• Upwork

Upwork

Write a Review

Overview

Upwork has a rating of 2.5 stars from 2,117 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 7th among Freelancing sites.

  • Service
    475
  • Value
    457
  • Shipping
    251
  • Returns
    287
  • Quality
    451

This company does not typically respond to reviews

Positive reviews (last 12 months): 22.7%
Positive
5
Neutral
0
Negative
17
270
See all photos
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.

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.

Reviews (2,117)

Rating

Timeframe

Other

Reviews that mention popular keywords

customer service (91) freelancing platform (135) credit card (22) customer support (43) payment protection (24) freelancing site (80) bank account (20) freelancing career (24) post jobs (16)
Thumbnail of user georgea64
3 reviews
13 helpful votes
  • Send Message
December 14th, 2015

The platform is buggy and slow. Still, is is the largest freelancing site in terms of user base. With the acquisition of Elance, they are the only place to go. Enlace had way better interface, though Upwork still has some nice things, such as multiple categories for users.

As in most freelancing sites, the top 10% are getting 80% of gigs. The lower 10% gets another 10% of gigs, and the 80% down below gets 10% of gigs. It is very competitive, and many gigs are never awarded. Amateurs will not survive there, but pros can use it for certain amount of income.

It varies, as some months you earn a lot, others you earn nothing. I would not recommend to depend on it for your single income source until you have a killer profile and reputation. If you are really a pro and are willing to put up the time to create a killer profile, market it, study your competition, study market prices within Upwork, work and gather reviews for your profile, it can be a good income source. It can take anywhere from 6-18 months, depending if you are on it full time or part-time.

Thumbnail of user sumeas
1 review
0 helpful votes
  • Send Message
December 14th, 2020

Upwork is a good platform and their service is very good.
They are very cooperative.
Thye deal with the client in a good manner.
Upwork support is also very good and they are very cooperative.

Thumbnail of user kossih
2 reviews
0 helpful votes
  • Send Message
June 10th, 2020

I earn my living with upwork. I have worked with many companies arround the world. With upwork, I win an experience that I could not have in my country.

Thumbnail of user timb460
1 review
7 helpful votes
  • Send Message
March 29th, 2019

I was scammed out of thousands of dollars by a "freelancer". The company did nothing to help verify the identity of the individual for the lawsuit I had so I had to drop the lawsuit.

Thumbnail of user joshuar263
1 review
0 helpful votes
  • Send Message
May 7th, 2020

I hate writing reviews but since I am always asking my clients to do so for my work I feel like it is only fair to do the same for the platform that has allowed my success to happen. Upwork is the best freelancer platform there is, and the reason why is not because if a friendly website but because it is a platform that connects people from all over the world giving them the opportunity to create amazing things when finding the right people. I have been using Upwork for the last 12 months and the first days are the hardest until you start losing jobs, in the past 6 months I have produced over 50k in revenue and working half the time I used to (pretty damn good for a freelancer that travels around the world with no set schedule and sometimes even works with a tall beer looking at palm trees.)

If you are hesitant about Upwork, just give it a try, its free and you go nothing to lose. Believe me, the squeeze is worth the squeeze.

If you ever need help or advise feel free to reach out to me since I know at the beginning it can be a bit hard but with time it gets a whole lot easier.

https://groupthink.myportfolio.com/

Thumbnail of user azizulh5
1 review
0 helpful votes
  • Send Message
July 18th, 2020

There are plenty other marketplaces available in the internet but Upwork is best undoubtedly for it quality, users, customer support, professionals community. None can bet!

Thumbnail of user aisyahm1
2 reviews
0 helpful votes
  • Send Message
December 14th, 2023

I liked the time once I worked at Upwork since they gave me enough opportunities to find suitable work to be completed and good clients.

Thumbnail of user imrana63
1 review
0 helpful votes
  • Send Message
October 23rd, 2020

Upwork is a great money-making platform for freelancers and also for clients who want to get their work done at home without any hassle.
Keep it up.

Thumbnail of user yasirn1
1 review
0 helpful votes
  • Send Message
January 20th, 2021

Great platform to find quality work, I have worked with more than 100 clients and most of them were very professional and supportive

Thumbnail of user alexn49
3 reviews
17 helpful votes
  • Send Message
May 31st, 2016

UPDATE: Upwork finally paid me the money it owed me as of April 29... on June 15. After taking its $150 fee for "facilitating" the project. I don't know if I'll ever take a job through Upwork again. Too much headache, no accountability.

ORIGINAL POST: Upwork is currently withholding $1,500 that I earned a month ago and refusing to transfer these funds to my bank account. I completed 25 hours of legal research work for a client through Upwork at the end of April 2016, relying on the fact that Upwork showed the job was funded for the agreed upon $1,500 project fee, signaling to me that the client had placed the money in escrow with Upwork and I would be paid promptly upon successful completion of the project. I completed the project end of April and the client authorized the $1,500 payment in early May, then Upwork notified me that due to unspecified "issues" with the client's account, they will not transfer funds to my bank, "in case we need to reverse funds from your client's payment that do not qualify for the Upwork Payment Guarantee." Don't take jobs through Upwork. They clearly do not have your back as a legitimate knowledge worker.

Service
Value
Thumbnail of user asmemdadulhaques
1 review
0 helpful votes
  • Send Message
May 2nd, 2021

It was an awesome experience to work here. Upwork gives me a great chance to go ahead with my service and works

Service
Value
Shipping
Returns
Quality
Thumbnail of user ritam56
1 review
15 helpful votes
  • Send Message
May 12th, 2017

Upwork is the worst of them all...
Biggest mistake elance did was merge with odesk... suspended my account and i quote:

We are contacting you to let you know we have suspended your access to Upwork indefinitely.

Our decision is based on a careful review and the fact that you have submitted a high number of proposals for jobs on our site without many contracts or earnings. Unfortunately, this means the jobs posted by clients are not a good match for your skills.

I know this news is likely disappointing to you. But our goal at Upwork is to enable freelancers to successfully connect and collaborate with clients who need their skills and expertise. Unfortunately, this means we must part ways with freelancers whose skills are not in demand in our marketplace.

If you want to appeal this decision, you can email us at *******@upwork.com. Please note each case will be manually reviewed by our Trust & Safety team to decide if your account can be reinstated.

Please know we dont make decisions like these lightly and wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.

Regards,

Upwork Trust & Safety

What BS... since elance and odesk merged, i havnt gotten 1 client... i have a score of 5/5 from about 15 projects... not only i didnt get a client, i never got 1 response from a bid ive done... these new "staff" screen your bids...
DO NOT USE UPWORK. WASTE OF ENERGY, EFFORT... its good for cheap labor and cheap clients

Tip for consumers:
dont use...go to freelancer or remote or any other freelancer site..

Service
Value
Shipping
Returns
Quality
Thumbnail of user rajesht13
1 review
0 helpful votes
  • Send Message
August 22nd, 2020

Upwork has given me opportunity to work with different client across the world and learn new skills and technology.
Loved It...

Thumbnail of user johnreyw
1 review
0 helpful votes
  • Send Message
May 15th, 2022
Verified purchase

Upwork is secure, trustworthy and reliable both for clients and freelancers. If you want to avoid bad experience! Sign up now!

Service
Value
Returns
Quality
Thumbnail of user rashedulh2
1 review
0 helpful votes
  • Send Message
October 2nd, 2020

I've been working on upwork for a while, and i love working as an independent freelancer.
Their payment protection is awesome.

Tip for consumers:
A wonderful platform to work, great opportunity for the new freelancers to work and success.

Products used:
I'm still working on Upwork as an independent freelancer

Service
Value
Shipping
Returns
Quality
Thumbnail of user natashab35
12 reviews
10 helpful votes
  • Send Message
January 31st, 2017

I was a newbie and had gotten tired of looking for freelance work that wasn't a scam, but then I was reading about upwork sites kept recommending them as legit. The past two weeks I have wasted time interviewing with so called HR people on Google hangouts. One company claimed to be City Group bd which means in Bangladesh. The other claimed to be located in Turkey. I gave it the benefit of the doubt because I thought maybe a global company could be on the site, but no they wanted my online banking id an password and when I said no. They said it was necessary for the job. I told them they could pay via PayPal, or through the site they tried to press the issue. They still tried to convince me to complete the fake orientation tasks. I actually had to do alot of research to finish the tasks before I realized that this is B. S. I have since deleted the upwork app an not looking back. I contact their feedback support and let them know also I told them I would just take my chances freelancing on Craigslist at this point. I will now just go back to my original plan of starting a business. I just hate I took this detour trying to find work from home jobs.

Thumbnail of user tajudeena
2 reviews
0 helpful votes
  • Send Message
February 16th, 2021

I really enjoy working on upwork as graphics designer but it is not easy to get work on the platform.

Thumbnail of user satyamk6
1 review
0 helpful votes
  • Send Message
April 16th, 2021
Verified purchase

One of the best platform for freelancing. After one month I got my first client.
Nice experience. Thanks to upwork

Thumbnail of user angm4
1 review
4 helpful votes
  • Send Message
April 6th, 2016

Stay away from these freelancers: Modern Developers who is Navneet Kaur and Mahesh Salunkhe! Upwork does not do any background checks on these guys and they jump platforms to stay avoidable.

Thumbnail of user victork121
1 review
0 helpful votes
  • Send Message
October 31st, 2020

Very cool exchange, at first it is very difficult to take an order, but when you take an order, you fly away in the 7 sky with happiness: D
At the moment I like everything

Thumbnail of user aryap2
1 review
0 helpful votes
  • Send Message
October 20th, 2020

It was not easy at first, but after knowing that the working system is very safe and comfortable, I hope that the cost cuts can be less

Thumbnail of user nishantp
27 reviews
78 helpful votes
  • Send Message
January 28th, 2014

This site is a scam. Also working on this site may compromise your websites, hosting. Beware of phishing, virus attacks. Lots of complaints on the internet about elance.com.

Thumbnail of user elneile
1 review
0 helpful votes
  • Send Message
June 4th, 2020

To get solution of your work and dream be with in "one window of Global Freelancers & Business Owners " just... Grow and Go... upwork platform

Thumbnail of user naylorl
1 review
1 helpful vote
  • Send Message
July 29th, 2021

I have used this site for years. I find these guys dishonest and I do not feel secure on there site in anyway

In fact they are dishonest and unethical

Do NOT use them!

Service
Value
Shipping
Returns
Quality
Thumbnail of user caseyl15
1 review
16 helpful votes
  • Send Message
November 11th, 2016

I signed up with Upwork as both a client and freelancer. I applied to so many jobs as a freelancer in about 20 varying capacities, only to find that only one was legitimate. When I posted a job for an appointment setter, I received notice that my account was flagged for vulgarity?! Nothing was vulgar in my job posting in any way, shape or form. I was seeking an appointment setter for my travel agency. When I tried to open a ticket I kept getting error messages. I then went into the desktop to just close my account altogether to find a message stating that I was unable to close my account until I closed all of my pending proposals with a hyperlink leading me to the proposals page... ostensibly. The proposals page only crashed and burned. I then tried to reach back out to support to determine how to go about cancelling the pending proposals only to then find out that I cannot even access the Upwork support page. Period. Do yourselves a favor: stay far, far, far away from Upwork. Really should be called fedup.

Sitejabber for Business

Gain trust and grow your business with customer reviews.

From the business

Find freelancers and freelance jobs on Upwork - the world's largest online workplace where savvy businesses and professional freelancers go to work!

Company Representative

Thumbnail of user visitors
Visitor S.
Typically does not respond to reviews

How do I know I can trust these reviews about Upwork?

  • Sitejabber’s mission is to increase online transparency for buyers and businesses
  • Sitejabber has helped over 200M buyers make better purchasing decisions online
  • Suspicious reviews are flagged by our algorithms, moderators, and community members
Have a question about Upwork?