Introduction:
I once thought that freelancing platforms like Upwork, Freelancer.com, and Fiverr were a blessing for those seeking remote work opportunities. However, after years of being part of these platforms, I've come to realize that they're far from ideal. In this post, I'll share my personal experiences with these platforms and why I decided to quit.
The Grind of Freelancing:
For me, the biggest challenge was keeping up with the constant flood of fake OnlyFans and PDF job postings. To secure just 40 freelance jobs, I had to send over 400 proposals while working around the clock for a mere $3,500 in 45 days, and I barely slept 5 hours a day. It wasn't sustainable, and my work-life balance suffered immensely. Mind you, this was a one-time thing, meaning that even when I tried to slave away again by buying another 150 dollars worth of Upwork Connects, most of them were spent on the Availability Badge. Believe me when I say, the system is rigged. All Upwork cares about is taking money from clients and freelancers, that's why its CEO is so out of touch, promoting AI slop on LinkedIn while everyone is frustrated by the plethora of bad decisions in the comments section like, forcing freelancers to spend connects even after getting invited, note that most of the time, no matter how good you are, you end up spending both time and money looking for work while getting nothing in return. It's basically gambling with extra steps; more about that below.
The Pay-to-Play Predatory System:
These platforms use a “pay to play” system that is both predatory and exploitative. By charging freelancers fees just to submit proposals, these platforms create an illusion of fighting spam. In reality, they're ensuring their own financial success at the expense of hardworking individuals like yours truly. I still don't get why their token gatekeeping isn't considered a scam, but that's the thing about shady companies; they always find ways to scam unsuspecting people in a subtle way to make it harder for people to think to themselves, “Wait, how is this any different from a scammer exploiting the elderly?”
Wasted Investment and Time:
For instance, I spent anywhere between $1.8 to $3.0 on each proposal on Upwork, only to be ignored most of the time. Even after investing additional funds in hopes of recreating my previous success, I got nothing in return, which felt like gambling. I was lucky that some previous clients appreciated my work enough to hire me directly without using these platforms.
AI-Generated Job Posts:
The quality of job posts on these platforms leaves a lot to be desired. Many job postings feel like they were written by AI or bots way before AI became a thing. It was like the client saying, “Since I didn't even bother to read this garbage I posted, how do you expect me to read your proposal, O skilled freelancer?”
A Rigged System:
These platforms claim that there is competition among freelancers, but in reality, most of them struggle with English and aren't capable of delivering quality work. Like Paul Tittel (Awesome guy!) from Surpass Solutions once said to me when I told him that a disgruntled female client left me 1 star for communication, “1 star for communication? Dude, you communicate better than all of Upwork!” Most people settle for less due to time constraints and lack of alternatives. The system is rigged in favor of the platforms themselves, exploiting both clients and freelancers.
The Power of Self-Hosting:
Ever since I went the self-hosting route, in general, every time I find myself at the mercy of a crappy platform like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer, I realize how much of an idiot I was for spending a single second working there. Self-hosting opens your eyes to all the greed, the blatant disrespect that's all around you when you're a slave to such godforsaken platforms. It's about time we removed the “beggars can't be choosers” feature from our mental firmware, so to speak.
The Future Is Not on These Platforms:
I no longer care about being “top rated” (stopped caring years ago but anyway) or having a perfect rating on these platforms. Instead, I focus on building long-term relationships with clients who trust me for their IT needs. By doing so, I've found more fulfillment and satisfaction in my work without relying on the exploitation of freelancing platforms. I make way less money this way, sure, but let's be real, most of the time, the problem is your spending habits, and not how much money you make. It goes without saying that there are always exceptions.
Conclusion:
It's time to acknowledge that Upwork, Freelancer.com, and Fiverr are not the ideal solutions they claim to be. They're designed to benefit their owners at the expense of both clients and freelancers. By breaking free from these platforms, I've found a more meaningful and rewarding career in freelancing where I don't feel like I'm a lost sheep in search of nothing. If you feel trapped or undervalued by these platforms, consider exploring alternative ways to showcase your skills and establish lasting connections with your clientele. Be your own platform. Yes, I know it's hard to earn strangers' trust, but as long as you're not a sneaky scammer, there will always be people willing to take a chance on you. Just think about it, if scammers have the confidence to fuck people out of their own money, why should you, as a decent human being, feel any less confident about providing an actually good service? At least that's how I see it.
P.S.
Thinking back, despite the horrible gacha game system that platforms like Upwork implement, it's a miracle that I managed to become Top Rated multiple times with almost $10,000 total earnings and a 100% Job Success Score in the span of 5 years on and off. By the way, I closed my account a few hours ago. I tried to close it before, but Upwork was vague about why it wouldn't let me close it, which meant I had to figure out why on my own. Turned out there were 3 active contracts that I had to end, so once I did that, it did finally let me close the account without throwing a vague error. However, the reasons/options I was given for closing the account were very limited, and did not include “Other”, which goes to show they're not ready to hear real feedback; they'd rather just trick their shareholders with inaccurate data like, “30% of freelancers who close their account state that it's because they have a duplicate account. 20% claim they're working directly with a client they met thanks to our platform.” Anyway, the last time I got a fake invite from a fake Upwork recruiter, I just replied with, “Fuck you”, and then for some reason, my Job Success Score went from 88% to 100%, note there was no reason for it to go to down to 88% in the first place. It's like these companies are allergic to transparency while they also thrive on seemingly random-yet-predatory business tactics. What a joke!