewer uploaded a screenshot or submitted the review in-app verifying them as current user. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through a business email account **Source: Organic:** Organic review. This review was written entirely without invitation or incentive from G2, a seller, or an affiliate. **Reviewed Date:** October 21, 2025 **What do you like best about Upwork?** What I like best about Upwork is how it connects skilled professionals with clients who genuinely value expertise. The platform makes it easy to find projects that align with my background and interests, while offering transparency, flexibility, and a reputation-based system that rewards quality work. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** The main downside for me is that Upwork can feel saturated at times, especially when talented freelancers are competing for similar roles. That said, it also motivates me to refine my proposals, highlight my unique experience, and build long-term client relationships that rise above the noise. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Upwork solves one of the biggest challenges in today’s work landscape — connecting qualified professionals with businesses that need specialized talent. As a Product Designer, it’s been valuable to access a wide range of clients and projects that match my skills, without the barriers of location or traditional hiring processes. It allows me to focus on doing impactful design work while Upwork handles trust, contracts, and payments. ### 32. Effortless Access to Skilled Experts **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Doug M. | Business Acquisition Coach, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through a business email account added to their profile **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** March 11, 2026 At G2, we prefer fresh reviews and we like to follow up with reviewers. They may not have updated their review text, but have updated their review. **What do you like best about Upwork?** The thing I like most about Upwork is the ease with which I can find talented help. I also appreciate being able to easily see their ratings while I look at their profiles. That's the biggest thing I like about Upwork. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** Well, I'm often deluged with candidates on Upwork, and it's sometimes hard sorting through the candidates to find ones that I can actually use. That's the biggest problem I have, just sorting through the talent. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Upwork helps me find people with expertise other than mine, enabling me to accomplish tasks that I couldn't do on my own. ### 33. Reliable Platform for Hiring Freelancers **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Ana M. | CEO, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Current User:** The reviewer uploaded a screenshot or submitted the review in-app verifying them as current user. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through a business email account **Source: Organic:** Organic review. This review was written entirely without invitation or incentive from G2, a seller, or an affiliate. **Reviewed Date:** November 18, 2025 **What do you like best about Upwork?** The best part about Upwork is the quality of talent available for VA roles. I can review portfolios, test tasks, communication style, and ratings before hiring, which helps me find virtual assistants who are truly aligned with my needs. The platform’s tools for messaging, managing contracts, and tracking work also make the entire process smooth and organized. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** You really have to sift through a lot of applicants to find the right person. Skill levels aren’t always consistent, and sometimes profiles look better than the actual work delivered. There are also platform fees to consider. It’s definitely possible to find great VAs, you just need to screen carefully. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Upwork solves the problem of uncertainty when hiring freelancers online. The platform provides secure payment protection and a clear refund process, which gives me confidence as a client. ### 34. Effortless Hiring with a Wide Selection of Contractors **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Alan N. | Executive Director, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through LinkedIn **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** April 24, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** I like that there's a variety of contractors to choose from on Upwork. I also appreciate the way it manages their reviews system. The initial setup was extremely easy, and I actually got results on Upwork after switching from Fiverr. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** I don't have any issues with Upwork per se; however, I think cover letter/resume writers should be required to provide ATS-friendly work solely, as employers use it to weed out applicants. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Upwork eliminates the hassle of writing countless cover letters myself. I like the variety of contractors and how Upwork manages their reviews system. ### 35. Efficient Hiring with Some Vetting Required! **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Fouzia A. | Data Scientist, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Current User:** The reviewer uploaded a screenshot or submitted the review in-app verifying them as current user. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through a business email account added to their profile **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** January 25, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** What I like most about Upwork is the access to a large pool of global talent with verified profiles, reviews, and portfolios. It makes it easier to evaluate candidates and hire quickly for specific tasks. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** The quality of proposals can be inconsistent, many applicants copy generic templates without fully understanding the project, which makes screening time-consuming. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Upwork solves the problem of finding and hiring reliable global talent quickly. Instead of spending weeks sourcing candidates, I can post a job, review verified profiles, and hire within days. This speeds up development and allows me to scale projects without long-term hiring commitments. ### 36. Reliable and secure but needs professional improvements, adding the Arabic language and live chat customer service. **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Mohamed H. | owner, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through Google One Tap using a business email account **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **AI Translated:** This review has been translated from Arabic using AI. **Reviewed Date:** April 02, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** I appreciate the security and trust in dealings on Upwork, where the rights of all parties to the contract are preserved. I also like the number of options that facilitate the search process, in addition to follow-up and guidance messages. I find that the initial setup for Upwork is good and not difficult or exhausting. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** I find that customer service needs improvement. There should be a live chat available to talk to them, in addition to Arabic language support. There is also a lack of standards for determining the professionalism of subscribers and how to evaluate them as experts. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Upwork provides security and trust in transactions, and protects the rights of all parties. It facilitates searching thanks to the availability of several options, but it needs improvements in evaluating the professionalism level of subscribers and the presence of a live chat in Arabic. ### 37. Upwork has changed my life **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Consulting | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) This reviewer's identity has been verified by our review moderation team. They have asked not to show their name, job title, or picture. **Current User:** The reviewer uploaded a screenshot or submitted the review in-app verifying them as current user. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through LinkedIn **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** April 20, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** I have clients I wouldn't have found on my own. There are so many amazing established businesses and startups looking for contracted help. The fees balance out with time I save by not doing my own invoicing, and I have peace of mind knowing my payments will always be on time. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** There are some jobs that aren't true freelance jobs. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** My Upwork profile acts as a website in a way. People can see jobs I've completed, read my reviews, and see my success rate. It helps me sell my services without having to do anything. ### 38. Gateway to Success with Genuine Opportunities **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Farhan Ahmed Kamal . | Ecommerce Specialist, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through LinkedIn **Source: Organic:** Organic review. This review was written entirely without invitation or incentive from G2, a seller, or an affiliate. **Reviewed Date:** April 12, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** I appreciate that Upwork is not a fake platform; it has genuine people and real clean projects. Upwork opens the doors of success for anyone who wants to work, which is something I value highly. Thank you, Upwork, for helping me find long-term projects that increase my income, which is important for my family. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** Connection purchase can hurt beginners who are starting from zero. The verification process is quite tough and difficult. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Upwork helps me find long-term projects, increasing my income to support my family. It's a genuine platform with real projects, providing opportunities for anyone wanting to work. ### 39. Efficient Talent Sourcing, Needs Better Applicant Filtering **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Consumer Goods | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) This reviewer's identity has been verified by our review moderation team. They have asked not to show their name, job title, or picture. **Current User:** The reviewer uploaded a screenshot or submitted the review in-app verifying them as current user. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through Google One Tap using a business email account **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** March 23, 2021 At G2, we prefer fresh reviews and we like to follow up with reviewers. They may not have updated their review text, but have updated their review. **What do you like best about Upwork?** I like hiring contractors on Upwork to fill in skill gaps on our team. It's really easy to find quality talent with lots of reviews, and get them hired quickly. It's easy to manage the relationship through Upwork. I've always been able to find someone to do what we need. Contract management is easy and solid, and initial setup was easy too. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** It can be hard to know what to put into the job description, such as how much context about our business to provide. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the flood of applicants. **Recommendations to others considering Upwork:** I like to start as hourly and ask for estimates, then change to fixed price after selecting a hire. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Upwork makes it easy to find quality talent with reviews, hire quickly, and manage the relationship. I always find someone to fill our team’s skill gaps. ### 40. Plenty of Contractors, Protected Payments, and Smart Job Sorting **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Danielle V. | Owner, Marketing and Advertising, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Current User:** The reviewer uploaded a screenshot or submitted the review in-app verifying them as current user. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through LinkedIn **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** April 20, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** I like the amount of contractors available to choose from, knowing my payments are protected, review system, ability to sort job post requirements by location/availability/need. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** I'm not sure I've run into anything that i dislike enough to list here. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** I didn't have a qualified candidates in my local area, Upwork allows me to easily fill that need. ### 41. Upwork takes the place of a graphic designer in our sign shop **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Steve D. | Owner, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Current User:** The reviewer uploaded a screenshot or submitted the review in-app verifying them as current user. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through LinkedIn **Source: Organic:** Organic review. This review was written entirely without invitation or incentive from G2, a seller, or an affiliate. **Reviewed Date:** September 15, 2025 At G2, we prefer fresh reviews and we like to follow up with reviewers. They may not have updated their review text, but have updated their review. **What do you like best about Upwork?** Upwork helps us save time by connecting our busy sign shop with skilled graphic designers. Rather than hiring a full-time employee and struggling to keep them occupied for 40 hours a week at a high salary, we turn to Upwork as needed. This allows us to bring in extra help when our current staff is too busy to handle all the design work. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** Sometimes, even after we've taken the time to explain all the requirements and upload examples, we find that, depending on the job, it can actually be easier to just do the task ourselves. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** This approach helps us keep our overhead costs low, since we hire graphic designers for individual projects rather than employing them full time. ### 42. Account Issues and Poor Support Overshadow Freelancer Access **Rating:** 1.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Monica P. | Founder, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Current User:** The reviewer uploaded a screenshot or submitted the review in-app verifying them as current user. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through a business email account added to their profile **Source: Organic:** Organic review. This review was written entirely without invitation or incentive from G2, a seller, or an affiliate. **Reviewed Date:** December 15, 2025 **What do you like best about Upwork?** Upwork offers access to a lot of freelancers. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** Zero respect paid to freelancers. I don’t know how they function with so little support. And zero respect for clients. We had a small office and two people both accessed the account. Because of this, our account was suspended. Now one of the people no longer works at the company and Upwork refuses to unfreeze our account. We had to create an entire new one and the old one has been sitting there frozen for two years. We tried for six months to get it sorted but Upwork were impossible to deal with. Terrible company **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** None really. If they didn’t exist there would be some other way to find freelancers. ### 43. Found the Right Person Fast—Great Work at an Affordable Price **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Carla L. | Owner/Author, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through a business email account **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** August 09, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** I was able to find just the person I needed and she did a great job for an affordable price. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** Didn't find it easy to locate paid amounts for records **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Solving my writing to include more than AI ### 44. Easy Job Posting and Strong Candidates, Though There’s Room to Improve **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Whitney A. | Client Solutions Expert, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Current User:** The reviewer uploaded a screenshot or submitted the review in-app verifying them as current user. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through a business email account **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** April 20, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** Upwork was easy to find and review the details of each applicant, posting jobs was also simple and the candidates are good quality. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** Downsides of Upwork are not always having access to people in same timezone depending on projects and budgets **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** I am able to hire people on an as needed basis and it's flexible. ### 45. Flexible, Easy Setup, and a Smooth Start on Tax Compliance **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Jenn C. | Owner, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Current User:** The reviewer uploaded a screenshot or submitted the review in-app verifying them as current user. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through a business email account **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** January 20, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** the freedom to work with anyone , at any time and have ease of tax issue to get started. also very easy to set up and implement an account. I use this platform daily and it is very easy to get paid from upwork as well **What do you dislike about Upwork?** the high fee associated with leaving to work outside of upwork, and the high fee when a client takes on a short term project. I wonder if there could be a sliding scale for project cost and support **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** solving the problem of finding new clients and having all work in the same place ### 46. Seamless Navigation, Excellent Freelancers, Needs Better Support **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Craig W. | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Validated Reviewer:** This review contains authentic analysis and has been reviewed by our team **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** May 02, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** I find Upwork easy to navigate and full of very successful and accessible freelancers. The setup was seamless, making it extremely easy for a computer novice like me. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** No one was available over the weekend to solve a billing issue. Unable to add a second credit card. Have representatives available that answer quicker than 48 hours. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Upwork helped me find a competent book cover designer and someone to market my book on Amazon. It's easy to navigate, full of successful freelancers, and the setup was seamless. ### 47. Finding the Right Talent at Your Fingertips **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) This reviewer's identity has been verified by our review moderation team. They have asked not to show their name, job title, or picture. **Current User:** The reviewer uploaded a screenshot or submitted the review in-app verifying them as current user. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through a business email account **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** August 06, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** ease of finding right talent at your fingertips **What do you dislike about Upwork?** The commission percentages charged to both the spending party and the receiving party are high. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Finding the right talent is much easier, and the whole process is very, very quick. ### 48. Freelancing on Upwork **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Love O. | Data Assistant, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Current User:** The reviewer uploaded a screenshot or submitted the review in-app verifying them as current user. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through LinkedIn **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** September 16, 2025 At G2, we prefer fresh reviews and we like to follow up with reviewers. They may not have updated their review text, but have updated their review. **What do you like best about Upwork?** The fact that when I submit proposal for a job, I can see when my proposal has been viewed and also when the client is interviewing or has hired a candidate. I just love that I get to see the process openly. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** I dislike the fact that Upwork allows clients who are unserious about hiring to posts Jobs on the platform, thereby making us to spend connects on Jobs that might not be real or that the client isn't even ready to hire. I buy these connects. I'd want to maximise it's use until I land a full time Job on the platform. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Upwork connects clients that need our services to us and allows us to bid for the Job. Upwork is one of the best freelancing platforms out there because through the platform, so many freelancers kick-started their freelancing career, including me. ### 49. Secure Payment & On-Hold System That Protects Projects **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Maaz M. | Designer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Current User:** The reviewer uploaded a screenshot or submitted the review in-app verifying them as current user. **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through LinkedIn **Incentivized:** This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Source: Seller invite:** Invitation from a seller or affiliate. This reviewer was offered a nominal incentive as thanks for completing this review. **Reviewed Date:** May 22, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** Their payment system and the onhold payment system because client cannot run away after project completion **What do you dislike about Upwork?** Connections and bids are little over priced **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Connecting client and a freelancer a proper platform to communicate in a secure way ### 50. A Trusted Freelancing Platform **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** katherine m. | Sales Manager, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Validated Reviewer:** Validated through a business email account **Source: Organic:** Organic review. This review was written entirely without invitation or incentive from G2, a seller, or an affiliate. **Reviewed Date:** January 13, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** What I like best about Upwork is the flexibility and access to global opportunities. It allows me to work with clients from different industries while managing my time efficiently. I also appreciate the structured platform—clear contracts, secure payments, and transparent feedback—which creates a professional and reliable environment for both freelancers and clients **What do you dislike about Upwork?** What I dislike about Upwork is the high level of competition, which can make it challenging for skilled freelancers to stand out initially. The platform fees can also feel limiting **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Upwork addresses the challenge of linking businesses with skilled remote professionals by offering a reliable and well-organized platform for both hiring and collaboration. For me, it provides valuable access to clients from around the world, ensures secure and prompt payments, offers clear contract terms, and maintains a system that fosters transparency and supports lasting professional relationships. ## Upwork Discussions - [Is Upwork better or Fiverr?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/upwork-is-upwork-better-or-fiverr) - 3 comments, 4 upvotes - [What is Upwork used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-upwork-used-for) - 2 comments, 2 upvotes - [As a new user of Upwork, how can I effectively use its proposal bidding system to increase my chances of winning projects?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/as-a-new-user-of-upwork-how-can-i-effectively-use-its-proposal-bidding-system-to-increase-my-chances-of-winning-projects) - 2 comments, 1 upvote - [How Can I grow more on Upwork?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-can-i-grow-more-on-upwork) - 1 comment, 1 upvote - [Is there any plan to reduce/increase the service charge by Upwork?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-there-any-plan-to-reduce-increase-the-service-charge-by-upwork) - 1 comment, 1 upvote - [View Upwork pricing details and edition comparison](https://www.g2.com/products/upwork/reviews?page=4§ion=pricing&secure%5Bexpires_at%5D=2026-09-29+05%3A05%3A46+-0500&secure%5Bsession_id%5D=cc9176aa-51ad-43a3-9fe3-9116393d30db&secure%5Btoken%5D=528a91eec93bc67bd2e764677aebf39cebc95adf950b2000ba724376dcff5c47&format=llm_user) ## Upwork Features **Platform Basics** - Payment - Project Management - Dashboard **Generative AI** - AI Text Summarization **Hiring** - RFP Creator - Messaging - Freelance Screening - Freelance Profiles **Platform Performance** - Interoperability - Performance **Project Management** - Calendar - Guidelines and Policies - Workflow Builder - Digital Asset Management **Platform Content** - Contracts - Request Tool - Selection Management - Invoicing Tool - Proposal Tool **Payment** - Payment Automation - Secure Payments - Multi-Currency Payments - Multiple Payment Methods **Platform Additional Functionality** - Reporting - Mobility - Portal ## Top Upwork Alternatives - [Fiverr](https://www.g2.com/products/fiverr/reviews) - 4.3/5.0 (457 reviews) - [Bark.com](https://www.g2.com/products/bark-com/reviews) - 1.7/5.0 (330 reviews) - [Toptal](https://www.g2.com/products/toptal/reviews) - 4.7/5.0 (269 reviews)