Every freelance platform takes a cut of what you earn. That’s just the deal. But here’s the thing—the cut varies a lot depending on where you work, how long you’ve been there, and how much money you’ve made with a single client. Some platforms take ten percent. Some take forty. And a lot of freelancers don’t realize how much they’re handing over until they actually do the math.
So here’s a straightforward breakdown of who charges what, when it drops, and whether it’s worth it.
The Quick Numbers
Before getting into each platform, here’s the short version:
- Upwork starts at twenty percent and drops to five percent after you hit ten thousand dollars with one client
- Fiverr charges a flat twenty percent no matter what—no tiers, no breaks
- Toptal doesn’t publish their cut, but estimates put it in the twenty to forty percent range depending on the contract
- Freelancer.com takes ten percent on fixed-price projects and charges hourly workers per month
- PeoplePerHour charges twenty percent up to five hundred dollars with a client, then drops to seven and a half percent
- Guru takes between five and nine percent depending on your membership tier
- 99designs takes fifteen to twenty-five percent depending on your designer level
That’s a big spread. If you’re billing four thousand dollars a month on Fiverr, you’re giving up eight hundred dollars every single month. On Guru with a paid plan, that same four thousand could cost you two hundred. That difference adds up to seven thousand two hundred dollars a year.
Platform-by-Platform Breakdown
Upwork
Upwork uses a sliding scale. Twenty percent on the first five hundred dollars with each client. Then ten percent from five hundred to ten thousand dollars. Then five percent after ten thousand dollars with the same client.
Here’s the catch: the tiers reset per client. So if you work with five different clients, you’re back to twenty percent for each one every time. The five percent only kicks in once you’ve billed a lot with a single client over time. That rewards long-term relationships but makes short-term or one-off work expensive.
Upwork also charges a three-dollar connection fee every time you submit a proposal. You get a few free per month, but if you’re actively pitching, those add up.
Fiverr
Fiverr charges twenty percent. Period. No tiers. No discounts for volume. No loyalty benefits. If you earn a hundred dollars on a gig, you take home eighty. If you earn ten thousand, you take home eight thousand.
The upside is simplicity. You always know what you’re keeping. The downside is that twenty percent is steep and it never gets cheaper no matter how successful you are on the platform.
Toptal
Toptal is different. They market themselves as the top three percent of talent, and they handle the business side—vetting, client acquisition, contracts. But they’re not transparent about what they take.
Most estimates from freelancers who’ve worked through Toptal suggest the platform takes between twenty and forty percent. That’s a wide range because it varies by client and arrangement. You don’t negotiate the cut—you just see your rate when you’re matched with a project.
Freelancer.com
Freelancer takes ten percent on fixed-price jobs, with a minimum of five dollars. For hourly contracts, it’s ten percent with a minimum of five dollars per hour billed. They also have a membership model that can reduce fees or give you more bids.
One thing to know: the bidding culture on Freelancer.com tends to push prices down. There’s a lot of competition and clients often pick the lowest bid. So you might lose some of that ten percent advantage to underpricing.
PeoplePerHour
PeoplePerHour starts at twenty percent on the first five hundred dollars earned with each client. Then seven and a half percent from five hundred to ten thousand dollars. Then three and a half percent above ten thousand.
So the tier structure is similar to Upwork but the rates at each tier are a bit different. If you build long-term client relationships on PeoplePerHour, the eventual cut is low. The problem is the same as Upwork—new clients always start you back at twenty percent.
Guru — Best for Lower Fees With a Paid Plan
Guru is one of the cheaper platforms when you factor in their membership tiers. The free plan charges nine percent. The paid plans drop that to five percent. For a freelancer billing consistent volume, the monthly membership fee pays for itself quickly.
Guru also handles multiple payment structures well—fixed price, hourly, task-based, recurring. And the workroom system for managing client communication is cleaner than a lot of competitors. If keeping more of what you earn is the goal and you’re willing to pay a small monthly fee, Guru is worth a look.
99designs — Best for Designers Who Win Contests
99designs works differently from most platforms. Designers compete in contests or take direct client projects. The fee is fifteen percent for top-level designers and twenty-five percent for new designers.
Here’s the catch with the contest model: you might do a lot of work on speculative submissions you never get paid for. The math only works if you win a good percentage of the contests you enter, which takes time to build up to. But if you’re an established designer with a strong portfolio, the direct project route gives you access to design-focused clients who are willing to pay.
Alternatives Worth Knowing
Not every freelance income stream has to go through a marketplace.
- Gumroad lets you sell digital products directly and takes a flat ten percent on sales. If you’re a developer selling templates, a writer selling guides, or a designer selling assets, Gumroad keeps more of your money than most service marketplaces and you set your own prices.
- Etsy charges a six and a half percent transaction fee plus listing fees. It’s primarily for physical and digital products rather than services, but for designers or illustrators selling digital downloads, the commission is low compared to service-based platforms.
And if you’re working outside of any marketplace entirely—direct clients, referrals, word of mouth— Clockify is free time tracking that makes invoicing easier. No platform cut at all. You keep everything.
Which Platform Is Actually Worth It?
This really depends on what you’re selling and how established you are.
- If you’re just starting out: Upwork or Fiverr give you the most visibility, even if the fees sting early on. The twenty percent is painful but the exposure is real.
- If you want lower fees long-term: Guru’s paid plan is hard to beat at five percent. PeoplePerHour’s long-term tier drops to three and a half percent.
- If you’re an established designer: 99designs direct projects or even leaving the platform entirely for direct clients is worth considering.
- If you sell digital products rather than services: Gumroad or Etsy are both cheaper than any service marketplace.
And if you’ve built your own client base: going direct with a good invoicing setup means no platform cut at all.
Conclusion
Platform fees are just a cost of doing business, until they’re not. The difference between five percent and twenty percent on consistent monthly billing is real money—thousands of dollars a year that either goes to you or to the platform.
Guru and 99designs are the two confirmed platforms that keep more of your earnings within reach compared to the industry defaults. Gumroad and Etsy are worth knowing if your work translates into products rather than services. And Clockify is the free fallback if you’ve outgrown the marketplace model entirely.
Know your fees. Do the math. Then decide if the platform is earning its cut.
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