So you want to participate in the booming “gig economy” creating an additional income stream by working from home?
Members of my Python Freelancer Course ask this question a lot: what’s the best marketplace to sell your coding skills: Upwork.com or Fiverr.com?
This is a multi-dimensional decision problem, but I have a clear preference. Read on to learn which one.
Usability: There’s not a lot of differences in usability. Both sites are extremely simple to use and have powerful built-in capabilities. Yet, Upwork is a little more polished and deserves the point.
Costs: Upwork takes a massive 20% cut—and Fiverr does, too. No winner here.
Barrier of entry: Many Upwork profiles are initially rejected. While many would consider this a disadvantage, I found this one a huge advantage for Upwork. The average quality of freelancers is much higher. And this helps you as a freelancer, too. Because Upwork attracts better clients that are willing to pay more money. It’s just a more trustworthy platform. On Fiverr, people expect to hire a cheap freelancer for five bucks. On Upwork, they pay thousands of dollars for large-scale projects. It’s the much better marketplace because of the high barrier of entry.
Thus, I would always start at Upwork if possible. Only if it’s impossible for you to create a profile (because Upwork keeps rejecting you), you should consider selling your skills on Fiverr to improve your skills. But then switch to Upwork quickly to benefit from the high-quality clients.
If you want to learn how to get accepted at Upwork, build a thriving freelance coding business online, and have fun in the process, sign up for my Python freelancer course—it’s the most comprehensive and in-depth freelancing course in the web!
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