Lancers vs Upwork
Lancers and Upwork are both freelance sites. On a $1,000 payment you keep about $835 on Lancers and $850–$1,000 on Upwork, before withdrawal or currency-conversion costs.
Updated · from each platform’s published fees and payout terms · how we verify
Key differences
- On a $1,000 payment you keep about $835 on Lancers and $850–$1,000 on Upwork, before withdrawal or currency-conversion costs.
- Both pay out via Bank transfer. Only Upwork offers PayPal, Payoneer and M-Pesa.
- Only Upwork lists built-in payment protection (Fixed-price: client funds are deposited before work starts. Hourly: protected when you log time with the Upwork time tracker).
- Lancers is the older platform — founded in 2008, 5 years before Upwork (2013).
- Lancers is based in Japan, Upwork in United States.
- Lancers focuses on Japan, while Upwork operates internationally.
Which should you choose?
Choose Lancers if…
- You prefer a long track record (since 2008).
- You live in Japan.
Choose Upwork if…
- Keeping more of each payment matters most — its fee is lower.
- You want to withdraw via PayPal and Payoneer.
- You want built-in payment protection.
Side by side
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Lancers
The first crowdsourcing service in Japan, matching freelancers with projects across writing, design, developme…
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Upwork
One of the largest freelance marketplaces in the world, covering everything from development and design to wri…
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| Type | Freelance sites like Upwork | Freelance sites like Upwork |
| Category | General Marketplace | General Marketplace |
| Vetted | No | No |
| Work from home | Yes | Yes |
| Fees | Flat 16.5% system fee incl tax | 0-15% per marketplace contract, Direct Contracts 5% or 0% with active Freelancer Plus |
| Minimum payout | Balance over ¥1,000 | Varies by method, from $5 via Direct to Local Bank |
| Payout speed | Automatic bank payouts: earnings closed on the 15th are paid at month-end, and earnings closed at month-end are paid on the next 15th | Hourly: 10 days after the billing week ends (5 days sooner for Top Rated), fixed-price: 5 days after the client approves (clients have up to 14 days to review) |
| Payment protection | — | Fixed-price: client funds are deposited before work starts. Hourly: protected when you log time with the Upwork time tracker |
| Withdraw via | Bank transfer (Japan) | Direct to Local Bank, PayPal, Payoneer, Direct to U.S. Bank, Wire transfer, M-Pesa, Instant Pay (US) |
| Availability | Japan | Worldwide (180+ countries) except Cuba, Iran, North Korea and the Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions, suspended in Russia and Belarus |
| Local to | Japan | — |
| Founded | 2008 | 2013 |
| Headquarters | Tokyo, Japan | Palo Alto, California, United States |
| Stock ticker | — | NASDAQ: UPWK |
| iOS app | — | App ★ 4.6 |
| Android app | — | App ★ 3.6 |
| Popularity | 69 views · 0 likes | 127 views · 0 likes |
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, Lancers or Upwork?
On a $1,000 payment you keep about $835 on Lancers and $850–$1,000 on Upwork, before withdrawal or currency-conversion costs.
How fast do Lancers and Upwork pay out?
Lancers: Automatic bank payouts: earnings closed on the 15th are paid at month-end, and earnings closed at month-end are paid on the next 15th. Upwork: Hourly: 10 days after the billing week ends (5 days sooner for Top Rated), fixed-price: 5 days after the client approves (clients have up to 14 days to review).
Where are Lancers and Upwork available?
Lancers: Japan. Upwork: Worldwide (180+ countries) except Cuba, Iran, North Korea and the Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions, suspended in Russia and Belarus.