Freelancer

Review:

Freelancer is an international freelance marketplace that connects over 50 million employers and freelancers in more than 247 countries. With Freelancer, Canadian employers can browse through a list of talented freelance candidates based around the world, post projects, and hire freelancers.

Compared to local competitors, Freelancer offers the best features for remote work, including progress tracking, bidding, and free project posting. Additionally, Freelancer boasts an impressive local presence, with over 18,000 local vacancies advertised on its platform.

Pros:

• Freelancer does not charge employers to post a project.
• Canadian employers can browse through candidate profiles, live chat, view bids, compare proposals, and track projects' progress.
• Freelancer helps connect employers and job seekers in over 247 countries, making it the ideal platform for those looking to hire short-time and/or remote workers.
• Employers can choose to pay according to set goals or for complete projects.
• Job categories include law, logistics, sales, marketing, and design, among others.

Cons:

• Employers have highlighted that some freelancers are unqualified. Users are encouraged to thoroughly vet all freelancers and be vigilant for any fraudulent behavior.
• Freelancer's head office is based in Australia, which may impact response time.
• Customer support is only available through email and their hours are not specified on the website.
• The Canadian website portal does not support French language translation. Instead, French-speaking Canadian employers will have to use the Freelancer's French website.
• Freelancers are also warned to be vigilant about scam activity and only work with employers who have been verified.

Reputation:

We found 9,000 user reviews on Sitejabber with an average rating of 4.7 stars. The majority of reviewers were satisfied with the company's excellent customer support and employer features. However, some customers have complained about wrongful deductions and scam behavior from unverified employers and freelancers.

On Trustpilot, Freelancer received over 7,000 reviews with an average rating of 4.3 stars. Similar to Sitejabber's reviews, the majority of users were impressed with the customer support and efficient platform. Among these reviews, there are several users who complained about unfair deductions and poor quality of work from freelancers.

Freelancer vs. Upwork:

Both Freelancer and Upwork offer very similar features, including free postings, a mobile app, and global reach. However, between the two competitors, Freelancer is the more popular option thanks to its history in the field and innovative features, such as live chat, progress tracking, and bidding.

Freelancer vs. Eluta.ca:

Eluta.ca and Freelancer differ in that while the former is a free, general job posting site that also offers paid plans, Freelancer is a marketplace that only caters to freelance workers. For those looking for Canada-based candidates, Eluta.ca offers great local reach. However, Freelancer is the better option for finding freelancers.

Freelancer vs. Workhoppers:

Workhoppers and Freelancer cater to Canadian businesses. Both sites have an international presence, but Workhoppers is based in Montreal with the majority of their business operations being in Canada. Freelancer charges a 3% fee per project they facilitate, while Workhoppers charges employers C$39.00 per month for a basic posting.