Video summary

Best & Worst Freelancing Platforms of 2024 (upwork, fiverr, peopleperhour, toptal, guru, etc)

Main summary

Key takeaways

Product Review

Product(s) reviewed

Freelancing platforms (multiple): Upwork, PeoplePerHour, (BRB / “Bribes” — unclear spelling), Fiverr, Toptal, Freelancer.com, Guru, Ripple, Contra, FlexJobs.

The video is a “best & worst” roundup rather than a review of a single product.

Key points by platform (unique features, pros/cons, UX, comparisons, verdict)

1) Upwork

Pros

  • Lots of active clients (about 150,000 active core clients mentioned).
  • Huge job diversity (from design gigs to legal-type work).
  • Good for finding work when you have a relevant skill.

Cons

  • Extremely competitive (18 million other freelancers mentioned).
  • Confusing/expensive bidding system; requires buying “connects” to apply.
  • Platform takes a flat 10% fee on earnings (described as “too high” by the reviewer).
  • Feels cramped/overcrowded—“musical chairs”-like.

User experience

  • Reviewer refreshed job posts every ~10 minutes and applied quickly to win early clients.

Overall recommendation (in-video)

  • Tier placement: tier three
  • Best framed as useful early on, less useful once you’re no longer a beginner.

2) PeoplePerHour

Pros

  • Very large market (“over a million clients”).
  • Long-running platform (since ~2007).

Cons

  • Heavy fees and complex fee rules.
  • High competition (approx 3 million freelancers mentioned).
  • Customer service contact described as a “huge headache.”

Fees mentioned (confusing / variable)

  • 20% on amounts below £250
  • 7.5% on £250–£5,000
  • 3.5% on amounts above £5,000
  • Fees described as per buyer, meaning new clients start with the higher fee band.

Verdict

  • Tier: tier five
  • Likely to leave freelancers unhappy due to heavy fees + competition.

3) BRB / “Bribes” (new influencer marketplace; spelling unclear)

Pros

  • Niche market for influencers; marketplace resembles Fiverr (set price, clients browse).
  • Nice UI / easy navigation.

Cons

  • Lack of clients: reviewer couldn’t find hard numbers, but saw many profiles with zero reviews.
  • Weird/variable fees:
    • No fees for first three (?) listings/projects
    • No fees for projects under $30
    • After that: fees range down from 25% to ~8% depending on volume (“beers sold”—unclear wording)

Verdict

  • Tier: tier four
  • Recommended for influencers, but not for general freelancers.

4) Fiverr

Pros

  • Large buyer base (“more than 5 million yearly buyers”).
  • Easy to browse services (simple discovery for clients).
  • Strong structure for beginners: packages (not just hourly), clarifying deliverables.
    • Reviewer prefers this over hourly/retainer uncertainty for first hires.

Cons

  • Competitive; tends to push lower rates.
  • “Name-brand expectation” problem: clients may assume very low pricing (“Picasso for five dollars”).
  • Very high fees: 20% of everything you make including tips.

Verdict

  • Tier: tier three
  • Good to get started or for occasional work, but reviewer expects most freelancers to move on as they level up.

5) Toptal

Pros

  • High average rates cited: about $80/hour.
  • Client seriousness signal: requires a $500 deposit.
  • “High quality clients” and acceptance of only a small portion of applicants.

Cons

  • Exclusive acceptance: only ~3% accepted (reviewer frames it as great if you get accepted; otherwise not).
  • Job types are limited, focused mainly on business/design/tech.
  • No fees for freelancers mentioned (called out as a pro).

Verdict

  • Tier: tier two
  • Strong for qualified/semi-elite freelancers who can get accepted.

6) Freelancer.com

Pros

  • Enormous supply/demand: 67 million users and 22 million jobs.
  • Diverse job types.

Cons

  • Heavy competition.
  • Notable unusual feature: contest-style jobs where only one person gets paid, while others submit finished work without guaranteed payment.
  • Fees are 10% but variable by job type; reviewer couldn’t easily parse the fee logic.

User experience

  • Reviewer suggests reading guidelines carefully due to complexity.

Verdict

  • Tier: tier three
  • Suggested for beginners practicing via contests; not recommended for established freelancers who require paid work 100% of the time.

7) Guru

Pros

  • Better freelancer-to-job ratio than some other platforms.

Cons

  • Subscription model + commission (reviewer calls it gatekeeping/predatory).
  • Gatekeeping simple features: asking clients questions before taking a job is restricted unless you pay.
  • Bad UI / aesthetics.
  • Fees: start at 9%, drop to 5% with the most expensive subscription.
  • Reviewer says it’s subscription OR commission, but also implies both are involved (“why not both”).

Verdict

  • Tier: tier five
  • “Worst aesthetics” and “don’t use this” overall.

8) Ripple

Pros

  • No fees for freelancers.
  • Vetted/exclusive marketplace: positioned as qualified opportunities sourced by the platform.
  • Less competition because you must apply to get access.

Cons

  • Fewer clients/opportunities due to exclusivity.
  • Must be accepted into the platform (may not happen).

Verdict

  • Tier: tier four
  • Niche recommendation for semi-experienced marketing freelancers; otherwise questionable value.

9) Contra

Pros

  • No fees and no commissions for freelancers.
  • Freelancer protections:
    • Dispute system with human oversight (not auto-sided with clients).
  • Community benefits (Slack), including portfolio reviews mentioned.
  • Minimum pricing:
    • Requires at least $25/hour (and flat rates minimum $250).
    • Reviewer believes this reduces “bargain hunting” clients.

Cons

  • Newer platform → fewer numbers/less volume than big incumbents.
  • Some functionality requires subscription only for an optional fancy portfolio site (free membership still provides a personal page and projects).

Verdict

  • Tier: tier one
  • Reviewer is extremely positive (“everyone sign up immediately”) with “no downsides” sentiment in the video.

10) FlexJobs

Pros

  • Job diversity and human-vetted job postings (reviewer likes the curation).

Cons

  • Not as many freelance jobs.
  • No free version.
  • Subscription cost starts at $10/week.
  • Reviewer argues general freelancers may not get enough value if they’re constantly searching for clients.

Verdict

  • Tier: tier five
  • Possible value only if you’re hunting for remote/part-time positions more intensively.

Overall comparisons / recurring themes across platforms

  • Big marketplaces (Upwork/Fiverr/Freelancer.com): lots of jobs, but high competition and/or fee burden.
  • Fee-heavy / confusing fee systems (PeoplePerHour, Guru, Fiverr): repeatedly criticized for complexity or large take rates.
  • Exclusive/vetted marketplaces (Toptal, Ripple, Contra): fewer clients/opportunities but better client seriousness and/or better freelancer economics.

Main pros & cons (cross-platform)

Most praised

  • Low/no fees (Contra, Ripple; Toptal described as fee-free).
  • Quality controls / vetting / seriousness signals
    • Toptal’s $500 deposit
    • Ripple vetted opportunities
    • Contra protections and pricing floors

Most criticized

  • Fee magnitude and/or complexity
    • Fiverr 20% incl. tips
    • PeoplePerHour variable confusing fees
    • Guru subscription + commission
    • Upwork connects
  • Gatekeeping / UX friction
    • Guru subscription gates features
    • Upwork bidding applies friction
    • reviewer calls some sites cramped or confusing
  • Incentive mismatch
    • contests where only one winner gets paid (Freelancer.com)
    • avoiding bargain clients via Contra’s pricing minimums

Overall recommendations (concise verdict)

  • Top pick: Contra (Tier 1) — best balance of no fees, protections, and minimum pricing to avoid bargain clients.
  • Strong alternative (if you can get in): Toptal (Tier 2) — high rates + client deposits + very selective acceptance.
  • If you’re new / testing: Upwork / Fiverr / Freelancer.com (Tier 3) — good volume but expect competition and fees; Freelancer.com contests are mainly for practice.
  • Avoid (Tier 5): Guru, PeoplePerHour, FlexJobs — due to subscription/fee issues and poor value (per reviewer).
  • Niche options (Tier 4): Ripple (marketing-focused, vetted) and the BRB/“Bribes” influencer marketplace (best for influencers, not general freelancers).

Reviewer’s strategy for using platforms (from the video)

  • Choose max 2 platforms
  • Apply/outreach using a weekly system for 2–3 months
  • Don’t use them randomly—otherwise you’ll get overwhelmed and see no results.

Speakers / perspectives

  • Single primary narrator/reviewer throughout; no distinct multiple speakers clearly identified in subtitles.
  • Occasional self-contrast statements provide “different views” (e.g., Upwork being great for beginners but not after; FlexJobs possibly being worth it for specific remote job seekers).

Original video