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    Upwork

Upwork

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Overview

Upwork has a rating of 2.5 stars from 2,119 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Reviewers complaining about Upwork most frequently mention customer service, credit card, and job success problems. Upwork ranks 6th among Freelancing sites.

  • Service
    477
  • Value
    459
  • Shipping
    253
  • Returns
    289
  • Quality
    453

This company does not typically respond to reviews

Positive reviews (last 12 months): 16.7%
Positive
3
Neutral
0
Negative
15
View ratings trends
270
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How would you rate Upwork?
Top Positive Review

“Unlocking Freelance Opportunities with Upwork”

पपीता म.
4/23/24

Upwork has been my trusted platform for finding freelance opportunities and connecting with clients from around the world. The platform's vast network of clients and freelancers, comprehensive job listings, and secure payment system make it easy to find meaningful projects and build a successful freelance career. I appreciate Upwork's commitment to transparency and professionalism, as seen in its dispute resolution process and feedback system, which ensure fair and equitable transactions for both parties. Moreover, the platform's collaboration tools and communication features enhance teamwork and streamline project management. With Upwork, freelancing is not just a job—it's a rewarding and fulfilling career.

Date of experience: 4/22/24
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Top Critical Review

“Not worth it”

P X.
9/10/24

Business practices are arbitrary and unfair with the cost for freelancers of doing business on the site constantly increasing and various services and perks taken away. Not worth it for freelancers--and clients don't fare much better.

Date of experience: 9/10/24
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Reviews (2,119)

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Reviews that mention popular keywords

customer service (91) freelancing platform (135) credit card (22) customer support (44) payment protection (24) freelancing site (80) bank account (20) freelancing career (25) post jobs (16)
Thumbnail of user johnchaeln
Philippines
1 review
0 helpful votes
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November 28th, 2020

It helps even beginner freelancer on finding jobs that are suitable for their skillset. I am starting and I already feel like this platform provides the perfect tool for connecting small-time businesses and freelancers.

Date of experience: November 28, 2020

Thumbnail of user markc2179
GB
1 review
0 helpful votes
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December 22nd, 2020

Very happy! Lots of work, contracts are fair for freelancer and client, platform covers everything from the start of a contract to the end of a contract and receiving monies into your back account. I don't bother with other freelance sites, nothing else compares, and are inferior.

Date of experience: December 21, 2020

Thumbnail of user timh642
Arkansas
1 review
0 helpful votes
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May 15th, 2020

I started with Upwork a number of years ago and found success and regular work. It was actually a large piece of where I found work as a voice artist. But then they changed their fee structure and I no longer try to find new work through the site.

We must now pay for audition credits AND they then take a percentage of the contracted fee.

I felt this was a money grabbing attempt and it made me decide to leave the platform except to keep my past clients who still work through this site.
Otherwise I have left and will spend my time elsewhere.

It is a good platform and one that I had success using. The value was once good. But not it is not a value for me any longer.

If you are just starting out it can still be a great platform for you to use. If you have been in the business a while I say skip it.

Date of experience: May 14, 2020

Thumbnail of user daniell1154
VE
1 review
0 helpful votes
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February 21st, 2021

This app, change my world with thair mission, as a wise man said long time ago -"intelligence is pread all around the world but opportunities not." and that's exactly what they do, they help me connect with companies that I never had access before. And thair customer service is amazing and fast

Service
Value
Shipping
Returns
Quality

Date of experience: February 20, 2021

Thumbnail of user muhammadi98
Pakistan
1 review
0 helpful votes
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February 20th, 2021

Hello every one, I want to tell you that upwork.com is the best platform for Graphic Designers, there are a verity of lot of Jobs, You can easily achieved a job by putting your best skills within a week. I will recommend this Site to every professional.

Date of experience: February 18, 2021

Thumbnail of user toml74
Czechia
1 review
4 helpful votes
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July 7th, 2015

I sent refund request, that has been accepted by freelancer.

I have filled a statement of work etc, specified i get a refund if something goes wrong. Freelancer did accept the refund request of mine, however since they do not have money on their account i have to wait till they do top up their account, which obviously never going to happen.

What da f**k is refund request for if not to get your m*********g money back?

Date of experience: July 7, 2015

Thumbnail of user allisonk109
District of Columbia
1 review
0 helpful votes
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October 14th, 2020

I love using Upwork because as a military spouse, it allows me to find virtual and remote jobs and roles that I can take with me when we move due to the needs of the military. There are so many opportunities to choose from too. I love the peace of mind that Upwork provides through it's services to it's freelancers and those who are posting jobs. I would highly recommend using Upwork to find your next role!

Date of experience: October 14, 2020

Thumbnail of user judheljosephd
Philippines
1 review
0 helpful votes
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April 15th, 2021

Upwork is a good place to start earning. They help us find the right client that fits our niche. It also features security at safeness in terms of payments from the client. Overall I would recommend this to the ones who lost their jobs due to the pandemic.

Tip for consumers:
Just input all your experience and that would be enough to get accepted.

Service
Value
Quality

Date of experience: April 14, 2021

Thumbnail of user jamesm791
Portugal
1 review
7 helpful votes
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February 11th, 2018

This an awful site. Professional get paid very little money. On top of that, may unqualified "professionals" do the job you are qualified to do. Also, clients know that they can get away with paying very little money to real professionals. Translations for 1 cent per word, language classes for 2 dollars, etc. I call that a scam. Also, the people of Upwork, if you don't get clients they "hide" your profile, so, they will punish you if you don't sell your services at the lowest price. Go and work in your local café, probably where you will earn more.

Date of experience: February 11, 2018

Thumbnail of user gabel14
Illinois
2 reviews
22 helpful votes
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February 13th, 2016

I was a top rated freelancer for a long time, until I got a bogus review from an unorganized client. This put me right under the top rated program upwork now has, and I stopped getting views. I contacted customer service, but they were no help as usual. Customer service has always been a joke, and their time tracker has always had ongoing problems. The fee structure needs to be worked on, also. If they listened to the community and upped their minimum of $3/hour, the site would be much better and effective for everyone involved. I left recently and couldn't be happier.

Service
Value
Quality

Date of experience: February 13, 2016

Thumbnail of user williamh1152
Arizona
1 review
12 helpful votes
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September 6th, 2019

As a former Elance customer, and unwilling Upwork customer, I have to say that it has gotten expensive, less reliable and with no customer service at all. They seem to have no protection against exploitation; almost encouraging it. If you're not active, your profile automatically goes "private" so no one can find you -- just awesome!

Date of experience: September 6, 2019

Thumbnail of user let326
Viet Nam
1 review
9 helpful votes
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November 28th, 2017

I just used Upwork for 2 weeks.

I have hired 3 people on there and they were good at their work.

But Upwork suspended the freelancer's account and my account.

They didn't give any clear explanation about their action.

I connected with their 5 support agents and all of them just said "WAIT, WAIT, WAIT".

I couldn't get their response for over a week.

I have asked the help from their FB page and they blocked me out in there as well.

Just lost $500.

Scam website did their job well!

Stay away from it.

Date of experience: November 28, 2017

Thumbnail of user oliviag34
Australia
1 review
2 helpful votes
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February 12th, 2018

I have very mixed experiences with upwork, no good ones for SEO, some lovely ones for a marketing adviser and photoshopping of images, but terrible for website design. Am in the middle of a dispute now, the designer was supposed to do design templates for 3 specific pages, and the layouts, looked great. However his integrating was and still is a mess, affecting text and layout on all the pages, to the extent, that I am now having to spend hours undoing and re-doing all the work. And the upwork view..." it appears that no clear violation of our terms has been made"

So sure, use them, but you are entirely alone if it goes wrong.

Date of experience: February 12, 2018

Thumbnail of user tomh288
Canada
1 review
6 helpful votes
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March 18th, 2018

First, they take 20% of your earnings. If you also file your earnings when doing your taxes, remember it's another 30% (in Canada). So essentially working on UpWork you are making half of whatever your rate is. (20+30 = 50% lost)

Second, I had a client hire me, start a contract, then go immediately unresponsive. After months of trying to engage them, I decided to end the contract. However, since I ended the contract as a freelancer, UpWork decided to penalize my profile and drop my profile success score by 75% even though it was not my fault that the client decided to fall off the face of the earth. After contacting UpWork, I just got one templated reply after the other.

Date of experience: March 18, 2018

Thumbnail of user nyamochirb
KR
1 review
0 helpful votes
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July 24th, 2020

In November 2016, I heard about Upwork first time and joined. Even though, It was long way to get hired on my first project in Feb 2020, I am very grateful for everything that Upwork provides me as opportunities.
Firstly, I am getting paid higher than my local jobs by advertising myself in high-income regions of the world.
Secondly, I am very happy to work with my favorite coffee shop.
Third, I really believe that It is the most important to have experience in order to get hired and deliver great projects on Upwork. Freelancers really need to know what they organizations need related to their industry. But, at the end of everything, the only thing that will make me odd on Upwork would be my specialty, skillsets combining with my experience and motivated mindset to tackle the rigorous project.
I am very grateful that Upwork is being a part of my life.

Date of experience: July 24, 2020

Thumbnail of user jeffh61
Illinois
2 reviews
7 helpful votes
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May 29th, 2014

You can find some legit gigs on here, but you have to be careful because there are a lot of scams. I've started using prodigitalnetwork.com, which I like because it is solely based out of the US. You don't have to worry about being out bided by someone in a different country, plus it's just a clearer site. Less is more.

Date of experience: May 29, 2014

Thumbnail of user marien126
Ireland
1 review
0 helpful votes
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April 1st, 2021

I work as a freelancer since April 2016, and it's amazing how Upwork can help connect clients and freelancers on projects. It's not always simple to find a project as a freelancer, but it has nothing to do with Upwork, it has to do with the way we market our skills. That's where Upwork helps a lot as well - with the new catalog function and the new Upwork interface, it is done in a few clicks. The Connect system is fair compared to other platform where the membership is expensive. It is secure. The support team is always here to help if necessary. Well - give it a try, and you'll catch what I mean.

Tip for consumers:
B2B or B2C relationships

Products used:
Freelance services for translation projects

Service
Value
Quality

Date of experience: March 31, 2021

Thumbnail of user herchelleo
Philippines
1 review
0 helpful votes
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February 17th, 2021

Upwork gave me hope when I had my first client. Being a full time mom who left the corporate world, I searched for wfh set up that will allow me to help my husband finance our everyday expenses without having the necessity to leave our home! A kind of relief, indeed!

Tip for consumers:
Be consistent.

Products used:
Service

Service
Value
Quality

Date of experience: February 16, 2021

Thumbnail of user shirlyns
Philippines
1 review
0 helpful votes
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March 30th, 2021

When the pandemic came due to Covid lots of individuals all over the world has the experience to be jobless. Because many establishments shut down their business and can't longer manage it due to the financial effect that Covid brings in our society until even right now. Upwork is one of the main bridges to millions of talent who is believing that they can have a job despite what happened to us.

Service
Value
Quality

Date of experience: March 30, 2021

Thumbnail of user asifj6
Pakistan
1 review
0 helpful votes
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January 4th, 2021

Great Experience with upwork clients as hourly and also fixed price jobs. I advise to new freelancers to recommend Upwork it's better and
Co-operative cs dept for freelance service providers
Thanks Again

Date of experience: January 3, 2021

Thumbnail of user alfredb17
Florida
4 reviews
20 helpful votes
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February 9th, 2017

I am middle-size company director and I hired near 100 freelancers on upwork.com to do my projects. One day when I had to review job & pay, I received message from upwork that I "send too much private messages", and that I am locked to send more ones. By theirs own rules, I have to use theirs private messages and not email or Skype to communicate with freelancers, and now they say that I use too much messages... are they crazy? I could not to contact people and pay them money, so near 100 freelancers didn't receive theirs money because of upwork crazy rules. The for sure don't need big clients who honestly hire freelancers and don't propose to speak via email and pay via PayPal. They prefer actually to force me to not use theirs expensive internal payment and theirs buggy messages and to work with freelancers directly.

Date of experience: February 9, 2017

Thumbnail of user aw484
Spain
1 review
0 helpful votes
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August 1st, 2021

I have a lot to thank Upwork for. The platform gave me a great foundation to start my business. I still use the platform to receive project requests, some of which are irrelevant, some of which are exciting, and a lot in the middle.
I appreciate it doesn't work for everyone, but it certainly worked for me. After one year, I now rank as one of the most reputable freelancers in my industry.

Service
Value
Quality

Date of experience: July 30, 2021

Thumbnail of user tinah544
GB
1 review
0 helpful votes
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April 23rd, 2021

I've been using Upwork for a few months and I'm enjoying the work I am getting through them. The set-up is great, from bidding for work, to getting paid. No issues or problems at all! I'm free to choose how many hours I want to work, so its really flexible too. I also love it that I'm connecting with people around the world through the work I'm getting.

Date of experience: April 23, 2021

Thumbnail of user brendae48
Colorado
1 review
5 helpful votes
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February 21st, 2018

Upwork hires criminals. I discovered this when I found that one of their freelancers has 3 convictions of violent crimes. UpWork responded that they do not discriminate and what a freelancer does with their personal time is not their business. However, some freelancers meet face-to-face and could be using Upwork to cause harm or commit more crimes. UpWork has no idea if any of the freelancers they "connect" with others are violent offenders, predators, sex offenders, pedophiles, etc. because they feel they have no duty to let you know this information.

I would never recommend them.

Date of experience: February 21, 2018

Thumbnail of user umers6
New York
1 review
4 helpful votes
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August 31st, 2018

I hire a freelancer with very good skill, i invest $5490 to get my website done for company, but suddenly the person disappear and i cant get my payment back, upwork saying the freelancer account suspended and now i m in middle of work,:(

Very bad support
Very bad company, care dont put large amount on them

Date of experience: August 31, 2018

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