5 Top Freelancer Marketplaces
2. Freelancer
Most freelance content will involve writing and graphic design. However, sometimes you need freelancers for other jobs, such as photography, videography, and more.
Freelancer.com lets your business seek out freelancers from a wide selection of industries and skill sets. No matter what kind of work you’re trying to do, you can find someone to help you bring your vision to life.
This site uses a bid system, meaning you post a job, and freelancers bid to get it. This system is more competitive than others and can help attract better talent. It also allows you to set your price and get high-quality work without paying for an arm and a leg.
The downside, however, is that you can accept only a certain number of bids. If none of the freelancers work out, you have to browse the site to find someone you like.
Overall, Freelancer is an excellent tool if you want to draw from global talent in diverse fields.
3. Upwork
Like Freelancer, Upwork has been around for a long time and uses a bid system. Also like Freelancer, this bid system has ups and downs. On the upside, you can control how much you pay, and you can get freelancers to compete for your business.
On the downside, the freelancers on the site are not vetted, so you have to rely on their profiles and interactions with them. Overall, the people on Upwork are talented, but there’s a relatively large spectrum of well-qualified and unqualified candidates.
Another advantage Upwork offers is finding freelancers from various niches and industries. No matter your business model, you can likely find someone to help you achieve your marketing or operational objectives.
For example, you can hire someone to create a blog post, app, ebook, or anything else you need.
Something worth pointing out—sometimes, especially if you’re new to the scene, sorting through all those profiles can be kind of a slog. It’s easy to fall into the weeds reading endless pitches and not really knowing what’s actually a good sign and what’s just marketing fluff. If you don’t have time for deep dives into portfolios, you’ll either love the sheer volume of choice or get completely overwhelmed. Honestly, it’s a bit of both if you ask most users.
On the flip side, Upwork’s payment protection and built-in messaging tools do take a bit of stress out of working with someone you’ve never actually met. You can set milestones, keep tabs on your freelancer’s progress, or just check in casually. It’s not a magic bullet, but for a lot of projects, having everything in one platform is way less hassle than chasing invoices and attachments by email.
4. Contently
Contently is a content marketing solution that pairs top-level businesses with top-level talent. Some of the largest companies in the world have found success with Contently, which is why it has such a high profile.
Unlike a generic bidding marketplace, Contently has its own staff of editors who sift through hundreds of portfolios to find a suitable writer for your needs. Since the pay rates are so high on this site, you can expect world-class writers who are experts within their niches.
However, because of the curation process, you have much less control over who you work with. Also, if you’re on a relatively tight budget, you’ll find each piece costs a lot more on Contently than on other platforms like Freelancer.
Overall, if you’re an enterprise-level business looking for expert writers, Contently can be an excellent choice. If you’re a smaller business or startup, you may not have the budget or time to get highly curated content.
5. People Per Hour
If you’re looking for more of a one-to-one alternative to Fiverr, People Per Hour is another suitable option.
This site helps you connect with freelancers from a wide variety of industries. People Per Hour also scores and ranks “sellers” based on their work history and interactions with other businesses.
This marketplace is ideal if you’re looking for affordable talent and need a wide range of skill sets. It’s pretty easy to filter your search results, and you can also resolve any disputes pretty easily through the platform.
One of the significant downsides of People Per Hour is that individuals are not vetted, and there is no hourly time clock. So, if a freelancer charges by the hour, you have to trust their assessment is accurate. However, you can find some excellent third-party talent if you can work within these limitations.
Get High-Quality Freelance Content
When it comes to writing, SEO, and digital graphic design, there are great options for most businesses. Since you have access to top-quality talent at rates you can afford, you get the best of both worlds.
