Best Sites to Find Gig Jobs
Find your next side-hustle or build your freelance career
We recommend the best products through an independent review process, and advertisers do not influence our picks. We may receive compensation if you visit partners we recommend. Read our advertiser disclosure for more info.
It’s estimated that by 2023, 52% of the U.S. workforce will either be gig economy workers or have worked independently at some point in their career. What’s more, 48% of millennials use gig job platforms to find work or engage in business with clients.1
Gig jobs are work people take on to make extra money to do things like pay off debt or to make themselves less dependent on full-time employment. They can be anything from side-hustle jobs to freelance projects based on their professional skills.
We reviewed nearly two dozen gig and freelance job sites and chose the best based on reputation, career or job focus, ease of use, and cost. Here are our top picks.
Best Sites to Find Gig Jobs of 2022
Best Overall: Upwork
Runner-Up, Best Overall: Freelancer
Best for Experienced Gig Workers: Guru
Best for Moonlighting: TaskRabbit
Best for IT Professionals: Toptal
Best for Remote Jobs: FlexJobs
Best for Creatives: Fiverr
BEST OVERALL
Upwork
Upwork
SIGN UP NOW
The result of a merger between Elance, founded in 1999, and oDesk, founded in 2003, Upwork.com is one of the largest freelance marketplaces trusted by millions of businesses, including Microsoft, Airbnb, and GoDaddy. We chose it as the best overall because the variety of work listed serves both entry-level and experienced freelancers equally.
Upwork helps freelancers find one-off gigs and long-term contracts in a variety of industries, including design, development, accounting, marketing, writing, customer service, and more. Freelancers begin by creating a free profile where they can post details about themselves and their experience, case studies, build a portfolio, set their rates and skills, and even post a personal video.
Upwork’s AI-powered search then filters through tens of thousands of opportunities to match the freelancer to potential projects. Freelancers can review a client’s ratings, history, and project details before submitting a bid. Clients and freelancers can also ask and answer questions and negotiate rates and details right through Upwork.
Every aspect of a contract is managed through Upwork’s website, including time-tracking, invoicing, file sharing, and messaging. Freelancers can also choose how to get paid, from direct deposit and PayPal to wire transfer and more.
Although creating a profile on Upwork is free, the platform takes a percentage of a freelancer’s earnings based on how much is earned:
20% for the first $500 billed to a client across all contracts with them
10% for total billings with a client between $500.01 and $10,000
5% for total billings with a client that exceed $10,000
RUNNER-UP, BEST OVERALL
Freelancer
Freelancer
SIGN UP NOW
Founded in 2009, Freelancer.com is the world’s largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace, connecting almost 60 million employers and freelancers from 247 countries. We chose it as the runner-up because, although it has a larger reach and is a little easier to break into than Upwork, clients tend to underpay for projects.
Rather than focusing on specific industries, Freelancer organizes projects by category related to skills, including websites, graphic design, illustration, 3D modeling, WordPress, product design, and more. It even allows users to browse local jobs, including teaching/lecturing, drafting, general labor, drone photography, and more.
Like Upwork, Freelancer is free to join. Users start by creating a profile that showcases their skills and experience and then set their fees. Once they’re set up, freelancers can browse for jobs using a number of customizable filters, check out client ratings and histories, and place bids on projects. Finally, freelancers can communicate with clients right through the platform as well as track time, submit invoices, and get paid through Freelancer’s Milestone Payments.
One of the main differences between Freelancer and Upwork is that anyone can open a Freelancer account, but to create an account on Upwork, you need to be approved. Upwork’s vetting process narrows down the competition, making it easier to find quality work than Freelancer does. As a result, Freelancer is better for inexperienced freelancers looking to get simple, lower-paying jobs for building a portfolio or for short-term low-priced hourly work.
Although creating a profile on Freelancer is free, the platform takes a percentage of a freelancer’s earnings based on how much is earned:
Fixed-price projects: 3% fee or $3, whichever is greater
Hourly projects: Flat 3% fee
Services: 20% fee
Refer an employer to the platform: No fee for all future work with that client
BEST FOR EXPERIENCED GIG WORKERS
Guru
Guru
SIGN UP NOW
Originally named Emoonlighter, Guru.com was founded in 1998 by entrepreneur Inder Guglani. Today it boasts a pool of 800,000 clients worldwide, $250 million paid to freelancers, and a 99% client satisfaction rate. We chose it as the best for experienced gig workers because it targets professionals rather than entry-level freelancers and offers paid memberships to help users rank higher in the site’s search results.
The Many Advantages of Doing Online Business
- Cheaper start-up cost. For new business owners, overhead costs can be overwhelming and it may impact your financial health negatively. …
- Low Marketing Cost. The internet is a cost-effective tool. …
- Flexibility. …
- International Market. …
- Easier and faster financial transaction.
- آن لائن کاروبار کرنے کے بہت سے فوائدسستی شروعاتی لاگت۔ نئے کاروباری مالکان کے لیے، اوور ہیڈ اخراجات بہت زیادہ ہو سکتے ہیں اور یہ آپ کی مالی صحت پر منفی اثر ڈال سکتے ہیں۔ …کم مارکیٹنگ لاگت۔ انٹرنیٹ ایک سرمایہ کاری مؤثر ٹول ہے۔ …
- لچک …بین الاقوامی منڈی۔ …
- آسان اور تیز مالی لین دین۔Start your online business first step is to make a website. You can earn money start business. Click here to start online business and to get free domain name with purchase of hosting. We will make your website free of cost اپنا آن لائن کاروبار شروع کریں پہلا قدم ایک ویب سائٹ بنانا ہے۔ آپ کاروبار شروع کر کے پیسے کما سکتے ہیں۔ آن لائن کاروبار شروع کرنے اور ہوسٹنگ کی خریداری کے ساتھ مفت ڈومین نام حاصل کرنے کے لیے یہاں کلک کریں۔ ہم آپ کی ویب سائٹ فری بنا کر دیں گے
Guru focuses on placing talented professionals with projects in nine different categories: programming and development, writing and translation, design and art, administration and secretarial, sales and marketing, business and finance, engineering and architecture, education and training, and legal. Besides these nine, there is also an “other” category for everything else.
As with many gig websites, users can create a profile for free on Guru. From there, users can either browse freelance jobs online or get recommendations based on their skills with Guru’s Top Match and Good Match search features. Once a freelancer finds a job they’re interested in, they just submit a bid.
Guru’s platform also offers virtual WorkRooms where freelancers collaborate and add team members to a job. Users can also use a time tracker, share files, communicate with their team, create agreements and invoices, choose payment terms, and get paid, all from Guru’s platform.
Joining Guru and creating a profile is free for freelancers. However, the company offers paid memberships to help freelancers bid for more jobs, boost their search results, send messages to clients before placing a bid, and earn more money:
Basic Plan
Free
9% job fee
10 bids per month
Basic+ Plan
$11.95 per month
9% job fee
50 bids per month
$1,000 search boost
Q & A
Professional Plan
$21.95 per month
7% job fee
50 bids per month
Annual bid rollover: 100 bids
Premium bids: Costs 6 bids
$2,000 search boost
Sales messages: Costs 5 bids
Add personal link to profile
Business Plan
$33.95 per month
6% job fee
50 bids per month
Annual bid rollover: 200 bids
Premium bids: Costs 5 bids
$4,000 search boost
Sales messages: Costs 4 bids
Add a personal link to profile
Executive Plan
$49.95 per month
5% job fee
50 bids per month
Annual bid rollover: 300 bids
Premium bids: Costs 4 bids
$8,000 search boost
Sales messages: Costs 3 bids
Add a personal link to profile
BEST FOR MOONLIGHTING
TaskRabbit
TaskRabbit
SIGN UP NOW
Launched in September 2008 as RunMyErrand, TaskRabbit.com connects people who need help with odd jobs and errands with local people who have the time and skills to do them. To date, the company’s users have logged 350,000 hours. We chose it as the best for moonlighting since it offers flexible, local, one-off, or ongoing jobs to suit anyone’s schedule.
Getting started with TaskRabbit is easy. Users, called “Taskers,” create a profile and provide basic information including pay rates and the level of experience for their task categories. Tasks can be just about anything, from assembling furniture and planting flowers, to cleaning houses and delivering groceries.
Before they can bid on projects, users then have to apply to be a Tasker. In order to be approved, an applicant must be age 18 or older; have a checking account and smartphone; pass background and ID checks; provide a valid SSN; and pay a one-tie, non-refundable $25 registration fee. Once a Tasker is approved, they can set up direct deposit.
Once a Tasker is onboarded, they will be notified of potential jobs nearby via the TaskRabbit smartphone app or they can search for them. They can then select the one they want to complete, confirm details with the client, complete the work, and submit their invoice.
Taskers can gain more jobs by earning good reviews and completing more jobs. Users will often save their favorite Taskers to book again and again, so getting regular work is a definite possibility with TaskRabbit.
BEST FOR IT PROFESSIONALS
Toptal
Toptal
SIGN UP NOW
Toptal.com was created in 2010 and connects businesses with freelance software developers, designers, finance experts, project managers, and product managers. We choose it as the best for IT professionals because the company’s aggressive screening process creates an exclusive opportunity for highly skilled freelancers.
The quality of Toptal’s talent pool is the result of the company’s application process. Applicants begin with a comprehensive English language and communication evaluation. Toptal also assesses personality traits to find passionate and engaged candidates. Applicants are then given in-depth skills assessments, live problem-solving and creativity exercises, and test projects. As a result, only 3% of Toptal’s applicants make it through the application process.
Due to its rigorous vetting process, Toptal’s freelancers are well-positioned to receive competitive rates for their services. Toptal doesn’t charge its freelancers any fees but instead marks up a freelancer’s rate for its clients. Clients are typically invoiced twice a month for ongoing projects with Net 10 terms. Clients can pay Toptal for a freelancer’s services via a credit card, ACH, bank wire, or PayPal.
BEST FOR REMOTE JOBS
FlexJobs
FlexJobs
SIGN UP NOW
FlexJobs.com was created in 2007 by founder Sara Sutton, who was looking for a flexible job after starting her family. It has about 30,000 remote and flexible job postings in 50 career categories, including accounting and finance, business development, computer and IT, marketing, writing, web design, and more. We chose it as the best for remote jobs because the company’s trained researchers scour hundreds of online job resources every day and evaluate each posting to connect freelancers to the best opportunities.
FlexJobs’ extensive research and hand-screening process weeds out ads, broken links, repetitive postings, and scams from remote job postings. The company also works with thousands of companies that post flexible jobs directly to its site. The result is a curated list of professional, high-quality, and flexible job opportunities for freelancers looking for remote work.
In addition to its curated job listings, FlexJobs offers job search checklists, career advice articles, over 200 expert skills tests, and tips to help freelancers’ resumes stand out. FlexJobs’ paid memberships offer discounts on career coaching and resume reviews from FlexJobs as well as pre-negotiated discounts from job-search-related products and services from other companies.
While FlexJobs offers free job-related information, users must have a paid membership to access the full job listings in the company’s database:
$9.95 for one week
$24.95 per month
$39.95 for three months
$69.95 for one year
Unlimited job access
Free skills testing
Email alerts
Expert job search tips, resources, and offers
Portfolio with resumes and work samples
BEST FOR CREATIVES
Fiverr
Fiverr
SIGN UP NOW
Fiverr.com was started in 2010 by Micha Kaufman and Shai Wininger as a way for people to offer digital services typically offered by freelance contractors for $5. Along the way, the started allowing bigger jobs and a variety of prices. Today, the company has over 100 service categories and tens of thousands of users from over 160 countries. We chose it as the best for creatives since it offers the opportunity for freelancers in just about any digital creative field to offer their services to a global marketplace.
Fiverr broadly categorizes its services (like graphics and design, digital marketing, and writing and translation), but freelancers can offer services as specific as they want. Examples include Facebook page banners, podcast intros, book covers, menu design, comic book illustration, and more.
To get started, sellers just create a free profile with their listed expertise and then create the services they want to offer, known as “Gigs.” Sellers can add up to three different packages to the Gig Page to give buyers more choices and upsell their Gig with extras before, during, and after the order. Finally, sellers can send custom offers to potential buyers to offer more flexibility.
Fiverr allows sellers to keep 80% of their funds. When a seller gets paid, Fiverr puts a 14-day hold on the funds in the event a dissatisfied client wants a refund. After that period is over, the seller can withdraw their funds to a PayPal account, credit their Fiverr Revenue Card, or transfer money to a bank account.
What Are Gig Jobs?
Gig jobs are small projects that people complete for small amounts of money—often equivalent to just a few hours of work. Gig jobs can be as simple as running errands and assembling IKEA furniture or as complex as designing logos and managing complex business projects.
Some people use gig jobs to supplement their full- or part-time jobs in order to make a little extra cash without having to commit to an employer or a set schedule. Others use gig or freelance jobs as a way to transition into another career or to scale down their existing job and make room for more rewarding or more profitable work.
Taking on a gig can help create multiple streams of income rather than relying on income from a simple job. Those looking to transition to another career can use gig or freelance jobs to test the waters to see if the new career is right for them.
How Do Gig Job Sites Work?
Gig job sites have two sides: one side is for businesses and individuals looking for help; the other side is for providers who have services to offer.
A typical gig or freelancer site allows a user to create a profile with their list of skills, experience, and rates. The site will then try and match users with businesses or individuals who have projects in line with the user’s skills.
Once a user finds a job they’re interested in, they use the platform to submit a proposal, negotiate terms, and accept the job. Most gig sites also handle invoicing and payments to ensure that both sides get what was agreed upon.
What Is the Cost of Using a Website to Find Gig Jobs?
Most gig sites don’t charge users anything to create a profile and advertise their services. Instead, they take a percentage of profit from each job. This can be anywhere from 5% to 20%, with the lower amounts usually applying to users who have larger total billing amounts with their clients.
Other gig sites offer membership pricing between $12 to $50 per month and offer additional ways for freelancers to boost their profiles on the platform and get more jobs.
Finally, a few sites allow gig workers to take 100% of their profits and either add a markup or take a percentage of the buyer’s purchase.
How Much Do Gig Workers Earn?
According to Priceonomics, 85% of gig workers make less than $500 a month.2 On the flip side, Steady reports that gig workers add an average of $624 to their monthly income.3
It’s important to note that these amounts are based on jobs that require relatively little skill, like ridesharing, food delivery, and running errands. Talented creatives on platforms like Fiverr will earn less than their professional counterparts but can also focus on the work they love and build their portfolio accordingly.
Finally, skilled professionals using sites like Guru and Toptal can get competitive industry rates for their services without having to commit to a single employer. In all, while gig jobs may not pay as much as full- or part-time jobs, they make up for it in the flexibility freelancers have to set their schedules and take on the work they want.
Is Using a Website to Find Gig Jobs Worth It?
People looking for the occasional odd job probably don’t need to use a gig website. In that case, checking the daily Craigslist Gigs listings will do. Those looking for more steady work or who want more professional services with higher prices or tiered pricing packages will want to use a gig or freelance site.
One reason is that gig sites vet both the buyers as well as the sellers to eliminate scams and ensure that payments are made. Freelancers also get access to a large pool of customers specifically looking for their services. Finally, freelancers who use gig platforms can build their reputation to help them get more regular work and expand their rates and services.
How We Chose the Best Sites to Find Gig Jobs
To build our list of the best sites to find gig jobs, we looked at nearly two dozen different freelancing sites. We focused on top-rated sites with large pools of freelancers and clients looking to hire them. We also made sure to look at companies with intelligent matching systems and that allow buyers and sellers to communicate and make arrangements, including payments, straight through the site.
Finally, we made sure to choose platforms that cater to specific seller needs, such as skilled professionals, creatives, or those just looking to pick up the occasional odd job. In the end, the success of any gig worker depends on finding the right buyers who are willing to pay for their services again and again.
