Questions and answers
How much does Upwork charge clients?
Clients pay 5% of each transaction on Basic, or 3% by ACH for eligible clients. Business Plus costs 10%, or 8% by ACH. On a $2,000 contract, Basic adds $100 and Business Plus adds $200. [1]
How much does Upwork take from freelancers?
Contracts formed before May 2025 paid a flat 10%. Since May 2025 the fee is 0% to 15% per contract, fixed when the contract starts. A $100 contract pays a freelancer $85 to $100. [1]
What are Connects, and what do they cost?
Connects are the tokens you spend to bid. Guides put them at $0.15 each, with 10 free a month on Basic and extra Connects sold in packs of at least 10. Upwork's Q3 2026 10-Q says it is optimizing its Connects pricing model, so check the price when you buy. [2] [4] [5]
Are Connects refunded if a client does not hire me?
One reviewer says support told them they are not refunded when a client does not respond. Plan for every bid to cost you its Connects. [3]
Is Freelancer Plus worth it?
Only if you bill more than about $400 a month through Direct Contracts. Plus costs $19.99 a month for 100 Connects, and buying its 90 extra Connects at $0.15 costs $13.50. [2] [4]
Is Upwork legit, and is my money safe?
Upwork holds a California internet escrow agent licence, and fixed-price funds are paid into escrow before work starts. Its BBB profile shows an A+ grade alongside 487 complaints in three years, and Upwork is not BBB accredited. [1] [4] [6]
Why was my account suspended after identity checks?
Identity checks can lead to suspension, and reviews describe appeals as final. SmartCustomer lists nine closed-account reviews among about 2,100 from 2024 to 2026, and most threads do not show Upwork's side. Keep your documents current and answer checks promptly. [3] [7]
Does Upwork use my work to train AI, and can I opt out?
From 5 January 2026, Terms.law reports, work product, communications and other platform data are used for AI training unless you opt out. Another guide says the default is off, so check Settings, then Privacy Settings, then AI Preferences. Opting out does not undo content already used. [8] [9]
Is Upwork shrinking?
Active clients fell to 785,000 at the end of 2025, down 6% from 832,000, and to 763,000 in Q2 2026. Spending per active client rose 7% in 2025, to $5,129, so the platform takes more from fewer clients. Revenue fell 8% in Q3 2026 to $185.6 million. [1] [10] [5]
What is Upwork's 2026 revenue guidance?
Upwork guided $835 million to $850 million in February, then cut it to $730 million to $750 million in its August release. A November call summary gives $742 million to $750 million. [11] [10] [12]
Does Upwork charge a withdrawal fee?
It can. A Trustpilot reviewer reported a $2.99 fee on top of the 15% fee in October 2026, and a 2022 Hacker News post described $30 to a non-US bank. Lemon.io lists no withdrawal fee and describes a five-day hold, then about a week to clear. [13] [14] [2]
Can I find clients without paying a marketplace cut?
In a 2023 Hacker News thread, most commenters said their best work came from referrals. [15]