The Best Freelance Websites to Earn Money Online
Freelancing is one of the hottest work trends of current times. Millions of people worldwide have already taken up freelancing as a full-time career.
There are many reasons why one might want to become a freelancer. Some individuals choose freelancing as an additional income source – an avenue to boost your finances or keep you afloat in times of crises like the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. And those tired of working 9 to 5 jobs take it up as their full-time career.
Whatever the reason might be, choosing to freelance can be one of the best decisions that you can make for yourself, especially in a world as globally connected as ours is today. It opens up a wide range of opportunities for you to learn, develop your skills, and polish your work ethic, besides making more money.
Since you are your own boss as a freelancer, you’ll have to take key decisions and even face challenges. Not least of these decisions is which platform to choose.
Listed below are some of the best freelance websites that you can use to kick-start your career as a freelancer.
1. Upwork
Formed after a merger between Elance.com and oDesk.com, Upwork is one of the largest marketplaces for freelancers in terms of client and service providers. The website currently has more than 12 million freelancers on its network and takes pride in its diverse and effective system. There is a huge variety of high-quality work available on Upwork, and the payment transfer from the client to the freelancer is also safe, quick, and hassle-free.
Upwork is user-friendly, and there are plenty of opportunities for anyone looking for work regardless of whether they are a beginner or a professional. On top of that, the support team at Upwork is outstanding. They’ll respond quickly whenever you’ve a query or encounter any problem.
2. Fiverr
Fiverr is another key player in the freelancing world. It has secured its place among the top marketplaces for buyers and sellers of small services. Fiverr has a unique system that facilitates small service providers and ensures clients get value for their money.
The website’s name is derived from the fact that the minimum price for any service provided through it is $5. But that doesn’t mean you cannot sell your services for more than $5. In fact, you can sell your services for thousands of dollars on Fiverr.
What makes Fiverr different from other freelancing websites is that it allows freelancers to make their own “gigs.” These are simply like an offer you present to your potential clients.
The best part is that you don’t have to have any coding or web design experience to create a gig. You can simply look at what other freelancers in your field offer and create your own gig reflecting theirs to stay competitive.
Related: Top 5 Trusted Methods to Earn Money Online
3. Freelancer
Freelancer is the pioneer in the freelancing world. It was launched in 2003 and has since grown to become the biggest outsourcing platform in the world. It also took over Scriptlance and vWorker to further increase its market share.
Freelancer is highly convenient to use, which is why it is recommended that you start with Freelancer for your first few clients.
You will find a mixture of both small and medium sale clients and service providers on this platform, which allows for a great variety to choose from when browsing for work.
Once you find one to match your skillset, all you have to do is to bid on the project, get hired, and then start working on individual or hourly projects.
4. Guru
Using Guru, freelancers can showcase their skills and the type of services they provide on their self-created profiles. These profiles are then enhanced using the experience you gain through the website because freelancers add whatever projects they work on to their profile. Clients also have their profiles set up on Guru, which are available to freelancers to take a look at.
Once both parties are satisfied with each other, they can sign a contract for a job. The SafePay system secures payments made through Guru, and freelancers are required to use Work Room to record, manage, and complete their activities.
5. PeoplePerHour
As the name suggests, this website connects people seeking services to people offering services. PeoplePerHour is based in the UK and operates similarly to other freelancing websites.
If you have a certain skill that you think you can use to provide a valuable service to people, including web development, content writing, digital media development, and designing, all you have to do is sign up for the website. It will directly connect you with potential clients.
You can opt for either in-person or online service provision, depending on your preference and the type of service you’re providing. You can also talk to the client directly to agree upon the type of job and payment mode. You have the option to work on fixed-price projects or hourly projects.
