In this post we will list the best freelance websites in 2018, explaining its advantages and disadvantages for anyone who wants to work remotely or become a digital nomad
Are you looking to boost your freelance career? The list below featuring the best freelance websites available in 2018 is a great way to find clients and help your online career take-off.
Why Freelancing is a Good Option
While freelancing might not be for everyone, it might be a good option depending on your career aspirations. If you are willing to become a digital nomad and you still have a day-job, freelancing might be a good idea. You can still keep your day job and “test waters” in your market doing freelances. With freelance you can tune up your skills and understand the market you are jumping on.
Perhaps, the most complex part of freelancing is making people know your service exists. Nowadays, as most online services are pretty saturated, that is a crucial part that will guarantee your success.
While some would argue that paid advertising is the way, or that you should promote your services on YouTube, here you will find two constraints. Paid advertising will require you a significant amount of money, which might not be the reality of new freelancers. YouTube is usually a good idea, but until your channel has a decent audience reach, it might take months, if not years.
Considering this scenario, freelancing is possibly one of the best ways to change your routine and dive into new career prospects. That is especially the case, if you are willing to quit your 9-5 job.
Best Freelance Websites (2018 List)
Now let’s analyze some of the best freelance websites currently available in 2018, its pros and cons.
UpWork
UpWork is my favorite place for freelancing and that is why I think it deserves to be the first on this list of the best freelance websites in 2018. The platform works smoothly, there are plenty of jobs and also many freelancers. The only disadvantage is that it is becoming quite difficult to get approved with a new profile on UpWork because of excessive applications.
Fiverr
Fiverr is one of the biggest freelance websites and is one of the most successful remote working platforms. The company has a different twist on freelancers connect with employers. Freelancers offer a range of services from as low as $5 dollars and employers can also contact the sellers to arrange a custom order.
Freelancer.com
Freelancer.com is based in Australia and is one of the longest standing freelance websites on the web. They cover most topics, including translations, coding, design, marketing and many others. They have a rather strange fee structure, and for that reason, I would recommend UpWork over Freelancer.com. However, it is a website with a still pretty high job volume.
XBTFreelancer
XBTFreelancer is a rather small freelancing website however it has huge potential. The edge this website has over other options is that you receive payments in Bitcoin, which is safe, fast and has low fees.
PeoplePerHour
PeoplePerHour also deserves a place in our list of the best freelance websites in 2018. They have a rather unique fee structure in which the first completed job has a high fee (15%) but after it drops to 3.5% which is fairly decent.
iFreelance
IFreelance is probably one of the oldest freelance websites on the market, and it managed to adapt itself nicely to the changes of the web. The most appealing aspect of IFreelance is that you will spend much less on comissions and fees than most other freelancing websites.
Guru
Guru is one of the most popular freelancing websites, and a good alternative if you were rejected on UpWork. This website is also open to all types of freelancing jobs, including writing, design, coding and virtual assistants.
99Designs
99Designs is another freelance website with a different approach to how contracts are awarded. It is mostly focused on graphic design and employees can hire a designer that they like or run contests to determine the best option for the job.
Zirtual
Zirtual is a freelancing platform for those who are willing to become virtual assistants. In a way it is a bit limiting, however if you want to become a virtual assistant that is exactly the freelancing website you should sign-up.
Toptal
Toptal is a freelance platform for developers. However, it might not be the best way to start as their entry requirements are pretty high. If you are a good coder however, it is the best place.
Behance
Behance is a mix of social media and freelance website for designers of all sort. Basically you put your portfolio up and it is a great exposure if you are a new freelancer. On Behance you will also find full time offers for remote work on design related fields.
Becoming a Freelancer
Before signing up to any of these websites, you should brush your skills and think of a catch profile to attract clients. Being a freelancer is a constant learning process however it can be a good, specially if you are working in the high paying niches like coding.
One of the disadvantages of becoming a freelancer working remotely is that at times the relationships with employers can be quite difficult. This can have a number of reasons, including time-zones and personal schedules from both employers and freelancers. From my personal experience, once you have a proven track of quality work, you will not even have to apply to new projects. Most employers like to stick to good freelancers, and a good review rating makes it quite easy to work on the long run.
Did you like our list of the best freelance websites (2018 edition)? Do you think there is any site missing from the list? Share your freelance experiences on the comment box below.