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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
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 yurik17
AE
1 review
1 helpful vote
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September 8th, 2017

I worked on upwork with over 1 year and always tried my best to satisfy my clients.
But they suddenly blocked me without any reason.
I tried my best to recover my account but they simply told that there are too many scammers in Asia.
I can't stand!
Will never use Upwork!

Date of experience: September 8, 2017

Thumbnail of user samw160
California
1 review
10 helpful votes
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October 30th, 2017

A Freelancer threatened to hack me after I left a 2 star review to match their horrible service and attitude. I reported this to Upwork with a screenshot of the conversation and they did nothing and their account says 100% success rating. Do not trust their ratings!

Date of experience: October 30, 2017

Thumbnail of user dienebio
Nigeria
2 reviews
0 helpful votes
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November 13th, 2020

Upwork makes life easier for the freelancer and the client by holding funds in escrow. It's free to sign up and you only pay a fraction of your earnings at the end of your job cycle. However, I must admit that it's highly competitive. You really have to stuggle for a while as a new freelancer. There are many talents on Upwork struggling to get the attention of good-paying clients. You just have to stand out from the competition.

Date of experience: November 12, 2020

Thumbnail of user abs15
Pakistan
1 review
0 helpful votes
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July 4th, 2020

It's been a while I'm working at Upwork platform and so far it was a great experience. You have to prove your worth, it's hard to get a job though unless you know your capabilities and there's an opportunity for everyone to build a successful freelance career.

Date of experience: July 4, 2020

Thumbnail of user monticom
Uruguay
1 review
0 helpful votes
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January 27th, 2021

Upwork is a great place to work as a freelancer if you are looking for projects. In recent months they have updated their working conditions and it has improved a lot in relation to other years. Everything is pointed and armed so that you can work and receive more and more jobs.

Service
Value
Quality

Date of experience: January 26, 2021

Thumbnail of user irenad7
Croatia
1 review
0 helpful votes
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June 6th, 2020

When I started my freelance online commercial business Upwork was my first choice. Great clients, payment protection, safe transactions and data protection are their main strenghts. Exchange of products and services between businesses, groups and individuals are one of the essential activities for my business and Upwork platform is of the essence. Help and support are fast and professional. Upwork constantly monitor all trends and regularly generate a system that works perfectly. My rating is 5 stars!

Date of experience: June 6, 2020

Thumbnail of user adelc13
VE
1 review
0 helpful votes
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July 23rd, 2020

The first time I applied to join Upwork I was not accepted for not having the necessary experience. A while later I tried again and succeeded. So far everything has turned out very well, there is a lot of competition but the Upwork service is very good.

Date of experience: July 22, 2020

Thumbnail of user brianl116
Spain
1 review
6 helpful votes
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February 13th, 2017

I went through the process of creating a profile only to be informed afterwards that they were saturated with profiles of my type and not accepting more. Its annoying that there was no mention of this possibility when I set out to make the profile and that they even had me browsing jobs to get me excited to finish the profile. Then, after receiving the rejection email, they continued to send me emails about making my profile the best and finding the best jobs. So more annoyance heaped on after having wasted my time.

Date of experience: February 13, 2017

Thumbnail of user tome107
California
1 review
13 helpful votes
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May 3rd, 2017

My job completion score suddenly dropped despite all positive feedback. I figured it had to be some kind of computer error, so I emailed customer service.

One rep claimed it was from a job in 2015 I had agreed with the client to leave open for the possibility of more work.

Another rep claimed I HAD received negative feedback, but couldn't tell me which contract it was from or what the negative feedback was. (My profile shows zero negative feedback from clients.)

And the other reps pretty much ignored everything I said and just sent copy/paste generic responses.

And now, I just successfully completed another contract yesterday and received a full 5-star positive review from the client, and guess what? Job completion score remains the same!

All of this for the OUTRAGEOUS 20 PERCENT we pay them as freelancers! What a joke! I gave them countless opportunities to make it right, they haven't had any interest in doing so.

Date of experience: May 3, 2017

Thumbnail of user cherp6
New Jersey
1 review
3 helpful votes
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August 31st, 2019

Upwork is a complete is sketchy... Be careful...

They claim that you are liable if you pay without the reviewing the work, yet they allow freelancers to ask for deposit before starting work.

One freelancer took my deposit of $1,710 and did not provide any work. They basically stole my money. I complained to upload and disputed with my bank. In the end, my upwork account was suspended and the freelancer is still working on upwork waiting to scam someone else.

I have never seen that Upwork user service rules or what ever they call it until I had my dispute, then they sent it to me.

There is absolutely no protection. On top of that, the freelancer started threatening me for no reason. Yet Upwork is ok with this, unbelievable.

Date of experience: August 31, 2019

Thumbnail of user ashishk79
India
1 review
0 helpful votes
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December 3rd, 2020

Upwork is a well-designed and well-functioning platform for freelancers and agencies to make a career. It gives you a number of opportunities to present your skills and portfolio to clients and get work remote work. I will highly recommend it to anyone who wants to make a career as a freelancer.

Date of experience: December 3, 2020

Thumbnail of user naldom9
Mozambique
1 review
0 helpful votes
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March 16th, 2021
Verified purchase

The Upwork marketplace has been a driver of job opportunities and economic empowerment, much more noticeable at this time of health crisis caused by COVID-19. It is an excellent place to work / collaborate and create economic sustainability for everyone.

Service
Value
Returns
Quality

Date of experience: March 16, 2021

Thumbnail of user aahedz
Israel
1 review
0 helpful votes
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June 6th, 2021

Working with Upwork helped me grow both my network of clients and helped me reach my long-term dream of having a successful agency, they have a huge number of clients that fits my niche and that's super awesome.

Service
Value
Quality

Date of experience: June 5, 2021

Thumbnail of user porsches
Nigeria
1 review
0 helpful votes
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August 7th, 2020

There are dozens of job sites for freelancers, but in my experience, Upwork is THE BEST. Not only is it easy to use, but they do an amazing job protecting both freelancers and clients. As a freelance Writer and Editor, I only get clients through Upwork, meaning Upwork is my main source of income and because of how their site is set up, I have been able to make a decent living off of it. They set reasonable fees and even more reasonable policies which ensure all members (both freelancers and clients) are safe and treated fairly. When money is involved, you always have things to worry about, but Upwork helps to quell some of those concerns and gives you the best opportunity to showcase your skills and find meaningful collaborations. I always refer family and friends to Upwork because it simply is the best way to get paid for your talents.

Tip for consumers:
As a freelancer, you have to pay for "connects" and spend them in order to apply for jobs. You may find yourself burning through connects and not getting hired for a job, but if you don't give it up, you're bound to get hired. Your profile is important and you should take the time to beef it up. Make use of the "Testimonials" where previous employers can speak about your skills and abilities. If you don't have much experience, you can write mind-blowing cover letters and real sell your talents.

Products used:
Freelancing

Service
Value
Quality

Date of experience: August 6, 2020

Thumbnail of user carmenw93
RU
6 reviews
24 helpful votes
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August 22nd, 2020

In general it's ok. I only once had an issue with them because there was a misunderstanding on their side. I logged in from a different location. They asked me to confirm it was I. I did. And then they sent me a message asking to change our headquarters location to the one I am working from. I work remotely. From home. My house is not an office. And I don't want anyone to think that our office is located in a different country because it's not true. I suppose this website is all about freelance jobs and I don't understand why they were so surprised. Moreover, each time I received a message from a different operator (usually you talk to just one). That was strange. And one of them, thankfully, was smart and stopped this nonsense, because the previous ones suspended our account for no reason and didn't cared about my arguments at all. Looked lke they didn't even read my messages.
That's good they care about safety, but there's no need in overreacting.

Date of experience: August 21, 2020

Thumbnail of user julians50
GB
1 review
11 helpful votes
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September 9th, 2016

A complete scam site. Freelancers claim to be able to complete work they can't do and they get paid even when they don't deliver! It's impossible to remove sensitive data like credit card details when you try to close the account! Don't use ever!

Date of experience: September 9, 2016

Thumbnail of user shanes43
Illinois
2 reviews
13 helpful votes
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April 1st, 2016

I've only gotten a couple of jobs--in three years time.

The thing is, sites like Upwork are a race to the bottom. The latest rejection was for a higher-end photographer who wanted to pay $3/image for fairly advanced Photoshop editing, and that's one of the highest rates I've ever seen (when I get feedback, it's from people looking to pay $0.50-$1.00USD/photo.) I won't say who it was or what kind of images it was, but it's the sort of thing that people typically charge a lot more for, and for a session that runs in the thousands of dollars.

Well, that's it. I give up. I could make more money on Fiverr, and that's just sad.

Tip for consumers:
Avoid.

Service
Value
Quality

Date of experience: April 1, 2016

Thumbnail of user willv125
Florida
1 review
0 helpful votes
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November 16th, 2022

We posted a project on Upwork over 4 months ago. The freelancer did not perform and refuses to refund the money stating he spent it and offered a payment arrangement. Upwork did not protect us instead replied that it is too late to dispute the charges, too late because the freelancer strung us along for months promising to work harder. We lost 4 months time and $4,500.00 plus the pending legal fees to fight it. Upwork has all the factual evidence and will not hold the freelancer responsible. I was scammed by the platform, we trusted the ratings and never expected to be victimized as we have.

Tip for consumers:
Beware of the platform, they allow anyone to setup as freelancer with no vetting to assure you will get the service you are paying for.

Products used:
Freelancer

Service
Value
Quality

Date of experience: November 16, 2022

Thumbnail of user shehzads2
Pakistan
1 review
0 helpful votes
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November 29th, 2020

It's an amazing platform for the betterment of career growth and awesome environment. Easily get jobs in your desire field and get paid on Upwork within a short time. It's easy to get in touch with clients. Upwork is getting better and better! Thanks.

Date of experience: November 28, 2020

Thumbnail of user maryamu4
Nigeria
7 reviews
0 helpful votes
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July 3rd, 2022

Upwork is that platform you can use to improve yourself and your ability to pitch and write proposals. It's a really competitive space so it'll challenge you to improve yourself to be able to get your proposals accepted and subsequently get hired by prospective clients. The only downsides are having to pay for connects and the Upwork service fees. I once got paid $10, for instance, by a client but I ended up getting just $7.0.

Products used:
Freelancing

Service
Value
Returns
Quality

Date of experience: July 3, 2022

Thumbnail of user dyanf
Philippines
1 review
0 helpful votes
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November 5th, 2020

During this time, it's really a challenge to secure a job that pays well and one which you enjoy. At Upwork, I was able to hit two birds with one stone. I was able to choose jobs I wanted and get paid generously in the process! I'm really grateful. I hope my journey with Upwork continues.

Date of experience: November 5, 2020

Thumbnail of user jorssenc
Australia
1 review
0 helpful votes
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July 3rd, 2020

This platform is unique in it's own way, It will change your way of working as soon as you realise that the more effort you put in, the more you get from it and it is optimized to meet you with long term clients which is very useful if you are trying to make it a full time job. I am still amazed of the possibility connecting with clients from different part of the world and how you can be useful for them. Thank you Upwork.

Date of experience: July 1, 2020

Thumbnail of user elsiej7
Maine
1 review
3 helpful votes
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September 4th, 2018

Good luck to you if you hire through UpWork. Once you are set up to pay your freelancer and money changes hands, it's GONE. UpWork will not give you a refund, even if the freelancer overcharges for the work done, conducts themselves unprofessionally and compromises the security of your website. UpWork says that unless the freelancer agrees to a refund, there is nothing they can do. So why use UpWork? I am not sure, as you'd be just as well off to throw your money at someone on the street corner. There is no protection against unskilled, unprofessional freelancers on UpWork.

Date of experience: September 4, 2018

Thumbnail of user calebb157
Canada
1 review
0 helpful votes
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September 9th, 2022

They posted a fake job posting and prompted me to sign up before applying. When I finished signing up, I went back to apply for the job and it wasn't possible. I realized that the post was an example of a job that I could get if I signed up and not for an actual job. It turns out the real application was to even be considered for jobs because they emailed me in the middle of the night to tell me that my profile wasn't accepted. I graduated with multiple awards and am looking for experience, but they're just looking to pad their bank account by taking massive billing fees from people who want to charge more.

Tip for consumers:
Use a different website

Products used:
Freelance

Service
Value
Quality

Date of experience: September 9, 2022

Thumbnail of user msk54
Bangladesh
1 review
0 helpful votes
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November 25th, 2021

I rate Upwork 10 on 10, I like their easy payment method and everything is very friendly. I think who has skill he / she can establish their career here. I was inactive now I have started working again..

Date of experience: November 24, 2021

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