Freelancer Review 2020

Item: Freelancer
Rating: 9.8
Author: Jonathan Kerns

Whether you're a freelancer looking for your next project or a company searching for your next partner, Australia-based Freelancer has something for you. The site positions itself as a freelancer job market, where companies can offer projects up for grabs or freelancers can browse and bid for posted jobs. Signing up as either freelancer or employer is free, though the site offers lots of perks with its paid membership plans. Many processes cost fees that can quickly take a chunk out of your payout, though, and the site's customer service is unfortunately sluggish. Nevertheless, with over 20 million users and 10 million jobs posted on the site thus far, it's clear that Freelancer's advantages far outweigh its costs.

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Jonathan KernsMarch 28, 2019

Pros

Free Membership: Freelancers and employers alike can create accounts and start posting or browsing jobs at no cost, though most premium services require paid membership
Intuitive Site Interface: From signing up and setting parameters for your projects, to communicating with candidates or employers from anywhere via the site's mobile apps, mastering Freelancer.com is a breeze
Wide Range of Job Categories: Freelancer.com strives to provide a full range of solutions, meaning there's a niche here for developers, lawyers, carpenters, translators, and virtually everyone else
Reputable Company: Freelancer.com provides all the details you need to check on the company's reliability and history; plus, the company's also listed on the Australian Securities Exchange Market

Cons

Numerous Fees: Freelancer might not charge you when you start, but once a project is underway, it starts taking cuts for essential actions and processes from employers and freelancers alike
Payment Delays: Freelancer assures employers of total control and protection for financial transactions, but freelancers often complain of unauthorized, fraudulent, or unreasonable payment delays and cancellations
Sluggish Customer Service: The company is somewhat notorious for having slow inquiry response times

Features and Pricing

Freelancer aims to serve as a marketplace where freelancers and employers can link up for specific projects. Freelancer offers a few ways to forge those links. Employers, for example, can choose to put a project up for bidding amongst interested freelancers; if they have a specific person in mind, though, they can offer that person a job offer directly. Payment can then be made on a fixed-price or hourly basis, depending on the employer and freelancer’s agreement. Employers can also cast a wider net by choosing to hold contests instead, so that all interested freelancers can submit entries for consideration.

Freelancers, meanwhile, can create profiles, display portfolios, enter contests, and find or bid on projects that match their skillsets. On a free plan, freelancers are limited to bidding on a maximum of 8 projects a month. This means beginning freelancers can suss out projects that will help build their name and reputation on the market, without having to pay exorbitant fees upfront.

Make no mistake, though, the fees do come in eventually. While posting projects, bidding or submitting entries, evaluating candidates’ credentials, and discussing project details and requirements are all free, Freelancer starts charging the minute a project is actually awarded and work begins. Fixed-price payments are charged 3% or $3 (whichever is greater) for employers and 10% or $5 for freelancers. Hourly payments, meanwhile, incur service fees of 3% per payment for employers and 10% for freelancers. There are other fees for holding (or winning) contests, listing and providing services, and more.

Once the project starts, employers can also communicate with their chosen freelancer/s through the site’s built-in system. They’ll also have access to tools like time trackers and reporting systems, so they can monitor their hires’ productivity. Mobile apps for both iOS and Android ensure that Freelancer’s services can be accessed anywhere you go. And once it’s time to send or receive payments, Freelancer guarantees Geo-Trust 128-bit SSL encryption and a Milestone Payment system to ensure that payments are made in the most secure and satisfactory way for everyone involved.

Aside from these essentials, other features can also be unlocked by paying the corresponding fees. Freelancers and employers alike can pay $29 to be featured on the site, for example, to boost visibility. Projects can be marked urgent, taken off search engine results and labeled private (for confidential tasks), extended, and more, for prices ranging from $5-20. Employers can also request for added services like non-disclosure agreements for accepted freelancers, or commission-based payment schemes, for additional fees ranging from $29-$199.

These fees can quickly add up — a major disadvantage for both freelancers and employers, but especially for beginning freelancers who might not yet be earning enough to weather all these deductions. To reduce the burden of these fees, Freelancer offers a selection of paid membership plans that come with lower service fees and perks like higher monthly bid limits. There are 5 paid membership plans in all.

Paid Membership Options

Intro – $0.99 monthly: 15 project bids/month, 20 listed skills, unlimited project bookmarks, and project fees pegged at 10% or $5, whichever is greater
Basic – $4.95 monthly: 50 project bids/month, 50 listed skills, unlimited project bookmarks and custom cover photo, the ability to follow up to 5 employers, and project fees pegged at 10% or $5, whichever is greater
Plus – $9.95 monthly: 100 project bids/month, 80 listed skills, free daily payment withdrawals, eligibility for Preferred Freelancer program, ability to follow up to 10 employers, free project extensions, ability to bid for high value projects, and project fees pegged at 10% or $5, whichever is greater
Professional– $49.95 monthly: 300 project bids/month, 100 listed skills, free daily payment withdrawals, Preferred Freelancer program eligibility, up to 20 employer follows, 15 external invoicings, free project extensions and sealed projects, ability to bid for high value projects, and project fees pegged at 5% or $4, whichever is greater
Premier – $59.95 monthly: 1500 project bids/month, 400 listed skills, free daily payment withdrawals, Preferred Freelancer program eligibility, unlimited employer follows and external invoicings, free project extensions, free NDA and sealed projects, ability to bid for high value projects, and project fees pegged at 3% or $3, whichever is greater

Customer Support

Freelancer offers 24/7 support through its live chat, email, and phone channels. It also maintains a comprehensive knowledgebase and an active community hub. Watch out, though, because with more than 20 million users, Freelancer seems to be having difficulties providing speedy customer support to everyone. Don’t expect lightning-fast support services here.

What's the Verdict on Freelancer?

A Definite Buy!