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Stop doing everything. Hire the top 1% of talent on Business Plus.

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Flexible pricing that scales with your business

Access skilled experts who can support one-time projects or complex, ongoing work. It’s free to get started—pay only when you hire.

Looking to work? Join as a freelancer

Basic

Hire for occasional, project-based work

Get started for free

Basic includes:

  • Included

    Marketplace access—skilled freelancers across thousands of skills

  • Included

    Talent profiles—portfolios, ratings, and work history

  • Included

    Hiring tools—proposals and terms in one place

  • Included

    Project workspace—messages, files, and status in one view

  • Included

    Protected payments—only pay for approved work from escrow

5% service fee

For example, a $100 contract would cost $105 in total + contract initiation fee Contract initiation fees are one-time fees charged to clients when starting a new Marketplace contract with a freelancer or agency on Upwork. The fee ranges from $0.99 to $14.99 per contract and is charged when you make your first payment or fund your first milestone.

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Business Plus

Hire for complex, ongoing work at scale

Get started for free

Everything in Basic, plus:

  • Included

    Curated shortlists—find top talent faster with AI-powered recommendations

  • Included

    Expert-Vetted talent—access to the top 1% of Upwork talent

  • Included

    AI-powered hiring—tools to help you hire faster and with more confidence

  • Included

    Centralized billing—keep team spend in one place

  • Included

    Team workspace—shared hiring with roles and permissions

10% service fee

For example, a $100 contract would cost $110 in total + contract initiation fee A one-time fee per contract of up to $4.99 USD applies to new contracts under $100 USD.

Key Features

Basic Basic

5% service fee

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Business Plus B+

10% service fee

Sign up
Discover trusted talent
Access to Upwork's global work marketplace Included Included

Connect with 18+ million freelancers across 180 countries on Upwork.

ID-verfied talent only Included Included

Upwork verifies every freelancer's identity and location before you connect, so you’re confident in who you’re hiring.

Verified reviews and work history Included Included

See real client feedback and a proven track record of completed projects to help you choose the right freelancer.

Easily filter to top freelancers Included Included

Spot top performers fast with talent badges — awarded to freelancers who consistently deliver strong results, deep expertise, and client satisfaction.

Expert-Vetted talent Included

Hire from the top 1% of freelancers and agencies who are rigorously screened for both technical expertise and soft skills.

Move faster with built-in AI
Guided job post creation Included Included

Describe your project in one or two sentences and let Upwork’s Job Post Generator powered by AI draft a ready-to-customize job post to help you attract great talent faster.

Automatically invite top candidates to apply Included

Uma, Upwork’s AI-powered hiring agent, will automatically invite top candidates to view your job post and apply, helping you connect with the right talent faster.

Curated shortlists of top candidates Limited access Unlimited access

Get a curated shortlist of top applicants to your job post in under 6 hours with Uma, Upwork’s AI-powered hiring agent.

Summarized freelancer work and hours log Limited access Unlimited access

Get a simple, AI-powered overview of the work completed each week, highlighting key tasks and hours so you can review progress quickly and approve payments with confidence.

Engage the right candidates
Freelancer invites per job post 30 60

See someone who's a great fit? Invite qualified freelancers to apply directly to your job post.

Direct messages 5 per day 10 per day

Message freelancers before you hire to discuss availability, rates, and project details — all right on the platform.

Direct contracts Included Included

Bring freelancers and agencies you’ve sourced off-platform onto Upwork to manage trusted relationships and pay them all in one place.

Collaborate and hire
Message, share files, and voice or video call Included Included

Connect in real time in whatever way works best for you, with everything you need to keep projects moving, built right in.

Built-in time tracking tools Included Included

Monitor logged time and work activity in one place to review progress and stay informed on project work.

Automatic team enrollment with company email Included

Allow teammates within your verified company email domain to automatically join your Upwork organization without an invitation.

Admin access for multiple users Included

Share account responsibilities by letting multiple people manage team roles and permissions.

Advanced team management and permissions Included

Organize members into teams and set permissions to manage access, billing, and work visibility for your organization.

Manage and pay
Contract initiation fees Included Included

Pay a one-time Contract Initiation Fee for each new contract you start; Basic plans are charged per contract, while Business Plus plans don’t have an initiation fee except on fixed-price contracts of $100 USD or less.

Payment protection and dispute resolution Included Included

Only pay for work that meets your agreed terms. If you run into an issue, Upwork's protection policies and dispute support have you covered.

Operational and financial reporting Included Included

View and export key activity and financial reports to track work, earnings, and team performance across your Upwork account.

Enhanced performance, time and spend reporting Included

Unlock deeper insights with Business Plus, including Talent Performance and Contract Audit reports for greater visibility into team activity, time, and spend.

30-day payment terms Included

Apply for 30-day payment terms on eligible purchases through our third-party provider, allowing you to pay invoices up to 30 days after billing. (US only)

Receive support
Customer support access Included Premium 24/7

Reach Upwork's support team whenever you need help with account, billing, or contract questions.

API integration access Included Included

Sync Upwork with your existing tools and dashboards to automate hiring and management tasks, pull real-time data, and keep workflows in one place.

Trusted by 800,000 clients

How Demco runs like a company twice its size

Business Plus scales what headcount can’t. Demco brought in specialized freelancers across departments and expanded like a company twice its size.

Try Business Plus

Take the first step toward real results

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Frequently asked questions

What is Upwork’s client service fee and how is it calculated?

For the Basic plan, when you hire on Upwork, you pay a 3% or 5% Marketplace fee on all payments that you make to freelancers for fixed-price and hourly projects, Project Catalog projects, bonuses, Direct Contracts, and BYO contracts.

For the Business Plus plan, when you hire on Upwork, you pay a 10% Business Plus fee on all payments that you make to freelancers for fixed-price and hourly projects, Project Catalog projects, and bonuses.

When do I pay a client service fee?

For the Basic plan and Business Plus plan, you only pay a client service fee when you make a payment and your default billing method will be charged automatically for the balance due. For the Business Plus plan (with Net 30 terms), payment is due 30 days from the end of the invoiced month.

Note: Monthly invoicing with payment terms is only available by application to US-based companies.

Can I change my plan later on?

Any client with Account Admin access can upgrade their account at any time. There are no penalties or restrictions for upgrading.

Any client with Admin Full access can request to downgrade their Business Plus plan to the Basic plan. Business Plus runs on a 30-day membership cycle, and downgrades take effect at the end of your membership cycle. You can manage your membership plan for your Upwork account under Settings / Membership / Change plan.

What payment methods do you accept?

To see which billing method options are available to you, visit your profile settings. Note: Based on your location, your options may vary.

Are there any other fees?

Both the Basic and Business Plus plans do not include upfront costs to join. In addition, you also pay a one-time contract initiation fee for each new Marketplace and Project Catalog contract. For Business Plus, there is no contract initiation fee, with the exception of fixed-price contracts of $100 USD or less.

Business Plus clients can use Direct Contracts to invite and pay freelancers sourced outside of Upwork. Each active Direct Contract is billed at $49/month per active contract.

What are Contract Initiation Fees?

Contract Initiation Fees are one-time fees charged to clients when starting a new Marketplace or Project Catalog contract with a freelancer or agency on Upwork. The fee ranges from $0.99 to $14.99 per contract. For hourly contracts, the fee is charged at the time of the first invoice. For fixed-price contracts, the fee is charged when you fund your first milestone.

Contract Initiation Fees are non-refundable and are not assessed as part of the Marketplace Fee. For Business Plus, a one-time Contract Initiation Fee of up to $4.99 USD applies to new Service Contracts under $100 USD.

How do I get 30-day payment terms?

Business Plus clients in the U.S. may apply for monthly invoicing with 30-day payment terms through our third-party partner. The application process requires submitting business details and supporting documentation. Based on your business profile, your application may result in: immediate approval to activate 30-day payments; a request for additional information; or a decline if the service cannot be provided for your business.

How does Upwork make money?

Upwork earns revenue through service fees on both sides of the marketplace. Clients pay a service fee on contracts — 5% on Basic and 10% on Business Plus. Talent pays a service fee ranging from 0% to 15% per contract. Contract Initiation Fees may also apply to new contracts.