Freelancing is what most of us traditionally think of, when we think of side hustles.  If you’re a student, a nomad or someone who just wants to make some extra money, then stick around. Upwork and Freelancer are both great platforms where you can make money on the side without being restricted by a schedule or a place. Of course it should be mentioned that the pay of the work may vary depending on your experience, skills and ability to negotiate. 

---

Freelancer

Freelancer is mainly popular amongst new freelancers. This is because you can sign up for free and you’re entitled to 100 free bids to apply for jobs, which is usually enough to land you a project. 

Additionally, freelancers can work together on a wide range of categories through projects and contests. In particular, contests are effective in levelling out the playing field for all freelancers from new to experienced. Therefore, this gives new freelancers the exposure and the initial experience that they need. 

Moreover, Freelancer, in contrast to Upwork has more membership plans, this creates more choice and options. Although, if you end up using your bids, you may need to upgrade your membership plan so you can maximize your success and earning potential. Alternatively, you can also sign up to various other freelancing platforms to utilise their free bids until you land yourself a project. However, the upside with Freelancer is that they take up to 10% from the money that you make, while other platforms such as Upwork charge more.

---

Upwork

Upwork is the most popular freelancing platform amongst most freelancers, as it offers more quality jobs and pay. Additionally, upwork offers a range of jobs from hourly to fixed projects, short-long term projects, and even entry-level to expert-level tasks. 

Out of all the other freelancing platforms, Upwork is the most user friendly. This is because it presents the user with a lot of options and categories to filter and to save job search specifications. Therefore, this simplifies the search process and in return it allows users to save time and bids. The downside of Upwork is that they take up to 20% of the money that you make. 

In regards to the membership plan, Upwork offers a free and a paid plan. The free plan allows you to have 60 free connects and more flexibility to bid for jobs, which I think is better suited for short-term freelancers. While the paid plan would be more beneficial for long-term freelancing, since you can rollover your bids and accumulate them over time- to secure better projects. 

---

Final thoughts…

Overall, both Freelancer and Upwork have their pros and cons, that being said, the job market varies across different platforms so it’s best to use both of these platforms, to maximise your options and opportunities.