I will tell you this straight away: I don’t like big companies taking over everything. Upwork has become the top platform, buying others to get bigger. I think they might even buy Freelancer soon. But right now, Freelancer is still a good choice. They have reasonable prices and are a good option if you don’t want to use Upwork.
What Is Freelancer?
If you don’t know Freelancer, it’s a website where people look for work. It’s like LinkedIn, but with real jobs. You can sign up as a freelancer or a person looking to hire someone. The site handles all the money and ensures everything runs smoothly. It’s a good place for freelancers to get noticed and get paid.
If you’re building a business (even a big one like a porn empire), this is a good place to find skilled workers.
The fees
A freelancer makes money by taking a small fee. For fixed-price jobs, they take $3 or 3% of the total, whichever is bigger. For hourly work, they take 3%. This is a small fee compared to other platforms.
But freelancers don’t have it easy. They lose 10% of what they earn, and 20% gets taken from services. It’s not a perfect system, but it’s how the platform works.
Freelancer can lower this fee to 15% by joining the Preferred Freelancer Program, but it’s not simple. If you want to avoid fees altogether, you need to refer people to the site, but it’s a bit tricky. You need to read the rules carefully.
Finding the Right Person for the Job
You won’t get far without good people. Freelancer helps you find them, but not everyone is the same.
When hiring someone for creative work like web design or writing, you want to hire someone good. One-off projects work well for jobs you don’t need all the time. You can hold back payment until the work is done right.
Building a Team
Once you find someone who works well, stick with them. If they do a good job, hire them again. Freelancers are used to working a lot and are available every day. You’ll get a good response from them.
Browsing Freelancer Profiles
Looking through profiles to pick the right person can be hard. You’ll get lots of bids, but how do you know who’s good? Some will ask for a lot of money, others will ask for less, and some might not have reviews. My advice is to hire new freelancers who ask for less money and experienced ones who ask for more. New freelancers want to prove themselves, and experienced ones don’t want to lose their good reputation.
Milestones and Time Tracking
Forget time tracking. It can upset workers. Be clear about what you need. Let them decide how much time it will take.
Freelancer also has a service that helps you find the right Freelancer for $9.50. They’ll do the hard work for you, but I haven’t used this service myself.
The Bottom Line
Freelancer is a good site for clients who want things done. For freelancers, it can be hard, but if you know how to use it, you can make money. Just follow the rules—if you break them, you could get banned.
In the end, Freelancer is a good choice for anyone who doesn’t want to use Upwork. It gives good value for money.
