eGigUpwork alternatives: what each takes, and who holds the money
If the fee is the problem, eGig and Contra charge freelancers no commission. Upwork takes 0% to 15% per contract, Freelancer.com 10%, Truelancer 8% to 10%, and Fiverr keeps 20%. If you want a platform to hold the money and settle disputes, the cheap routes may not do that: eGig does not. Fees are as each platform publishes them, read on 24 and 31 Oct 2026.
Fees side by side
| Platform | Fee from the freelancer | Fee from the client | Who holds the money |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upwork | 0% to 15% per contract, shown before you bid | Not checked for this page | Upwork, with payment protection and disputes |
| eGig | 0% | 0% | Nobody: the client pays the freelancer directly |
| Contra | 0% commission | See its pricing page | Not checked for this page |
| Fiverr | 20% (sellers get 80% of each order) | 5.5% on each purchase | Fiverr, until the order is complete |
| Freelancer.com | 10% (at least US$5 on fixed-price projects) | 3% (at least US$3) | Freelancer.com, through milestone payments |
| Truelancer | 8% to 10% by membership plan | Not checked for this page | Not checked for this page |
| PeoplePerHour | 20% up to £250 billed to one buyer, then 7.5% up to £5,000, then 3.5%, before VAT | See its terms | Not checked for this page |
| Guru | 5% to 9% by membership (older help pages) | 2.9% handling fee (older help pages) | Not checked for this page |
| Toptal | Not published on its FAQ | “Flat monthly subscription fee of $79” once you proceed with talent matching | Not checked for this page |
Guru’s pages would not open for us on 31 Oct 2026, so its figures come from search results over guru.com’s own help pages, which may be out of date. “Not checked” means we did not read that detail, not that the platform lacks it.
Which one fits what
- Stay on Upwork for long contracts with clients abroad, when you want the money held and disputes handled.
- eGig: Indian clients and freelancers who are happy to agree terms and payment between themselves and keep the whole fee. The same account also finds jobs that show the salary.
- Contra: creative freelancers with their own portfolio and clients, mostly abroad.
- Fiverr: fixed-price packages that buyers order straight from your listing. See Fiverr alternatives.
- Freelancer.com, Truelancer, PeoplePerHour and Guru: bidding on client briefs. Read how many proposals a plan allows before you buy one.
- Toptal: senior people. It says about 3% of applicants pass its screening, so it is not a starting point for most freelancers.
What eGig does not do
eGig does not hold money in escrow, so it cannot step in on a payment dispute. It is also much smaller, so you may get fewer clients here, especially from abroad. Agree the work and milestones in writing, and on bigger jobs ask for part of the fee in advance. These free tools help: contract, proposal, invoice and rate calculator.
Questions people ask
What are the best alternatives to Upwork?
For no commission: eGig and Contra. For fixed-price listings: Fiverr. For bidding on many small projects: Freelancer.com, Truelancer and PeoplePerHour. For screened senior talent: Toptal, which accepts few applicants. Upwork stays strong for long contracts with clients abroad, because it holds the money and handles disputes.
Are there sites like Upwork but free?
eGig charges no fee to either side, and posting a project is free, but it does not hold the money, so you and the client agree payment directly. Contra says freelancers pay no commission. Each marketplace with escrow charges for that service in some way.
Is Upwork worth its fee?
Often, yes, on a long contract with a client you do not know, because payment protection and dispute handling are what you are paying for. If you already trust the client, or the job is small and you can take part-payment in advance, a zero-commission route keeps more of the fee.
How do I keep my Upwork clients off the platform?
Do not: read Upwork’s terms first, because they restrict taking clients you met there off the platform for a period, and breaking that can close your account. Build your direct clients separately.
Start on eGig
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Sources
Each platform’s own page. Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer.com, Truelancer and Contra read on 24 Oct 2026; the others on 31 Oct 2026. Fees change, so check before you decide.