Building a successful career in freelancing takes time and effort. Having patience and commitment in searching for legitimate jobs can help you kickstart your career in freelancing. With time, you can gain more understanding of specific roles, develop relevant skills and build your reputation in the market. Finding the right clients improves your portfolio and helps you to become qualified enough to secure higher paying jobs. In this article, we provide you a list of top 10 freelance websites to find legitimate work in 2023 along with their best features and pros & cons.

Best Freelance Websites for Beginners and Professionals

Both beginner and experienced freelancers can explore a wide range of job opportunities on different freelance websites. With the help of these websites, beginners can find entry-level gigs and experienced freelancers can use their expertise in a specific industry to close multiple clients. Here are the top 10 freelance websites to help you find the legitimate work in 2023:

Upwork

Upwork is one of the largest freelance websites that allows businesses to connect with talented professionals willing to do the work for them across a wide range of industries. Irrespective of the level of your experience, Upwork is a great platform for you to grow your career in freelancing by showcasing your skills and expertise.

Features

Here are some of the best features offered by upwork:

• Job Explore: You get a very fast and comprehensive method of searching jobs on Upwork. Jobs can be explored on the basis of your skills, level of experience and location. 
• Proposals: During job search, you may find jobs that suit your expertise and excite you. You can send proposals to such jobs and effectively highlight your skills and experience in that particular area. 
• Flexibility: Upwork provides flexibility to their freelancers by allowing them to choose clients and set their own fees or charges. Everyone on the website can set their charges depending on the level of their experience. 
• Tests: Upwork provides a variety of tests through which you can demonstrate your expertise and professionalism in the areas of your interest.
• Large Number of Clients: Upwork is known for its large number of client base who are looking for skilled and experienced professionals. Anyone with a wide range of skills and expertise can build their freelance portfolio on Upwork. 

Pros

Here are some of the pros of freelancing on Upwork:

• Offers Work Management Tools: At Upwork, you get a variety of tools offered by the website that helps in managing your profile and portfolio. Upwork has time tracking, payments, project management and communication tools. 
• Protection: Upwork offers a very secured mode for payments from both the client’s and freelancer’s side. The Upwork team is very concerned about resolving payment related disputes very quickly and fairly.
• Number of Freelancers and Clients: There is a wide range of industries on the platform where you can find numerous clients. Upwork has millions of clients and freelancers who want to work with each other.

Cons

Let’s take a quick look at a few cons of using Upwork as a freelancer:

• High Competition: The competition on Upwork can be very high as there are a lot of highly qualified professionals applying for the same job.
• Charges: Upwork charges a freelancer service fee of 10% for all contracts on the platform (Starting from May 3, 2023).

Fiverr

Fiverr is another popular platform that connects freelancers to clients with diverse needs such as graphic designing, video and animation, music and content writing. Fiverr is a great choice for businesses with different sizes looking for professionals who can deliver high-quality work.

Features

Here are some of the features of Fiverr that you should know: 

• Services: Clients can explore a wide range of services offered by freelancers in the field of programming, video and audio animation, graphic designing, digital marketing and many others.
• Gigs: Fiverr provides a method of showcasing the services and skills offered by a freelancer in a professional way using gigs. 
• Reviews: Fiverr allows both the clients and freelancers to give reviews once the project is completed. 
• Messaging: Clients and freelancers can communicate with each other through messaging. This is a great way to discuss the project details and updates with each other.

Pros

Here are some pros of this freelancing platform:

• Pricing: There are a variety of basic services from different industries that start with just $5. This can be a great way for the beginners to showcase their skills and build a portfolio. 
• Creative Profile: Fiverr allows beginners and experienced freelancers to create a professional profile using different tools. Many clients prefer a freelancer with positive reviews and effective skill sets. 
• Customer Support: Fiverr customer support team are always willing to address any kind of issues from both the clients and freelancer sides. They provide various resources for problem-solving. 

Cons

Here are a few cons of using Fiverr:

• Communication Challenges: Fiverr provides a great way to communicate through the messaging features but the clients and freelancers may face some challenges due to language or cultural barriers.
• Commission: The commission fee charged by Fiverr for every transaction is up to 20%. This service fee can sometimes make the projects less profitable for freelancers.

Freelancer

Freelancer can be a great choice for professionals who wish to find and connect with businesses and individual clients. You can provide services in different fields such as graphics designing, writing, social media management or marketing and others. 

Features

Here are some of the best features offered by Freelancer:

• Project Posting: Clients can submit the details about the project such as pricing, timeline and other important information through project posting.
• Bid: Bidding system allows freelancers to bid on the project of their preference by submitting their price and timelines. 
• Milestone Payments: This feature allows freelancers to let their clients pay in installments or project completion milestones. 

Pros

Here are some pros of using Freelancer:

• 24/7 Support: The support team works 24/7 for resolving project or payment related issues from both the freelancer and client sides. 
• Ratings: Rating system allows clients to rate their experience with the freelancers and describe the quality of their work.

Cons

Check below some cons of this freelancing platform:

• Communication Issues: Communication issues may arise due to different time zones of freelancers and clients. 
• Limited Control: Once the freelancers are hired, the clients have limited control over them.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a employment-focused social media platform designed for businesses and professionals and can be used as a tool to connect with potential clients. Freelancers can create their professional online presence by creating their LinkedIn profiles. Both the beginner and experienced freelancers can showcase their skills and expertise in their niche and build their professional network to search potential job opportunities.

Features

Here are some of the most important features that LinkedIn offers:

• Groups: You can search for groups that are related to the industry you work in and connect with other professionals.
• Learn: LinkedIn offers a wide range of courses and certifications that you may pursue to develop your skill sets and improve your portfolio. 
• Company Pages: Many businesses or clients create professional pages where they advertise their products and services. As a freelancer, you can visit such pages that interest you and explore job opportunities.

Pros

Here are some of the pros of using LinkedIn as a freelancer:

• Insights: Freelancers can keep themselves up-to-date by reviewing industry insights and understand the latest trends, development and practices in their specific niches.
• Networking: LinkedIn is a great tool for connecting with like-minded individuals within the same industry and building a professional network. It helps in finding new job opportunities and clients.

Cons

Here are some of the cons of LinkedIn:

• Crowded: There are over 930 million members from over 200 countries on the platform. This makes it a very crowded place and hence the competition of landing a client can be high.
• Premium Features: LinkedIn offers some premium features and services which can be expensive for many freelancers.

Guru

Guru is one of the most popular freelance websites that allows skilled freelancers to connect with businesses and sell their services. This freelancing platform offers a variety of services in the industries such as designing, writing, web development and others.

Features

Here are some of the features that Guru offers:

• Job Posting: This feature allows businesses or individual clients to post jobs where interested freelancers can send their bids. 
• Communication: Guru provides a work room where freelancers and clients can interact and share project information such as files, documents and other project related information.
• Job Search: Freelancers can easily search jobs of their interest based on the skills they are willing to offer. They can also filter jobs based on their locations.

Pros

Here are a few pros of using this freelance platform:

• Large Number of Clients: Interested freelancers, irrespective of the level of their expertise can access a large number of clients on Guru. The clients post jobs mentioning the skills and expertise they are looking for.
• Cost Effective: Guru can be a great place to start your freelancing journey as it provides a very cost-effective method for businesses and individuals to hire freelancers.
• Flexibility: Working with clients on Guru can be very flexible compared to working with traditional employers. 

Cons

Here are some cons of using Guru:

• Communication Issues: The platform is used all over the world and communication gaps or barriers may arise between freelancers and clients from different time zones.
• Low Paying Clients: Many freelancers claim that the platform is very crowded due to which many clients post very low paying jobs.

Designhill

Designhill is another great platform for freelancers who have skills and expertise in graphic designing. You can find various businesses and individual clients posting jobs related to website designing, logo designing and other related opportunities. Designhill provides a very efficient and fast way to get the job done by offering them services from tons of talented freelancers. 

Features

• Great Customer Support: Freelancers and clients get 24/7 dedicated customer services to address issues and conflicts.
• Ratings: Designhill allows clients to give reviews and ratings based on the services provided by the freelancers. 
• Contests: Designhill conducts design contests which allows freelancers to participate and win cash prizes for their designs.

Pros

• Reliable Payment System: This freelancing platform provides a very secure and fast processing payment system. 
• Community: On designhill, freelancers can connect with each other and share opportunities or learn more about the industry.

Cons

• Copyright Issues: There may be some chances that your submitted work infringes or seems too similar with someone else’s design. 
• Payment: Due to the high competition on the platform, some freelancers may experience a very low payment for their submitted design.

PeoplePerHour

PeoplePerHour is a widely popular platform all over the world. It connects businesses and entrepreneurs to skilled and talented freelancers. This platform can be very fruitful for the freelancers who can deliver quality work in the fields of graphic designing, social media management, content writing and website development. 

Features

• Variety of Jobs: As a freelancer, you may find a variety of jobs from different fields which increases the chance of landing a client.
• Communication: The platform provides a very user-friendly interface for their users. Freelancers can connect and communicate with clients directly and efficiently.
• Security: PeoplePerHour offers their users a secure and trustworthy platform. It also offers a very secured payment system.

Pros

• Education and Training: As a freelancer, you can enroll in education and training courses offered by the platform. It allows freelancers to gain skills and stay up-to-date with the latest industry trends.
• Flexibility: Freelancers on the platform have the right to choose the jobs according to their schedule. On PeoplePerHour, you will find both the hourly and project-based rates.

Cons

• Commission: In general, PeoplePerHour charges 20% of the entire project cost. This may lead freelancers to make less money when compared to other freelance websites.
• Limited Number of Clients: Here, freelancers can send proposals to a limited number of clients. They offer memberships with different numbers of proposals. 

Toptal

Toptal is a popular freelancing platform known for accepting freelancers who have great knowledge and expertise in their respective fields. As a freelancer, you go through a screening process in which you get assessed by a team based on your skills, communication abilities and experience level. You may find jobs in the field of finance, designing and website or code development. 

Features

• High-Quality Clients: The website deals and works with top-tier companies and startups. This automatically improves the quality of the clients offering challenging and interesting projects.
• Different Payment Options: A client on the platform can pay their freelancers through hourly, full-time, part-time and milestone based payment methods. 
• Community: The freelancing community on Toptal is very strong and allows individuals to connect and collaborate with each other.

Pros

• Opportunities: There are many opportunities offered by Toptal such as conferences, events, training programs and courses. Attending these may help freelancers in learning new skills and improving their existing skill sets.
• Account manager: Once you get selected to provide services on the website, you will get a dedicated account manager helping you with the clients, payments and other important tasks.

Cons

• Lengthy Hiring Process: The screening process to hire freelancers on Toptal can take several weeks to complete. The platform hires only the top 3% of the freelancers making the hiring process very lengthy.
• Limited Authority: The platform doesn’t allow freelancers to share their social media profiles or their contact information with the clients.

Behance

Behance is a social media platform shared between aspiring freelancers and companies who are looking for creative individuals. The platform allows freelancers to create profiles where they can showcase their projects and works. You can connect with other professionals in the industry and learn more about the latest trends. Behance offers recommendations, search options and curated gallery features for experiencing creative works from all over the world.

Features

• Project Gallery: Freelancers can create their project galleries to showcase their creative projects and works. Behance allows freelancers to customize their galleries based on different themes, mediums and styles.
• Job Listings: Job listing is a place where clients post their jobs and interested freelancers may respond to it. 
• Communication: Behance allows freelancers to connect with clients by following them. They can also communicate over private messages to share project related details.

Pros

• Profiles: Freelancers can create their profile where they can add personal information such as bio, skills, work experience and background. They can also add profile pictures and cover images.
• Adobe Integration: Adobe owns Behance and it is integrated with Adobe’s creative cloud software. This allows freelancers to share their projects and work from creative cloud to Behance. 

Cons

• Time Investment: To create and maintain a professional looking profile, a freelancer must spend some time and keep updating their profile. 
• Limited Functions: Behance is considered as a portfolio site as it may lack some functionalities when compared to other freelance websites.

Dribble

Dribble allows designers and creative professionals to showcase and publish their works on the platform. It helps freelancers to connect with clients and gain feedback from other professionals from the similar industry. Freelancers can create their profiles where they can share their best projects using a portfolio. Users on the platform can increase engagement by liking and commenting on the posts.

Features

• Insights: Freelancers can get the insights of their projects by looking at the analytics. They can see the views, likes and comments helping them to understand the performance of their projects and works.
• Job Postings: Businesses or individuals can post jobs where interested freelancers can apply.
• Community: Freelancers can engage with other professionals by liking and commenting on each other’s posts. 

Pros

• Exposure: The platform introduces you to diverse clients interested in working with talented freelancers. You get exposure to potential clients by submitting and sharing your creative projects on the website.
• Networking: For aspiring freelancers, Dribble can be a great platform to build a network by connecting with other professionals. This may lead to great opportunities and projects.

Cons

• Smaller Client Base: Dribble may have a limited client base as it is a platform for designers. Freelancers with different skill sets may find it difficult to reach potential clients. 
• Limited Range of Services: Dribble is highly crowded with freelancers in the field of designing. This may limit the number of services offered by the platform when compared to other freelance websites.

Bottom Line

Freelance websites have revolutionized the way individual clients such as individuals and businesses connect with freelancers. Skilled and experienced individuals from all over the world have this opportunity of showcasing their most-valued skills and use them to earn money through these platforms.

Due to the massive competition among freelancers, it becomes important for individuals to keep improving their skills and stay up-to-date with the industry trends. Before you select a platform, make sure to carefully read the terms & conditions and learn about their payment systems.