Are you looking for an Upwork alternative? Upwork is a freelance platform used for hiring skilled professionals on a flexible basis. This includes developers, translators, social media experts, graphic designers, business consultants, and more. But, Upwork isn’t the only place to go! If you want to hire a freelancer with a few clicks then Workhoppers might be a good match for you.
Anti-Upwork.
In fact, the team at Workhoppers refers to themselves as the Anti-Upwork. Every platform has its strengths and weaknesses. But Upwork and Workhoppers couldn’t be more different! Here’s what you need to know to help you make a more informed decision.

Why Workhoppers is an Excellent Upwork Alternative
In today’s digital world, hiring people from all over the globe is an option for many companies. Yet, there are often times where you either want or need to meet with the person you are going to work with. You may not feel comfortable handing over confidential information to someone far away. You may need someone in-office to help, or you may want a face to face meeting.
Here is one key important difference between Upwork vs Workhoppers.
People use Upwork for remote work. While Workhoppers makes it easy to select a freelancer from a specific location. Workhoppers facilitates hiring locally.
If you want the lowest possible rate and location doesn’t matter, then Upwork is a good alternative. Your job is accessible to anyone in the world. Talent from anywhere will bid on your project and you can find very competitive rates.
But, if the location is important and you want to target a specific city, then Workhoppers is the right choice. If your project requires confidentiality, intellectual property, or legal accountability you should hire someone local on Workhoppers. When you use Workhoppers, you can select the city or cities where you want your freelancer located. Then Workhoppers matches the job with professionals in that location. Besides, hiring local has many other advantages. For example, common language, time zone, productivity, and the bonus of contributing to your own economy.
Upwork makes it difficult to find a freelancer in your own city that you can meet with. All communication must remain on their platform. Workhoppers facilitates and encourages direct communication and face to face meetings.
Looking for tips on how to hire during COVID-19? Read here.
Matching the Right Freelancer with the Right Job
Upwork is a platform where companies post their projects and anyone in the world who is a member of their platform can submit a proposal. Price competition is fierce as talented professionals from third world countries bid for the possibility of executing the project.
Workhoppers matches companies with freelancers seeking contract, temporary or permanent part-time. Essentially, any flexible hiring need. When using Workhoppers, companies provide detailed information on their needs. This includes skills required, budget, location, soft skills, and even schedule requirements. Workhoppers then uses a semantic matching algorithm to rank candidates and notifies only the qualified ones. These matched candidates can then apply for the job/project. The result is that you do not get inundated with hundreds of applications from the wrong candidates! What’s more, companies also have the option to proactively search the database to contact candidates directly for immediate hire; a feature that enables companies to save time and hire quickly.
Here is another key feature where the two platforms differ tremendously…There is no bidding on Workhoppers. Qualified matched candidates contact you directly, or you can proactively contact them. You work out the terms together and directly. Meet and get started. No intermediary.
Pricing and paying
When it comes to evaluating Workhoppers as an Upwork alternative, pricing and payment are a fundamental difference. You may think that Upwork is free but read on and see the real story.
What is the Real Cost of Upwork?
If you hire with Upwork, the “Basic” or “free” plan actually charges a 3% processing and administration fee on all payments made to the freelancers. If you want to benefit from additional features and services, you can choose to pay for a Plus membership plan which is $49.99/month plus processing and service fees. The Business plan charges $849/month. In addition to these fees, service fees are also charged on the other side to the freelancers starting at 20% for the first $500 billed to the client.
It is always recommended to read the User Agreement carefully before subscribing to any service. For example, if you post a small project on Upwork for a budget of 500$, using the “free” plan, the actual cost to use Upwork adds up to $130! (3% processing fee and 20% charge to the freelancer). Not so free after all…
What is the cost to use Workhoppers, the Upwork alternative?
With Workhoppers, you pay the freelancers directly, there are no commissions or transaction fees. Nothing is hidden, just a simple flat fee. You can work as many hours together as you want.
The cost is fixed and starts at only $29 to post one job. There are no hidden fees or commissions. You pay the monthly fee and that’s it. Plus, you can cancel your subscription at any time. So if it is just a one-off project, you can post a job for as little as 29$. Professionals looking for work opportunities pay no fee. The Essential Plan for $59/mo gives the company the opportunity to post up to 3 jobs and to pro-actively contact freelancers of your choice.
Workhoppers also offers a Concierge plan. With the Concierge plan, the team takes care of everything including interviews and reference checks to recruit the perfect candidate, with the specified qualifications. The candidate will have the skills you need and be ready and available to start working – all for a flat fee of $325 per recruit.
The Workhoppers business model is based on finding the best freelancer for the job and giving companies the freedom to hire as long as needed. The Upwork business model keeps companies tied to their platform and takes payment from both sides.

Upwork Alternative: Final Words
Each of these two platforms provides advantages when it comes to helping you find the freelance professionals your company needs on-demand. In the end, your specific needs, budget, and preferences help you decide which one is best. Customer support is reliable in both cases and user reviews are positive regarding the way both platforms provide support to their users. But if you’re looking for high-quality, local talent, at a very affordable price then contact Workhoppers today!