If you don’t know how to design your e-commerce page, you may consider hiring a freelancer. In today’s age, freelancers can provide many services. These include designing websites, marketing campaigns, and so much more.
But where do you go to look for freelancers to hire? Should you put out an ad on Craigslist?
Well, the two most popular marketplaces for freelancers are Upwork and Fiverr. They’re both platforms where you can hire freelancers to perform all sorts of tasks.
That includes designing e-commerce pages, sales funnels, and other helpful services. Upwork and Fiverr both have plenty of web developers eager to do work for you.
If you want to know which platform is best for your needs, then you’ve come to the right place. We’re pitting Fiverr Vs. Upwork to provide our pick for the best marketplace to hire freelancers. Read on to learn about the advantages and disadvantages of both.
What is Upwork?
First, we’ll take a look at Upwork. It’s a massive freelance job platform that’s home to a lot of big-name clients. Microsoft, Airbnb, and GoDaddy are among a few of the companies using Upwork.
It’s a marketplace where you can find freelancers willing to work for you.
For example, if you’re looking for someone to design a Shopify theme, you can post for that on Upwork. Freelancers will then apply for your job. You’ll receive detailed resumes and profiles for each potential candidate.
You’ll be able to select which freelancer impresses you the most.
Upwork uses a virtual currency called Connects. These are what allow users to apply to jobs. Freelancers receive a set number of Connects each month based on their subscription.
If you hire a freelancer on Upwork, you’ll end up paying a split rate. Upwork will take 20% of the money and charge 2.75% on top for processing. An example would be a Shopify theme designer that quotes you $500 for the project. $400 would go to them, and Upwork would take $100. a 20% commission fee is standard for freelancing platforms, including Fiverr as well.
What are Upwork’s Features and Advantages?
Upwork is unique in that it functions similarly to a job board such as Indeed. Users post jobs that freelancers can apply to as they see fit. As someone seeking a freelancer, you’ll need to post your position on the site.
Doing so means you’ll have to come up with a detailed job description.
You’ll want to be as specific as possible here, as you don’t want to confuse your freelancer. Your job description is the only exposure they have to your company and brand. That’s why you need a very detailed job description on Upwork to succeed.
Upwork lets you post:
- How much experience that you want
- How long your project will last
- The hourly rate or project rate that you will pay
- The number of hours you’ll require from your freelancer
- The project type: whether it’s ongoing or a one-off job
- A detailed job description listing all the qualifications you require
A downside is that it can take a lot of effort to post a job on Upwork. You’ll need to treat it like posting a job on sites like Indeed. Including all that information can be cumbersome if you’re only looking for a simple job.
Yet, an advantage is that freelancers apply to you. As a result, you can take your pick from the best. Remember, a detailed job description will attract more attention than a vague one.
When reviewing freelancer applications, look for the qualifications from the post. The ideal candidate will have the necessary qualifications and experience.
Also, check out their portfolio in detail. Checking out their past work is the best way to determine if a freelancer is worth the risk. This drawn-out process can be worth it if you’re hiring a freelancer for a particular task.
Conducting Interviews
Upwork allows you to conduct in-depth interviews with your potential candidates. The platform includes built-in tools for video calls, phone calls, and more. That way, you get the chance to see and speak to each freelancer. Putting a face to the name can go a long way in making your final decision.
You can take as much time as you need to make a decision. Yet, you should know that freelancers are often busy people, so you should act fast. You don’t want to wait too long only to find out your ideal candidate is booked with another gig.
Project Catalog
Upwork also has a Project Catalog. Here, you can find specific projects at a fixed price. That includes designing Shopify stores. That will take the guesswork out of budgeting for your project. It’s a quicker and more accessible option for finding a freelancer than posting your job.
Talent Scout
Another way that Upwork streamlines the hiring process is through their Talent Scout. Upwork’s recruiters will vet individual freelancers based on your needs. They then provide you with a hand-selected list of their top picks for your project. It’s a free service to take advantage of, which is a plus. If you’re looking for something like a Shopify store, using the Talent Scout is a good idea to save time.
Upwork Pricing
Now let’s take a look at Upwork’s pricing structure. As previously stated, Upwork charges a 20% commission on freelancers. They also charge a 2.75% processing fee on top of the freelancer’s rate. For this reason, Upwork can be a tad expensive. That’s because you end up paying Upwork a good deal of money for using the platform.
Freelancer Quality
You can check the rating for each freelancer on Upwork. In general, these ratings tend to be reliable. Of course, there will be freelancers out there that don’t do excellent work. It’s imperative to do a lot of research on each freelancer before selecting one to do work for you. While the rating system is fair, there is some room for improvement. In particular, we’d like to see more detailed information about each freelancer.
What is Fiverr?
Moving on, Fiverr is another freelance platform. It differs from Upwork in several ways. For one, Fiverr doesn’t have any fees. Fiverr charges 20% for each project, but that won’t come out of your pocket. For this reason, it’s more affordable to use Fiverr. There are no subscription plans, and it’s entirely free for freelancers to join.
Lots of freelancers prefer Fiverr due to its flexibility and lack of fees.
It’s also a fantastic place to find talented freelancers for designing your Shopify store.
There are tons of categories on Fiverr for freelance work, such as:
- Graphic design
- Website design
- Copywriting
- SEO
- Digital marketing
- Music
- Much more
The layout also differs heavily from Upwork. Instead of posting jobs, you view the profiles of freelancers. When looking to hire someone, you reach out to the freelancer instead of the other way around.
That gives you the chance to view lots of profiles of talented web developers.
Freelancers receive rankings on Fiverr. A freelancer without any work yet is a New Seller. From there, there are Level-1 Sellers, Level-2 Sellers, and Top-Rated Sellers.
A Top-Rated Seller is a freelancer that’s completed 100 highly-rated projects. They have to have achieved $20,000 worth of on-time projects to earn this title. As you can imagine, these freelancers are the cream of the crop on the website.
What are Fiverr’s Features and Advantages?
A huge benefit of using Fiverr is how much information you get for each freelancer. You can learn about their skills, past projects, and more. You’ll also get a detailed breakdown of their services, rates, and packages.
Thanks to all the great info on each candidate, the hiring process will be a breeze.
It’s also beneficial not to have to do any work to find a freelancer. If you want someone to design your online store, you probably don’t want to type a lengthy job description. Not only that but conducting interviews is a significant time commitment as well.
If you want to find a top-rated freelancer that will do a great job in no time, Fiverr is the way to go. Upwork’s features are best for more involved projects that take months or years.
Fiverr’s Pricing
As previously stated, there are no fees with Fiverr. You pay freelancers the rate advertised, and that’s it. Fiverr staff will take a cut out of the freelancer’s price, but you won’t get charged anything extra. It’s for this reason that Fiverr is more affordable than Upwork in every way.
Fiverr Vs. Upwork ( quick video )
Fiverr Vs. Upwork: The Final Verdict
So who wins in the matchup Fiverr Vs. Upwork? Fiverr gets our pick for the superior freelancing platform. It’s got a more streamlined layout, and it’s free to use. There are no fees, and it’s got a large community of talented freelancers.
Quickly identifying top-rated freelancers is a great way to find qualified candidates. Upwork’s process takes longer and involves more work. Freelancers prefer to work on Fiverr since it’s free to join. For that reason, you will find more talented freelancers operating on Fiverr. To hire a top-rated freelancer from Fiverr follow this link.
For more great content to help you develop your Shopify strategies, check out the rest of the merchant posts on the site.
