Hiring professional services for your business can be a challenge. Luckily, online freelancing marketplaces can help connect you to talent to get the job done.
During your search for potential freelancer platforms, you may have run into Fiverr and Freelancer. Both of these freelancing marketplaces claim to offer top professionals at affordable rates.
But do they deliver what they promise? Which platform is best for your project or ongoing business needs?
Let’s evaluate the differences between Fiverr vs Freelancer so you can select the right freelance services marketplace for you.
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Overview: Fiverr vs Freelancer
What is Fiverr?
Fiverr is a global freelance services marketplace where you can search for professionals worldwide to hire for your projects.
This platform is popular for small-scale gigs, as it’s easy to list and select pre-made work packages.
What is Freelancer?
Freelancer is another massive freelancing marketplace with 56 million users. Based in Australia, it connects freelancers and employers from around the world.
Freelancer is often considered for long-term work, as it offers both hourly and fixed-price contracts.
It’s considered one of the best Fiverr alternatives out there.
How Do These Marketplaces Work?
How Does Fiverr Work?
For Freelancers
On Fiverr, freelancers take the initiative and create work packages called gigs. Getting started on Fiverr is easy. You simply list the gig with a fixed price and tag it under a specific work category.
From there, clients can check out available gigs and select their favorites. This platform also offers a Fiverr Pro program for the top 1% of talent, which has some benefits for freelancers.
For Employers
Employers can browse through freelancer gigs by category or the search feature. Fiverr only has project-based pricing, so there are no hourly rates or other types of contracts.
Employers simply select the ideal gig for their needs and begin working on the defined project.
📝 Note
One of the nice employer-friendly features on Fiverr is that payment isn’t released until work is approved.
There are no surprises in case the work isn’t what you expected, meaning no-risk and complete peace of mind for employers.
How Does Freelancer Work?
For Freelancers
As an alternative to Fiverr, Freelancer takes a different approach to hiring. Here employers list the project they need help with and then freelancers bid on the projects.
Freelancers can find jobs by exploring skill categories or the search feature.
At that point, employers look through bids and choose which freelancer to hire. Projects may be hourly or fixed-price, depending on how the employer listed them.
For Employers
Employers post the project or contest that they need to be completed and then receive bids from freelancers. From there, you can check out different proposals and hire your ideal freelancer.
A top feature of this Fiverr alternative is that you can choose the type of contract, whether hourly or fixed-price. Plus, you only release payment once the project is completed and you’re satisfied with it.
Pricing: Fiverr vs Freelancer
Fiverr Pricing
For Freelancers
While freelancers don’t pay anything to list their gig, there’s a 20% cut on payments for work completed.
That means for a gig of $100, you would pay a Fiverr service fee of $20 and get paid $80. Remember that getting paid on Fiverr involves a 14-day clearing period, too.
For Employers
Employers also have to pay a 5.5% Fiverr service fee on work completed. (For projects under $50, they will also be charged an extra $2 Fiverr processing fee.)
Employers may also choose to join Fiverr Business, which gives you access to a personal Business Success Manager, as well as a curated catalog and some collaboration tools.
A business account costs $149/annually, but the first year is currently offered free of charge.
Freelancer Pricing
For Freelancers
When comparing Freelancer vs Fiverr, the former has both payment fees and membership fees.
These are the Freelancer.com fees and charges for Freelancers:
- Fixed-price projects: 10% or $5.00 USD (whichever is greater)
- Hourly projects: 10%
- Contests: Free to enter, but payment fees are 10% or $5.00 USD (whichever is greater)
- Services: 20%
- Preferred Freelancer Program: 15%
In addition to these fees for services provided, Freelancer has a membership structure.
While there’s a free level available, it limits you to a low number of bids. As a freelancer, you may need to invest in paid options, such as:
- Basic: $4.95/month for 50 bids/month
- Plus: $9.95/month for 100 bids/month
- Professional: $29.95/month for 300 bids/month
- Premier: $59.95/month for 1,500 bids/month
For most freelancers, the Basic or Plus plans will cover their bidding needs, but this depends on the individual.
For Employers
Employers also have to pay Freelancer.com fees on services provided, though they’re quite a bit lower than freelancer fees.
- Fixed-price projects: 3% or $3.00 USD (whichever is greater)
- Hourly projects: 3%
- Contests: No charge
- Services: No charge
As you can see, this fee structure is more accessible compared to Fiverr.
📝 Note
Freelancer also offers an Enterprise solution, but quotes will vary according to your business needs.
Pros and Cons: Freelancer vs Fiverr
Fiverr
Pros
- Easy-to-view gigs that can be posted and ordered instantly
- Good for small gigs and projects
- No membership plans required
Cons
- Fiverr service fees are quite high for freelancers (20%), but are lower for employers (5.5%)
- Pricing is only available per project, not per hour
- Smaller network of talent compared to Freelancer
- (For freelancers) Payments have a 14-day clearing period
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Freelancer
Pros
- Freelancer.com fees are more reasonable, charging 10% for freelancers and 3% for employers
- Pricing is available per project and per hour
- Larger network of talent with 56 million active users in 247 countries
- Multiple currencies are available and you can hold balances in several (USD, AUD, CAD, EUR, GBP, HKD, INR, NZD and SGD)
- Flexible system for long-term work
- Available in several languages
Cons
- Limited customer service, with no phone support (live chat is an option, but not always helpful)
- Not as user-friendly as it could be, especially compared to Fiverr
- Sometimes can be hard to use, buggy, and frustrating (check the example below 👇)
Example of frustrating user experience on Freelancer.com
For example, in this video, we try to authenticate a new payment method on Freelancer.com (as a client) and the button simply doesn’t work:
- Limited time-tracking and reporting functionality
- Freelancers have access to a free level of membership, but will likely need the Basic ($4.95/month) or Plus ($9.95/month) levels for bidding
Final Words
When choosing between Fiverr vs Freelancer, you can’t go wrong. Both are excellent freelancing marketplaces for getting key services completed.
While Fiverr is highly convenient for micro-projects, Freelancer has a more flexible system for long-term work.
You’ll also encounter lower fees on Freelancer, though most freelancers will need a membership plan to bid on the number of projects they want.
The choice between Fiverr vs Freelancer will depend on your business needs, though both are convenient for getting the job done (Fiverr is a little more convenient).
Be sure to check out these platforms by setting up a profile – they’re free to sign up!
Get the inside scoop on other marketplaces and websites on our blog.
FAQ – Fiverr vs Freelancer
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Thank you for a thorough comparison. We have used Fiverr and Upwork before but I had no idea about Freelancer. Have to check them out.