Cost of Using Fiverr vs Upwork in 2025

Cost is a major factor when choosing between Upwork and Fiverr, as both platforms deduct fees from freelancers' earnings.

How much does Fiverr charge?

• Commission Fee: Fiverr charges a flat 20% commission on every project, including the extras or add-ons.

• Payment Clearance:

For Standard Seller: Funds are released after 14 days of order completion.

For top-rated, pro, or seller plus premium: Funds are released after 7 days of order completion.

• Early Payout Options: Fiverr allows faster withdrawals, but the exact fees and details are not disclosed publicly.

To sum up, Fiverr’s high commission, which is 20% can eat into freelancers' profit. A $1000 gig can leave you with just $800 in your pocket, plus the delay in receiving the funds.

How much does Upwork charge?

• Service Fee: Upwork charges a fixed 10% flat fee on all kinds of contracts (hourly, fixed, or catalog).

• Payment Clearance: Funds are released to freelancers after 5 days of project completion.

• Reduced Fees:

Upwork allows a bring your own client service. Fees can drop to 0%.

If pursuing direct contracts, Upwork charges only 5% fees.

Upwork may allow custom fee structures to enterprise clients.

To sum up, Upwork’s 10% fees are significantly less than Fiverr's, and the access to funds is also faster compared to Fiverr. So these factors make Upwork freelancers-friendly.

Fiverr vs Upwork: Cost Verdict

Fiverr: Fiverr has easy entry, but is also expensive; a 20% fee is tough for high-value projects.

Upwork: Lower 10% fees and a better option for freelancer who bring their own clients.

After looking at the numbers, Upwork clearly stands out as the cost-effective option for freelancers in 2025.

Upwork vs Fiverr: Which is better for freelancers?

The following are the features of Upwork for freelancers:

• Higher paying projects: Highly skilled freelancers like designers, developers, etc, often land projects that are worth hundreds or thousands of dollars.

• Steady Income: Many of the clients rehire freelancers, creating a stable source of income for them.

• Challenge: Upwork has lots of competition on its platform, so this creates a hurdle for them.

The following are the features of Fiverr for freelancers:

• Quick Entry: On Upwork, it is easier to land first clients because buyers often try new sellers for small gigs.

• Scalability: Successful freelancers who become top-rated or Fiverr pro users can charge premium rates.

• Challenge: High competition and Fiverr’s reputation for low-cost services can make it difficult to scale at first.

Which is better? Upwork or Fiverr for freelancers?

• Upwork pays better for freelancers with better experience and a strong portfolio.

• Fiverr is better for freelancers who have just started and offer fast, niche services.

Upwork vs Fiverr: Which is better for clients?

The following are the features of Upwork for clients:

• Upwork offers a wide pool of professionals to hire from. Upwork also maintains secure contracts and flexibility in hiring, which is essential from the client’s point of view.

• Upwork is best for businesses and clients looking for long-term relationships with freelancers or long-term projects.

The following are the features of Fiverr for clients:

• Fiverr offers affordable pricing, a wide service variety, and faster delivery of projects to clients.

• Fiverr is best for individuals, startups, or small businesses with one-off tasks and limited budgets.

Which is better? Upwork or Fiverr for clients?

• Clients should go with Upwork if they are looking for serious, ongoing, and long-term projects.

• Clients should go with Fiverr if they want quick, affordable, and one-time tasks.

Source: Reddit

What are the key differences between Upwork and Fiverr in 2025?

While both the platforms- Fiverr and Upwork offer the same freelancing services, their underlying models are different.

The choice between these models depends on the goals, working styles, and the type of clients/freelancers you want to attract. Let’s study the key differences in detail:

1. Work Style

• Upwork: The platform is built around a proposal-based system. Freelancers can actively search for projects, write tailored proposals, and they can compete against others for the same job. The Upwork model requires strong communication skills and the ability to pitch yourself to the clients, just like a traditional job.

• Fiverr: The Fiverr model operates on a gig-based system. Freelancers can create gigs for specific services, and clients can browse through these gigs and place an order directly with the freelancers.

2. Ease of Entry

• Upwork: Breaking into Upwork can be difficult for beginner freelancers. Due to its competitive environment, a freelancer would need a polished profile, a high-end portfolio, and well-crafted proposals to land projects.

• Fiverr: Fiverr is a beginner-friendly freelancing platform. You can simply create a gig, describe your services, and publish it. Clients can discover you even without the need for a proposal. This makes Fiverr beginner-friendly and appealing to newcomers.

3. Project Types

• Upwork: Upwork is best suited for long-term and complex work. Projects like software development, business consulting, marketing campaigns, or large-scale design jobs often happen here.

• Fiverr: This platform is ideal for short-term, quick, and well-defined professional relationships. Typical Fiverr gigs include tasks like logo designing, social media posting, copywriting, voiceovers, or video editing. The scope of work os usually smaller and more task-oriented.

4. Earning Potential

• Upwork: Freelancers on Upwork often command higher average earnings, which is because of large projects and long-term contracts. Once you build your reputation on Upwork, you may secure clients who provide steady work for months.

• Fiverr: While Fiverr gigs are usually small, earnings can grow with volume and specialisation. Many top-rated sellers package their services at premium rates and scale income by handling multiple clients at once.

Final Thoughts: Which Is the Right Freelance Marketplace?

In the Upwork vs Fiverr debate in 2025, the winner depends on your needs as a client or freelancer:

• Freelancers: Go for Upwork if you are experienced and want larger projects. And go for Fiverr, if you are a beginner or want more volume-based gigs.

• Clients: If clients are looking for complex work and a long-term professional relationship with the freelancer, then Upwork is the best. Fiverr is ideal for affordable and fast results.

But whichever platform you choose, one issue that remains there is: how to receive payments, especially when it is from a foreign client?

While receiving international payments, platform fees and conversion fees eat into your earnings.

This is where Infinity comes in.

Infinity is a modern international payments platform that helps Indian businesses and freelancers receive international payments in the cheapest way possible. Infinity helps you save up to 80% on your international payment fees as compared to traditional banks, PayPal, Payoneer, and Stripe. By signing up with Infinity, you can:

• Receive international payments in up to 50+ currencies like USD, GBP, EUR, JPY, AUD, and many more.

• Infinity charges you the lowest platform fee in the market, which is a flat 0.5% (inclusive of all) platform fee, and no other hidden charges.

• Infinity helps you convert your foreign currency at live FX rates. This means 0% FX margin, and you get to keep more of what you earn.

• Infinity is RBI and FEMA compliant, and provides you instant and free-of-cost FIRA. This ensures compliance with regulations.

• Enjoy secure, transparent transactions backed by global institutions like J.P. Morgan and CurrencyCloud.

So, whether you work on Upwork, Fiverr, or both, using Infinity ensures you keep more of what you earn.

Sign up today!

FAQs on Upwork vs Fiverr in 2025

1. Is Upwork better than Fiverr for beginners?

Fiverr is easier for beginners since you just have to create gigs. Upwork is more competitive for newcomer freelancers but offers higher-paying projects once established.

2. Do Upwork and Fiverr charge fees?

Yes. Fiverr takes 20% on every order. Upwork charges 10% on all payments, with faster fund availability.

3. What is the best way to get paid on Upwork and Fiverr?

Infinity helps freelancers receive international payments at just 0.5%, which is the lowest in the market.

4. Which is better for long-term work?

Upwork is better for ongoing, complex projects. Fiverr works best for quick, one-off tasks.