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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 debendrap
India
1 review
13 helpful votes
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April 7th, 2015

Elance is a fraud site, First elance suspended my account then continuously cheating me. Then deducted money from my available balance, when I submit tickets then close the tickets automatically. PROVIDING ILLEGAL SERVICES, NO ONE THERE EDUCATED. ALL ARE FRAUD. THEY PEOPLE ARE MAKING A FRAUD SITE.

Date of experience: April 7, 2015

Thumbnail of user muralia
India
1 review
13 helpful votes
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February 19th, 2017

My Account has been suspended without telling any reason, I have created dummy account which is not even activated. I got a message from the support team you have created multiple accounts its violation of policy, to another close within 14 days, but they have suspended both accounts without giving the grace to close the dummy account. It is not professional, I have dropped an email to CEO, *******@upwork.com, and VP of Operations *******@upwork.com, this stupid CEO suspended my accounts.

This is something against their policy, they should give the grace to close the other account, if I am tried to close the account, it is not successful, a message notifies like your account not able to close because it is suspended. I have a solid reason against Up work.

I have been using more than 1 years, this is the way they treat Freelance.

I will sue this company to lodged a legal complaint against this firm for cheated me my project money. The project has been completed.

Also, it will publish in all social media and News channel, Government of United State.

Request to all Freelancer, please spread this information over the world to Ban this fraud company.

Thanks.

Date of experience: February 19, 2017

Thumbnail of user sandyd44
Mauritius
1 review
11 helpful votes
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September 27th, 2016

I had an amazing experience in Elance, jobs were easy to browse based on clients background and number of proposals submitted and also I used to get invites from which i bagged many projects! BUT UPWORK IS TOTAL $#*!, the whole user interface for freelancer is mundane, you really dont have much option to browse though the jobs you fit in, and the fee structure is a total fraud, if you get work of $100, you only get paid $60 and on top of it, the minimum job rate are literally minimum, atleast ELANCE had a bar of $20. In ELANCE for abt 3 months and made almost $2k working part time, however ever since this UPWORK $#*! happened i am busting my a** on regular basis and i have been awarded ZERO jobs!

Date of experience: September 27, 2016

Thumbnail of user oasikurr
Bangladesh
1 review
0 helpful votes
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August 25th, 2020

I started with Upwork when I was nothing, And now I'm a Mid Level freelancer, So my opinion is that, it is a very good platform for the beginner. Everyone will pray for me Thanks

Service
Value
Shipping
Returns
Quality

Date of experience: August 25, 2020

Thumbnail of user bruces1145
Oregon
1 review
0 helpful votes
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July 5th, 2023

I hired a highly rated Thai translator. He was supposed to do translation for a piece for me. It had some Isan words in it but he was meeting with a Thai person that knew those definitions. He not only didn't have the discussion, he charged me for work he didn't do. When I followed up with him, our entire discussion was why he charged me for work he didn't do. So he then charged me for the discussion as well. I was charged the highest rate, 30.00 an hour for this.

When I asked for a refund, he accepted the refund. He gave me back 1.00. That closed my options for a dispute.

The second translator I had do a presentation I was giving. She was supposed to give me the Thai translation. She gave me this stuff that had multiple options in it, with notes about the work mixed into the translation I was supposed to cut out. She asked me, a person who I made it very clear could not read or write Thai (that's why I hired her!) to proofread her work, pick the best word all in Thai, no English whatsoever to guide me, then edit out the stuff that was just notes to me. Incredible. I'm done with UpWork,. They also did not publish either of my negative reviews, so this whole website feels shady.

Service
Value
Quality

Date of experience: July 5, 2023

Thumbnail of user jimbos
California
1 review
10 helpful votes
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October 18th, 2017

Where do I begin?
Customer service? NOT!
Transparent? NOT!
OK, the good stuff. I have never had a client who did not pay. Gotta know this, almost all my freelance clients came from Elance. My five ThrowUpWork clients have been very good to pay.
The major problem-the so-called Job Success Score. This is life's greatest mystery. For some reason my score dropped below 77. Invites are pretty much non-existent now.
ThrowUpWork reassures us that scores above 75 are good.
Oh? Every job proposal has the little button activated, the one for a score of 90 or better.
They obviously have a lack of mathematics knowledge because 90 is NOT 75.
I raised the issue on the message board. The response from ThrowUpWork?
'Life's not fair!' Seriously.
But there is a remedy. An email said if I upgrade to a higher-level account my status will change.
Not a surprise! First, ThrowUpWork takes 20% of what I earned and now there is an attempt to squeeze more.
I apologize for giving one star but as we all know there is no negative-star feature.

FedUpWork

Date of experience: October 18, 2017

Thumbnail of user jeffs186
California
1 review
11 helpful votes
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September 15th, 2016

I hired a Freelancer whom didn't do his job- I disputed with upworks. Upworks wants to charge me $275 to dispute.
Upwork is scam
Their freelancers are scam too

Date of experience: September 15, 2016

Thumbnail of user muhamadr4
Indonesia
1 review
0 helpful votes
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September 5th, 2021

Overall I like Upwork because this application is giving me a client and let my business growing especially on Programming and let me help a client to achieve their goal

Date of experience: September 3, 2021

Thumbnail of user omisored
Nigeria
1 review
0 helpful votes
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September 7th, 2020

Upwork is a great freelancing platform that connects freelancers with clients. I enjoy working on Upwork. It is flexible, convinient, and the pay is attractive.

Date of experience: September 6, 2020

Thumbnail of user jonthanp
GB
2 reviews
15 helpful votes
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September 5th, 2016

The service is awfull I cannot get hold of anyone at all. I wish they would look after people alot more. I have however stumbled on a much better service called goworkers.

www.go-workers.co.uk

Date of experience: September 5, 2016

Thumbnail of user aejandrob
Philippines
1 review
0 helpful votes
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August 9th, 2020

I love working at Upwork, at first I almost give up but I did not stop believing, now I am earning real money for my family and to support myself... Upwork is the best of the best. Mabuhay!

Date of experience: August 8, 2020

Thumbnail of user flucks
Pakistan
1 review
0 helpful votes
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August 20th, 2020

İ got my first freelancing project from upwork and then it went on and on. İ can't imagine how i could have put my life together if i wasn't a freelancer. Thanks upwork

Date of experience: August 19, 2020

Thumbnail of user philiph70
GB
2 reviews
5 helpful votes
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July 15th, 2017

Avoid - July 2017. Having been scammed before when working directly with freelancers, but having good experiences with fiverr, I needed a place to get some development done. I was delighted to find responsive developers and an escrow system and had my first job completed within 24 hours and happily released funds. And then, I couldn't get the freelancer to do any more jobs. Apparently, they couldn't get the money from Upwork either. I queried this with Upwork and was told they had permanently suspended the developer with the weasily response ". We are unable to provide details as to why we have done this". Great! So the great experience I have with the freelancer, upwork decide to bin for a reason that only upwork knows, and force to me to find another way to work with the developer. It literally doesn't get worse than this. If upwork cared for their customers (like me) they would at least have the decency not to hide their reasons. So upwork have my escrow money sitting in their account earning interest. My freelancer hasn't been paid. Bad result.

Date of experience: July 15, 2017

Thumbnail of user jalajk
India
1 review
0 helpful votes
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May 12th, 2020

Hi
This a best and genuine freelancing platform.

With this covid 19 situation. Gig ecenomy will boom.

So be there on upwork and ready. This is future of job.

Regards
Jalaj kumar

Date of experience: May 10, 2020

Thumbnail of user leond91
GB
1 review
0 helpful votes
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April 12th, 2021

Upwork as a platform is game changing! I've monetised my skills with 5 jobs completed on my first week on the platform as a freelancer. Really excited to see the potential here! Highly recommend.

Service
Value
Quality

Date of experience: April 12, 2021

Thumbnail of user abdulh90
Bangladesh
1 review
0 helpful votes
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July 15th, 2020

Upwork is the best freelancing marketplace that also change every freelancer life and skill. Expert freelnacer also make better life work in upwork. Thanks

Date of experience: July 15, 2020

Thumbnail of user darleneh25
South Africa
1 review
2 helpful votes
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July 3rd, 2017

I HAVE GONE TO THE TROUBLE OF REGISTERING AS A CLIENT AND TRIED 10 TIMES TO POST A JOB - NOT POSSIBLE! THE FUNCATIONALITY IS USELESS! DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME AS I HAVE DONE - I CANNOT GET ANY ASSISTANCE.

Date of experience: July 3, 2017

Thumbnail of user bilala56
Pakistan
1 review
0 helpful votes
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February 24th, 2021

Upwork is a great Business Galaxy, where you can connect top professionals around the globe!
If you are looking for Potential High Quality work, Upwork is a great platform for you!

Service
Value
Shipping
Returns
Quality

Date of experience: February 23, 2021

Thumbnail of user omarm175
Egypt
1 review
0 helpful votes
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May 22nd, 2021

One of the best if not the best platform that connects clients and freelancers. It is a great experience and the most important thing is to keep you JSS high as a freelancer

Date of experience: May 21, 2021

Thumbnail of user aqiba4
Pakistan
1 review
0 helpful votes
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November 21st, 2020

I really love and thankful to upwork to provide me such a great platform. I have heen working on since couple of months but i found this platform really helpful.

Date of experience: November 21, 2020

Thumbnail of user nividiaa
Louisiana
2 reviews
22 helpful votes
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February 29th, 2024

I eventually found the best freelancer for hire on here after a long search. He's fast and reliable

Date of experience: February 27, 2024

Thumbnail of user ashokp5
India
1 review
4 helpful votes
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January 4th, 2017

Hi I am a freelancer user it is not good in service
Some times it is having
And suddenly I am not bid the project
And that contains I am not eligible for loading
Contact admin but they aren't mention anything to contact

I am happy with other freelancer sites

Date of experience: January 4, 2017

Thumbnail of user bilalr13
Pakistan
2 reviews
11 helpful votes
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May 9th, 2020

I've been a freelancer for exactly one year now, and it has been an excellent experience, i am Top rated freelancer and earned more thn $2000 in a year

Date of experience: May 9, 2020

Thumbnail of user marciad224
Brazil
3 reviews
1 helpful vote
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March 14th, 2021

I am really happy working through upwork. I always have new clients and the website is really trustful. I trust upwork services and policies. Again, I don't regret being a freelancer at upwork.

Service
Value
Shipping
Returns
Quality

Date of experience: March 13, 2021

Thumbnail of user davidw1506
Illinois
1 review
3 helpful votes
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June 24th, 2019

Upwork makes their money when one of their freelancers bates you in and then instantly does bad work then they dispute it and make even more money. What a scam!
RUN FAST AS CAN...

Date of experience: June 24, 2019

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