If you’re a beginner actively looking for freelance opportunities, I have good news for you. More than 75% of US businesses prefer freelancers over full-time employees. Translation: More businesses are looking for freelancers which means better opportunities for you. This article presents a list of the 7 best freelance websites for beginners to help you find your first project and many more to come (plus one bonus platform). Let’s keep going.
However, with the demand for freelancers increasing, there’s a huge influx of new freelancers, adding to the already competitive market.
But what if I told you you could secure a job in no time?
You heard it right.
Learn More!
How To Start Freelancing With No Experience? – Tricks To Get Clients!
How to Become a Freelancer on Fiverr? – Proven Strategies!
So, What Are The Best Freelance Websites For Beginners
We’ve shortlisted the top websites that can help you land your first projects. Let’s have a look at them.
Upwork
You must have heard of this platform and there’s a reason why. Upwork has an average revenue of around $1 billion and many freelancers have been able to cross $100k while solely focusing on this platform.
You can start your journey from this platform despite being a beginner, build positive reviews, and eventually scale your earnings by landing bigger projects.
All you have to do to get started is sign up and enhance your profile by adding a portfolio, certificates and licenses, and educational background to show your work experience.
What’s better is that you have multiple ways to land a project. You can simply apply for a job or the clients can even buy your predefined services through a catalog.
You also have several ways for withdrawal, including PayPal, and direct transfer.
Freelancing Focus
● IT & Programming
● Writing & Translation
● Marketing & Sales
● Design
● Business & Admin
Pros
- Large client base
- Time tracking and invoicing tools
- Escrow system
- Freelance talent badges
- Different types of projects
Cons
- Fees
- High competition
- Low-ball offers
- Potential for scams
LinkedIn is one of the best freelance websites for beginners I can swear by. It’s also a social networking platform where you can connect with your peers and ICPs to eventually land your dream job.
Setting up your profile isn’t difficult either. You can sign up for free, create a profile, and add your experience including your skills, and education. Use testimonials sections to ensure you stand out among the sea of freelancers.
Learn More!
How to Start Freelancing Without Experience? – 7 Steps!
Wait. There’s more. With LinkedIn, you can take things ahead and post information related to your niche and industry regularly to increase your exposure and ensure you’re constantly showing up on your client’s feed. This helps build trust and credibility which is crucial if you want to work with big brands..
However, don’t forget to connect with decision makers as more decision makers in your connections equals more opportunities which in turn equals more money.
Freelancing Focus
● Relationship building
● Personal branding
● Industry insights
● Job discovery
Pros
- Brand building
- Lead generation
- Free to use
- Multiple part-time and full-time opportunities
- Connections with Professionals
Cons
- Time-consuming
- No direct project management tools
- Competition
- Relies on direct outreach
Freelancer.com
Several freelancers have rated it as one of the best freelancing websites for beginners. This website came into existence keeping freelancers in mind and allows you to collaborate with companies from around the world and on multiple projects.
Choose the option of a freelancer while signing up. fill out a quick registration form adding information such as your work experience, skills, and educational background and you’re good to go.
What’s different about this site is that you can participate in different contests to bring in that extra cash while also earning some good reviews to build your profile.
However, this platform demands 10% of your total earnings which is less than upwork which demands 20%. Just like Upwork, this platform offers multiple projects when it comes to receiving your payments.
Freelancing Focus
● IT & Programming
● Writing & Content Creation
● Administrative & Customer Support
● Marketing & Sales
● Design & Multimedia
Pros
- Large number of projects
- Flexible work arrangements
- Free basic membership
- Milestone payments
- Time tracking tools
Cons
- Price-focused clients
- Quality control concerns
- High competition
- Limited client communication
Jooble
Securing 4th position as one of the best freelance websites for beginners, consider Jooble as a search engine for job vacancies. It collects jobs from 140,000 sources including job boards, corporate websites, and freelancing platforms.
The best part about Jooble is that you don’t have to check multiple freelance boards. Instead, all you have to do is type in your region and discover job opportunities in that region.
If you run away from passing a rigorous verification, consider yourself lucky. Without even creating an account, you can type the keyword for the job, apply filters, and boom, you’re connected to your potential clients.
Freelancing Focus
● Writing and Editing
● Design and Creative
● IT and Programming
● Marketing and Sales
Pros
- Diverse job listings
- Location flexibility
- Time-saving
- Free of cost
Cons
- No direct client interaction
- High competition
- No project management tools
FlexJobs
Flexjobs is a subscription platform that focuses more on flexible job offers. This includes part-time and full-time work, jobs offering temporary work, and alternative schedules.
Although you’d have to pay some fees initially, what you’d like the most about it is how all the jobs posted are legitimate. It verifies all the jobs and filters out scams and fake companies so you have financial security.
So if you’re tired of applying for jobs on best freelancing websites for beginners only to realize later that they are scams, signing up for a subscription on FlexJobs is the way to go. Choose your plan and say yes to unlimited job opportunities, along with a personalized work portfolio and free skill testing and career advice.
Freelancing Focus
● Writing and Editing
● Content marketing
● Virtual assisting
● Transcription
● Customer service
Pros
- Higher job quality
- Variety of roles
- User-friendly interface
Cons
- Freelance-specific features only
- Requires a paid subscription
PeoplePerHour
This website has successfully secured its name among the best freelancing websites for beginners and freelancers who claim to have gotten jobs here. As you’d have guessed, it lets you work on an hourly basis and is a great option if you’re looking to build your portfolio.
Sign up on the website, set up your profile by adding your skills, and submit your application. Once that’s accepted, you can start applying for jobs based on your requirements.
One good thing about PeoplePerHour is that here, you can negotiate your rates, send offers, and set your prices. Once the project is completed, you can easily send your invoice through the dashboard and have money transferred to your account.
Freelancing Focus
● IT and programming
● Design and Multimedia
● Writing and translation
● Marketing and sales
● Business and Administration
Pros
- Wide range of services
- Hourly and fixed-price projects
- Payment protection
- Workroom feature
Cons
- High competition
- Low paying client
- Charges a service fee
SimplyHired
Let’s face it. No one wants to spend hours shifting through different job boards.
The reason why this is considered one of the best freelance websites for beginners is because it takes the burden off your shoulders and collects all the job postings in one place. Sounds like a deal. Right?
Not only this, you’ll get job opportunities in various fields including finance and marketing. The only thing you need to do is to type your relevant keywords in the search box and add your city and ZIP code for more specific results.
If you’re aiming for a particular industry, SimplyHired helps you with that too. You can even learn about their pay scales and reviews left by previous workers.
Freelancing Focus
● Writing and Editing
● Design and creative
● IT and programming
● Sales and marketing
Pros
- Large job database
- Free to use
- Variety of industries
Cons
- Not exclusively for freelancers
- Lower quality control
- Limited freelance-specific features
Facebook Groups
Coming from a freelancer itself, this has all the power to help you get your first project.
I refer it to all the freelancers who are looking to get their first projects and build a strong portfolio. All you have to do is join niche-specific groups related to your skills and keep applying for roles that align with your goals.
Although you might come across opportunities that don’t pay you well, it still is a good place to get started and build a portfolio of published work.
Also, with Facebook groups, you can even get your hands on 100s of job postings in a day, reach out to them via cover letters, and hence increase your chances of acceptance. Meanwhile, no more waiting for job postings.
Last but not least, you can network with people here and post regularly to build your brand without spending a single penny on anything.
Freelancing Focus
● Writing and Editing
● Graphic design and web development
● Virtual assistant and administrative support
● Marketing and social media management
● Freelance business and entrepreneurship
Conclusion
Getting jobs as a beginner is not an easy feat. I have been there too and know firsthand how you feel. But you know the best part? With determination and hard work, you can land your first good-paying project.
You can sign on job boards like Jooble and Facebook groups and continuously apply for new job offers. However, if you can spare some money, there are many options available with Upwork being freelancers’ favorite.
At the end of the day, it boils down to how much effort you’re willing to put in. There are tons of websites available and we’ve shortlisted the best freelance websites for beginners to help you decide which one to choose.
FAQs
What are the best freelance websites for beginners without investment?
The best websites for beginner freelance include Freelancer.com, Guru, PeoplePerHour, and Truelancer. These are the platforms that don’t require upfront costs like you have to do in Upwork to buy connects. You can try your luck with multiple job postings and the more you apply, the higher the chances of landing the job.
Can you start freelancing with no experience?
Short answer: yes.
Long answer, many industries are looking for fresh freelancers to mold them according to their requirements. Plus, there are multiple sources available that you can leverage to learn skills and become good at them. Once clients see the passion and determination you have, I’m sure they’ll be happy to take you on board.
Is Upwork a good career?
Well, it depends on the type of freelance business you’re in. The reason why some people can’t succeed is because of the cutthroat competition. You’re competing against experts that are too global, which isn’t easy. However, once you become good at your craft, you can charge around $100 per hour. So yes, Upwork is a good career.
