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The number of freelancers is growing rapidly worldwide. According to the freelance statistics for 2020, 1 in 4 freelancers had left their job to start freelancing. 60% of them are earning more than when they had an employer. For 24% of them, it took less than six months to start earning more while for 33% this happened immediately. Platforms designed directly for those who have become self-employed give unique opportunities to showcase their talents and gain valuable freelance jobs from reputable companies. Statistics also show that freelancing is most popular in Europe where 35.5% of the freelancing community is located. To help those who have just decided to become self-employed, we have compiled this list of the best platforms to find a job.
1 | Freelancer
Available as an app or a website, Freelancer is the world's largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace. We connect over 45,780,970 employers and freelancers globally from over 247 countries, regions, and territories. You can find both small creative jobs and others in the medium term, such as developing a website. There are endless job opportunities to find the ideal job for you! This website is suitable for freelancers in all industries, as employers hire freelancers in areas from software development, writing, data entry and design right through to engineering, science, sales and marketing, accounting and legal services.2 | Fiverr
Probably one of the most popular websites, Fiverr is an online marketplace for freelance services. The company provides a platform for freelancers to receive jobs to customers worldwide. A service, or gig, is sold every 4 seconds and there has been of 50 million transactions since its conception in 2010. Fiverr connects businesses with freelancers offering digital services in 300+ categories including graphic design, UX/UI, music, programming and tech, and digital marketing. Fiverr’s most popular services include voiceover, logo design, social media, and wordpress. Fiverr also provides a premium service called Fiverr Pro. This is a platform for customers to locate the highest quality service from the top 1% of freelancers on the site.3 | UpWork
On Upwork you can find both offers for individual freelancers and for entire teams. Companies can hire self-employed workers from anywhere in the world. Once you sign up, Upwork provides you with possible jobs that suit your skills. Each job on the platform includes an online workspace shared by you and your client, allowing you to send and receive files securely, share feedback, and message on the Upwork app. UpWork handles payment securely through the website and includes Upwork Payment Protection to ensure that you get paid for all work successfully completed through Upwork. Upwork is catered towards freelancers in tech industries such as data science, engineering, sales and marketing, and graphic design.4 | PeoplePerHour
Since 2007, PeoplePerHour have connected over 1 million businesses and freelancers and paid over £135 million to freelancers. As the name suggests, PeoplePerHour connects clients to expert freelancers who are available to hire by the hour or project. Every application is reviewed and approved by their moderation team to ensure only the best freelancers are matched to client projects. Once approved, you’ll gain access to a stream of projects from our international client community and you can begin to build your profile to find the perfect job for you. As opposed to relying on finding offers companies have posted, freelancers can create offers. Don’t be defined by a skill or category- express your own skills with self-tailored offers. PeoplePerHour also provides project streams between you and your client to collaborate, rethink, and respond. Your clients can also leave reviews at the end of your projects. The higher you are rated, the more likely you are to benefit from higher rankings, increased visibility and therefore greater success on the platform- so do your best!5 | Guru
Open since 1998, Guru is a premier platform where professionals go to connect, collaborate, and work in a secure and flexible environment. Their mission is to bring employers and freelancers together from around the globe to get work done. There are over 2 million freelancers already signed up- so make sure to bring your A game! While Guru mainly focuses on digital and legal industries, they have recently added an Education and Training category, for freelancers that specialise in coaching and training in IT, sales or educational subjects.6 | Behance
Behance is a free social media platform owned by Adobe that allows freelancers to find creative jobs in a range of tech industries. They also post tutorials, showcase top creators on the site, and hold the Adobe 99U Conference. Check out their Best of Behance page to view a gallery of amazing projects by featured curators. Behance also has a dedicated livestreaming page on their website where you can watch and comment on live videos surrounding tips and tricks on photoshop, Adobe, painting, photography, and illustration.7 | Talent Garden
Talent Garden may not be a website, but we are a physical platform, a coworking space and so much more. At Talent Garden startups, freelancers, SMEs and companies are connected to network, collaborate, and mix safely as a community. We are ensuring the highest quality of safety measures to ensure our members can work alongside others safely. So close your computer, have a cup of coffee at our TAG Cafe and have a chat with your neighbour. Who knows, it could get you your next big break. For more information about why freelancers should choose a coworking space, check out our blog post!
Article updated on: 09 August 2023
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