Freelance Platform Fees: Know Your Real Take-Home
Compare Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer, and other platforms. See how much they take and how it affects your profit.
Platform Fee Comparison
| Platform | Commission | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Upwork | 5–20% | First $500/client: 20%. Next $9.5k: 10%. $9.5k+: 5%. Monthly subscription tier available. |
| Fiverr | 20% | 20% platform fee on all orders. No tiered discounts. Additional 2% payment processing fee. |
| Freelancer.com | 10% | 10% commission on projects. Additional fees for upgrades and featured listings. |
| PeoplePerHour | 10–20% | 20% for new freelancers, 10% after £500 lifetime earnings. Referral discounts available. |
| Toptal | 10% | 10% commission + client fees. Top-tier screening; vetted clients pay premium. |
| Gun.io | 10–15% | 10–15% depending on client acquisition method. For developers only. |
| Codementor | 30% | 30% on live sessions, 20% on projects. Small community but high-quality clients. |
| Direct (own site) | 0–5% | 0% if you handle payments yourself. 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (Stripe/PayPal). |
Real Take-Home Example
You charge $100/hour and work 40 hours on a project ($4,000 total).
Hidden Costs to Watch
Payment Processing Fees
Most platforms charge 2–3% + fixed fees per transaction. On a $4,000 payment, that's $116–120.
Withdrawal Fees
Some platforms charge $1–5 per withdrawal. Monthly withdrawals add up over time.
Featured Listings & Promoted Jobs
Upwork: $0.50–2 per job application. Fiverr: featured listings $5–10/month. These are optional but competitive.
Currency Exchange Rates
International clients = currency conversion fees (1–3%). Direct payment wallets like Wise charge less.
How to Account for Platform Fees
When pricing your work, always factor in the platform's cut:
Desired take-home ÷ (1 − platform fee %) = Price to charge
Example: You want $100/hour after fees.
On Upwork (10% fee): $100 ÷ 0.90 = charge $111.11/hour
On Fiverr (20% fee): $100 ÷ 0.80 = charge $125/hour
Calculate Your Real Income
Our freelance calculator automatically factors in platform fees, payment processing, and taxes so you know exactly how much you'll actually earn.
See your real take-home →