# Upwork Reviews **Vendor:** Upwork Inc. **Category:** [Freelance Platforms](https://www.g2.com/categories/freelance-platforms) **Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 3,147 ## About Upwork Upwork is the world’s largest human and AI-powered work marketplace, connecting businesses of all sizes with highly skilled independent talent. From startups to Fortune 100 enterprises, companies rely on Upwork to find trusted experts across 10,000+ skills in web and app development, design, finance, customer support, consulting, and more. Built for the AI era, Upwork combines human ingenuity with smart tools like Uma™, our mindful AI, to streamline hiring, match top talent faster, and deliver outcomes at scale. With flexible solutions like Business Plus, Upwork gives SMB leaders and growing companies a faster, easier way to scale. Business Plus offers access to top-tier talent, hands-on support, and advanced tools to simplify hiring, onboarding, and project management, all in one place. By integrating AI-powered solutions with human ingenuity, Upwork helps businesses manage projects with greater efficiency and effectiveness. Companies can leverage the platform to not only find the right experts but also to oversee project progress and outcomes seamlessly. This combination of skilled freelancers and intelligent tools empowers organizations to move faster, optimize spending, and ultimately unlock growth opportunities in an increasingly competitive landscape. Whether filling skill gaps, scaling complex projects, or driving digital transformation, Upwork helps businesses move faster, spend smarter, and unlock growth. This is where expert talent and AI-powered solutions come together to get work done. ## Upwork Pros & Cons **What users like:** - Users appreciate the **ease of use** on Upwork, making job searches and client communication simple and effective. (670 reviews) - Users value the **global job opportunities** with Upwork, enabling easy access to diverse clients and projects. (368 reviews) - Users appreciate how Upwork offers **global client connections** and ensures reliable payments, enhancing the freelance experience. (362 reviews) - Users appreciate the **time efficiency** of Upwork, enabling convenient scheduling and fast payment options for freelancers. (296 reviews) - Users value the **global client connections** and security, enabling professional and flexible freelance work on Upwork. (268 reviews) - Talent Quality (238 reviews) - Payment Reliability (217 reviews) - Convenience (193 reviews) - Many Options (190 reviews) - Helpful (151 reviews) **What users dislike:** - Users find the **high service fees** on Upwork significantly reduce their earnings, especially on smaller projects. (479 reviews) - Users criticize the **high fees** on Upwork, noting they significantly reduce earnings on smaller projects. (456 reviews) - Users find it challenging due to **job scarcity** , struggling to secure opportunities despite qualifications and experience. (208 reviews) - Users find the **intense competition** on Upwork discouraging, often struggling to gain visibility despite their qualifications. (155 reviews) - Users highlight **limitations in talent quality** and a frustrating bidding process, impacting overall satisfaction on Upwork. (124 reviews) - Hidden Fees (114 reviews) - Freelancer Issues (108 reviews) - Lack of Information (94 reviews) - Payment Issues (94 reviews) - Users report a rise in **scams** on Upwork, with fake accounts and untrustworthy freelancers causing financial loss. (92 reviews) ## Upwork Reviews ### 1. Problem-Solution Framing "Upwork Solves the Small Business Talent Gap" **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Daphne D. | CEO, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 20, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** Upwork's clean, intuitive interface makes it easy to post projects and review proposals quickly. The platform's AI-powered matching connects me to the right talent fast, and integrations fit smoothly into my existing workflow. Performance is consistently reliable, onboarding is straightforward, and the ROI speaks for itself — quality talent at rates that make sense for a small business. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** While Upwork's interface is functional, the dashboard can feel cluttered and search results aren't always the most relevant. The AI-powered matching is helpful but doesn't always surface the best fit, and integrations with outside tools are more limited than expected. Service fees can add up quickly, which impacts ROI for smaller engagements, and support response times could be faster when issues arise. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** As the founder of a WBE-certified management consulting firm, Upwork solves my most pressing challenge — accessing specialized talent quickly without the overhead of full-time hires. The clean interface and AI-powered matching help me identify the right contractors fast, whether I need technical support for a fintech platform or project-based delivery resources. Integrations fit naturally into my workflow, and the platform consistently delivers strong ROI by keeping engagement costs lean while maintaining quality. The onboarding experience is smooth, making it easy to mobilize talent and drive results from day one. ### 2. Excellent Freelance Platform For Freelance Workers and Clients **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Adebayo A. | Mr, Health, Wellness and Fitness, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 23, 2025 **What do you like best about Upwork?** 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. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** 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. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Upwork helps to connect freelancers and clients offering safe and effective way for both parties achieve their objectives. As a freelancer, I can get jobs that align with my skill set and pays my going rate. It also allows my to get jobs that fit my availability. With Upwork, I can charge clients in a transparent way by using the Upwork Time Tracker for Hourly jobs and milestones for Fixed Jobs. I can also collect my earnings with ease using the various payment methods supported by Upwork. This is actually a very important feature for freelancers in countries that do not support Paypal, Payoneer e.t.c They also have great customer support and a vibrant community where experienced users share tips on how to win work ### 3. Time Management and Cost Efficiency with Upwork **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Stephanie C. | Owner-Senior Public Adjuster, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 14, 2025 **What do you like best about Upwork?** 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. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** 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. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use Upwork to manage my time by outsourcing data entry, allowing me to focus on securing new business. It helps me hire top talent without needing to maintain someone on payroll, saving me around $3K monthly. ### 4. Overreliance on AI Makes Support Hard to Reach and Ads Get Rejected **Rating:** 1.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Phillip D. | CEO, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 11, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** 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. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** 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. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Hiring more real customer service, representatives, and get rid of AI ### 5. Great for non-profit leaders who need time back! **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Lauren R. | Executive Director, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 15, 2025 **What do you like best about Upwork?** 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. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** “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 **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Upwork is solving the problem of finding and managing high-quality talent outside of our small staff team. We use Upwork for our web designer, and having the ability to pay him through the platform makes the process seamless and automated. Instead of worrying about invoices, contracts, or chasing down payments, we can focus on the work itself. For a nonprofit with limited administrative capacity, that efficiency is a huge benefit. ### 6. Effortless Hiring with a Vast Talent Pool **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Nees C. | Director of Ecommerce, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 11, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** I use Upwork to hire freelancers for projects, and it really makes hiring much easier by helping me find professionals without needing to interview or find people locally. I like the range or variety of professionals available, as there are so many intelligent freelancers to choose from. My favorite tool is posting a job, which allows creators to find me based on their skills, minimizing the small talk and run around. Switching to Upwork from Fiverr was a great decision for us, and the initial setup was really easy and straightforward. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** I think Upwork fees could be improved. Some fees are high. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Upwork helps me hire professionals easily without local interviews, offering a wide variety of skilled freelancers. The job posting tool lets creators find me, reducing unnecessary communication. ### 7. Effortless Hiring, Quality Talent Fast **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Mariah V. | Founder of Life by Design, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 21, 2025 **What do you like best about Upwork?** 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. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** It's a little hard to read the timesheets and reporting - I wish that part could be a bit more simple. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Upwork helps me find vetted talent fast, making it easy to hire for various projects. I appreciate the simplicity of browsing profiles and starting work quickly, boosting my confidence in using the platform for last-minute projects. ### 8. Decent Candidates, But Fees and Poor Contractor Vetting Undermine Trust **Rating:** 2.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Andrew T. | Owner/Events Director, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 11, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** It’s great to be able to usually find pretty good contract candidates. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** 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. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Web design and production, graphic design, and video editing. ### 9. Flexible Global Freelancing with Secure Payments and Reliable Opportunities **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Muzammil M. | Founder – Muzammil Graphic | Interior and Graphic Designer | Transforming Spaces and Brands Visually , Graphic Design, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 18, 2026 **What do you like best about Upwork?** 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. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** 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. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** Upwork solves the major challenge of connecting skilled professionals with clients worldwide in a secure and structured environment. Before platforms like Upwork, freelancers had to rely heavily on personal networks, local markets, or inconsistent referrals to find work. This often limited opportunities and created uncertainty in income. Upwork removes geographical barriers by providing access to a global marketplace where clients actively search for talent based on skills, experience, and reviews. One of the biggest problems it solves is trust between freelancers and clients. Through verified profiles, transparent ratings, detailed reviews, and clear work histories, both parties can evaluate each other before starting a contract. The platform’s payment protection system, milestone tracking, and escrow services reduce the risk of non payment, which is a common concern in freelance work. This gives me confidence to work with new clients without worrying about payment security. Upwork also simplifies project management. Built in messaging, time tracking for hourly contracts, file sharing, and contract management tools keep everything organized in one place. This reduces misunderstandings and helps maintain professional communication. Instead of juggling multiple tools, I can manage proposals, contracts, and payments within a single platform. Another important problem it addresses is career growth and visibility. By allowing me to build a strong profile, collect client feedback, and showcase completed projects, Upwork helps establish longterm credibility. This has benefited me by bringing repeat clients, higher-value projects, and more consistent work opportunities. Overall, Upwork creates a structured, secure, and global ecosystem that supports freelancers in building sustainable careers while giving clients reliable access to skilled professionals. ### 10. Account Closure Issues Tarnish the Experience **Rating:** 0.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Tayfur Y. | Web Developer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 05, 2025 **What do you like best about Upwork?** I found Upwork to be very well constructed, allowing me to complete setup processes quickly and focus on my work. The platform's ability to access current jobs and connect with customers from all over the world has been particularly useful. I appreciate the support for working on hourly projects, a feature not available on most other platforms. **What do you dislike about Upwork?** I am frustrated about my account being closed and not receiving a refund of $641.99 that I deposited. I can't get a response regarding this issue.","I am disappointed with the unresponsiveness of customer support, as they have not addressed my concerns or provided any assistance with my account closure or the missing refund. **What problems is Upwork solving and how is that benefiting you?** I find Upwork beneficial for connecting with global clients through hourly projects, a feature not available on many platforms. ## Upwork Discussions - [Is Upwork better or Fiverr?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/upwork-is-upwork-better-or-fiverr) - 3 comments, 5 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 - [What is Upwork used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-upwork-used-for) - 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 ## Upwork Pricing - **Marketplace**: Free Marketplace is designed for small and growing businesses that need fast, flexible access to top talent. Post a job for free and get proposals from skilled freelancers in 125+ categories and 10,000+ specialties within 24 hours. With trusted ratings, AI-enhanced matching, and flexible contracts, Marketplace is the easiest way to get started on Upwork. Sign up for free today.* - **Business Plus**: Free Business Plus is built for growing teams that need curated talent and added support to scale with confidence. Curated matches with the top 1% freelancers, premium customer support, and advanced tools for budget tracking, compliance, and team collaboration, Business Plus helps businesses take on bigger projects and achieve results faster. Sign up for free today.** [View full pricing details](https://www.g2.com/products/upwork/pricing) ## Upwork Integrations - [Adobe Acrobat](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-acrobat/reviews) - [Adobe Illustrator](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-illustrator/reviews) - [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-photoshop/reviews) - [Agentforce 360 Platform (formerly Salesforce Platform)](https://www.g2.com/products/agentforce-360-platform-formerly-salesforce-platform/reviews) - [Asana](https://www.g2.com/products/asana/reviews) - [AWS Auto Scaling](https://www.g2.com/products/aws-auto-scaling/reviews) - [AWS Lambda](https://www.g2.com/products/aws-lambda/reviews) - [Behance](https://www.g2.com/products/behance/reviews) - [Calendly](https://www.g2.com/products/calendly/reviews) - [Canva](https://www.g2.com/products/canva/reviews) - [ChatGPT](https://www.g2.com/products/chatgpt/reviews) - [ClickUp](https://www.g2.com/products/clickup/reviews) - [Dropbox](https://www.g2.com/products/dropbox/reviews) - [Fiverr](https://www.g2.com/products/fiverr/reviews) - [GHL](https://www.g2.com/products/ghl/reviews) - [Google Analytics for G Suite](https://www.g2.com/products/google-analytics-for-g-suite/reviews) - [Google Workspace](https://www.g2.com/products/google-workspace/reviews) - [Labelbox](https://www.g2.com/products/labelbox/reviews) - [LinkedIn Job Search](https://www.g2.com/products/linkedin-job-search/reviews) - [Literatu for Google Docs for G Suite](https://www.g2.com/products/literatu-for-google-docs-for-g-suite/reviews) - [Microsoft Excel](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-excel/reviews) - [Microsoft Word](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-word/reviews) - [monday Work Management](https://www.g2.com/products/monday-com/reviews) - [Payoneer](https://www.g2.com/products/payoneer/reviews) - [QuickBooks Online](https://www.g2.com/products/quickbooks-online/reviews) - [Slack](https://www.g2.com/products/slack/reviews) - [TimeTracker.pro](https://www.g2.com/products/timetracker-pro/reviews) - [Zapier](https://www.g2.com/products/zapier/reviews) - [Zoom Rooms](https://www.g2.com/products/zoom-rooms/reviews) - [Zoom Workplace](https://www.g2.com/products/zoom-workplace/reviews) ## 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 - Monitoring **Project Management** - Calendar - Guidelines and Policies - 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 (450 reviews) - [Bark.com](https://www.g2.com/products/bark-com/reviews) - 1.6/5.0 (321 reviews) - [Toptal](https://www.g2.com/products/toptal/reviews) - 4.7/5.0 (269 reviews)