FreelanceCompare is a free, independent tool that shows you the real cost of freelancing on every major platform — including the fees they don't advertise.
When I landed my first freelance project — a $500 website redesign on one of the big platforms — I was thrilled. Then I got paid. After the platform took its cut, the payment processor took its cut, and I factored in what I'd spent just to win the project, I was staring at barely $400. Nobody told me about any of that when I signed up.
I started doing the math across different platforms and quickly realized the fee structures are confusing on purpose. Some charge you 20% right off the top. Others look cheaper until you factor in the connects you burn through, the small order surcharges, or the withdrawal fees that slowly bleed your earnings. A $500 project can mean wildly different things depending on where you work.
I looked for a tool that would just lay it all out — every platform, every fee, side by side. It didn't exist. So I built one.
FreelanceCompare isn't backed by any platform or agency. It's a straightforward calculator built by a freelancer who got tired of doing this math on the back of a napkin. If it saves you even one bad decision about where to list your next project, it's done its job.
Three principles guide everything we build: accuracy, transparency, and simplicity.
We research each platform's current fee structure directly from their official documentation. Our data includes service fees, withdrawal costs, and hidden charges like Connects and small order fees.
Enter any project amount and instantly see what you'd take home on 7 platforms. Cards are sorted by best value so you can make informed decisions in seconds.
Freelance platforms change their fees regularly. We monitor these changes and update our calculator to keep your comparisons accurate.
Here's exactly how we calculate the numbers you see in our tool.
FreelanceCompare is a free tool. We may earn a commission if you sign up for a platform through our links. This never affects our calculations or rankings — the math is the math. Platforms are always sorted by lowest fees, regardless of any affiliate relationship.