Upwork: What is it, and how did it start?

Upwork has always been the go-to place for hiring remote developers or pursuing freelance jobs. But after talking to several clients and freelancers about their experiences on Upwork, as well as considering current trends in the labor market, a lot of serious discussions have arisen about the value of Upwork. From excessive fees, AI-generated proposals, and competition amongst freelancers to transparency for clients and freelancers, each side of the marketplace is looking for Upwork alternatives that offer trustless value and better outcomes.

We do a lot in this article, i.e., provide a recap of real Upwork reviews based on its main pros & cons, while comparing several top platforms, with one being Upstaff, which offers a one-of-a-kind skill-based matching system. Regardless of whether you are hiring talent or you are providing your services, it is time to reflect on whether Upwork will continue to be useful coming into 2025.

How does Upwork work?

Clients can post jobs, and freelancers can submit proposals with a token (or Connects)-based system. Once a freelancer has submitted a proposal, the client can browse profiles, chat with applicants, and ultimately decide on a hire. 

The platform also processes payments through milestones, escrow, and contracts.

Upwork’s Business Model

Upwork monetizes through:

• Freelancer service fees (5–20%)
• Connects (paid tokens for bidding)
• Subscription plans (like Freelancer Plus)
• Client-side fees (3–5%)

This pay-to-bid model has drawn criticism for discouraging new freelancers.

Upwork Review: Positive & Negative

We will discuss both ends of the platform, from freelancers and their prospective clients.

But is the platform still worth it in 2025? Many are questioning is Upwork legit and whether Upwork is worth it compared to newer solutions.

Hiring Freelance Developers on Upwork

This section provides a breakdown of the process for hiring developers on Upwork:

• Post a job
• Get 20–50 proposals (some AI-generated)
• Shortlist and interview
• Set milestones, sign contracts, and pay through escrow

How much does Upwork cost?

• 3–5% fee on client spend
• Optional sponsored listings cost more
• Developers often inflate rates to offset Upwork’s 10–20% fee

Upwork.com Reviews by Clients

Here are some real reviews from trusted review sites:

• “Now greedy, used to be great once!” — 1/5 ★
• “It used to be a good platform, but not anymore.”
• “Connects are very expensive and there are lots of scammers.” — 2/5 ★
• “It helps but comes with too many issues.”
• “It’s hard to get a job.” — 2/5 ★
• “The dashboard is clean but hard to stand out.”

Upwork Reviews by Freelancers

• “Upwork work at home” —1/5 ”★
  “Payment is guaranteed, but success is rare.”
• “Grateful for a place to show my work” — 2/5 ★
  “I like the exposure, but it’s tough.”
• “I only wish I had more to go on” — 3/5 ★
  “Great pool of clients, but competition is extreme.”

AI Bidding & Chatbots on Upwork

Upwork continues to be a force in the market. Automation through AI chatbots and Upwork is changing the way proposals function, and not everyone is a fan. However, its demographics are transforming. The new automation (AI chatbots) and rising requested bid costs are causing some freelancers and clients to venture out to look for alternatives due to the following: 

1. AI Chatbot Proliferation: AI tools, like those from gigrar.io or proprietary systems using large language models (LLMs) and natural language processing (NLP), enable freelancers and agencies to generate highly tailored proposals quickly. These proposals often appear ideal but may lack authenticity, potentially misleading clients about a candidate’s fit.
2. Motive Analysis: The financial motive for Upwork is clear. More bids mean more paid subscriptions. Freelancers, in turn, adopt AI tools to compete in a fast-paced bidding environment, where speed and technical polish are critical. AI developers also benefit from growing demand for their tools.
3. Lack of AI Detection: Besides the availability of AI text detectors in 2024 (capable of identifying content from models like ChatGPT 3.5 Turbo, ChatGPT 4.0, and others), Upwork has not implemented these to filter AI-generated bids. 
4. Personal Experiment: Conducting experiment for a Python web scraping project, finding that 85% of initial cover letters were AI-generated (90-100% AI text) and received within minutes. Cover letters declared tech workarounds as relevant to AI model knowledge, while not relevant to engineer background and previous experience. Follow-up communication showed 75% of interactions remained AI-driven, with no human agency involvement.

Historical Trends:

• 2015: Over 30% of developers failed to engage deeply with project details.
• 2020: Over 40% of bids came from agencies, with minimal attention to specifics and high price markups.
• 2023-2025: Agencies increasingly used AI tools like GigRadar.io, producing bids that mirrored job descriptions with little customization.

Future Outlook: The article speculates on a future where client and freelancer AI bots negotiate autonomously, potentially disconnecting from the human element of project work, raising concerns about authenticity and project outcomes.

Summary of Talently as an Upwork Alternative: Zero Project Details Shared and Skill-Based Matching

Upwork Alternative for Chrome is a tiny free web-based online tool by Upstaff to find and connect recruiters and startup owners with relevant software app developers in minutes by analyzing Upwork project pages, job postings and project briefs in Google Docs, PDFs on Google Drive, or highlighted text.

Upwork Alternative Chrome extension designed to streamline hiring by instantly matching clients with vetted developers based on technical skills and project history, without requiring public project postings. Key features include:

• How It Works: Users add the Talently Chrome extension, open a job description (e.g., on Upwork, LinkedIn, or Google Docs), and the tool scans for technical skills and requirements. It then queries a database of ~3,000 vetted developers from Upstaff’s pool, providing instant matches with full profiles, PDF resumes, and contact options.
• Skill-Based Matching: Matches are based on technical skills, industry experience, and contextual needs, not open bidding, ensuring precise alignment with project requirements.
• Zero Project Details Shared: Unlike Upwork’s model, where project details are publicly posted to attract bids, Talently analyzes job descriptions privately, preventing exposure to unqualified freelancers or AI-generated spam.
• Vetting and Quality: Talently employs a rigorous multi-stage vetting process (technical tests, interviews, portfolio reviews), selecting only the top ~5% of applicants, minimizing the risk of low-quality or AI-generated bids (noted as ~90% on Upwork).
• No Client Fees: Clients face no fees, unlike Upwork’s 5% processing fee, and freelancers pay only a 3% transactional fee, significantly lower than Upwork’s 10-20%.
• Hiring Speed: Matches are delivered in minutes, compared to Upwork’s average of 3 days for proposal reviews and interviews.

This aligns with your request for a Chrome extension alternative that prioritizes skill-based matching and avoids sharing project details publicly, addressing issues like AI-generated bids highlighted in the earlier Upstaff.com article on Upwork’s chatbot challenges.

Viable Alternatives to Upwork (for clients)

Services like Toptal, CloudDevs, and Upstaff are gaining traction. For instance, Upstaff offers skill-based matching and contractors who are pre-vetted with no publicly posted jobs which also means proposals that come with virtually zero spam.

What Makes Upstaff Different?

Upstaff Hire is a curated platform that connects clients with pre-vetted engineers in AI, Web3, software, and data science. Instead of using a public job board, Upstaff is relying on a skill-based profile matching system that privately matches projects to relevant engineers. 

Upstaff Hire – All the Engineers You Need to Build AI, Web3, and Data Products.

This model eliminates the need for proposals, bidding, and AI/chatbot spam, which both amount to delays and always allow for a human-vetted quality of talent. 

While many platforms prioritize volume, Upstaff prioritizes project privacy, efficiency, and accuracy while finding talent, using federated matching and finely-tuned filters to help clients find the best hire possible faster, rather than slower.

Upstaff vs. Upwork Quick Comparison:

Final Thoughts on Upwork Competitors

There’s still a place for Upwork, but the freelance economy is changing. Customers want less spam, better matches, and faster hiring, while freelancers want fairness and actual opportunities.

If you’re tired of the bots and bidding wars, check out this Upwork alternative that uses skill-based matching and no public job listings. Trust-based hiring like Upstaff.com does not use AI, and that’s a big deal for both sides.

FAQs: Upwork Reviews & Alternatives

How much can you earn on Upwork?
It varies greatly: Top developers can earn $3k–$10k/month, Newbies often struggle to land their first job

Who needs to consider Upwork Alternatives?

Recruiters: amazing time-to-hire, already vetted and trusted candidates
Startup founders: help with expertise, matching
IT Service company CEO and CTO: rare experts, low costs
Product and Delivery Managers: immediate matching, on-boarding, off-boarding

Is Upwork the right fit for you (as a client)?

Yes, if you want to hire quickly and are relying on a larger pool of potential candidates.

No, if you’re looking for deep-vetted engineers and want to avoid chatbots and low-quality proposals.