Fiverr Vs Upwork, A Review of Both Platforms

Fiverr Vs Upwork. If you’re into freelancing, then you should be familiar with freelance platforms and their services. There are many freelance platforms available today on the Internet; However, the two most thriving platforms are Fiverr and Upwork. These platforms have a lot of similarities but still, differ in some core areas that we will be reviewing.

Both marketplaces are thriving with millions of freelance (sellers) and buyers. Most freelance sellers and buyers prefer to use one of the two freelance marketplaces, while others shuffle between both. If we place both platforms on a scale of comparison i.e. (Fiverr Vs Upwork), we will get mixed reactions based on some reasons freelance sellers and buyers would be proffering.

 

Fiverr Vs Upwork

 

Before we delve into analyzing both platforms, it would be fair and safe to say that both platforms stand out in their different ways.

 

Disclaimer: I wasn’t paid by any of the platforms we are about to compare to write this article. It was entirely my decision to write this article and my opinion on this matter shouldn’t be treated as “fact” but rather as a “personal opinion based on research”.

 

 

Similarities between Upwork and Fiverr

 

The glaring similarity between both platforms is the fact that they are freelance marketplaces. Both platforms have an extensive range of services as opposed to other freelance platforms, i.e. iWriter and 99designs — which offer just writing and graphics design, respectively.

Both platforms charge 20% off freelancers’ earnings, which some freelance deem as outrageous.

 

Fiverr Vs Upwork — similar features

 

Characteristics	Fiverr	Upwork
Primary Model	Gig	Job
Payment Method	Fixed Price	Fixed Price & Hourly
Client Acquisition	Mostly Inbound	Mostly Outbound
Total Number of Clients	5.5 Million	5 Million
Security	Robust Multilateral Policies	Robust Multilateral Policies
Variety	Over 200 Categories	12 Categories
Earning Potential	High-Volume Repeatable Work	Long-Term Clients
Payment Method	Multiple	Multiple
Commissions	Flat 20%	Tiered -20% down to 10% down to 5%, depending on amount earned.
Client Payment Processing fees	$2 on all purchases ≤ $40 and 5% on purchases above $40	Flat 3% for the basic plan

Upwork reviews: from a buyer and seller perspective

 

From a seller perspective

 

• Upwork aims at providing services to specific freelance buyers as most freelance sellers say “the buyers on the platform are strict”, which explains why job rejection is high on Upwork.
• Freelance sellers often see Upwork as too serious as the website’s interface reflects this.
• Upwork operates with a search-filter method that allows buyers to find suitable freelance sellers for their job.
• On Upwork, you must learn how to bid as this is quite crucial in winning jobs.
• There is a payment protection plan for sellers. [Please Read]

 

From a buyer perspective

 

• Buyers have the option of viewing the work history of freelancers, which makes assigning tasks easier.
• There is a messaging system in place that allows buyers to communicate with freelance sellers. However, you can’t continuously communicate with all the sellers.
• You can’t communicate with a seller without posting a job.
• Buyers might auction their jobs if they don’t find a suitable freelancer to take on the jobs. Most freelance buyers don’t find this convenient as the job might go to the best bidder. Sometimes, the best bidder might not be the best match for the job.
• Some freelance sellers use fake profiles in other to secure jobs.
• Buyers to have a payment protection plan. See the link above.
• There are 4 membership plans to choose from

 

Opinion — Upwork vs Fiverr

 

Upwork does an excellent job in recommending the best freelancer for a particular job (they even assign a customer representative to help you recruit the best freelancer for your job – paid service).

Most of the services offered on Upwork don’t give freelance sellers enough chance to exercise their creativity. Some freelance sellers may rather find this boring and monotonous as the only comforting relief might be their earnings.

The services listed on Upwork are similar to those you’d find in regular job vacancies. To thrive on Upwork, you need core professionalism. If you’re looking to get on this platform, you might as well consider revamping your CV.

 

Fiverr reviews: from a buyer and seller perspective

 

From a buyer perspective

 

• Fiverr makes it a lot easier for freelance buyers to find suitable freelance sellers
• Fiverr serves as a directory for freelance sellers
• In terms of services, Fiverr has many categories and subcategories. This makes it very easy to assign a task to a qualified freelance seller
• Buyers can order a seller’s Gig without any prior communication
• Gigs are cheap and affordable

 

From a seller perspective

 

• Freelance sellers are listed according to their star rating and the number of reviews previous buyers left on their profile
• The seller profile can include a list of services (Gigs) they offer
• Fiverr has a messaging system that allows clients and sellers to communicate effectively. There is a search-filter system that helps buyers to narrow-search through a list of freelance sellers to get the one that best suits the job at hand
• Buyers can easily communicate with sellers without first posting a job
• Sellers don’t have to write proposals or submit their resume to win gigs
• There are 3 levels for sellers all of which have their individual benefits

 

Opinion — Upwork vs Fiverr

 

Most freelance sellers tend to gravitate towards Fiverr because they find it quite flexible. How? Fiverr imbues the principal concept of freelancing, and this can be seen from the number of services listed on their website. Services such as fun and lifestyle, video and animation, thus making the whole concept of freelancing fun.

With Fiverr, freelance sellers can exercise their creativity, which most buyers often find interesting. Also, freelancers get paid doing what they love. What’s more fun than that?

Fiverr is often deemed as a platform for talented freelance sellers, where many individuals with fun skills can earn from.

 

Fiverr vs Upwork — dispute resolution 

 

Virtually all modern online freelancing markets have some form of dispute resolution mechanism in place in order to protect both buyers and sellers.

Truly progressive companies such as Fiverr and Upwork have set up robust multilateral policies that prevent one party from taking advantage of the other.

For example, both companies hold all payments made by buyers in escrow/other similar services until customer satisfaction has been confirmed.

Let’s take a closer look at how each of these two behemoths of the freelancing market handle disputes between their users.

 

How Fiverr handle a dispute between seller and buyer

 

Fiverr has in place what they call their Resolution Center — which functions as a mediating platform purposely to facilitate working things out directly between both parties without having to involve customer support.

The resolution center allows users to modify orders, ask or offer additional revisions, extend delivery times, and even outright cancel orders.

 

How Upwork handle disputes between clients and freelance sellers

 

Upwork’s dispute resolution is a bit more involved because they offer two distinct models. Whereas Fiverr functions on a per-job basis, Upwork allows fixed-price contracts and hourly contracts.

Fixed price disputes are generally initiated by the freelancer when they have turned in a project and the buyer does not release the payment from escrow. Once the dispute has been filed, a mediator is assigned to attempt a resolution. If the dispute is not resolved, arbitration may be sought. Arbitration carries a fee for all parties involved.

For hourly disputes, the process is slightly different. These are generally filed by the buyer when they disagree with the number of hours billed by the freelancer. Once the dispute has been filed, a mediation team will analyze the situation and, if applicable, the disputed hours may be refunded either partially or totally to the client.

 

Fiverr Vs Upwork — Customer Satisfaction Survey Results

 

A recent Customer Satisfaction Survey conducted across all major social networks netted some interesting results.

Participants were asked a series of questions regarding their experience while using the freelance service marketplace Fiverr versus the freelance service platform Upwork.

Participants were asked the following questions:

1. How often do you use online freelance marketplaces?
2. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being extremely dissatisfied and 10 being extremely satisfied, how would you rate your experience with each platform?
3. Did these freelance platforms aid you in achieving your ultimate goals?
4. What was your favorite aspect of using these services?
5. Would you use online freelancing services again?
6. Which platform do you prefer?

Over a thousand people participated in this survey, and the results were as follows:

1. 85% of participants reported using these platforms at least once every two months. 12% of participants reported using these platforms at least once every 6 months. 3% of participants reported using freelancing platforms less than once per year.
2. The majority of users were satisfied with their experiences, with over 90% of participants scoring their satisfaction a 7 or higher. Only 4% of participants scored their experiences a 3 or less.
3. An overwhelming majority of those surveyed considered that making use of online freelancing platforms helped them achieve their goals.
4. The most common answers to this question included ease of use and customer protection practices.
5. Only 11% of those surveyed responded that they would never use online freelancing platforms again. The majority of users felt confident that they would repeat their experiences.
6. 76% of participants named Fiverr as their preferred online freelancing platform, citing customer service, customer protection practices, variety of services, and low prices as their reasoning.

 

Fiverr Vs Upwork: Which platform should I register on?

 

 

As we stated earlier, both platforms stand out in different ways. If you are still trying to decide which platform to use, perhaps the following factors will help in your decision process.

 

Becoming a freelancer

 

With Fiverr, you simply need to sign up and start offering your gigs. However, with Upwork, there have been several cases of new freelance sellers being restricted or denied access to sell. This is because there are already surplus members rendering the same service.

 

Quick hire

 

For one-time projects or small tasks, you may need to hire a freelance seller on very short notice. Fiverr makes this easier as every seller has the details of his/her services spelled out on his/her profile. You can skip communication and order a Gig on Fiverr. Upwork, on the other hand, forces buyers to go through an interview session with freelancers; this can delay the hiring process.

 

Making a quality hire

 

Both Upwork and Fiverr fit well in this regard as they both have their various means for vetting freelance sellers. Buyers also have the option of engaging sellers in a chat conversation, as this could help to determine the expertise of the seller.

 

Conclusion

 

Fiverr Vs Upwork. With the above factors, in my own opinion, Fiverr apparently presents a better option for freelance sellers and buyers. However, this review isn’t meant to undermine Upwork as individual perspectives tend to differ. There is nothing wrong with using both platforms for a start.

Categories of services on Fiverr

 

If you are thinking of becoming a freelance seller or are in the process of buying on Fiverr. The following are some categories that might interest you.

 

Pro Plan

 

 

A global marketplace of easily accessible and highly better professionals awaits. Only the highest caliber talent qualifies.

 

Whiteboard & Animated Explainers

If you have a complex service, product, or subject and need to impart clear and concise information to your target audience, then Whiteboard animated explainer videos are a fantastic option. Link

 

Research & Summaries

One of the fundamental steps to success and the total realization of your ideas is to conduct pointed and thorough research. Reliable research services allow you to make the most informed choice possible. Link

 

Website Builders & CMS

A CMS or content management system is a type of web application that allows any user to create, edit, and maintain a website. Blog and online store owners will almost always be a good match for a CMS. Link

 

Lyric & Music Videos

Integrating lyrics into a music video is a powerful way to reach an audience and keep them engaged with your content on your platform. Link

 

Architecture & Floor Plans

For a construction project to be sound, it requires detailed floor plans, ceiling plans, elevations, and full 3D renderings. If you prioritize attention to detail and quality during the architectural design phase, you will end up with the best possible results. Link

 

Presentation Design

No matter how compelling your message is, if it is not presented in a matter that is clean, effective, and persuasive, you will simply lose your audience. Whether you are pitching to corporate or educating an avid audience, you will need to nail design factors like typography, color therapy, and overall layout. Link

 

WordPress

WordPress is arguably the most user-friendly means of generating engaging visual web content without the need for any substantial computer programming know-how. A skilled WordPress user is capable of creating virtually any type of fully-functional web page or digital storefront. Link

 

Web & Mobile Design

Web and mobile experts can help you design a user experience that takes into account the various screen sizes and devices that populate the market. This will minimize bothersome user operations like panning, scrolling, and zooming. Link

 

 

E-commerce

E-commerce consists of marketing and selling products or services through the Internet. In short, the E-commerce industry is based on the migration of traditional commerce to the internet, but with specific aspects such as logistics and payment methods. Link

 

Creative Writing

Creative writing is any type of writing that falls outside the more traditional styles, such as those of journalism and scientific research. Link

 

Spokespersons Videos

A good spokesperson is an often underrated and underutilized component of business strategy. Humanizing your organization is an extremely effective method of effectively communicating with your target audience and delivering your key messages. Link

 

Data Analysis & Reports

The only way to truly analyze and understand data is to make ample use of analytical and statistical tools. Proper data analysis will allow your team to define objectives, draw sound conclusions, and make accurate predictions that can have a long-term impact on your endeavors. Link

 

Mobile Apps & Web

As of this year, there are over 2 million mobile apps available for download on the primary app markets. This means the market is saturated, and the only way to stand out is to make use of reliable and knowledgeable programmers and mobile developers. Link

 

Slideshows & Promo Videos

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, well let it be known that a professional, tightly edited, high-production video is worth a lot more than that. Whatever product or service you are trying to promote, make use of the available video editors and take your business to the next level. Link

 

Business Copywriting

Business Copywriting is essential for all advertising and marketing strategies. A professional copywriter can help your business, large or small, with web copy content, SEO optimization, email marketing, and mailing lists, and all kinds of digital content management. Link

 

 

Articles & Blog Posts

Blogging is another extremely powerful digital tool that allows you to reach your target audience on a personal level and earn a completely passive income. Anyone can blog, but only a few can do it well. Link

 

Translation

We live in a hyper-connected world in which small and large companies conduct business and perform transactions that span the globe. Today more than ever, it is important to be able to rely on rapid and accurate translation services. Link

 

Voice Over

Off-camera commentary is a powerful production technique that is used in all kinds of telecommunication work, such as radio, television, and film. Link

 

Illustration

With illustration, the single most important aspect is that the artist is able to convey ideas in a clear and precise manner. Link

 

Branding Services

Whether you are looking for a logo, print, packaging, or stationery design, you will need to contract a branding service. Your brand is the identity with which your clients will associate your products or services and, as such, it is imperative that you approach branding with quality in mind. Link