1. How Does Fiverr Work?
Millions of people are considering becoming freelancers, but choosing the right place to network with clients remains a challenge. Among the available platforms, Fiverr and Upwork stand out because of their huge client base, variety of skill sets, and excellent reputation in the freelancing world.
If you’re one of those aspiring freelancers, read on to see a detailed Upwork vs Fiverr comparison. We’ll explore different aspects of these top freelancing websites, including their workflow and cost, so you can decide the best option to start looking for your first freelance jobs.
Let’s start by discussing how these two freelance platforms work
How Does Fiverr Work?
Initially, Fiverr started as a platform where clients could hire freelancers to finish a project for only $5. It has evolved since then as freelancers can now set their own prices.
This freelancing platform refers to employers as buyers and freelancers as sellers. Fiverr is a freelancer-focused platform that lets sellers create packaged services or “Gigs” and list them on sale. It also has a Buyer Requests section for employers to post jobs that sellers can apply for.
As a result, making appealing packages is crucial since they increase your chances of getting hired. By default, the Gigs are one-time purchases, but buyers can extend the contract using Gig Milestones or repurchase a Gig multiple times.
Fiverr categorizes sellers on four levels. The high-level ones will get more perks, like faster earnings withdrawal and better customer supports.
Fiverr
Creating a seller account is easy – you just have to sign up via its homepage, create a username, and set up a profile by adding:
- Personal information. It includes a full name, a profile picture, languages, and a profile summary.
- Professional details. Specify your occupation, skills, education, certifications, and linked accounts, such as social media profiles and personal websites.
After verifying your account, you can start listing your first Gig. This platform helps sellers easily map out services by providing tiered packages for one offer. In addition, buyers can make a custom request for sellers.
Note that Fiverr will only publish an account with a minimum of 65% completion.
From a buyer’s perspective, Fiverr’s interface is more about directing them to individual Gigs. It will show the freelancer’s profile with its Gig image, service packages, rating from previous clients, starting price, and a brief description of their service.
After receiving a request, a freelancer will discuss the project details with the buyer, finish the work, and get the payment. While waiting for clients is the main way of getting work on Fiverr, sellers can also get projects by searching for them on the Buyers Requests or sending tailored offers.
However, many freelancers complain about buyers choosing the wrong package. Unfortunately, Fiverr’s customer service mostly favors the buyer and requests the seller to give the money back, which can decrease their’ rating. This decline can also happen when sellers take long to respond, get a negative review, or reject the client.
How Does Fiverr Work?
Initially, Fiverr started as a platform where clients could hire freelancers to finish a project for only $5. It has evolved since then as freelancers can now set their own prices.
This freelancing platform refers to employers as buyers and freelancers as sellers. Fiverr is a freelancer-focused platform that lets sellers create packaged services or “Gigs” and list them on sale. It also has a Buyer Requests section for employers to post jobs that sellers can apply for.
As a result, making appealing packages is crucial since they increase your chances of getting hired. By default, the Gigs are one-time purchases, but buyers can extend the contract using Gig Milestones or repurchase a Gig multiple times.
Fiverr categorizes sellers on four levels. The high-level ones will get more perks, like faster earnings withdrawal and better customer support.
Unlike Fiverr, Upwork is more client-focused. Clients publish job listings in the Talent Marketplace and choose freelancers to work with. Freelancers will need to bid for the jobs and pitch their skills. Alternatively, they can display predefined offerings on the Project Catalog.
Upwork uses a virtual currency named Connects. Freelancers use it to apply for jobs posted by clients, and clients need this currency to invite certain freelancers. Upwork freelancers will get ten free Connects each month.
This freelance marketplace is geared towards hiring freelancers for long-term projects by supporting ongoing contracts and hourly projects, which Fiverr doesn’t have.
Similar to Fiverr, Upwork also has freelancer levels and badges based on specific criteria, including your experience and diversity.
Fiverr
Creating a seller account is easy – you just have to sign up via its homepage, create a username, and set up a profile by adding:
- Personal information. It includes a full name, a profile picture, languages, and a profile summary.
- Professional details. Specify your occupation, skills, education, certifications, and linked accounts, such as social media profiles and personal websites.
After verifying your account, you can start listing your first Gig. This platform helps sellers easily map out services by providing tiered packages for one offer. In addition, buyers can make a custom request for sellers.
Note that Fiverr will only publish an account with a minimum of 65% completion.
From a buyer’s perspective, Fiverr’s interface is more about directing them to individual Gigs. It will show the freelancer’s profile with its Gig image, service packages, rating from previous clients, starting price, and a brief description of their service.
After receiving a request, a freelancer will discuss the project details with the buyer, finish the work, and get the payment. While waiting for clients is the main way of getting work on Fiverr, sellers can also get projects by searching for them on the Buyers Requests or sending tailored offers.
However, many freelancers complain about buyers choosing the wrong package. Unfortunately, Fiverr’s customer service mostly favors the buyer and requests the seller to give the money back, which can decrease their’ rating. This decline can also happen when sellers take long to respond, get a negative review, or reject the client.
The Verdict
In this section, Fiverr comes out on top. These platforms offer a different workfllancers to actively bid on projects.
Fiverr
Fiverr freelancers don’t need to pay anything to sign up and list services. However, the platform will charge 20% of the paid Gigs, regardless of how much you make or how long you’ve worked with the buyer.
This freelance platform provides safe, in-platform payment withdrawal methods:
- Paypal
- Payoneer
- Fiverr revenue card
- Bank transfer
- Direct deposit
The fees and minimum withdrawal amount depend on the method, currency, and location.
Most freelancers must wait for a 14-day clearing period before withdrawing the funds. This timeline is for buyer satisfaction guarantee and financial processing. However, top-rated sellers can opt to receive their earnings after seven days.
This platform has a membership program called Fiverr Pro for established freelancers. It is free and open for everyone, but the team will filter the applications according to the freelancer’s education, professional background, and portfolio.
Fiverr
Fiverr’s Gigs Directory divides its freelance opportunities into:
- Graphics and Design
- Music and Audio
- Programming and Tech
- Digital Marketing
- Business
- Writing and Translation
- Data
- Lifestyle
- Video and Animation
Each category has tons of subcategories. For example, sellers under the Programming and Tech section can focus on website development, blockchain and cryptocurrency, or NFT development.
Fiverr
The platform itself is secure as Fiverr meets the security standards like the Level 1 PCI-DSS for payment and is GDPR-compliant.
However, you can still get scammed. For example, a scammer can pose as a buyer and ask a seller for a custom order. Once the seller has completed it, they’ll request a refund claiming that they didn’t receive the order.
Fiverr has levels indicating sellers’ number of orders, revenue, and active period to let clients know who are the best freelancers in the marketplace:
- New Seller. You’ll be automatically ranked as a New Seller when you first create a Gig on Fiverr.
- Level 1. This means that a freelancer has been an active seller for at least 60 days, completed ten orders, and earned $400 or more.
- Level 2. Get this badge if you have been an active seller for at least 120 days, completed 50 orders, and earned $2,000 or more.
- Top-Rated Seller. Reserved for highly skilled freelancers who completed 100 orders and earned $20,000 or more in the last 180 days.
Fiverr
Fiverr marketplace lets clients hire you, avoiding wasting time applying for jobs, especially when you still have little experience in the field. Potential clients review your expertise and pricing before contacting you. As a result, you have a high chance of closing the deal once they contact you.
However, since Fiverr’s original vision is to provide five-dollar jobs, many buyers still expect to get potential freelancers as cheaply as possible, resulting in many of them being paid lower than they deserve.
For example, the average freelance writers earn $4/hour on Fiverr, as many come from developing countries. Initially, it’s okay to remain competitive with lower prices to get orders and reviews. However, increase your rate once you’ve built your reputation and acquired higher-level badges.
The Verdict
Although both Upwork and Fiverr have fierce competition, Fiverr has the edge over the other in terms of the convenience of getting freelance work. Upwork will filter freelancer identities before they join, and freelancers need to actively bid for projects to find jobs which can take a lot of time. Meanwhile, Fiverr encourages freelancers to freely sell their services and wait for the clients to approach.
Toptal, which stands for “top talent,” is a freelancing platform connecting highly qualified and experienced freelancers with clients. It supports web developers, designers, project and product managers, and finance experts with two or more years of experience.
Applying to Toptal requires passing five steps of the screening process, from English and communication to test projects. This process can take a few weeks to complete, and failing the test will put your application on hold for up to several months.
Although the registration process is more complicated than others, Toptal offers various benefits for their freelancers, including networking opportunities with the leading Fortune 500 brands and startups and expert freelancers, no service fees, and financial support for technical certifications.
Behance
Whether you’re a fashion designer, a web designer, or an illustrator, Behance offers a free place to get discovered by potential clients. This platform also provides a job list where a specific freelancer gets personalized freelance or full-time job recommendations according to their skills and category.
Freelancers who want to sell services on Behance can link to their website directly from the profile using descriptions or project text. They can also connect social media accounts on their profile.
Best Writing
Best Writing is an excellent freelance job platform for people in the writing industry, including copywriters, journalists, and editors. It has a job board listing freelance, contract, or full-time writing jobs from reputable companies across sectors. Among the top businesses are Wix, NerdWallet, and Study.com.
Joining Best Writing is free, but you can start a paid monthly membership at $9 to get additional benefits like a daily newsletter with the latest writing jobs and an attractive public writer profile.
Conclusion
Fiverr are great freelancing platforms for finding jobs online, making connections, and earning money.
They offer a free membership to create freelancer profiles, standard security features, multiple payment options, and tiered levels. Both options also support freelancers with different skills, from graphic design to songwriting and tax consulting.
As Upwork an Fiverr have a large selection of job categories, consider choosing Toptal, Behance, or Best Writing if you prefer joining industry-specific platforms.
We hope this article has helped you choose the best platform for your needs and build a successful freelancing career. If you work with multiple clients, check out our list of client management software to help organize your projects.
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