Upwork Reviews & Product Details

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

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

I like that you can quickly find talented, reliable freelancers (as long as you know how to evaluate proposals). It's also helpful, as an American, to be able to save on labor costs by hiring professionals in lower-cost countries. I have had freelancers in Latin America and Eastern Europe who did excellent work at rates lower than U.S.-based freelancers. The reality for many of us is that our budget is modest and we need to keep expenses low or we'll be in the red. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I think that Upwork reviews for freelancers are slightly inflated for the same reason Airbnb reviews are inflated. Clients are hesitant to write candidly negative reviews about an individual because it feels awkward, or they fear retaliation (like one-star Yelp reviews about the client's business). I myself have given lukewarm 3-star reviews to freelancers I was disappointed with. Interestingly, after one of them I actually received a message from Upwork offering to help in any way--they acknowledged that even though I hadn't complained about anything, they were aware that this project might not have met my expectations.

Also: Within the last couple years, I've had issues with logging in to the platform on several occasions. For a few months I couldn't log in at all. I know my username and password and everything, but there would be some technical glitch. The last couple times I logged in, it worked fine, so it might be resolved now. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I like the ease of use of the Upwork platform overall. It allows me to invite specific talent with ease and they usually rise to the top of the invite list based on keywords or the job description I put up. Oftentimes, I'm just able to invite many of the freelancers that we end up hiring, and direct invites definitely help get the best results. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I think the platform and how you communicate with a freelancer back and forth is not all that flexible. I don't like to have another app on my computer for messaging or for email communication and having to go into Upwork to message instead of being able to take it out of the platform is a bit prohibitive. I understand the constraints, but yeah, that's one area of friction. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

It's easy to use. It gives you access to a much wider variety of potential clients than you'd be able to find on your own.

I also appreciate that you can log your hours daily instead of billing clients individually, which, for me at least, is an onerous job that I tend to procrastinate on.

Despite my criticisms of Upwork, it's still one of the few freelancing games in town. I've recommended it to friends, although I tell them about the fact that you have to pay for "connects" that allow you to apply to jobs, which I think is one of Upwork's worst features, especially for freelancers who haven't yet established a roster of repeat customers. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The "connects" system is pretty terrible. You used to be able to apply to jobs without having to pay anything. But now you must pay up to $3 or $4 for every job you apply for...or even if you just want to ask a question of a potential client who has posted a job. (Lots of potential clients post jobs with inadequate descriptions, and before you decide whether or not to invest in the effort to develop a proposal for the client, you used to be able to ask questions. For example, I'm an editor, and many clients just say "I need an editor!" instead of revealing what the project is, how many words it is, etc. So, because I don't want to waste my connects (which cost 15 cents each, and each job in my field typically requires 15 to 30 connects, or $2.25 to $4.50), I miss out on jobs because even asking a basic question will cost you the connects.

It feels pretty unconscionable that you have to PAY to apply for jobs. This is pure wage extraction, and yet another example of Upwork monetizing just about everything on the platform to squeeze money out of workers. They already take 15% of your earnings, which is the price of using Upwork, so it feels extra petty to have you pay to apply for jobs, with no guarantee that anyone will even look at your proposal. I understand that they don't want you to spam potential clients, but there has to be a better way than to charge already poor people to apply for a job. And when a job has, say, 50 applicants, Upwork thus gets about $3 from each applicant (so, $150 there) plus 15% of the winning freelancer's pay.

You do get 10 free connects per month, so that means you get—whoo!—to apply to half a job for free per month. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

A place where I can find easily an expert (domestically and internationally) in many services and help I need for my business or work. As a magazine art director I always looking for freelancers such as design, programming, consulting, etc and here I can post a job, send proposals and hire experts in minutes! The cost is very reasonable and contract are clear. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

This is not my experience, but I share a comment from a professional colleague. He said that sometimes is more effective to hire freelancers outside of upwork because the cost is less, in comparison with upwork platform fees. Also, he found sometimes more qualified freelancers outside Upwork. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The best part is the sheer scale of the platform. No matter what our specialty is, there are always active job postings from startups to huge companies. The buit it tools like "Uma" also help us write better proposals and find the best project matches much faster than searching manually. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The worst part is the high competition and rising fees. because it is so large, we often compete with hundreads of ther people for one projects, which can lead to a race to the bottom on pricing. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Upwork connects you to clients worldwide in many niches — tech, marketing, design, writing, admin, and more. It’s a reliable way to find clients without spending your own time on cold outreach.

There are jobs posted every minute at all experience levels — from entry-level gigs to high-paying expert contracts.

Your Upwork profile becomes a trusted resume. Good ratings and client feedback help you win higher-paying jobs over time. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Especially on popular categories like VA, data entry, writing, or web dev, you compete with freelancers worldwide — often from lower-cost regions.

Upwork fees are:

20% on the first $500 billed with a client

10% up to $10,000

5% beyond that

This can significantly reduce your net earnings compared to direct client work.

You use Connects to submit proposals, and you must buy more once they run out. This encourages careful bidding but also limits how many jobs you can apply to daily.

Many clients post very low-budget gigs. You may waste time filtering or receiving offers below your rate expectations.

Upwork can temporarily suspend accounts for policy violations or when disputes arise. Reputation matters — one misunderstanding can temporarily lock you out.

For new freelancers, winning the first few jobs can be slow due to limited reviews. Your rate and job invites usually grow only after positive feedback.

Some clients prefer to keep communication and payments on Upwork even if you want to move off platform later. This can limit negotiation flexibility. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What I like best about Upwork is the ability to connect with serious clients who value quality work and long-term partnerships. The platform makes it easy to showcase skills, communicate clearly, and manage projects efficiently in one place. I also appreciate the transparency around expectations, timelines, and payments, which allows me to focus on delivering results and building lasting client relationships. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What I dislike about Upwork is that strong freelancers can sometimes get overlooked due to bidding noise or price-driven competition. However, I understand this comes with a large marketplace, and clients who value quality and long-term results still stand out and are worth working with. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Upwork offers a number of attractive features for freelancers. It connects professionals with a broad selection of projects spanning many industries, such as writing and web development. The platform allows freelancers to set their own schedules and workloads, which supports a healthier work-life balance. With its global reach, Upwork enables users to collaborate with clients from all over the world, often resulting in interesting and diverse opportunities. The secure payment system, including both hourly and fixed-price contracts, helps foster trust between freelancers and clients. Additionally, working on various projects and receiving feedback allows freelancers to continually develop their skills and advance professionally. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The service fees, the bidding process, and the additional charges for bid boosts are all concerns for me. Additionally, there have been issues with some contracts not being executed well with certain clients. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Great pool of resource across a wide range of experiences and rates. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Too many responses to proposals. It's now faster for me to search out freelancers and invite them to my proposal than to review all the submissions.

It's not clear how well some resources are verified as I have received the exact same response / CV from different people for the same proposal Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.