Best Websites for Freelance Jobs in 2024

Best Websites for Freelance Jobs in 2024

Credit: CanWork

Freelance Jobs: With an estimated 36% of American workers currently involved in the gig economy, freelance work has become significantly more mainstream over the past decade. To find reputable gigs and clients, many freelancers turn to freelance job websites to look for opportunities.

We looked at two dozen different freelance job sites to determine which are the best ones to find suitable opportunities and selected the best ones based on quality, industries to meet, amount of opportunities listed, cost, and more.

Top 10 Best Websites for Freelance Jobs

1. Freelancer - Hire Freelancers & Find Freelance Jobs Online

2. Upwork - The World's Work Marketplace

3. Craigslist - Freelance Jobs, Los Angeles Jobs, Apartments

4. FlexJobs - Best Remote Jobs, Work from Home Jobs

5. Fiverr - Freelance Services Marketplace

6. TaskRabbit - Freelance Jobs, Moving & Delivery Services

7. Working Not Working - Finding Creative Freelance Jobs

8. Freelance Writing Jobs - Freelance Writing Community

9. Guru - Freelance Jobs, Find and Hire Expert Freelancers

10. LinkedIn Jobs - Find US Jobs, Internships, Jobs Near Me

1. Freelancer - Hire Freelancers & Find Freelance Jobs Online

Freelancer: Founded in 2009, Freelancer is currently the largest online marketplace for freelance work, connecting over 58 million employers and freelancers from over 247 countries. We chose Freelancer as the best overall because it has the largest number of opportunities available, is open to all, and has no upfront cost when creating an account.

Creating a Freelancer account and completing your profile is completely free. Once your profile is filled, you are free to search and pitch yourself for any opportunity. At Freelancer, you can find and apply for local and remote jobs in dozens of fields such as accounting, architecture, design, human resources, content writing, social media marketing, sales, software development, and more.

Even though Freelancer is free initially, once a client accepts your offer the site takes a percentage of your earnings. The fee structure is as follows:

• Fixed-price projects: 10% fee or $5, whichever is higher

• Hourly Projects: Flat 10% Fee

• Services: 20% Fee

• Account inactive for six months or more: $10 per month

• Employer referral: no charge for any work booked with that client

During each project, freelancers can communicate with clients through the platform and track hours, send invoices and receive payments.

2. Upwork - The World's Work Marketplace

Upwork started in 1998 as Elance. Although Upwork tends to have higher-quality gigs than Freelancer, we chose it as our runner-up because it has fewer opportunities listed and is more difficult to get started with.

Creating a profile on Upwork is completely free. You can fill out your profile with your rates, work samples, resume, case studies and personal details to get started. Unlike Freelancer, Upwork requires your profile to be approved to join the platform before you can start applying for projects.

Upwork caters to dozens of industries, including but not limited to consulting, customer service, engineering, marketing, IT, translation, and web development. If Upwork determines that your skills do not meet their standards or that the market is too saturated, your application to join may be declined. If approved, you can search Upwork for relevant projects and start bidding.

After you book a client through Upwork, you'll use the platform to communicate with them, send invoices, track billable hours, and receive payments. Like Freelancer, Upwork has no upfront cost but takes a percentage of your earnings once you've successfully booked a client. Upwork's fee structure is as follows (although other fees may apply in certain situations).

• 20% for the first $500 billed to a client

• 10% for lifetime billings with a client between $500.01 and $10,000

• 5% for lifetime billings with a client that exceeds $10,000

3. Craigslist - Freelance Jobs, Los Angeles Jobs, Apartments

Craigslist: Craigslist was founded in 1995 as an email newsletter and migrated to the web in 1996. Today, Craigslist serves 700 cities in more than 70 countries, and the U.S. is One of the most visited sites in the world. We chose Craigslist as our top choice for local jobs because it lists dozens of freelance gigs in your local area that you can't find on other freelance job sites.

Craigslist lists jobs and gigs in dozens of categories, including, but not limited to, finance, marketing, general labor, household chores, IT, education, writing and editing, and more. To apply for a job posting, simply respond to the listing with a polite, professional email, or follow the instructions for applying through an external site, if applicable.

You can certainly find amazing customers and opportunities on Craigslist but beware of fraudulent listings when searching. You can search for work outside your immediate area by visiting Craigslist pages in other cities. If the employer wants to work with remote candidates, you can look for work outside your local area.

4. FlexJobs - Best Remote Jobs, Work from Home Jobs

FlexJobs was created in 2007 to respond to the lack of a centralized location to find legitimate work-from-home opportunities. Since then, it has become the largest site for hand-screened remote jobs.

We've chosen FlexJobs as the best site for remote freelance jobs because of our commitment to researching and scrutinizing each listing to ensure members have access to the best possible opportunities.

FlexJobs uses proceeds from its membership fees to fund its extensive investigation process. As a result, its members have access to a scam-free, up-to-date database of freelance opportunities in over 50 industries. Members also get exclusive discounts and deals on products and services such as Intuit QuickBooks, Dell laptops, and career coaching.

FlexJobs charges $9.95 for a one-week subscription, $24.95 for a one-month subscription, and $39.85 for a three-month term. In addition, users can also choose to pay $64.95 for the entire year in one go.

5. Fiverr - Freelance Services Marketplace

Founded in 2010, Fiverr got its name because many of its vendors offer services for as little as $5 and the platform has handled a total of over 50 million transactions to date. A gig is sold every four seconds. We chose Fiverr as the best platform for beginners because its reputation for offering low-cost gigs makes it suitable for freelancers who want to build their portfolios.

Fiverr leans heavily towards the creative and design sectors, but some vendors offer project management, legal, career counseling, relationship coaching, IT services, and more. To get started as a Fiverr seller, create a free profile highlighting your areas of expertise and then add the services or "gigs" you're offering to potential clients. As a seller, you can add up to seven unique packages to the Gig section of your profile. You can also send custom offers to potential customers.

Fiverr charges a 20% commission on each sale (including tips) and holds your payment for 14 days after you complete the task because they offer customers a 14-day refund guarantee. Once 14 days have passed, sellers can deposit their earnings into a bank account or PayPal account.

6. TaskRabbit - Freelance Jobs, Moving & Delivery Services

Not every freelance job requires a laptop. Since 2008, Task Rabbit has been connecting people with freelancers who help with odd jobs like shopping, plumbing, furniture assembling, moving, and more. We chose this as the best site for non-digital jobs because it specifically caters to people with non-digital skill sets.

To book a job through Task Rabbit, you need to create a profile and list all the job categories that you feel comfortable completing along with your rate. After completing your profile, you will need to pass background and ID checks. Once your background check is cleared, you'll also need to attend an onboarding orientation session, which costs $25.

As a “tasker”, you can choose which tasks you are interested in completing, and once you complete the task, you can submit invoices directly to your clients through the platform. Like Upwork and Fiverr, your TaskRabbit clients can leave you ratings and reviews based on your performance.

If you plan to use TaskRabbit to find gigs regularly, positive reviews can help increase your visibility on the platform and you can get repeat customers.

7. Working Not Working - Finding Creative Freelance Jobs

Working Not Working (WNW) was founded in 2011 to connect creative talent with the most innovative companies including Apple, Google, Airbnb, Facebook, and Nike. We've chosen WNW as the best site to find creative freelance jobs because of its high-quality listings and freelance-friendly features.

WNW doubles as a resume site and job board. To apply for jobs and display your portfolio and work history, you will need to complete a detailed profile highlighting your past work experiences and links to any external portfolios. Once completed, you will be able to apply for jobs on the "All Jobs" tab.

When you "favorite" a job by clicking the star icon, the listed employer can see that you are interested in working for their company. Like LinkedIn, companies actively recruiting through WNW may also send you a direct message if they think your profile matches their needs.

WNW is completely free for freelancers; They do not charge any membership fees or commission for the work they get through their platform.

8. Freelance Writing Jobs - Freelance Writing Community

What began as a blog and portfolio site for author Deb Ng eventually became Freelance Writing Jobs (FWJ), an aggregator that curates the best freelance writing jobs from across the web. We chose FWJ as the best place to find freelance writing jobs because, like FlexJobs, its moderators thoughtfully pick out hundreds of opportunities and update the site with quality listings daily.

FWJ is a traditional job website that doesn't require you to make offers or bid on opportunities. Simply browse through the job board or search by job title, location, or category. FWJ posts content writing, grant writing, copywriting, editing, and essay writing jobs in all industries and is completely free to use.

9. Guru - Freelance Jobs, Find and Hire Expert Freelancers

Guru was founded in 1998 to connect companies with quality freelancers. Today, Guru serves 800,000 employers, has paid out $250 million to freelancers worldwide, and boasts an impressive 99% customer satisfaction rate. We chose Guru as the best site for experienced freelancers because it specifically caters to experienced professionals rather than entry-level job seekers.

Guru caters to freelancers in nine main areas: Administrative and Secretarial, Business and Finance, Engineering and Architecture, Design, Sales and Marketing, Programming, Writing and Translation, Education and Training, and Legal. After completing your profile on Guru, you can search through job listings to find clients who are likely to be a good fit.

When you find a list that matches your interest and skill set, you can submit a quote for it. You can also work on projects with other freelancers through Guru's Virtual Workroom feature. Like many other freelance job sites we reviewed, freelancers use Guru's platform to communicate with clients, draft contracts, send invoices, and receive payments.

It's free to create a profile on Guru, but the platform sells tiered membership packages to help you increase your ranking in search, message customers before you bid on a project, and increase the number of jobs you can bid on. Guru's payment plans are as follows:

Guru Basic Plan:

• Free
• 10 bids per month
• 9% fee taken from every invoice

Guru  Basic+ Plan:

• $11.95 per month
• 50 bids per month
• 9% fee taken from every invoice

Guru  Professional Plan:

• $21.95 per month
• 50 bids per month
• 7% fee taken from every invoice

Guru Business Plan:

• $33.95 per month
• 50 bids per month
• 6% fee taken from every invoice

Guru Executive Plan:

• $49.95 per month
• 50 bids per month
• 5% fee taken from every invoice

10. LinkedIn Jobs - Find US Jobs, Internships, Jobs Near Me

LinkedIn was founded in 2003 and is now the largest professional networking platform in the world with over 810 million registered users. The company launched its freelance hub, LinkedIn Profiler, in 2016 to help connect its freelance members with quality leads and opportunities.

We chose it as the best site for networking because freelancers can directly connect with employers and other business owners to find opportunities and build their professional network.

LinkedIn Profiler caters to freelancers in many fields including consulting, coaching, editing, graphic design, marketing, real estate, photography, software development, and more. Before you seek clients through LinkedIn Profiler, you must ensure that your LinkedIn profile is complete as Profiler will direct any potential clients to your LinkedIn profile.

Like Upwork, LinkedIn must approve your application to join as a Profiler Freelancer. Once accepted, you will receive email alerts about potential clients looking for someone with your skills and expertise. You can respond with a proposal and finalize all the details through the platform.

Your first 10 offers are free. After you've sent 10 offers, you'll need to purchase a premium business subscription for $59.99 per month. With a Premium Business subscription, you can send an unlimited number of offers.

What are Freelance Job Listing Websites?

Freelance job listing websites help employers connect with freelancers to complete short- or long-term projects. Freelance job sites list opportunities for almost every type of profession and skill level, including but not limited to: accounting, engineering, graphic design, legal, IT, marketing, sales, web development, and writing.

Any freelancer who is actively seeking clients can use freelance job listing websites to discover opportunities, source leads, and network.

How do freelance job listing websites work?

Unless they are structured as a traditional job board, most freelance job websites require you to create a profile to apply for opportunities. Employers can review and book offers submitted by potential candidates which they think are best suited for the role. They can check resumes and portfolios in advance and directly reach out to potential candidates.

Some sites like FlexJobs also require you to pay an upfront fee to start browsing for opportunities. Others limit the number of listings you're allowed to apply for free, and most charge a percentage of your earnings when you successfully book a client through their platform. There is no guarantee that you will get a job when you use a freelance job listing site.

How much do job listing websites cost?

Some websites are completely free to use, but others charge a membership fee or a percentage of your earnings when you book a job. Fees can range anywhere from 5% to 20%, and subscription costs range from $11.95 per month to $59.99 per month.

Is it worth it to use a freelance job site?

Freelance opportunities can be found through social media platforms and traditional and specialized job sites, but using sites that cater directly to freelancers is a great way to get matched with clients you might not otherwise find. . Most are free to try, so you can see what types of opportunities are listed before you apply or submit a bid/offer.

How We Picked the Best Websites for Freelance Jobs

We looked at about two dozen different freelance sites before choosing the top options. We have selected these sites based on the quality of their listings, the industries they cater to, the number of opportunities listed, costs and fees, and more. We realized that these were the most important qualities to check when selecting the best websites for freelance jobs.

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