13+ Best Freelancing Platforms of 2023

Congratulations on establishing your brand-new freelancing business! You might be all geared up to face the challenges of this industry but not sure which freelancing platforms to use to showcase your talent.

One of the most common struggles beginners face is finding the best platform for freelance jobs. Sure, there are tons of results if you Google “top freelancing sites” or “best freelancer sites for beginners”, but how do you know which one is legit?

Say no more because we have compiled the top freelancing platforms for freelancers this 2022. Note that we have thoroughly checked and verified each site to make sure they are allowing Filipinos to become part of their pool of candidates.

Upwork

Upwork is by far the most popular and one of the best freelancing platforms to date. With its wide array of offers, this California-based company has pioneered an online job marketplace that allows clients and talents to meet, negotiate, and exchange services and payments all in a single platform. On average, there are 10,000 jobs posted on Upwork daily, including vacancies for content writers, graphic designers, social media managers, virtual assistants, and the list goes on.

Pros

• Secure payments through Upwork’s payment protection
• Loads of jobs available daily
• With a stable time tracker for hourly projects
• Competitive rates
• Diverse niches to explore
• Access to chat and email support from a specialized support team

Cons

• Approval process for new registrations
• High fees (20% for new contracts)
• With bidding fees using Connects
• Tight competition with freelancers worldwide
• Risk of getting scammed by dubious clients
• Account can be suspended if inactive

Freelancer.com

Much like Upwork, Freelancer.com is an online marketplace for professionals all over the world. Garnering a user base of 25 million, it enables businesses to find candidates from an extensive pool of competent freelancers.

Pros

• Secure hourly and milestone payments
• Free chat support
• Stable time tracker
• With invoicing feature
• Custom offers for freelancers

Cons

• Withdrawing earnings take 14 days
• Includes project fees of 10-20%
• Scammers lurking in the platform asking for free work
• Lowballers offering ridiculously low rates

Onlinejobs.ph

OnlineJobs.ph caters exclusively to remote online work opportunities and of the best freelancing platforms for beginners. It was created in 2009 by Utah-based entrepreneur John Jonas as a way to connect the affordable Filipino workforce with business owners in North America and around the world.

Pros

• Doesn’t take a commission out of workers’ rates
• Thousands of jobs to choose from
• Allows you to negotiate with employers
• Employers are technical or skills-oriented

Cons

• Can be overwhelming if you have no experience
• No payment or salary protection
• Tight competition among thousands of workers
• Doesn’t allow you toapply if you have a minimum ID score

Fiverr

Fiverr has a large community of freelancers who sell their services on the site. All you have to do is browse through the website, where you will find numerous freelancers in various areas of graphic design, programming, and other fields. Below are some of the things to consider before joining this platform.

Pros

• More money-making opportunities
• No need to bid your services
• Opportunity to broaden your skills
• Brings you paying buyers
• Allows you to set rates for deliverables

Cons

• Can be difficult for beginners
• Difficult to work with buyers
• Strict policies (can deactivate your account and raise commission rate without your approval)

PeoplePerHour

PeoplePerHour is a high-quality and trustworthy freelance website. You can select remote outsourcers and workers in your local area. Use the site as a source for extra income if you are looking to apply your skills or hire help with a project.

Pros

• Allows you to set your own rates
• Free to join
• Flexible for clients and freelancers
• Find work related to your skills & expertise
• Allows you to send invoices

Cons

• People can fake their nationality on the site
• Huge commission
• Doesn’t allow bidding of desired amount
• Not enough protection for your earned money

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking service that operates via websites and mobile apps. It’s a great way to stay in touch with your colleagues, find new job opportunities, and build up your professional profile.

Pros

• Networking opportunities
• Research prospective companies
• Connect with recruiters interested in your talents
• Easily expand your network
• Search engine friendly

Cons

• Spam connections
• Posting rules are confusing sometimes
• Risk of not getting a response from companies/recruiters
• It might be hard to get noticed if you’re a beginner
• Premium account can be costly

Truelancer

Truelancer is a global community of trusted freelancers. Freelancers provide their services in areas like web development, blogging, SEO, SEM, and many more. Truelancer has helped a lot of beginners in freelancing to get their work done conveniently.

Pros

• Provides 15 bids a month for free users
• Has a variety of jobs
• Notifies you for new job posts

Cons

• Has fake profiles/fake buyers
• Will pester you to take up membership
• Genuine job rate is one in a hundred

Flexjobs

Flexjobs is a jobs marketplace that was launched in 2014. All companies listed on the site must be pre-screened, which makes it a good platform for those who want to avoid scam jobs.

Pros

• Listings are manually reviewed to avoid scams
• Money-back guarantee
• No-commitment cancellation policy
• Search and filtering jobs
• Members get exclusive deals and discounts

Cons

• You need a membership to see job details
• No feedback system
• No refunds on membership

Toptal

Toptal is a freelance website that connects highly qualified freelance industry experts with top companies. Freelancers on this site can be hired on a project or full-time basis. It also has a community where you can connect with developers, designers, product managers, and other talents and exchange knowledge with them.

Pros

• Focuses on hiring quality talent
• Personalized recommendations
• An industry leader in vetted freelance networks

Cons

• High cost
• Poor customer support
• Rigid structure
• Not viable for small projects

Remote Staff

Remote Staff can help you find a job that allows you to work from home, it’s a PEZA accredited BPO company specializing in building trust, strong, and productive remote working relationships between companies in the USA, Canada, Australia, and the Philippines.

Pros

• Mostly dayshift, and pay is okay
• HMO benefit

Cons

• Rates can be lower than other platforms
• Some recruiters are tough and strict

Guru

Guru is a website that connects freelancers and employers to work on projects together. An employer can access a directory and portfolios of a large pool of independent freelancing workers to recruit for certain tasks.

Pros

• Multiple payment methods for convenience
• Streamlines your project management
• Features your projects
• Easy hiring
• Forges long-term partnerships

Cons

• Charges up to 9% of a freelancer’s takings
• There are lots of scam employers
• Complicated billing system
• No live chat

24Task

24Task is a reputable remote service and client that links freelancers with companies searching for high-quality employees to work with remotely. It boasts a global network of skilled freelancers who are experts in over 4000 talents and can assist organizations with project requirements in over 350 categories.

Pros

• Good flow of work
• Live chat
• Easy to use as all tasks are well laid out
• Lots of jobs to choose from

Cons

• Delayed payments
• Requires to scan QR code to login/signup
• Need 70% profile score to be able to land jobs

Freeup.net

FreeUp is an online platform with pre-vetted freelancing professionals. Before joining the platform, you will be screened by Freeup’s team. Once you pass the 3-step screening process, you will be contacted via email if a job matches your qualifications.

Pros

• Has many open projects for various niches
• Great customer service
• Hands-on staff
• Reasonable rates on projects

Cons

• Staff sends too many messages through emails and chat
• Website and payment system need improvement
• No control over the hiring process
• Marketplace not as packed as their top competitors

Bonus: Freelancing Platforms for Every Niche