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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
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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 jamesd2129
Maryland
1 review
0 helpful votes
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November 8th, 2020

I've been working on Upwork for over ten years from its inception and Elance before that. I've had many good clients as well as a few not so good. Upwork leans toward supporting its clients a bit more than supporting the freelance workers. However, once you learn how to engage with the clients, that becomes less and less of an issue. The goal is to win the loyalty of the clients and build a client base that keeps coming back to you. Upwork encourages you to do that. If I can single out one thing that Upwork could do better, it's to vet their client base better and get rid of undesirables.

Upwork has gotten better since it went public. They have realized that their freelancers are as much a customer as their clients that post jobs.

Tip for consumers:
Be patient. It takes time to learn how to vet clients and sort out the good from the bad.

Service
Value

Date of experience: November 7, 2020

Thumbnail of user peterk277
Florida
1 review
4 helpful votes
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July 18th, 2018

I used Upwork for the first and it was the last time. Their freelancer delivered not functional website, I asked for a full refund, they said I need to ask freelancer. When I contact him for refund, he blocked me. I contacted Upwork again, sent them all necessary information about the work I was promised and what I recived, all messages... and after several emails they said that they just connect freelancers and clients and they cant do anything about my case. I lost my money and received very very poor website.

Date of experience: July 18, 2018

Thumbnail of user pravinj3
India
1 review
0 helpful votes
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November 8th, 2020

I am working on Upwork since last 5+ years. Upwork is a great place to work, where one can find genuine clients and top class frrelancers.
Upwork payment protection is a great feature which allows the freelancers to work with more trust & joy.
I always recommend Upwork to my friends...

Date of experience: November 7, 2020

Thumbnail of user mdyousufkhans
Bangladesh
1 review
0 helpful votes
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February 18th, 2021

I am a graphics designer, works as a freelancer in upwork. I love upwork, because it connected a freelancer with a client even anywhere of the world. We can found millions of jobs regularly, so that we gets chances to choose a job what I want to do. I am always feel safe about payments and my ID. Eventually, I am so happy with upwork.

Service
Value
Shipping
Returns
Quality

Date of experience: February 17, 2021

Thumbnail of user tims81
California
1 review
7 helpful votes
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June 16th, 2015

Elance has 161 complaints with BBB in last 3 years! FACT!

Do not use their services.

They provide no protection for you and allow their freelancers to do what ever they want! I paid over $5000 for a website that never worked, they won't do anything and will continue to allow this freelancer to take money from unprotected customers.

Plus this freelancer held my passwords ransom unless I gave them a good review.

BE WARNED!
ELANCE can't protect you!

*I would have left no stars checked if I could have!

Date of experience: June 16, 2015

Thumbnail of user andrejg3
Slovenia
1 review
0 helpful votes
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August 15th, 2020

Upwork is a great freelancing platform with many interesting projects. I have joined Upwork in 2007 and have found many interesting jobs in my field of 3D graphics. Upwork team is very nice and supportive. Five stars from me.

Date of experience: August 15, 2020

Thumbnail of user alishar43
GB
1 review
0 helpful votes
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January 12th, 2021

Upwork is a great platform for freelancers to find both one-off jobs and consistent work. The interface is simple, and the variety of work is diverse enough to cater to myriad of disciplines, whether part-time, full-time or chaotic availability.

Service
Value
Quality

Date of experience: January 12, 2021

Thumbnail of user rakibh10
Bangladesh
1 review
0 helpful votes
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September 24th, 2020

As a freelancer, I've worked on Upwork and it is really great... Through Upwork, I managed to learn and to hone my skills. The site allowed me to gain experience that I can use to apply for more jobs. Upwork is a good site but it is hard to get a job.

Tip for consumers:
Of course I do

Products used:
Yes, I am using the product very well

Date of experience: September 24, 2020

Thumbnail of user ashishp35
India
1 review
0 helpful votes
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December 25th, 2020

I was without a job one year ago even though I had great skills in digital marketing. I looked for jobs on Upwork, and started getting jobs, now I am top 50 Internet Marketing freelancer on Upwork. I can't thank enough to Upwork. Upwork literally changed my life. I have nothing but gratitude for Upwork. Thank you Upwork.

Tip for consumers:
Go for it guys, if you are good at something this is the place for you to show it.

Products used:
Jobs

Service
Value
Shipping
Returns
Quality

Date of experience: December 25, 2020

Thumbnail of user mattm89
Texas
1 review
6 helpful votes
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November 25th, 2015

Just a short note. I have hired over 23 freelancers and completed over 30 jobs on elance in the last 4 years. I had a problem with one freelancer and attempted to resolve via their very confusing process. I could NEVER get anyone to speak to me on the phone. In short, I paid a freelancer $219 for work that was never performed correctly and Elance did not speak with me to resolve. They would only send emails. Not acceptable to me. I am moving away from them.

Date of experience: November 25, 2015

Thumbnail of user rahuls37
India
1 review
11 helpful votes
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November 29th, 2015

What the $#*!. Screenshots deleted automatically for my 3 jobs at night (40 +20+9 hours). Up-work is just a piece of $#*!. Mother$#*!ers are not solving it. Same issue happens with my friend, and they are not solving his issue, since 3 months, they just say ask your client to allow manual hours and add manual hours. But most of the clients do not allow that and hard work go into vain. This time, i will $#*! you harder. Hey mother$#*!ers, i will kill you if you will play with our hard work. Give me my money back now... Clients have not allowed manual hours, how i will get paid... Mother$#*!ers... username: rahul*******

Service
Quality

Date of experience: November 29, 2015

Thumbnail of user milost5
Serbia
1 review
0 helpful votes
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February 1st, 2021

When all this Covid thing started i thought i am lost. Luckily, few months before that i registered at Upwork and was just starting using it bit more seriously. Now, about a year later, this is the only place i find jobs at. It enables me to focus on work and not deal with all problems i usually encountered as freelancer before. It protects me and makes sure i am getting paid for my work fairly, which is more than i expected honestly when i started. It reminded me that Free in Freelancing stands for Freedom, freedom to work for whom i want, when i want! I love it and hope to use it for a long, long time!

Date of experience: February 1, 2021

Thumbnail of user birendras
India
1 review
1 helpful vote
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September 10th, 2020

Upwork is deducting 20% commission on our hard earned and also taking from us about 1$ for each proposal submission. J It is showing popups to buy connects to apply on jobs. I pray God to put a lock on Upwork doors and the CEO of the company should see a path to Hell.

Date of experience: September 10, 2020

Thumbnail of user apetik
Togo
1 review
0 helpful votes
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December 20th, 2020

Upwork rules is very right, it protect both clients and frelancers. As a freelancer i have spend much time working on a project for a clients but after all she refuse to pay me but talking about upwork all their rule and condition are excellent for you to gain money from the confort of you home and for clients to find skillful freelancers that handle your task perfectly

Date of experience: December 18, 2020

Thumbnail of user aliciah74
Ohio
1 review
4 helpful votes
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July 17th, 2018

Upwork has a credit card verification process that is extremely burdensome for businesses. The customer and the freelancer have to spend numerous hours and a ridiculous amount of time verifying a couple hundred dollar credit card payment. Meanwhile, the freelancer has done the work and Upwork will not process process payment and pay the freelancer. Upwork has turned a great experience with my freelancer into a payment time-sink where I will no longer use the service. Too bad!

Date of experience: July 17, 2018

Thumbnail of user faheems8
Pakistan
1 review
0 helpful votes
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December 24th, 2020

Upwork is really great platform for talent appreciation. I am a fresh freelancer with professional skills in Presentations designing and Upwork is providing me a great opportunity to showcase my skills and earn a good reward.

Date of experience: December 23, 2020

Thumbnail of user milani10
Serbia
1 review
0 helpful votes
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February 10th, 2022

Upwork is a great place to start a career for young people. I am a young architect and 3d artist, after graduating from college I started working in an architectural firm, at some point I tried Freelance through the Upwork platform, and with a little luck and good skills for the first month, I earned about 1 000 $, since then I transferred my entire career and development path in business to Upwork. I think that this platform is very useful for young people who want to gain experience, skills, and money, especially in a smaller country such as Serbia. Most countries in Europe, America, Asia have a higher standard of living, so living in Serbia with a foreign salary is very comfortable.

Service
Value
Shipping
Returns
Quality

Date of experience: August 24, 2021

Thumbnail of user ingamulh
Bangladesh
1 review
0 helpful votes
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November 13th, 2020

It's a great place to work for freelancers. I am really grateful to be a part of Upwork as a freelance graphic designer. If you have really talent and have skills then it's a great place for you. Keep up the good work and more careful about us. Thanks :)

Date of experience: November 12, 2020

Thumbnail of user jenicac2
Philippines
1 review
0 helpful votes
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November 22nd, 2020

Upwork has given me an opportunity to upskill myself and showcase to help clients with their businesses. This is indeed the best and secure platform for both Freelancers and Clients. Definitely recommended.

Date of experience: November 22, 2020

Thumbnail of user mdforhada
Bangladesh
1 review
0 helpful votes
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August 29th, 2021

I'm Forhad a professional UI/UX Web Designer with over 9 years of experience working on Upwork. "Upwork" Product features are really easy to understand the users. A user can easily understand their features like apply for a job, profile setting, account setting, get paid, tax information, connect & membership etc. I also work on other freelancer platforms like Fiverr, Freelancer, PeoplePerHour but when I compare to Upwork I realize that Upwork is the best platform where I can build my carrier. Recently Upwork came to bring a new feature which called "Project catalog". This feature is really awesome. I really like the feature. I work here full-time & I'm really happy to work on Upwork.
I highly recommend to anyone to register on Upwork & start their freelance journey.
Thanks, Upwork.

Tip for consumers:
Grow your skills to any work & start your freelance journey from Upwork. If you are confident to yourself that You can give a good service to a client so Upwork is for you to build your carrier.

Service
Value
Returns
Quality

Date of experience: August 28, 2021

Thumbnail of user saraj42
Florida
2 reviews
19 helpful votes
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February 20th, 2016

I had a profile with Elance for several years and had no complaints.

I was able to keep my location and my earnings private if I chose to. This isn't the case with Upwork.

After a phone call and several postings in the forum, I had made it clear that freelancers have the right to decide whether or not they want to display their earnings and location because this is a personal decision. There are several other freelancers in agreement - and hundreds of complaints in the forums.

No change whatsoever.

These are privacy violations, and Upwork doesn't care. People are unhappy - they've spoken about this - and Upwork doesn't care.

Date of experience: February 20, 2016

Thumbnail of user kellyl210
California
1 review
3 helpful votes
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May 30th, 2018

Upwork is a waste of money and time. I hired a copy editor, who actually left out a sentence in the first paragraph of my book. I next hired a proofreader who was so bad I made her give me my money back. If you want either, find someone through word of mouth.

Date of experience: May 30, 2018

Thumbnail of user liul9
France
1 review
0 helpful votes
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September 11th, 2020

Up work is a very good platform for every hardworking freelancers.
I did working on upwork 2 years, i am top talent now, yes begining is difficult, you need open up a new prospect by you talent or Professional knowledge and communication and judgment...
but if you really have sth, don't worry, you will find you will got fair treatment.

Date of experience: September 11, 2020

Thumbnail of user emilye209
Dominica
1 review
0 helpful votes
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February 20th, 2021

I never thought I would be working full time online, I was content with my normal 9-5 job and the hustle that it entails but Covid-19 changed that. With limited access to my job, I turned to work online as an alternative, and ever since I have been on a journey of self-discovery. Finding Upwork was relatively easy, I heard about Upwork from a friend, so I did my research and decided I would join Upwork. I have not regretted being a member of Upwork, they provide you with resources to be knowledgeable and successful on the platform.

Date of experience: February 18, 2021

Thumbnail of user dy682
Thailand
1 review
10 helpful votes
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March 29th, 2016

Beware, Upwork publishes everything you put in your profile, because they don't properly block it from search engines, even if you set your account to private. If you complain they either don't know how, or don't care enough to fix it. And if you close your account it doesn't delete your profile, it just deletes your login information, basically just blocking your own access to your own content, but still allowing it to be found in search engines.

Service
Value
Quality

Date of experience: March 29, 2016

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