Fiverr vs Freelancer: Which Should You Use?

Last Updated on December 8, 2023 by Ewen Finser

In this post, we’re going to take a look at both Fiverr vs Freelancer, two of the most popular freelancing sites and networks on the internet. Hopefully, by the end of this review, you’ll be better informed as to where you should part with your hard-earned dollars.

Bottom Line Up Front: If you are on the fence, I personally prefer starting wtih Fiverr here as it’s the more reliable and cost effective place to start hiring. Then, check Freelancer if Fiverr doesn’t work out.

Here’s a significant number: an estimated 57.3 million freelancers are working either full or part-time in the US. Many of those workers will be signed up to at least one of the many online freelance netwowrks.  

More and more people are shifting from the traditional Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm lifestyle to something way more flexible. So unsurprisingly, there are tons of websites to facilitate the buying and selling of freelance services online.  

For entrepreneurs, this means an expert in any specialized subject is only a few clicks away. Hiring freelancers and outsourcing work has become uncomplicated, fast, and often incredibly cheap. 

But where do you find the best services online? How are you protected when you present your brief to strangers from around the globe? It goes without saying, as an entrepreneur, you might want to know a bit about the freelancer(s) before assigning them an important task. 

Let’s dive in! 

Main Differences Between Fiverr vs Freelancer

The main differences between Fiverr vs Freelancer are: 

• Fiverr is best for freelancers to offer their services, whereas Freelancer lets you post job offers and projects
• Fiverr keeps 20 percent of your gains, whereas Freelancer comes with monthly plans and different ranges
• Fiverr is best for a one-off gig, whereas Freelancer offers more long-term options

Fiverr vs Freelancer: What’s Fiverr? 

Fiverr operates in only the English language but boasts an international reach. It allows freelancers to register on their site and offer whatever skills they have at their chosen rate.

Created by Tim and Dan Joo, they say: “Being a small and growing brand, we have to do a lot more with less definitely. And when you want to create a business bigger than yourself, you’re going to need help. And that’s what Fiverr does.” 

Companies needing those skills can search through a series of categories to find a freelancer whose talents and experience match their needs and budget.  

Fiverr says it’s “the world’s largest marketplace for digital services,” and that it allows its customers to look at a large freelancer base and buy whatever services they need. In Fiverr speak, a service offered by a freelancer is called a ‘Gig.’.’   

Fiverr says one of their gigs is bought every 4 seconds, with prices ranging from $5 up to $10,000. To date, this platform’s secured over 50 million transactions!  

There are tons of categories and services you can peruse through, including: 

• Logo design 
• Translation 
• Voice over 
• Whiteboard 
• Digital marketing 
• Writing and editing 
• Music and audio 
• Video and animation 
• Business services (e.g., virtual assistant, business plans, branding services) 
• Programming and tech 

Just to name a few. 

So to Recap: Fiverr is more like a directory of freelancers offering specific services than it is a place for an entrepreneur to post a job offer.

As such, buyers can browse through several categories and styles and find a freelancer that best suits their needs. They can then get in contact with the freelancer or use the freelancer’s order form to present them with a brief.  

Fiverr vs Freelancer: What’s Freelancer? 

The same as Fiverr, only differently structured.  

It has almost 40 million users, with nearly 17 million freelance jobs posted on their network! Freelancer’s reach extends across 247 countries, regions, and territories. Freelancers can be accessed in English, Dutch, and Turkish. Its homepage tells potential employers they can get any kind of work done, and have experts “representing every technical, professional, and creative field.”  

That’s quite a boast, but does it stack up?  

Freelancer says it’s “the world’s largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace by several users and projects.” It’s a company that trades on the Australian Securities Exchange.  

If you’re a buyer, then you post a project online. This is where it differs most significantly from Fiverr’s setup. When you post a project, you give it a name, for instance, ‘write me a blog on digital marketing.’ You can also elaborate on the project by attaching any relevant documents, including a more detailed brief.  

Freelancers set up a profile, outline their skills, and are then matched to jobs that suit their skillset. Freelancers browse for jobs posted by buyers.  

Typically, a job posting includes information like the buyer’s location, the job specification, and the price the customer is willing to pay. One example we found during a quick browse on Freelancer, was a US/Canadian buyer who’s willing to pay between $25 and $50 per hour for data entry (transferring info from PDF documents to an Excel spreadsheet). Another buyer wants someone to create a poster for a concert. You get the idea. 

Any freelancer can bid for a job. The site shows how many bids have already been made and the average fee quoted. That way, freelancers have the option of bidding higher or lower than the average. Consequently, a buyer is more likely to get a competitive price offered to them. 

But what about the skill categories? 

Here the list is less apparent. Still, looking at the “browse a job” section, buyers have to input the skills they’re looking for, although you can see the categories on Freelancer’s website. They’re found at the bottom of the homepage under “categories.”  

A quick scout shows you can input similar categories to those more readily visible on Fiverr, including: 

• Website, IT and software 
• Design, media, and architecture 
• Data entry and admin 
• Freight, shipping, and transportation 
• Local jobs including labor and painting 
• Translation 

We also tried plumbing, electric repair, and decorating just to see what popped up and saw, for example, a job posting for broadband installation. Under decorating, there was a job for someone to decorate a bedroom.

So, the tasks are varied and random, although like on Fiverr, the more substantial proportion of jobs seems, upon first glance, geared towards the digital/marketing/creative industries. 

Which Companies use Fiverr? 

There are some big names listed here. They include Google, Facebook, PayPal, P&G, Netflix, and intuit. There’s no indication of what kinds of jobs, upon first glance at least, but it’s still impressive nonetheless.  

Which Companies Use Freelancer? 

Freelancer’s home page has several company logos on it, giving freelancers an indicator of the kinds of big outlets using its services. Among them are Microsoft, Boeing, MetLife, PWC, Intel, and Avery Dennison.  

How Much is Fiverr?

Fiverr is free to sign up for both buyers and freelancers. If you make a purchase, you’re charged between $2 and $40 service free. Any investment above that is charged at a percentage fee of 5%.

Fiverr says the money: “helps us operate our platform and offer 24/7 customer support.” In addition to these fees, you’ll also have to pay the price of the gig specified by the freelancer.  

As we’ve just said, freelancers also sign up for free but receive only 80% of the jobs they complete. 20% goes to Fiverr as a commission. This means freelancers might adjust their prices to make up from some of the losses they incur on service fees. It also means that anyone can sign up initially.

There are no skills tests or financial hurdles getting in the way. As such, you get a whole host of workers on this platform who massively vary in quality. So, always check to see their star rating before purchasing a gig. You don’t want to be a guinea pig! 

How Much is Freelancer? 

If you’re posting a job, great news, Freelancer is free for buyers! 

For freelancers, however, there are several monthly paid-for plans, complete with a 30 day trial period: 

• Introductory: at $0.99 a month 
• Basic: at £4.95 a month 
• Plus: at $9.95 a month 
• Professional: from $29.95 a month 
• Premier: $59.95 a month 

You can find more information about their fees and charges at the bottom of the homepage. In comparison to Fiverr, it seems its prices and charges aren’t so clear. There are lots of different costs, transaction fees, and the percentage of fees assigned to distinct categories. Yet, those categories aren’t readily defined for a first time user. It’s also not always immediately apparent which costs apply to freelancers and which to buyers.  

When you list a project, you can also opt to receive bids from freelancers and discuss the project. This is also an excellent time to look at the freelancer’s portfolio. If a buyer goes ahead with their listed plan, the Freelancer will charge a small project fee based on the value of the selected bid.  

For a buyer, the cost of a project depends on what it is. If you opt for a fixed price project, Freelancer charges $3 or 3%, whichever is greater. It’s also a 3% charge if you’re paying the freelancer an hourly rate. 

For freelancers, it’s worth noting a buyer can cancel their project at any time for up to a week after it’s accepted. If they choose to do that, the buyer is refunded their fee.  

Which Devices are Fiverr and Freelancer Available on?

 

There are a few more options available with Fiverr. Users can access this network via Windows, Linux, Android, iPad, iPhone, Mac, and other web-based devices. With Freelancer, you get all the above apart from Linux.  

Why Outsource Work to Websites Like Fiverr or Freelancer? 

Now we know all the basics of what these sites offer, let’s take a look at why an entrepreneur might outsource their work to sellers on these platforms.  

Traditionally, these services would be provided to staff working 9-5 jobs. So why switch over to strangers on the internet? Here’s a couple of good reasons why. 

1. Not every job justifies the training and full-time employment of staff (with a dedicated full-time employee). Even if your business is going through a re-brand, you might only need a designer for a few months. This is where a freelancer comes into their own. A freelancer is hired only when they’re actually required. So, when there isn’t much work for them to do, you’re not wasting money on a salary. You also don’t spend money paying for inhouse training, because more often than not, freelancers already have the skills they need to do the job justice.  
2. If you’re an entrepreneur still growing your network, websites like Freelancer and Fiverr give you access to thousands of professionals that otherwise you might not have come across. Now you have the choice of plenty of top-quality talent and can browse for what best meets your needs. You’re not restricted to the local area or the people you know; instead, the web’s your oyster! 
3. You could save a lot of money outsourcing work on websites like Fiverr and Freelancer. For one, competition between freelancers is fierce, so often, you’ll naturally achieve a lower fee as a result of freelancers trying to outbid one another.  
4. Sites like Fiverr and Freelancer offer customer support and often have protection methods in place for both parties. So, you might be safer using a website with an established procedure than finding a freelancer on your own and operating using their contracts. 
5. Freelancers on these sites are used to completing standalone tasks in the short term. So, chances are they’ll be experienced in providing quick turnaround times on projects that fit their skillset. 
6. You can read ratings and reviews on the freelancers registered on these sites. This kind of info isn’t always available when you hire somebody on their word alone. Instead of cherry-picked testimonials, you’ll find accounts of the experiences of other customers just like you when they worked with the seller on similar projects. 

Is Fiverr Worthwhile for Entrepreneurs? 

Fiverr was launched with the principle that you could go online and get a digital service done quickly and cheaply, with a large number of freelancers at the ready.

In practice, this turns out a little differently as gigs usually end up more expensive than that. It’s not uncommon for the full extent of the freelancer’s service to be hidden inside of their ‘premium’ option.  

Fiverr is an excellent site when you need a creative service completing in the short term, namely when it’s not cost-effective to hire a long term employee. Fiverr also comes in handy if you’re looking for something quite specific and need a directory to browse for the right person to get the job done. 

It’s also worth mentioning, Fiverr categories can be limiting. Namely, that they focus predominantly on digital services like marketing, copywriting, and graphic design and each freelancer might be offering more specific services beyond that. This means it’s sometimes difficult to gauge someone’s level of experience or competence in completing a job outside of these boundaries. 

Some also comment that Fiverr’s freelancers also post the best images of their work. But their portfolio on display doesn’t represent the quality of the work they usually produce. You also have to pay freelancers in advance.

The good news is, there’s a three day period for digital goods and 14 days for shipped goods after completion of a project, where you can get your money back if you’re not satisfied. The protection here lies with you as the entrepreneur, so at worst, you’ll only lose some of your time. 

How Does Freelancer Hold up for Buyers? 

Freelancer’s interface is a lot more buyer-focused, meaning you and your project are at the centre of the site’s attention. This puts you in the advantageous position of having freelancers approach you instead of the other way round. All that’s left for you to do is simply browse through the interested parties and see who’s a good fit.   

It also means you can accurately compare the pricing between the freelancers for the job you’ve posted. You don’t have to jump from profile to profile weighing up the different prices before the freelancer’s even expressed an interest in taking the job.  

With Freelancer, the chances are you’ll have several bids on your project within minutes. So you should be able to get up and running relatively quickly.  

Last but not least, on Freelancer, you don’t pay until the project is completed. That’s unless you’ve negotiated a set of milestones with your newly employed freelancer. Again, this helps to make the buyer feel a little more in control of the quality of work they receive.  

Frequently Asked Questions:

So Time to Choose, Fiverr vs Freelancer- Who wins?

Having finished reading this article, it’s safe to say, not all projects need completing by in-house staff. Indeed, outsourcing some of your work can save you lots of time and money.

These days, finding a freelancer online using a network like Fiverr or Freelancer is a breeze. You just identify their strengths, select a competitive rate, and off you go!  

Both Fiverr and Freelancer will connect you with a freelancer successfully. In the end, the site you go with all depends on your needs, what payment methods and procedures you’re comfortable with, and how you prefer looking for skilled workers. 

If you have a specific style in mind, the job follows a simple procedure, and it’s a one-off gig with a tight deadline, Fiverr is a good option for hiring. Just browse freelancers and make your own decision based on their wide variety of seller profiles and examples of their previous work.

You have nothing to lose as you’re protected if you don’t like the work that’s completed. As freelancers take great pains to preserve their reputation, you can rest assured that you, as the buyer, have a lot of support available to you. 

If instead you have a particular project with detailed specifications and require freelancers to apply themselves with specific skills or experiences, Freelancer provides a more project-focused approach.

Within minutes, you can put your gig out there and get freelancers to cater to their proposal to meet the needs of your specific project. Let the offers come to you, and choose from the applicants. 

Bottom Line: If you are on the fence, I personally preferred to join Fiverr first here as it’s the more reliable and cost effective place to start hiring. Then, check Freelancer if Fiverr doesn’t work out.

Which will you choose? Let us know in the comments box below. Either way, we hope these sites make your life easier in the future by completing some of those time-consuming tasks on your evergrowing to-do list!  

Further reads:

• 6 Best Fiverr Alternatives for Outsourcing Work Online Looking to outsource some of your online tasks but don’t particularly want to use Fiverr? Here are 6 of the top alternatives to check out to find the best online freelancers!
• Upwork vs Fiverr: Which Platform is Better? Upwork and Fiverr are the two most diverse and popular freelance platforms for digital freelance work. See which of these two has the best freelancers. Let’s begin!
• Top Alternatives to 99Designs If you are specifically looking for designers, 99Designs features logo design contents (or other design work) where expert designers submit bids against your job requirement. 
• 99Designs vs Designhill Compared
• How to Find the Best Project Management Tool for Online Business  In this article, we will compare project management features, benefits and drawbacks. Everything you need to know about finding the best project management is here!