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.
| Contra | Wellfound | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $29 | From $135 |
| Pricing model | Free plan, paid tiers | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Monthly or annual | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| API | Not stated | Not stated |
| Data export | Not stated | Not stated |
| Their cut | None | Not stated |
| Runs on | Web | Web |
| Covers | Hiring & Freelancers, Creator Finance | Hiring & Freelancers |
| 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 |
Freelance profiles and payments with no commission
Contra takes nothing out of what a client pays you, which is the whole pitch and a real difference from the marketplaces that take ten or twenty percent. What it charges instead is a flat platform fee per payment, capped, and a subscription that halves the cap. The work board is smaller than Upwork's, so most people arrive with a client already.
Our note
On a $5,000 project Contra's capped fee is a rounding error and Upwork's percentage is several hundred dollars. On a $200 one the maths reverses. Work out which side of that line your invoices sit on before picking.
Only on this side
Startup job posts, free to publish
Wellfound, which spent a decade as AngelList Talent, is where startups hire and where people who want to work at one look. Posting is free and unlimited, with a built-in applicant tracker, and the money is in promotion and sourcing. For a creator business hiring its first editor or assistant, the free half is usually the whole of what is needed.
Our note
The free tier is the whole product for most people here. Post the role, use the tracker, and only reach for a Job Ad if two weeks pass without the right applicants.
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.