Rating breakdown
Rated 3.9/5. Ahead of the freelance sites average on getting paid, access and proof of earnings.
What this shows
Our rating has five parts, each scored 1–5 from verified facts. The blue shape is 99designs; the dashed amber shape is the average of similar platforms (or every platform). A part with no point at the centre could not be judged for lack of facts. Pick another platform to overlay its shape.
How it is calculated
site_rating(): Fees score from the highest cut named (0% = 5, up to 10% = 4.5, up to 20% = 3.5, up to 30% = 2.5, above = 1.5). Getting paid starts at 2 and adds 0.75 each for a low minimum, fast payouts, built-in payment protection and three or more withdrawal methods (0.25 for one or two). Access starts from country reach (4.5 worldwide, 4 with exceptions, 3.5 for 30+ countries, 2.5 for several, 2 for one) plus 0.5 if free to join and 0.25 for instant or quick sign-up. Track record scores age (20+ years 4, 10+ 3.5, 5+ 3, newer 2) plus 0.5 each for a stock listing, top-10,000 traffic and a 4.5+ app; an announced closure sets it to 1. Proof of earnings is 5 with a sourced typical figure, 4 with top or total figures, 3 with a count of earners. Each part caps at 5; the overall score is their average, given only when at least three parts can be judged. Averages skip parts a platform has no score for.
Data table 5 rows
| Part | 99designs | freelance sites average |
|---|---|---|
| Fees | 3.5 | 4.3 |
| Getting paid | 3.5 | 2.55 |
| Access | 4.75 | 3.36 |
| Track record | 3.5 | 3.52 |
| Proof of earnings | 4 | 3.07 |