The word “Freelancing” has become one of the fastest discussed and widely searched phenomena over the past 3 years. After COVID-19, many people lost their jobs all over the world which resulted in a severe economic crisis. With smart locked down exercised in many countries, people chose to learn skills and offer their services as freelancers on different freelancing websites.
According to New Upwork Study, freelancing is growing equally in all segments of society. The higher skilled nature of freelancing is clear in 51% of post-grad workers doing freelancing, up 6% since 2020, while the share of high school graduates or less freelancing has declined from 37% in 2020 to 31% this year.
Top 10 Freelance Websites:
Let’s take a quick look at the top 10 best freelancing websites for beginners. The criteria are chosen on the basis of the number of projects posted, the number of service providers, and most importantly, freelancers making money on that website.
1- Toptal.com
A USA-based freelance marketplace came into being in 2010 as a platform to connect software engineers, designers, financial experts, project managers, and product managers with each other. Beginners in the field of freelancing can initiate their efforts here. This marketplace is globally ranked at 11.437th number. If we talk about its category rank so it is ranked at 43rd number. Total visits on this website are 5.8 million people with a bounce rate of 65.87% which is quite a good number but the average retention time on this website is 2 minutes and 22 seconds which is alarming. Its average annual revenue is in-between $100 million to $200 million.
2- Upstack.co
Another freelance marketplace which is the alternative to total introduced in 2010 with average annual revenue of between 25 million to 50 million Dollars It is the best freelance platform for beginners to start their freelance projects. This website is globally ranked at 371,915th number. If we talk about its category rank so it is ranked at 4,763rd number. Total visits on this website are 128.6 thousand people with a bounce rate of 66.18% which is average but the average retention time on this website is 1 minute and 14 seconds which means that viewers have less interest in this website.
3- Upwork.com:
Formerly known as “Elance-oDesk”, Upwork was merged and rebranded in 2015 and now it’s known as Upwork Global. And in 2022, Upwork has been ranked in the 100 Most influenced Companies of the Year 2022 and has average annual revenue is between $200 million to $1 billion.
Many new beginners of freelancers can also take a start from here to excel in their skills. If we talk about the statistics of Upwork, it has been ranked at 914th Number in the world. According to the Category ranking, it is the 29th number overall in the world.
There is a total of 43.3 million visits from various countries of the world on this freelance marketplace with a bounce rate of approx. 26% and the most interesting part of this statistics, the average retention time of the Upwork website is 11 minutes and 23 seconds per person which is quite high for a quality content page. It is used in Pakistan by 5.49% of people.
4- Freelancer.com:
A freelance marketplace website founded by Matt Barrie in 2009 is an Australian-based freelance website. It is globally ranked at 5,934th number and has a category ranking at 30th number. The total visits of this freelance marketplace to date are 6.8 million with a bounce rate of 29.64%. The average retention time of this marketplace is 8 minutes and 41 seconds. The average annual revenue of Freelancer.com is between $25 million to $50 million.
5- Fiverr.com:
It is a freelance marketplace launched on 1st February 2010 which allows to get a short time job from the employer and be paid. Jobs are listed here and the freelancers who put a good gig here win the job and get paid. The average annual revenue obtained by Fiverr is between $100 million to $200 million.
Some more interesting fact about the Fiverr website is that it is ranked at 567th Number in the world. According to Category ranking, it scores at 111th number overall in the world. There is a total of 60.6 million visits from various countries around the globe on this website with a bounce rate of 29.44% and the average retention time of the Fiverr website is 17 minutes and 28 seconds per person which has to break the record of the Upwork Global website. It is used in Pakistan by 8.71% of people.
6- Guru.com:
A freelance marketplace created by USA, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh in 1998 named “ITMoonlighter.com” by two brothers Jon and James Slavet. An interesting fact related to Guru.com is that it is at 52,515th number in the global ranking.
As far as it concerns, its category ranking is at 497th number overall the globe. If we talk about total visits, 1.1 million people visited this website with a bounce rate of 44.25%. The average retention time of this website is 6 minutes and 53 seconds per person which is quite a good retention time and the average annual revenue obtained by Guru.com is between $100 million to $200 million
7- Servicescape.com
This freelance marketplace came into being in 2000 by the USA. This marketplace was designed for translators, graphic designers, and content writers at that time. If we see the statistics, it is globally ranked at 174,606th number and if we talk about its category ranking, it is at 2,827th number across the globe. The total number of visits to this website to date is 381.2 thousand people with a bounce rate of 75.60%. The average annual revenue of this freelance marketplace is $5 million to $10 million and the average retention time is 43 seconds which is quite low.
8- People Per Hour.com
A freelance marketplace co-founded by United Kingdom’s Xenios Thrasyvoulou and Simos Kitiris in 2007 for giving the platform to freelancers to earn. According to some sources, People Per Hour has a global ranking at 27,493rd Number and the category ranking of PPH is at 166th number. The total visits to date are 1.9 million with a bounce rate of 39.80%. The average retention time of this website is 11 minutes and 19 seconds which are showing that people show interest in the content of this website. The average annual revenue of PPH is $1 million to $5 million.
9- Cloudpeeps.com
This freelance marketplace was launched in 2014 by Kate Kendall. According to some statistics, it is globally ranked at 1,371,620th number and as category ranking, it is at 1,195th number. The average annual revenue of cloud peeps is between $1 million to $5 million. The total number of visits to this website to date is 18.9 thousand people with a bounce rate of 63.41%. The average retention time of this community marketplace is 3 minutes and 8 seconds which is quite good and engaging.
10- Truelancer.com
This is an Indian-based freelance marketplace that came into being in 2014. Many new beginners of freelancing start usually from this freelance marketplace. According to some statistics, Truelancer is at 71,194th Number globally. According to category ranking, it is at 1,267th number. The Total Number of visitors to this marketplace is 645.5 thousand people with a bounce rate of 43.35%. The average annual revenue of this marketplace is between $25 million to $50 million. The average retention time of this website is 5 minutes and 25 seconds which is quite good.
Best Freelance Websites For Different Services:
Best Freelance Websites For Graphic Designers:
If you’re a designer, follow the most effective freelance websites for you.
- Kimp
- Fiverr
- Upwork
- Toptal
- ManyPixels
Best Freelance Websites For Animators:
If you have got animated skills then the subsequent are the most effective sites to search out freelance animation jobs:
- FlexJobs.
- Animated Jobs.
- Indeed.
- Upwork.
- Guru.com.
Best Freelance Website For Programmers:
If you’re a developer then choose the most effective freelance websites for software developers. Which are:
- Upstack
- Upwork
- Toptal
- Fiverr
Across multiple programming languages, the common freelance programmer makes $60-70/hr, with an annual salary of around $120,000.
Best Freelance Websites for Voice Over:
If you would like to begin your carrier as a voice artist go to the following websites:
- Upwork
- Fiverr
- FlexJobs
- Toogit
- Freelancer
- Best Freelance Sites For Writers:
If you’re a content writer then the most effective best freelance writing sites are:
- Upwork.
- FlexJobs.
- Freelance Writing Jobs.
- Textbroker.
On average, a freelance content writer has a rate between $30-40/hr, with an annual salary of around $42,000.
Conclusion:
Freelancers face many difficulties when they start their carrier as a freelancer. One of these is to find the right freelance marketplace for work. Once you find a perfect fit and develop your good ratings over there, it will be easier for you to grow your profile, and find and attract more clients and grow your freelance work.
When you are a beginner not focus on only creating your profiles on multiple websites. Work wisely. Work hard in making your profile attractive by using the Pareto Principle (80/20 rule). Learn and upgrade your skills.