I have worked on Upwork as a freelancer and have also ordered some of the items from here. Here’s my honest Upwork review to determine is Upwork legit platform to rely on or if you should find another platform.
The guide will cover Upwork legitimacy for freelancers only. We will see if is Upwork legit or a scam for freelancers. It applies to all types of freelancers including freelance content writers, copywriters, graphic designers, programmers, consultants, etc.
We will see a genuine Upwork review where we will cover the top problems faced by freelancers and how you can overcome them. In the end, we will give our final opinion on whether Upwork is legit platform for freelancers or another scam to avoid.
What is UpWork? (A quick Upwork Review for freelancers)
Upwork is a platform that connects freelancers and clients. Upwork acts as a middleman providing platform and security to both parties. In return, they charge a small commission from the job done via Upwork.
A few years back, Elance and oDesk merged to become Upwork. Since then, Upwork is popularly known among freelancers.
The platform has been online since 2013 and has been growing continuously. The company was rebranded to Upwork in 2015.
We will see with the Upwork review for freelancers. Is Upwork a legit website for freelancers to make money or it’s just another scam?
You might have seen mixed reviews on the internet. Half of them claim that Upwork is a great place to work whereas the rest of them says it’s not worth it.
So, what’s the truth? Let’s find out.
Approval Process
Upwork has a tight approval process. Most of these things are automated whereas once you’re registered, you will also have to give the manual verification.
This is where most freelancers accept the defeat.
I have seen countless cases where the application gets rejected directly after creating the account. People leave Upwork and then question its legitimacy of Upwork.
Well, the approval process is automated. In simple words, you will only be approved if you have got proper skills to match. If you don’t have skills that are useful for the network, you won’t be selected. That’s how it works.
So, when you are creating an account, you will have to enter each detail accurately.
Here’s a quick hack.
You can check out what types of jobs are available on Upwork and you can enter your skills keeping that in mind.
The top skills for freelancers on Upwork include
- A content writer or freelance writer
- Copywriter
- UI/UX Designer
- Coding or programmer
- Graphic designer
- Virtual assistant
You can surely choose any of these technologies or freelance work. This will surely help you make more money. You can create your profile keeping these things in mind.
Please note that they will also verify you via video call or voice call once you start getting projects.
Getting your First Upwork Job
Honestly, it’s not easy to get a job on Upwork. You will have to work hard to get a job.
There is one extra skill you will need to get a job. That is presentation skills.
You will never land a good job if you can’t sell yourself.
Most people have no idea how to sell themselves. Therefore, you will end up with no job. This doesn’t mean Upwork is a scam. Therefore, if you want to succeed with Upwork, you will need presentation skills. Without that, you can’t achieve success.
Upwork Scam with Samples
Now, if you’re a new freelancer, you will surely face this. There are a few people, maybe around 5% (no data, just saying the rough percentage) who want to squeeze the freelancers and get everything at a very cheap rate or even free.
One of the Upwork scam techniques that clients do is the samples. The client will ask for free samples.
Now, there is nothing wrong with giving free samples to land your first job. But, it shouldn’t be complete work.
For instance, if you want a job as a freelance writer on Upwork, you can provide a 300 words free sample. If the job is big, you can also give 500 words.
But wait a minute, you’re on a SAFE platform (Upwork). So, what if I tell you there is a way out of it?
Upwork officially doesn’t allow you to give out free samples. It’s against their TOS to ask for free samples. Instead, the client can create a small fixed-price paid project.
So, to get rid of all such requests, you can simply tell them it’s against their terms of service.
The next one is the negative review scam.
Negative Reviews Upwork Scam
Negative reviews will destroy your Upwork profile. Certain clients will ask you to do some extra work by baiting you to put a positive review. A very few Upwork clients even blackmail you to put a negative review if you don’t do the work.
However, this is very rare and has not been seen in recent days. The client might surely ask you to do some extra work and they will promise to leave a 5-star review. Well, in that case, if the work is less and it’s your first job, you can surely think about doing it.
To get rid of all these things, you need to find the right clients.
Before we see how to find the right clients, let’s see one more Upwork review scam that you might come across.
Fake Reviews
Fake reviews are the top reasons why it’s hard for beginner freelancers to sustain on the platform. Upwork sketchy freelancers use fake reviews. They use some sketchy methods to get fake reviews.
So, the client will think that this particular freelancer is better whereas, in reality, they would be the scammy one.
This is yet another issue that people face.
Finding the Right Upwork Client to stay safe
Whenever you’re applying for a job, you need to research your client. Yes, you read it right.
If a client hasn’t spent any money on Upwork yet, they might not just be the right fit for your first client. Instead, you need to look for the client who has spent enough on Upwork.
This is the best way to stay safe on Upwork.
Upwork Support for Freelancers
Upwork offers decent support for both parties. The ways to contact the support team are very few. If you have not been approved, good luck contacting the support.
However, in most cases, the support will take the client’s side. So, don’t expect the support to be on your side.
Pricing of Upwork and Hourly Rate
Upwork has a fair pricing option where they provide you 20 free credits to get your first few jobs. Thereafter, you can buy the credits if required.
They also charge a commission of 20% on each delivery. The pricing decreases if the project value goes higher.
It’s fair pricing in my opinion. If you’re using Upwork India (freelancer from India or other countries), Upwork’s pricing is enough to satisfy your needs. Usually, the people working as a freelancer are from India, Ukraine, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, and the Philippines. So, if you’re using Upwork from these countries, the pricing is great.
Job Quality
The project quality is decent. However, if you have decent experience in your field. I wouldn’t recommend Upwork as it will take a hell lot of you to get your first job.
The job pricing is also great. You can make a good amount of money as a freelancer.
You’re the one who will have to send the proposal first. Therefore, you can choose the right service that suits your need. In this way, you can easily work with the perfect project that suits your requirements.
Final Verdict on Upwork Legitimacy for Freelancers
Yes, Upwork is a legit platform where you can make enough money doing freelancing. However, getting your first job is a hard thing. You can’t directly get the first job if you’re not good at presentation.
Therefore, you will have to work on your presentation skills as well. In this Upwork review, we also saw how you can use Upwork for free for a couple of proposals. So, you can surely try the platform before you make your final decision.
FAQ
Is Upwork a legitimate company?
Yes, Upwork is a legitimate company where you can join and make money as a freelancer. You will need the right techniques to make money.
Is Upwork good for beginners?
It depends on how good your presentation skills are. You can make a lot of money on Upwork if you know how to sell yourself.
Can I make good money with Upwork?
Yes, it’s hard to get started on Upwork. However, once you start getting projects, you can easily make your way up.
Is freelancing on Upwork worth my time?
Yes, you can surely give Upwork a try. We won’t recommend you to spend hours and hours of your time on Upwork. Compared to all the other freelancing websites, it’s worth going with Upwork.
Can I get scammed on Upwork as a freelancer?
You can get scammed on Upwork as a freelancer only if you provide samples first before working or if you give them your personal/confidential information.