Work from home has become all the rage nowadays. With the pandemic changing how we live our normal lives and with the threat of the COVID-19 virus affecting our health, many of the regular 9-to-5 workers are now considering finding freelance jobs online. And who can blame them? Considering how the freelancing industry has flourished through the years ever since the idea of telecommuting was made possible, the allure of a work-from-home opportunity is definitely powerful, especially for the younger generations.
It’s true that it is not for everyone, and that there will still be some people who would prefer to work in a corporate office instead of at home, but for those who have already decided to switch to a more comfortable work setup at home, here are 8 of the top platforms where you can find freelance jobs online.
1. Upwork
As one of the biggest freelance job marketplaces online, Upwork can connect freelancers to clients from any of the 180 countries around the world. Personally, Upwork has proven to be a very effective platform for me, having had the opportunity to work with multiple clients throughout my 7 years of membership. It has helped me find a variety of content writing and blog management jobs as offered by various individuals and SMB owners.
Upwork helps connect independent professionals with various businesses of various sizes and industries, including the Fortune 100. Freelancers can work on projects across more than 70 work specializations such as graphic and web design, web and mobile app development, digital marketing SEO, content writing, admin and support, accounting, and many more.
With more than 60 thousand jobs posted weekly and with more than 5 million businesses using the platform, a freelancer can find the right job based on their skills and start earning money while working from home or anywhere.
To get started, you need to create and complete your profile, then wait for Upwork to approve it. Upwork checks the profile of their freelancers to make sure that they have the qualifications to handle a job based on the niche the freelancer has selected. Once approved, you can start searching and bidding on projects or receive interview invitations from clients who are looking for talents like you.
Upwork also rewards their active freelancers with a Rising Talent status or a Top Rated status. Once you have a proven track record on the platform, you can become a part of these programs and have better chances of being noticed and hired by clients.
Upwork Membership: Free, with options to buy additional Connects, which serves as a freelancer’s currency for bidding on projects posted on Upwork. Connects cost USD $0.15 each and are sold in bundles of 10, 20, 40, 60, and 80.
Other fees to expect: 20% fee on your first USD $500 lifetime billings per client (across all hourly and fixed-price contracts), 10% for earnings ranging from USD $500.01 to USD $10,000 per client, 5% for total earnings bigger than USD $10,000 per client.
2. LinkedIn
As the largest professional network in the world, LinkedIn serves as a job and talent marketplace for about 690 million users from more than 200 countries worldwide. LinkedIn allows all types of job hunters to find work under various industries through its Jobs Search function. It also helps both individuals and businesses build a network of a professional community, allowing them to find leads, advertise, learn, join groups and more.
Many companies and headhunters also use this platform to hire freelancers directly. I myself have received various offers and job invitations from various SMBs and startups. It can also be a good avenue for promoting your brand and showcasing your skills as a freelancer, as it allows you to share your accomplishments, boost your brand’s presence in a professional network and get connected to the right people.
LinkedIn has also been a useful platform for me, in terms of promoting my brand and getting connected with professionals within my niche. It has been a very helpful platform, even before I started freelancing, as I have found one of my previous corporate jobs here. I have also been receiving a lot of job invitations, collaboration proposals and other marketing offers that have been very helpful for me.
LinkedIn also has an online training platform called LinkedIn Learning, wherein you can browse from a large selection of expert-led online courses that can help you learn in-demand skills. LinkedIn Learning offers some free courses, with other courses available through LinkedIn Learning’s paid monthly subscription.
LinkedIn Membership: Free, with an option to avail of a Premium Career plan (USD $29.99 for the Monthly Plan or USD $19.99 monthly for an Annual Plan) allowing you to reach out directly to recruiters through InMail, see how you compare to other applicants, learn new skills through LinkedIn Learning, see who’s viewed your profile and get expert guides on acing interviews.
Other fees to expect: None
3. Fiverr
Another great platform for finding freelance work is Fiverr. With a large roster of skilled freelancers offering online services in more than 300 categories, Fiverr connects more than 2.4 million customers to various freelancers from over 160 countries. Whether you specialize in programming, digital marketing, graphic design, writing, video or music editing and others, you can easily post your services on Fiverr and be found by the right business.
Through Fiverr, a freelancer can simply post a service, also called a Gig, that they offer and if a customer finds this service, they can choose to order one and specify their needs and the details off their order.
Moreover, Fiverr also has an online training platform, Learn from Fiverr. Here, you can pay for training courses taught by industry experts and earn a badge for every course you have completed, which can then boost your chances of getting more customers.
Another good thing about Fiverr is that you have the opportunity to take your gig selling to the next level through Fiverr Pro. This separate global marketplace, which is different from that of the regular Fiverr membership, is made up of professionals who have gone through Fiverr’s vetting process. Through the vetting process, Fiverr will be asking you to provide your higher education, your professional background, as well as a portfolio of your previous work or examples of projects you have accomplished outside of Fiverr. Fiverr will then evaluate your application through the details and proofs you have submitted to see if you will qualify to create a Pro Gig.
Fiverr Membership: Free
Other fees to expect: 20% fee with every job completed
4. Guru
If you are looking for another freelancing platform that is similar to Upwork, check out Guru. Through this freelancer marketplace, you can collaborate with employers from anywhere around the world. Depending on your expertise, you can be found by a prospective employer from a roster of freelancers that belong within your expertise.
Freelancers on Guru can create a list of their services, showcase their portfolio and other accomplishments on their profile. Just like Upwork, freelancers can also bid for projects. Guru allows 120 free bids annually. Once you have used up all 120 bids, you have the option to upgrade your Basic membership.
Guru Membership: Free for Basic, with the option of upgrading to Basic+, Professional, Business, or Executive tiers, on a monthly or annual basis.
5. Freelancer
Freelancer is another platform for freelancers to connect with employers to handle both online and offline projects under a wide range of categories. With more than 44 million employers using the platform, a freelancer can find a variety of projects or contests that are suited to their skillset.
Employers can choose to start either a Contest or a Project where freelancers can submit an entry for a contest or bid for a project. At the same time, a freelancer can also setup a list of services that they offer, making it easier for employers to avail to hire them for a specific service. Freelancer allows you to list up to 400 skills on your profile, which can help boost your chances of getting hired by employers.
Freelancer Membership: Free, with an option to upgrade to their annual or monthly plan tiers, namely, Intro ($0.99 USD/mo), Basic ($4.95 USD/mo), Plus ($9.95 USD/mo), Professional ($29.95 USD/mo), and Premier ($59.95 USD/mo).
Other fees to expect: Introduction fee of 10% or $5.00 USD (whichever is greater) for fixed-price projects and contests, 10% for hourly projects. 20% fee for services or 15% if you are a Preferred Freelancer
6. FlexJobs
If you are looking for a job board that allows you to apply to an unlimited number of flexible jobs available on their platform, then FlexJobs is the right platform for you. By availing of their weekly, monthly, quarterly or annual subscription, you get to access a collection of jobs under more than 50 categories, posted by more than 5000 employers, all of which are screened for legitimacy, professionalism and work flexibility.
FlexJobs offers a safer platform for job seekers looking for remote and flexible work opportunities, without being baited by job scammers or commission-only jobs. Moreover, FlexJobs also offer various job search resources, such as job search checklists, award-winning career guides, skills tests that can help support and promote your profile, and video instructions to help you get found by employers. They also provide member-only discounts on various work tools and lifestyle products, such as Audible, Dell, Intuit TurboTax, WeWork, Grammarly, Carbonite, SkillCrush and more.
FlexJobs Membership: Paid subscription. Starts at $6.95 USD for 1 week, $14.95 USD for one month, $29.95 for 3 months, $49.95 for 1 year.
Other fees to expect: None
7. Indeed
As one of the most popular job sites in the world, Indeed helps more than 250 million monthly visitors find jobs and research companies posting jobs on the platform. Jobs posted on Indeed range from office-based work to remote ones. You can filter jobs based on job types, such as full-time, full-time, contractual, permanent, temporary, commission-based, as well as jobs for new hires or for those who are looking for internships. The platform allows you to easily filter remote job posting and find the right kind of work based on your skills. Job seekers can also create a profile, upload your resume and be found and contacted by potential employers.
Indeed Membership: Free
Other fees to expect: None
8. PeoplePerHour
Fulfilling their vision of connecting freelancers to businesses, PeoplePerHour is the longest-running freelance service in the UK. With a community of more than 2.9 million freelancers from around the globe and with thousands of projects posted on the platform, PeoplePerHour helps freelancers find the work that matches their skills.
Before you can send a proposal to any of the job postings on PeoplePerHour, you will first need to complete the online application to become a certified PeoplePerHour freelancer. Your profile will then be reviewed and once approved, you can start submitting proposals to projects. You can send up to 15 proposals monthly for free.
PeoplePerHour Membership: Free. You can choose to buy additional Proposal credits: USD $8.95 for 5 credits, $13.95 for 10, $21.95 for 25, and $29.95 for 50 credits.
Other fees to expect: 20% fee charged for up to £250 lifetime earnings from a client, 7.5% for earnings of £500.01 to £5,000 per client, then 3.5% for lifetime earnings of above £5,000 per client.
These websites are just among the hundreds of other freelancing platforms that you can find online. The truth is the internet is brimming with work from home opportunities. It’s only a matter of knowing where to find them and how to grab them. Feel free to visit these websites and see if these platforms suit your needs for finding freelancing jobs.
If you have other freelance job websites that you are using and you’d like to share, please comment them on the section below. Thanks and happy freelancing!
Christine Joy Leal 
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