18 Freelance Sites to Find Your Next Gig

Peter Daisyme

VIP Contributor

Co-founder of Hostt 

 

Consider this: Freelancers are expected to become the U.S. workforce majority in the near future. That means we can expect to see more and more freelancing job boards appear. That's not to say we need them. Take a look at the Google search results for “freelance jobs.” You’ll find hundreds of websites that can connect you with prospective clients.

The problem, however, is that not all job boards are created equal. Some are a bit suspicious, causing both freelancers and businesses to question their legitimacy. Others are meant only for seasoned veterans. There are also boards capable of finding work quickly for freelancers, but they won’t get paid very much. Consider it the "price of entry" to the freelance realm.

These obstacles make finding freelance work more complicated than it has to be. That’s why I’ve put together a list of 18 freelance sites to help entrepreneurs find their next gig. Each of these sites is reputable and can be used by freelancers of all experience levels, empowering people to make the most of their skills in a shaky economy.

4. Upwork

Upwork has been around in some form for years. Elance and oDesk were formed in 1999 and 2003, respectively, and merged to found Upwork. Today, Upwork is one of the largest freelance marketplaces in the world, hosting millions of freelancers in industries like design, development, accounting, marketing, writing and customer service.

Like Toptal, freelancers can find short-term tasks, recurring projects and even full-time contract work. Upwork is good for both entry-level and experienced freelancers because of the variety of work listed.

5. Freelancer

Freelancer states that it’s the “the world’s largest outsourcing marketplace,” connecting more than 30 million employees and freelancers across 247 countries. With Freelancer, you can a find a couple of different ways to work. The first way is by creating a profile that highlights your freelancing skills. When a client needs your specific skills, he can chat with you in real time.

The other way is by browsing for work and placing bids on projects that match your talents and interests. When your work is complete, you’ll receive a secure payment via the site’s Milestone Payment System.

6. SimplyHired

SimplyHired is a job search engine that helps people find remote or local work in 12 different countries. SimplyHired contains more than 100 job boards, meaning you'll have access to millions of job openings ranging from marketing to customer service. You can even find nursing and warehouse work.

You can also search for both part-time and full-time work, making SimplyHired a great platform to quickly land a job. It produces a blog that contains helpful advice on how to make yourself more attractive to recruiters.

See all 18 sites and the complete Entrepreneur article