Upwork

Common questions

Is Upwork free to join?

Yes, both joining and hiring cost nothing. The freelancer pays a service fee that Upwork states ranges from zero to fifteen percent per contract, fixed once the contract begins and shown before a proposal goes in.

How much of a freelancer's pay does Upwork keep?

Somewhere between zero and fifteen percent per contract, set before that contract starts. Because it is a range rather than one number, there is no single rate to quote until an actual contract is on the table.

Does Upwork protect payment for finished work?

Yes. Fixed-price work sits in escrow against milestones, and hourly work carries a logged-time guarantee. A dispute process exists for when the work and the payment disagree, which is part of what the fee is buying.

Who should skip Upwork?

A freelancer who already has an established client list. The service fee only makes sense while the marketplace is finding you clients you could not get another way, and once it is not, the cut is pure cost.