Pricing plans for every business

Job seeker?

Join as a freelancer

Basic

For starting out

5% Service fee

Start with this plan

Basic plan includes:

Upwork’s global freelance marketplace

Access to AI-powered features

Collaboration and project tracking tools

Standard reporting

Pay as work is completed

30 invites per job post

Business Plus

For growing

10% Service fee

Sign up for free

Everything in Basic, plus

Instant access to pre-vetted top 1% of talent

Uma Recruiter

Teams controls

Advanced reporting

Priority 24/7 support

Pay later

60 invites per job post

15 direct messages per day

Key features

Basic

5% Service fee

Sign up

Business Plus

10% Service fee

Sign up

Discover quality talent

Access to Upwork's global work marketplace

Talent ID verified

Verified freelancer work history and reviews on Upwork

Top Rated and Rising Talent search filter

Expert-Vetted talent

Engage the right candidates

Job post generator

Invites per job post

30 invites
60 invites

Direct messages

5/day
15/day

Direct contracts

Uma Recruiter

Collaborate and hire

Chat, share files, and make voice and video calls

Timesheets, time tracker, work diary

Automatically join your company's domain

Multiple admins

Team controls

Manage and pay

Contract initiation fees

Payment protection and disputes

Standard reporting

Advanced reporting

AI generated weekly work summary (Beta)

Pay later

Receive support

Customer support

Premium 24/7

API Access

Frequently
asked
questions

What is Upwork’s client service fee and how is it calculated?

For the Basic plan, when you hire on Upwork, you pay a 3 or 5% Marketplace fee on all payments that you make to freelancers for fixed-price and hourly projects, Project Catalog projects, bonuses, and Direct Contracts, and BYO contracts.

For the Business Plus plan, when you hire on Upwork, you pay a 8 or 10% Business Plus fee on all payments that you make to freelancers for fixed-price and hourly projects, Project Catalog projects, and bonuses.

The discounted Marketplace fee of 3% and the discounted Business Plus fee of 8% are available for eligible clients in the U.S. who pay with a checking account. Check to see if you’re eligible here.

Read more
When do I pay a client service fee?

For the Basic plan and Business Plus plan, you only pay a client service fee when you make a payment and your default billing method will be charged automatically for the balance due. 

For the Business Plus plan (with Net 30 terms), payment is due 30 days from the end of the invoiced month. Note: Monthly invoicing with payment terms is only available by application to US-based companies. 

Read more
Can I change my plan later on?

Any client with Account Admin access can upgrade their account at any time. There are no penalties or restrictions for upgrading. Any client with Admin Full access can request to downgrade their Business Plus plan to the Basic plan. Business Plus runs on a 30-day membership cycle, and downgrades take effect at the end of your membership cycle. You can manage your membership plan for your Upwork account under Settings/membership/change_ plan.

Read more
What payment methods do you accept?

To see which billing method options are available to you, visit your profile setting. Note: Based on your location, your options may vary. Learn more about billing methods.

Are there any other fees?

Both the Basic and Business Plus plans do not include upfront costs to join.

In addition, you also pay a one-time contract initiation fee for each new Marketplace and Project Catalog contract.

For Business Plus, there is no contract initiation fee, with the exception of fixed-price contracts of $100 USD or less.

Business Plus clients can use direct contracts to invite and pay freelancers sourced outside of Upwork. Each active direct contract is billed at $49/month per active contract.

‍See details.

Read more
How do I get 30-day payment terms?

Business Plus clients in the U.S. may apply for monthly invoicing with 30-day payment terms through our third-party partner. The application process requires submitting business details and supporting documentation.

Based on your business profile, your application may result in:

• Immediate approval to activate 30-day payments
• A request for additional information, or
• A decline if the service cannot be provided for your business.

Read more

Flexible pricing that scales with your business

Access skilled freelancers who can support one-time projects or complex, ongoing work.  It’s free to get started—pay only when you hire.

Looking to work?

Join as a freelancer

Basic

Best for individuals hiring for occasional, project-based work

5%

Service fee

For example, a $100 contract would cost $105 in total + contract initiation fee

Contract initiation fees are one-time fees charged to clients when starting a new Marketplace contract with a freelancer or agency on Upwork. The fee ranges from $0.99 to $14.99 per contract and is charged when you make your first payment or fund your first milestone.

Get started for free

Basic includes:

Marketplace access—skilled freelancers across thousands of skills

Talent profiles—portfolios, ratings, and work history

Hiring tools—proposals and contracts in one place

Project workspace—messaging files, and statuses in one view

Protected payments—only pay for approved work from escrow

Popular
Get $500 in credit when you spend $1,000. View terms

Business Plus

Perfect for businesses scaling freelance hiring across teams

10%

Service fee

For example, $100 contract would cost $110 in total + contract initiation fee

A one-time fee per contract of up to $4.99 USD applies to new contracts under $100 USD.

Get started for free

Everything in Basic, plus

Curated shortlists—we surface top matches to help you move quickly

Expert-Vetted talent—access to the top 1% of Upwork talent

Team workspace—shared hiring with roles and permissions

Centralized billing—keep team spend in one place

Priority support—faster help to keep projects moving

One secure system for all your external talent. Escrow, global payments, and dispute protection.
Try Direct Contracts

Key Features

Basic

Basic

5% service fee

Sign up

Business Plus

B+

10% service fee

Sign up

Discover trusted talent

Access to Upwork's global work marketplace

Connect with 18+ million freelancers across 180 countries on Upwork.

ID-verfied talent only

Upwork verifies every freelancer's identity and location before you connect, so you’re confident in who you’re hiring.

Verified reviews and work history

See real client feedback and a proven track record of completed projects to help you choose the right freelancer.

Easily filter to top freelancers

Spot top performers fast with talent badges — awarded to freelancers who consistently deliver strong results, deep expertise, and client satisfaction.

Expert-Vetted talent

Hire from the top 1% of freelancers and agencies who are rigorously screened for both technical expertise and soft skills.

Engage the right candidates

AI-powered job post generator

Describe your project in a sentence or two, and our job post generator will draft a ready-to-customize post to help you attract great talent faster.

Freelancer invites per job post

See someone who's a great fit? Invite qualified freelancers to apply directly to your job post.

30
60

Direct messages

Message freelancers before you hire to discuss availability, rates, and project details — all right on the platform.

5 per day
10 per day

Direct contracts

Bring freelancers and agencies you’ve sourced off-platform onto Upwork to manage trusted relationships and pay them all in one place.

Learn more

Uma Recruiter, our AI-powered hiring agent

Get a curated shortlist of top freelancers in under 6 hours with Uma, Upwork’s AI-powered hiring agent.

Collaborate and hire

Message, share files, and voice or video call

Connect in real time in whatever way works best for you, with everything you need to keep projects moving, built right in.

Built-in time tracking tools

Monitor logged time and work activity in one place to review progress and stay informed on project work.

Automatic team enrollment with company email

Allow teammates within your verified company email domain to automatically join your Upwork organization without an invitation.

Admin access for multiple users

Share account responsibilities by letting multiple people manage team roles and permissions.

Advanced team management and permissions

Organize members into teams and set permissions to manage access, billing, and work visibility for your organization.

Manage and pay

Contract initiation fees

Pay a one-time Contract Initiation Fee for each new contract you start; Basic plans are charged per contract, while Business Plus plans don’t have an initiation fee except on fixed-price contracts of $100 USD or less.

Payment protection and dispute resolution

Only pay for work that meets your agreed terms. If you run into an issue, Upwork's protection policies and dispute support have you covered.

Operational and financial reporting

View and export key activity and financial reports to track work, earnings, and team performance across your Upwork account.

Enhanced performance, time and spend reporting

Unlock deeper insights with Business Plus, including Talent Performance and Contract Audit reports for greater visibility into team activity, time, and spend.

AI generated weekly work summary (Beta)

Get a quick AI-powered recap of work completed and hours spent each week, so you can review progress and approve payments with confidence.

Pay Later

Apply for 30-day payment terms on eligible purchases through our third-party provider, allowing you to pay invoices up to 30 days after billing.

Receive support

Customer support access

Reach Upwork's support team whenever you need help with account, billing, or contract questions.

Premium 24/7

API integration access

Sync Upwork with your existing tools and dashboards to automate hiring and management tasks, pull real-time data, and keep workflows in one place.

Sign upTry Business Plus
Trusted by 800,000 clients
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How Demco runs like a company twice its size

Business Plus scales what headcount can't. Demco brought in specialized freelancers across departments and expanded like a company twice its size.

Try Business Plus

Take the first step toward real results

Get started for free

Frequently
asked
questions

What is Upwork’s client service fee and how is it calculated?

For the Basic plan, when you hire on Upwork, you pay a 3% or 5% Marketplace fee on all payments that you make to freelancers for fixed-price and hourly projects, Project Catalog projects, bonuses, and Direct Contracts, and BYO contracts.

For the Business Plus plan, when you hire on Upwork, you pay a 8% or 10% Business Plus fee on all payments that you make to freelancers for fixed-price and hourly projects, Project Catalog projects, and bonuses. 

The discounted Marketplace fee of 3% and the discounted Business Plus fee of 8% are available for eligible clients in the U.S. who pay with a checking account. Check to see if you’re eligible here.

When do I pay a client service fee?

For the Basic plan and Business Plus plan, you only pay a client service fee when you make a payment and your default billing method will be charged automatically for the balance due. 

For the Business Plus plan (with Net 30 terms), payment is due 30 days from the end of the invoiced month. Note: Monthly invoicing with payment terms is only available by application to US-based companies. 

Can I change my plan later on?

Any client with Account Admin access can upgrade their account at any time. There are no penalties or restrictions for upgrading. Any client with Admin Full access can request to downgrade their Business Plus plan to the Basic plan. Business Plus runs on a 30-day membership cycle, and downgrades take effect at the end of your membership cycle. You can manage your membership plan for your Upwork account under Settings/membership/change_ plan.

What payment methods do you accept?

To see which billing method options are available to you, visit your profile setting. Note: Based on your location, your options may vary. Learn more about billing methods.

Are there any other fees?

Both the Basic and Business Plus plans do not include upfront costs to join.

In addition, you also pay a one-time contract initiation fee for each new Marketplace and Project Catalog contract.

For Business Plus, there is no contract initiation fee, with the exception of fixed-price contracts of $100 USD or less.

Business Plus clients can use direct contracts to invite and pay freelancers sourced outside of Upwork. Each active direct contract is billed at $49/month per active contract.

‍See details.

What are Contract Initiation Fees?

Contract Initiation Fees are one-time fees charged to clients when starting a new Marketplace or Project Catalog contract with a freelancer or agency on Upwork. The fee ranges from $0.99 to $14.99 per contract. For hourly contracts, the fee is charged at the time of the first invoice. For fixed-price contracts, the fee is charged when you fund your first milestone. Contract Initiation Fees are non-refundable and are not assessed as part of the Marketplace Fee.

See details

For Business Plus, a one-time Contract Initiation Fee of up to $4.99 USD applies to new Service Contracts under $100 USD.

See details

How do I get 30-day payment terms?

Business Plus clients in the U.S. may apply for monthly invoicing with 30-day payment terms through our third-party partner. The application process requires submitting business details and supporting documentation.

Based on your business profile, your application may result in:

• Immediate approval to activate 30-day payments
• A request for additional information, or
• A decline if the service cannot be provided for your business.

How does Upwork make money?

Upwork earns revenue through service fees on both sides of the marketplace. Clients pay a service fee on contracts — 5% on Basic and 10% on Business Plus. Talent and agencies pay a 10% freelancer service fee on their earnings.

Contract Initiation Fees may also apply to new contracts.

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