One of the best ways to make money on the side is by offering your services as a freelancer on popular freelance job platforms. The beauty of working a freelance job is that you can still work at a 9-to-5 or go to college and pursue a career.
You can even be a gig worker shopping for groceries with Instacart, walking dogs or dog sitting for Rover, and delivering food with Postmates, all while being a freelancer.
Don’t know what type of freelancing jobs you can offer? There are lots of freelancing gigs you can do, many of which you can do without any type of formal training. For example, writing content, translation services, voiceover work, or working as a virtual assistant.
To get started, you need to first sign up with a freelance job platform to list your services. With so many options available to join, how do you know which freelance job platform to sign up with?
Whether you’re looking to work as a freelancer full time or just looking to make money on the side, here’s my list of the 7 best freelance job platforms.
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7 best freelance job platforms
1. Fiverr
Fiverr is an extremely crowded marketplace, but a very lucrative one if you can crack the algorithm.
Listing your services on Fiverr is a free and simple process. Getting people to order your gig, however, is not. It can be difficult for newcomers to get their first few gigs since Fiverr displays results based on reviews and popularity.
For this reason, I recommend offering cheap gigs to start to build up your positive reviews. Once you’ve built up a good reputation, you can increase the prices of your services.
The magic of working on Fiverr is that you can build up a large client base and start making recurring revenue every month.
While the name implies you can earn $5 per gig, that’s far from the truth. You can (and should) charge much more than $5 for your work. There are many freelancers, like this voiceover artist, who earn a good living on Fiverr alone.
As with the other freelance job platforms on this list, Fiverr is popular for writing gigs. Personally, I use Fiverr to hire writers to create first drafts for me (just like this article). I then do the work of editing and adding links, but the freelancer does the bulk of the work.
2. Upwork
The job platform Upwork welcomes various skill sets, such as web development, copywriting, sales and marketing, and customer service, to name a few.
Upwork works a bit differently than Fiverr, however. Rather than listing short one-time gigs, at Upwork, you’re oftentimes hired for long-term projects. Rather than listing a flat fee for a certain job, you instead list your hourly rate.
3. Freelancer.com
As straightforward as their name, Freelancer.com is a job platform for freelancers looking to work from home and offer their services.
Freelancer.com has a large coverage of freelance jobs like writing, design, mobile application and software development, and public relations. In fact, it has over 1800 different categories as the jobs are very specific with their nature. For instance, if you’re looking for a writing job, you can choose to apply for copywriting or ghostwriting.
Freelancer.com allows you to upload your profile and portfolio to attract potential clients. This makes it also a good job platform where you can promote yourself and your work. At the same time, you also have the freedom to search and bid for available jobs.
4. WriterAccess
This freelance job platform is specially made for writers who are looking for side hustles to make money. While it does not have a large variety of jobs like other websites, WriterAccess does offer jobs for all forms of writing. You can write blog posts, newsletters, copy for sales pages, website pages, or even content for social media posts.
WriterAccess is already also equipped with writer-friendly tools such as its own keyword optimization engine and content planner to make it easy for you to keep track of deadlines.
5. Indeed
This website is one of the biggest job platforms in the world. So, if you’re in the mood for browsing and exploring, Indeed would be your go-to.
More than freelance work, it also contains job openings for full-time, part-time, and project-based work that cover all job categories you could think of. It can be overwhelming if you’re looking for a simple side hustle. But it is worth a quick scroll if you’re looking to list your services in as many places as possible.
6. PeoplePerHour.com
PeoplePerHour.com is another job platform for freelancers looking to make side money working from home. According to their website, their top freelancers earn over $7,000 per month.
How do you get a piece of the action? Offer services in demand. For example, the most popular job categories to make money here are content writing, SEO, website development, logo design, and voiceover work.
To maximize your earnings as a freelancer, make yourself available for multiple services. Additionally, you should list your services on multiple sites as well.
7. 99designs
If you’re a graphic designer, you need to on 99designs, a freelance job platform that serves as a hub for creatives who excel in designer jobs. 99jobs take in designers who can do logos, posters, product packaging, book covers, and other advertising and business-related materials.
But what makes 99designs a unique freelance platform for designs is that it holds contests for its freelancers. Anyone interested in taking on a particular job can participate in a contest to win the contract and get paid.
Being a freelancer means you have the freedom to choose what type of work you do and when you do it. It’s that flexibility that makes becoming a freelancer one the best side hustle options to try. I hope you found this list of the best freelance job platforms useful!