Kickstart your career with online freelancing platforms
Eugenia Gomez
Wisar Academy Success Manager
Freelancing remotely has become increasingly popular in recent years and with good reason! Not only does it offer flexible hours with no commute, but it also provides you with a great opportunity to gain more experience in your chosen field and develop specialized skills. Plus, it’s a great way to make money from the comfort of your own home. With so many benefits, it’s no wonder why more and more people are turning to freelancing.
There are two main types of freelancing platforms: those that provide regular or fewer experience freelancers (writing, graphic design, tech dev, and virtual assistance) and those that cater high skilled experienced freelancers (software development, data science, finance, and engineering).
So, what online freelancing platforms stand out budding freelancers?
Here are the top 5 portals for remote freelancing jobs with a wide variety of expertise areas:
The first is Upwork. This platform offers global access to thousands of projects, and it’s among the largest freelance marketplaces in the world. It’s the perfect place to find a variety of jobs to match your skill set. It offers a vast list of categories ranging from web and computing design, and coding to digital marketing, graphic design, translations, writing, and virtual assistance jobs. Their main job posters are clients located in the US, Canada and Europe giving you a good chance to earn decentmoney for your work. Upwork is a very user-friendly platform designed for ease of use, featuring job posting templates and proposal templates. Secure payment methods and dispute resolution services are also offered. Upwork allows clients to customize the project management process to suit their needs, including setting milestones, tracking progress, and communicating with freelancers. Some cons are that this platform charges fees on both, the client and the freelancer, and also that it is a very competitive environment. Having so many freelancers on the platform it can be quite challenging to stand out versus competitors.
Next in volume of transactions is Freelancer.com , which connects over 64,662,654 employers and freelancers globally from over 247 countries, regions, and territories. As in the case of Upwork, the projects available here also vary in many domains and in any degree of expertise. This platform charges a fixed fee of 10% on both the client and freelancer for every transaction. This platform does not only post projects, but also Contests (usually for beginners). While in projects freelancers submit bids and the client chooses who gets the job, in contests clients provide a project brief specifying their requirements, freelancers submit their proposals (such as advanced designs or solutions) and the client chooses a winner from the entries submitted. The winner is awarded the prize money which was set by the client when creating the project. The cons? None of the non-winners receive any payment for the work done.
Third we have Fiverr . In this platform freelancers offer a variety of services, such as writing, editing, and design, with custom packages created expecting to meet the needs of future clients. With a wide talent pool, it’s the perfect place to source skilled freelancers. Fiverr works differently because here the freelancers offer packages of services, opposite to most platforms on which clients post specific projects or task expecting freelancers to submit proposals. Potential clients in Fiverr review the service packages prepared by multiple freelancers and get in contact with the ones that could fit them better to hire them and process payments through Fiverr’s secure payment system.
Fourth we have PeoplePerHour . This platform gives freelancers complete control over their workload and makes it easy to search for projects based on keywords and niche. It’s especially great for short-term projects. With a wide variety of opportunities for different areas of specialization, including graphic design, writing, programming and digital marketing, there is something to be found by everyone. It offers competitive pricing with freelancers offering hourly, daily or fixed-price rates. It offers fast turnaround times, which can be a significant advantage for clients who need their projects completed quickly.
Fifth on the list is Guru . This platform offers an array of freelance opportunities, from short-term projects to long-term packages. It’s great for newbies looking for an introduction to freelancing, as the platform takes care of the invoicing and contracts for freelancers and employers. Guru´s does not have the same level of screening and vetting process as other platforms which can make it difficult for a business to assess the quality of freelancers before hiring them.
Talent Exchange, created by Price Waterhouse & Coopers as their external consultants bourse, connects a wide range of freelance consultants with clients various industries and countries. The platform has an easy-to-use interface making it simple for clients to find and hire expert freelancers quickly and efficiently. They have a vetting process in place that ensures that only qualified consultants are included in their network. Nevertheless, it has limited features and functionalities compared to other platforms, and the fees are higher (around 15-20% on each project). Direct communications between freelance consultants and clients outside the platform is not allowed, which limits the possibility to establish closer working relationship.
Toptal is a platform specifically geared toward freelance experts in software engineering, design, fincance and project management . Toptal´s freelancers are highly-skilled professionals, which means they often come with a higher price tag than freelancers in other platforms. Toptal hosts a curated talent pool that makes finding the right people for the right project easier. The main advantage Toptal prides itself of is its rigorous screening process than ensures only the top 3% of freelance talent is accepted to join the platform. If you’re highly skilled in the areas mentioned before, you should definitely explore the chance to join their talent pool, but beware of the lengthy onboarding process. Thanks to Toptal matching algorithm, clients are more likely to find highly-skilled professionals who can complete complex projects successfully.
Catalant has a large network of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, startups, and other businesses that connect with independent consultants and subject matter experts for project-based work. They have a high quality talent pool build upon a rigorous screening process. Catalant has a variety of project types including strategic planning, market research and project management. They have professional support for freelancers including access to project managers who can help them manage their workload, and a community of freelancers who can provide advice and support. It has also a very good payment protection ensuring freelancers are paid on time and in full for their work.
- Research: Look into the different platforms out there and compare their potential benefits and drawbacks.
- Reach Out: Ask freelancers who already use a particular platform about it.
- Consider Your Needs: Think about what you want to accomplish and what type of gigs you want to take on.
- Check for Support: You will want to be sure that you can get help if necessary.
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