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Toptal vs Upwork
Toptal and Upwork are both freelance sites. On a $1,000 payment you keep about $1,000 on Toptal 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 $1,000 on Toptal and $850–$1,000 on Upwork, before withdrawal or currency-conversion costs.
- Both pay out via PayPal, Payoneer and Bank transfer. Only Upwork offers M-Pesa and Instant Pay.
- Toptal screens providers before they can join, while Upwork is open to anyone.
- Toptal is the older platform — founded in 2010, 3 years before Upwork (2013).
Which should you choose?
Choose Toptal if…
- Keeping more of each payment matters most — its fee is lower.
- You are an experienced professional ready to pass a screening.
Choose Upwork if…
- You want to withdraw via M-Pesa and Instant Pay.
- You are just starting out and want to sign up without a screening.
Side by side
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Toptal
A premium network that screens applicants and accepts only a small percentage of freelance developers, designe…
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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 | Vetted Talent | General Marketplace |
| Vetted | Yes | No |
| Work from home | Yes | Yes |
| Fees | 0% - no commission on freelancer's set rate | 0-15% variable service fee per contract (5% on Direct Contracts, 0% with Freelancer Plus) |
| Minimum payout | — | Varies by method, from $5 via Direct to Local Bank |
| Payout speed | — | 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 t |
| Payment protection | No-risk trial period for clients | Fixed-price: client funds are deposited before work starts. Hourly: protected when you log time with the Upwork time tracker |
| Withdraw via | PayPal, Payoneer, Wire transfer | Direct to Local Bank, PayPal, Payoneer, Direct to U.S. Bank, Wire transfer, M-Pesa, Instant Pay (US) |
| Availability | Worldwide | Worldwide (180+ countries) except Cuba, Iran, North Korea and the Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions, suspended in Russia and Belarus |
| Founded | 2010 | 2013 |
| Headquarters | United States | Palo Alto, California, United States |
| Stock ticker | — | NASDAQ: UPWK |
| iOS app | — | App ★ 4.6 |
| Android app | — | App ★ 3.6 |
| Popularity | 69 views · 0 likes | 117 views · 0 likes |
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, Toptal or Upwork?
On a $1,000 payment you keep about $1,000 on Toptal and $850–$1,000 on Upwork, before withdrawal or currency-conversion costs.
Where are Toptal and Upwork available?
Toptal: Worldwide. Upwork: Worldwide (180+ countries) except Cuba, Iran, North Korea and the Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions, suspended in Russia and Belarus.
Which is easier to join, Toptal or Upwork?
Upwork — anyone can sign up, while Toptal screens providers before accepting them.