Freelancer Reviews: Pros and Cons (Feb. 2015 Update)

Freelancer.com is a job posting website which connects freelancers with employers. Read our Freelancer reviews from editors and readers.

About Freelancer.com

Freelancer was founded in 2009, although the domain itself has been registered since 1995. The website is headquartered in Sydney, Australia. In addition to connecting freelancers with employers, it also has a system of rewards, badges, and credits. Credits can be redeemed for rewards such as highlighted or replenished bids. Freelancer acquired the well-regarded website vWorker.com in 2012, to the displeasure of some of that site’s longtime users. Freelancer also acquired GetAFreelancer.com, EUFreelance.com, Scriptlance, and several others.

What they claim

• 14 million users (They used to cite the number of “freelancers,” which has been changed to “users”)
• Pay only for work you are “100% satisfied.”
• Hundreds of categories of skills available, although it appears that programmers, graphic artists, SEO marketers, and writers make up the bulk of the freelancers.
• Obtain work for a “fraction of the cost”
• The world’s “largest outsourcing marketplace.”

This is the screenshot of Freelancer.com we captured in December 2013:

This is how the site appeared as of February 2015:

How much does Freelancer cost?

• It is free to post projects and make offers.
• A $3 or 3% fee is applied to all accepted offers, whichever is greater.
• Several other fees to apply to contests and project upgrades (such as “featured” or “urgent” status).

There are six monthly membership plans available, listed at the following rates as of February 2015:

• Free – $0
• Intro – $0.99
• Basic – $4.95
• Plus – $9.95 (Free 1 month trial)
• Standard – $49.95
• Premium – $199.95

Each plan offers increased benefits, such as bids per month, rewards, invoicing, etc.

Our Freelancer Review

In December 2013, and again in July 2014, we interviewed several freelancers who used the service for at least a year. Below is a list of concerns, even from those freelancers who continued to use the service:

• Rate Discrepancy: There appears to be a rather sizable discrepancy between desired rates posted by freelancers and those offered by employers. This is often reflective of the country of origin. Writers from India, for example, tend to request much less than their U.S. counterparts. Some of our freelancers felt this watered down the marketplace, and made finding substantial connections difficult.
• Disputes: A system for handling disputes is in place, although we have received mostly negative opinions about this service. In some cases, freelancers have reported finishing jobs they were told were acceptable, only to have their work disputed after the fact. The “how it works” section of the website states that you “only pay for work you are 100% happy with.” This policy has led some designers to feel stiffed when a completed project was disputed.
• Customer service: Our subjects found customer service at freelancer.com to be polite, but lacking muscle in handling disputes or problems such as identity verification. Some of the correspondence we read appeared to show certain customer service reps without a firm grasp of the English language, rendering communication of complex problems difficult. It should also be noted that reps from Freelancer, to their credit, has reached out to those commenting on the site here.
• Copyright infringement: This problem can affect both designers and employers. The burden of checking the authenticity of a freelancer’s work rests upon the shoulders of the employer. Freelancer has published a “copyright infringement policy” in an attempt to minimize the problem.
• Hidden fees: Although Freelancer has a free plan, there are a multitude of possible charges, plans, or extra fees. Two of our freelancers felt they were signed up for the “premium” service by mistake after linking their Paypal accounts to Freelancer.

Although the problems listed above seem extensive, we also found freelancers who were generally pleased with the service. Those happiest with the site seemed to be the most selective in choosing projects and clients. As one subject noted, “Never take a job that looks too good to be true, and be sure to research your potential employer carefully.”

When looking at other Freelancer reviews online, you’ll find opinions that run the gamut. Site Jabber readers, for example, give Freelancer 1.5 out of 5 stars, out of nearly 300 reviews. GlassDoor.com, however, shows a 3.9-star rating with over 125 employee reviews.

Alternatives to freelancer.com

Freelancer is considered one of the largest freelance-for-hire websites. Others popular websites in this category include odesk.com, guru.com, and elance.com.

History

The Google Trends chart below shows search interest in Freelancer.com. It appears that interest in the site peaked in mid-2013, although search volume on the service still appears strong in early 2015.

Bottom Line

A positive experience at freelancer.com depends largely on the integrity of both parties. The dispute process tends to put more of the burden of proof on freelancers than employers, while the burden of verifying authenticity tends to rest with the employer. A somewhat passive customer support system renders freelancer.com a service in need of improvement.

Your Freelancer Reviews

Have you used freelancer.com? Give us your reviews in the comments below.

Updated February 5, 2015
Originally published December 2013