Fiverr Vs. Upwork, which is better? I get asked that questions a lot lately. There are several other freelance marketplaces; however, I believe it’s fair to say those two freelancing giants standout in many ways.

Both platforms command millions of freelancers and buyers. Some freelancers and buyers have experienced just one of the platforms, while some have both experienced.

So, if we decide to create a poll asking which among Fiverr and Upwork is better, we’ll definitely end up getting mixed reactions. The answer to that question is in most cases subjective.

In my own case, I’ve used both platforms and understand how each of them works — which places me in a better position to give an unbiased assessment.

Trust me, I will not blatantly tell you Upwork is better than Fiverr, or vise versa. I’d rather pick out key areas on both platforms and compare them. And then the decision will be yours to make, based on your needs and requirements.

Similarities between Upwork and Fiverr

The obvious similarity between Fiverr and Upwork is that they are both Freelance marketplaces. However, there are a few other similarities.

While some freelance marketplaces specify on particular services, Upwork and Fiverr both have a wider range of jobs you can either hire freelancers to do or offer to do yourself.

For instance, iWriter offers just writing; while 99designs is targeted at graphics and web designs. Those are all jobs you can offer or get done on Fiverr and Upwork.

Both platforms take an outrageous cut of 20% from freelancers’ earnings. So, if you were planning on switching from Fiverr to Upwork or vice-versa because of the fees, just have that in mind.

Differences between Upwork and Fiverr

Upwork is strictly for professionals, but Fiverr, not so much…

I told you earlier that both platforms offer a long list of job categories. You will notice a slight difference between them.

Upwork vs Fiverr by job categories

Fiverr adopts the “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” policy. How else can we explain the “Fun & Lifestyle” job category.

Upwork is seemingly a platform targeted strictly at getting and offering professional jobs; Fiverr on the other hand, allows freelancers to offer unprofessional jobs. The Fun & Lifestyle category makes the platform a little bit more interesting for both freelancers and buyers.

On Upwork, sellers search for job postings; while on Fiverr, buyers search for freelancers…

On Fiverr, buyers can also post requests for freelancers to bid on. However, the major process by which Freelancers are hired is by buyers actually outsourcing for freelancers from profile-to-profile till they find the ones they like for their jobs. So as a freelancer on Fiverr, you may not need to send request or proposals before you get jobs.

In my opinion, Upwork is setup around buyers, to make recruiting freelancers a lot easier for them; while Fiverr is setup around the best freelancers to make getting recruited a lot easier for them.

I used the word ‘best freelancers’ because if you give it a critical assessment, you’ll know that Fiverr makes its system a lot harder for new Freelancers — as the old freelancers are in most cases always featured, and will result to new freelancers getting little to no contact from buyers.

The chances of new freelancers getting jobs on Upwork is a lot higher. If you are new, all you need to do is make sure you send job proposals much quicker than anyone. This will increase your chances of getting jobs.

Upwork is over ten years older…

Upwork was birth in 2015 from the merging of Elance and oDesk — which trace as far back as 1999. Fiverr on the other hand, was founded in 2010. So, in logical sense, Upwork is much older than Fiverr.

If you visit Upwork, you’ll notice the footer date showing 2015. The date you see there was just part of the re-branding process.

The people behind the platform have been in business for almost 20 years — which to me, is very impressive. To still be in business after so many years simply means they are doing something or everything right.

You asked again.. But which is better?

Like I said earlier, it’ll not be fair to just go on and say Upwork is better than Fiverr, or Fiverr is better than Upwork. However, I believe it’s safe to say Upwork is a much older and larger freelance marketplace than Fiverr — in terms of company worth and traffic commanded.

Upwork is estimated to receive around 45 million visits per month; while Fiverr commands around 35 million visits per month.

If you’re a freelancer or plan on becoming one, I’d say: create an account with both platforms. After all, it doesn’t bite to do so. Both platforms complement each other. And you never can tell, fortunes differ. Some freelancers do much better on Upwork and prefers Upwork to Fiverr by far; while some freelancers also make 6 figures on Fiverr and will never trade the platform for anything in the world.

For the buyer, I’d say: Upwork should be your first consideration; because the platform is built up around the buyers.

Enjoyed this guide?

Check out other guides:

• 6 most popular freelance sites to get jobs
• Upwork review in full: is Upwork legit?
• How to become a pro seller on Fiverr

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