Is Fiverr or Upwork Better for New Writers?

Here’s what you should know as a beginner looking for freelance work.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

I made my choice over ten years ago. And if I’d have to do it again, I’d pick Upwork again without hesitation.

I know you could be making a lot more money outside of these platforms. But you’re not, which means you have to start somewhere.

So, if you’re looking for clients, why not go to them? Why sit around, waiting for them to come to you?

Upwork vs. Fiverr comes down to going where the jobs are listed versus where the job seekers are listed.

Sure, down the road, it may help to spread the word that you’re available for hire. That’s what you do on Fiverr.

But if you want to get a real chance at a real gig and make real money within a few days, as a new freelancer, you’ll want to apply for jobs on Upwork.

Are you looking for a gig or a project?

Fiverr is known to promote an environment for gigs. Gigs won’t allow you to pay the bills without going near burnout.

By contrast, Upwork would instead focus on flat-rate and hourly projects. I’ve been with clients from that platform for up to two years.

With Upwork, I’ve enjoyed much more working opportunities than I hoped for. Plus, the hourly projects with their weekly payments gave me some security when I needed it the most.

The paying clients who want a quick job done in a hot second would go to Fiverr and surf the listed profiles.

The paying clients who want to start with a quick job and take it further down the road would go on Upwork and list a job description where candidates would apply.

Where do you want to be?

Would you walk the extra mile to get a project?

Anyone who’s ever been through this process, on either Upwork or Fiverr, would tell you it’s a numbers game. You’ll nearly kiss a lot of frogs until the right one comes along.

But are you aware of Upwork’s “boosted proposal” feature, recently introduced?