Freelancer.com Review: Is It Legit, Scam, Or Worth It In 2025?

Freelancer cons

• When freelancers are new to the platform, they will most likely not be making the amount of money that they are worth—often much less than minimum wage. 

• The fees are high for hourly projects. 

• Freelancers have to pay fees even before they are paid.

• Freelancers can only apply for 8 jobs a month on a free membership plan. 

• Your account can be banned with no explanation.

What are the freelancer fees and charges?

Most freelancers are charged 10 percent fees or $5 on each fixed-price job—unless you are a Preferred Freelancer, in which case the fees are higher. On hourly projects, freelancers are charged 10 percent for each payment. Employers can post projects for free, but you must pay a fee of either 3 percent or $3 on fixed-price jobs or 3 percent on every payment for hourly jobs once you accept a bid. Some of the exams freelancers can take and display on their profiles cost $5, $10 or $15.

Is Freelancer legitimate? 

Because Freelancer has become well-established since its inception in 2009 and has grown to be the largest freelance marketplace, you can be confident that it is perfectly legitimate and not a scam. One of the telltale signs of a scam is a short history and a low number of social media followers; however, Freelancer has a reputable history of 11 years and a large following on social media, with more than 2 million followers on Facebook, more than 200,000 on Twitter and more than 14,000 on Instagram. 

Can you get scammed on Freelancer?

Like any other freelance website, there is the possibility of scams happening within the platform, both from potential employers and freelancers. Unless you have worked with a freelancer for a while and they have proved to be reliable, it is wise not to share login information for your website or any other sensitive information. Employers also should never pay money upfront without receiving any work. 

As a freelancer, avoid fake job postings by only bidding on employers that have a verified account and a high number of excellent ratings. Be wary of companies that immediately try to get you to communicate or work off the platform, especially if they ask you to do outside work for them or want to pay you outside of the website. Some scammers will also ask you to create accounts for other people using your personal information, which is something no one should ever do. Do not agree to do test projects because it is likely you will not be paid and will never hear from the employer again—your portfolio samples should be sufficient.  

Freelancer.com customer service

The customer service team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If there are payment disputes, the Freelancer customer service team can intervene and settle the case. However, there is a fee of $5 or 5 percent on every dispute, and only the winner will receive a refund of the fee. 

Whom to hire on Freelancer.com

A good freelancer will meet deadlines, consistently produce high-quality work and receive criticism and instructions well. Make sure to hire freelancers who read your job description carefully and took the time to write a targeted proposal that clearly demonstrates how they will meet your need, as this is strong evidence that they will be meticulous in their work and deliver a high-quality project on time. Ask for portfolio samples to see if the freelancer’s writing style and tone matches your project. Finding a freelancer who responds to messages promptly is also important. 

What is a Preferred Freelancer?

For freelancers whose profile meets the requirements, there is a Preferred Freelancer program that includes several benefits. If a freelancer has a qualifying profile, they can contact the support team and apply for the program. Once you are approved, you will receive a badge on your profile that alerts employers that you are a preferred member and a particularly skilled freelancer, which sets you apart from the competition.

You will also begin receiving job opportunities from the Freelancer recruitment team each day—these invitations will only be high-paying jobs from top employers. Preferred Freelancers receive 50 percent of the projects on Freelancer.com worth $2,000 or more. A Preferred Freelancer can also bid on as many as 100 jobs each day. The downside is that there are higher fees for Preferred Freelancers—15 percent instead of the usual 10 percent. 

The Preferred Freelancer program is not available for freelancers with a free membership. Freelancers must pay a least $4.95 a month for the basic membership plan, which also includes 50 bids instead of only 8, and you can list up to 50 skills on your profile with a custom cover photo.  

Freelancer.com quality control

Freelancer verifies the identity of users with information such as a driver’s license and/or passport number. However, there is no screening process of a freelancer’s level of ability, as there is on most freelance websites—anyone can join Freelancer, making it difficult to ascertain the quality and experience level of freelancers. 

What people don't like about Freelancer 

Many people mentioned having trouble with scam projects from clients. Other people reported problems with the verification process, either because the website did not accept their documents or shut down their projects in the middle of their work without paying them. Furthermore, many people were uncomfortable with the large amount of sensitive information required to verify their identity. Employers mentioned freelancers that have frequently scammed other users and still have not been removed from the platform. Both employers and freelancers reported instances where neither of them were paid or refunded and Freelancer kept their money while closing their accounts. 

What people like about Freelancer 

One of the primary consensuses was that Freelancer values both freelancers and employers, something that is often rare on freelance platforms that are usually more geared toward one or the other. People also liked the flexibility of working on Freelancer. Many people mentioned the custom service team is excellent and highly responsive. 

Main differences between Freelancer, Upwork, Fiverr, and PeoplePerHour

Fiverr 

Fiverr is one of the best low-cost freelance platforms, as the services offered start at only $5. It features a very extensive range of services, from singing telegrams to programming, and it is ideal for short or recurring projects. The client fee is 5 percent, but if you purchase $20 of work or less, the fee is only $1. Fiverr consistently has some of the highest online reviews of any freelance platform. 

Upwork 

Upwork is best for longer projects or projects that need a specialized skillset. If a business has a large budget, it is even possible to use a $500 search function that narrows the options to carefully screened professional freelancers with more than 10 years of experience and excellent reviews. Upwork has approximately 10 million freelancers, giving companies access to a large hiring pool. Upwork charges businesses a 2.75 percent fee on every invoice, which is lower than many freelance sites.  

PeoplePerHour 

One feature that separates PeoplePerHour from the other freelance websites is that it is more location specific, enabling clients to hire freelancers from their local area, which helps with targeted projects and could lead to long-term working relationships. PeoplePerHour is a bit smaller than other freelance platforms, with approximately 1.5 million freelancers on the website. 

Freelancer 

Freelancer is the largest freelance website by number of users—both freelancers and employers. One of the unique features of Freelancer is that companies can post jobs in a contest format, which gives businesses the opportunity to list the work they need completed and then freelancers submit their best efforts, with only the winning freelancer being paid.  Freelancer also has a wide range of membership options from free or 99 cents, all the way up to a $69.95 monthly membership that comes with 700 bids each month. 

Is Freelancer.com worth it?

As a freelancer, the more specialized your set of skills is, the more likely it will be for you to obtain a highly paid project with a lower level of competition. However, the wider your range of skills is, the more projects you will qualify for. An ideal freelancer has an extensive amount of specific skills.  

While certain aspects are concerning, such as the slightly intrusive verification process and the lack of screening for freelancers, Freelancer is still a highly viable option for a freelance website on which to work, and it charges lower fees than most freelance platforms while offering the largest selection of freelancers and employers.