Freelancing is a great way to earn some extra money, but getting started can be a pretty daunting task. However, some of the best freelancing websites will give you all the tools you need to get started, regardless of your experience.

Doing freelance jobs online gives you much more flexibility over your schedule, and means you can work from home too. Some of the best freelance websites for beginners allow you to get started with minimal credentials or experience, which means it can also be a great way for switching careers.

Others are more complicated however, and can often involve an application process to make sure you have the right skills. Luckily this means there should be plenty of options for everyone. In this article, we’re going to look at the 20 best freelance websites, all of which will give you the opportunity to make money from home. First, however, we’ll take a look at some general background information on freelancing websites.

What are the best freelance websites?

When it comes to the best freelance websites, it’ll largely depend on your personal circumstances. For example, freelance websites like Fiverr allow you to start with little experience but might not pay the best.

However, other sites freelancing websites that demand a bit more experience will usually pay a bit better.

Also it’ll depend on your area of expertise. For example, some freelance job sites will be much better for writers than they are for coders.

This means it’s worth doing some research about which freelance sites will be best for your specific skills.

Another thing to consider is how much money you want to make, although this will be in line with how much experience you have.

Many freelance websites will allow you to earn unlimited money, but this will often be through doing many smaller jobs for a lower price.

The advantage of freelancing given to buyers is that it’s usually a lot cheaper than going through an agency.

How do freelance websites work?

All freelance websites have a different way of working, but they all share many similarities.

Most will allow you to advertise your services, either by building a profile or by posting job adverts, and then buyers will pay to use your services.

Some of the best freelance websites keep this exchange as simple as possible in order to make your life easier.

Freelance websites like Upwork allow you to advertise your services for an hourly rate, while a site like Fiverr will have buyers paying per job (but it does let you set the prices).

Which one you choose will largely depend on how much your services are worth. For example, a coder would be better charging by the hour, while a writer would be better charging per job.

Most freelancing websites are very easy to use because they’re designed to be accessible.

However, it’s always worth doing a bit of research and having a play around on the ones you think might be suitable, as you might be put off by simple things such as their user interface.

How to make money as a freelancer

When it comes to how to make money online, the main principle is simple: give people a reason to buy. What is it that makes your services valuable, and why should they pay for them? As you can see, making money as a freelancer involves quite a bit of marketing.

If you’re new to the game, then you should look at some of the best freelance websites for beginners.

Ones like Fiverr make the marketing side of things really easy because your job is posted in a search engine function, allowing potential buyers to find it with little effort.

Some sites, however, require a bit more publicity on your part, and might include you taking tests to receive awards.

It’s also worth putting a bit of thought into what your niche will be, particularly if you’re looking to make good money.

Freelance coders can sometimes charge up to $1,000 an hour, which is much more than a writer or graphic designer will make, even a good one.

One of the best tips for finding out how to make money from online work is to see what others are doing.

Start by looking at their profiles; what does their description say to you, and why is it so popular? It could be as simple as they’re using SEO tactics to improve their rankings, but it could also be that they’ve been at it a long time.

Many of the best earners in freelancing have been at it a long time. It’s not something you can expect to start earning you plenty of money overnight, particularly if you’re starting with little freelance experience and have to market yourself. Much like anything else, you’ll learn from any mistakes you make and it helps to play about with the formula a bit. And most of all: be patient.

20 of the Best Freelance Websites of 2020

1. Upwork

Upwork is probably one of the best-known freelancing websites, and there’s good reason for it.

It’s pretty easy to set yourself up, but the site does require you to have experience.

Similarly, it might not let you post your job if the niche is currently too crowded. However, once you’re on it’s really easy to use.

2. Fiverr

Fiverr is another one of the best freelance websites because you can get started on it with little or no experience.

It’s one of the better creative writing websites too, but it caters to all kinds of skills. The reason it’s better for writers is because buyers pay per job, making it a better way of earning money.

3. Freelancer.com

Freelancer is a great remote writing jobs site because it connects buyers and sellers easily in one place.

It’s commonly used by industry professionals, but is also one of the best freelance sites for beginners.

It allows you to list your skills and bid on projects with little hassle. What’s more, it covers loads of different areas of freelance work, making it suitable for almost any seller.

4. PeoplePerHour

PeoplePerHour allows freelancers to search for the work that suits them, making it a great way for people with more niche skills to find business.

This also means that it’s really easy for buyers to connect with sellers in specific areas, making the process easier for everyone.

If you’re looking for freelancing websites that give you ultimate control over the work you do, then this is one for you.

5. Envato Studio

Envato Studio is a good choice for coders and creatives because it easily allows buyers and sellers to communicate on a project.

This is really useful when it comes to online work that’s more complicated, although the website itself is really easy to use.

Sellers can upload their portfolio in seconds, making it much simpler for buyers to find the right person.

6. Guru.com

Guru is one of the best freelance websites for people like graphic designers because it’s geared towards building long-term relationships, although it’s also great for one-off projects.

It’s easy for buyers to find graphic designers on this site because of its simple search function, and sellers can bid on the jobs they want to take part in. It’s a pretty easy system that works for everyone.

7. Toptal

Toptal is one of the best freelance websites if you consider yourself to be highly skilled in your area.

This site is suited to those with plenty of experience, and there’s a rigorous application process to make sure you’re the right person.

Job recruitment is pretty quick, but the jobs can be quite demanding. However, being able to advertise on this site gives the opportunity to charge more.

8. Nexxt

Nexxt is a good choice because it allows freelancers to search through advertised jobs to find the right one for them.

This isn’t how all the freelance job sites work, and so it makes a nice change for jobs to be displayed so easily.

It also focuses on buyer and seller communication, which is something that many other sites lack.

9. DesignCrowd

DesignCrowd is another freelance job site that caters more towards designers. The site allows buyers to post a job proposal, and then for up to 50 sellers to post their designs on the job.

The process is really easy for both sides, which isn’t always the case when it comes to graphic design work.

This site is great for work from home jobs for graphic designers.

10. TaskRabbit

One of the leading features of this site is that it focuses on same-day turnaround on jobs.

This is quite a different angle when it comes to online jobs, and definitely isn’t for everyone. For this reason it wouldn’t be one of the best freelance websites for beginners, but will be ideal for experienced and efficient professionals.

11. crowdSPRING

crowdSPRING is a good choice for those new to the world of freelancing websites because it features quite a comprehensive guide for how to get started.

It’s particularly good for designers who want to advertise their skills to a wider market, but is suitable for a wide range of other industries too.

12. WriterAccess

As you can probably tell by the name, this site is geared more towards writers, editors, and proofreaders.

It allows sellers to build their portfolio, which makes it much easier for buyers to find them. If you’re thinking of starting work from home jobs as a writer, then this could be a good site for you.

13. Hireable.com

Unlike other sites, Hireable is built around a simple yet effective search engine for sellers.

This allows them to hunt through job ads for the right online work, which is something that many other freelancing websites lack.

As a result, this is one of the best freelance websites for those wanting control over what work they take on.

14. 99Designs

99Designs is another great site for graphic designers and artists to find work.

It has a number of resources that make the process much easier for both buyers and sellers, and these skills can then be taken over onto other sites.

There are a number of different skills freelancers can offer on the site, so it’s definitely worth taking a look.

15. Catalant

The main push behind Catalant is process efficiency, which doesn’t mean rushing things.

Instead, it focuses on making the process incredibly streamlined for everyone, meaning your productivity should increase.

There are plenty of different job types available, so this is a great site if you’ve got a number of skills you want to market.

16. Bark

Unlike other sites that allow buyers and sellers to advertise, Bark works more like a job-matching site.

You simply put in your information and it’ll help link you up with the most suitable jobs.

This makes the process much easier for those who don’t enjoy marketing themselves.

17. DesignContest

DesignContest is another site that allows designers to compete on a brief, from which the seller then chooses their favorite.

It brings together people from a number of different areas, so can be one of the best freelance websites for designers to gain some experience and exposure.

18. SimplyHired

SimplyHired posts a wider range of freelance jobs than most other platforms. You can find remote jobs for everyone from salespeople to construction workers.

19. Gigster

Gigster, unlike many others, is aimed mainly at freelance app developers.

If this means you, then it can be a much better choice than some of the more generic freelancing websites.

App development is one of the best work from home jobs because the money is good and it’s in demand. This site is a great place to get started.

20. Designhill

Designhill lets graphic designers try their hand in a number of different areas, which not many other sites do.

Also it allows you to build your portfolio, making you more attractive to buyers.

As far as freelance job sites for graphic designers go, this is one of the better ones.

Worth to check out:

Skyword

Geared mainly around content creation, Skyword connects businesses with people who can offer marketing services. This could be anything from writing, filming, influencing or graphic design, making this a great choice for online work if you have a number of different marketing skills.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are plenty of choices when it comes to the best freelance websites.

The one you choose will be dependent on your experience and skills, so spend plenty of time researching different websites to see which will be most suitable for you.