Upwork

Upwork is one of the world's largest freelance marketplaces and a public company (NASDAQ: UPWK). It was formed when Elance (founded 1999) and oDesk (founded 2003) agreed to merge in December 2013, and it took the Upwork name in May 2015. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, it serves clients and freelancers in more than 180 countries. In 2025 clients spent $4.0 billion on the platform across about 785,000 active client accounts, and Upwork says it has facilitated more than $30 billion of work since its founding.

Freelancers win work in four main ways: sending proposals to client job posts (each proposal costs Connects, at $0.15 each), selling fixed-scope packages in the Project Catalog, offering paid consultations, and bringing their own clients through Direct Contracts. Since May 2025 the freelancer service fee varies from 0% to 15% per contract, and it is shown and locked in before you accept. Direct Contracts cost 5%, or nothing with a Freelancer Plus membership.

Payment protection depends on the contract. Fixed-price work is paid from project funds the client deposits before you start, and hourly work is protected when you log time with the Upwork desktop time tracker. Hourly earnings become available 10 days after each billing week, and fixed-price payments 5 days after the client approves the work. Before your first withdrawal you need a verified ID, an approved profile and a tax form (W-8BEN if you are outside the US).