Growing an audience
Running the business
Both cover hiring & freelancers. Here is what separates them on price, billing, what you can take with you, and coverage.
| 99designs | Upwork | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $249 | Not listed |
| Pricing model | One-time purchase | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Billing | One-time purchase | Not stated |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| API | Not stated | Not stated |
| Data export | Not stated | Not stated |
| Their cut | Not stated | Not stated |
| Runs on | Web | Web, iOS, Android |
| Covers | Hiring & Freelancers, Design & Graphics, Thumbnails & Cover Art | Hiring & Freelancers, Creator Finance |
| Works with | Nothing in particular | Nothing in particular |
| Founded | Not listed | Not listed |
| Reader rating | No reviews yet | No reviews yet |
| Live deals | None right now | None right now |
Run a design contest, pick the entry you like
99designs, now owned by Vista, runs the contest model: post a brief and a prize, get dozens of submissions from designers around the world, pay only the one you choose. For a logo or a channel identity that is a lot of directions to look at for a fixed price. The people who dislike it dislike it on principle, because everybody who does not win works for nothing.
Our note
The objection to the contest model is real and worth stating: everybody who does not win works unpaid. If that sits badly, Dribbble and Contra both put you in touch with a designer who is paid for the work they do.
Only on this side
The freelance marketplace with the deepest bench
Upwork is where a creator goes to hire an editor, a thumbnail designer or a virtual assistant without knowing one already, and where a lot of those people find their first clients. Volume is the argument for it. The service fee comes off the freelancer's side and varies per contract, which makes rate comparison harder than it looks.
Only on this side
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.