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Upwork dominates the freelance talent industry, accounting for 61% of the market. But is it really the best option?
As businesses increasingly seek talent beyond the office, they're looking for Upwork alternatives that are more reliable, high-quality and cost-friendly.
Here we’ll analyze the best Upwork competitors, including why TECLA stands out above the rest. Plus, we’ll go over hiring tips so you select the right pros for your needs!
Why Businesses Seek Upwork Alternatives
80% of businesses are actively thinking of hiring nearshore talent. While Upwork is a major player – with a record 855,000 clients – it might not be the best choice. Specifically, businesses on Upwork are facing the following challenges.
High Platform Fees and Freelancer Costs
Upwork charges businesses between 5-10%+ of the job price, plus a contract initiation fee. For large IT projects, these extra costs can quickly add up. At the same time, freelancers are charged fees (10%), which can inflate their quoted prices.
Challenges in Finding High-Quality and Reliable Professionals
The quality of talent on Upwork varies widely and many businesses report lower-quality skills than advertised, as well as missed deadlines and other issues. While you can check freelancer reviews, it’s still not 100% reliable.
Time-Consuming Hiring Process and Competition for Talent
Upwork is known for its fierce competition. A given project may have upwards of 50+ candidates, which you’ll have to sort through yourself. The process isn’t intuitive for all businesses either, as clients have to complete multiple steps to hire.
The Need for More Specialized Platforms
Clients looking for specialized skills or industries may be out of luck on Upwork. Often you’ll find richer talent pools on freelance job sites that are dedicated to your needed skill set (i.e. tech-only options).
Top Upwork Alternatives and Their Benefits
Let’s analyze the most popular Upwork alternatives, so you can leverage the best sites to hire nearshore workers. By understanding Upwork vs. competitors, you can make an informed hiring choice to ramp up your next project.
1. Freelancer.com
Freelancer.com has a similar feel to Upwork, with a large pool of 60 million global freelancers. On a positive note, fees are slightly less than Upwork (3% for clients; 10% for freelancers).
Yet, this freelancer hiring site faces many of the same challenges as Upwork. It’s a competitive market that may not have the dependable or specialized talent you need.
2. Fiverr
Fiverr is a gig-based freelance platform where sellers post their skills and buyers can “order” them. It’s an easy way to quickly ramp up one-off projects, but it lacks more long-term hiring options.
Often it’s difficult to engage talent in large-scale, ongoing work that you would need for tech products. Additionally, fees on Fiverr are higher (5.5% for clients; 20% for freelancers).
3. Toptal
Toptal has a reputation as a premium marketplace that connects businesses exclusively with the top 3% of talent. While accessing vetted talent is great, Toptal can quickly get expensive.
Although they don’t take a cut of the job price, freelancers charge top dollar for their services (plus you’ll be responsible for a $500 deposit). For many businesses, the pricing is just too high to be sustainable.
4. PeoplePerHour
PeoplePerHour is another excellent Upwork alternative that’s focused on professional services. One sticking point is that their reach is limited, with only 3 million freelancers mostly based in Europe.
For U.S. companies looking for real-time collaboration, PeoplePerHour might not have top talent in shared time zones. Another downside is that their fees are on par with Upwork (10% for clients; between 3.5-20% for freelancers).
5. TECLA
Last but not least, TELA is a trusted nearshore hiring solution with vetted LatAm talent. Our elite pool of professionals is 50,000 strong and ideal for U.S. companies seeking long-term relationships.
Our rigorous screening process means that every developer in our network has specialized technical skills, communicates well and is keen for career-driven opportunities. What’s more, our hiring process is seamless and cost-effective, with salaries that are 40-50% less than U.S.-based professionals.
Why TECLA Is the Best Alternative for Nearshore Hiring
TECLA is a go-to tech talent solution that’s known for technical excellence, engagement reliability and long-term focus. Here’s why you should consider TECLA for nearshore hiring alternatives.
1. Access to High-Quality, Pre-Vetted LatAm Professionals
We use a deep screening process to check technical and soft skill fit for every professional in our network. As a result, we connect you with world-class talent according to your requirements.
2. Lower Fees and Better Cost Efficiency Compared to Traditional Freelance Platforms
Our mission is to provide you with high-value and long-term hires that keep your budget affordable. Salary rates for our LatAm professionals are competitive for the region, but notably lower than the U.S. – up to half the cost!
Plus, we’re proud of our transparent pricing structure that ensures there are no surprises when you engage with our talent.
3. Stronger Alignment with U.S. Time Zones for Better Collaboration
Our talent doesn’t just have the technical caliber and specialization you need. All our professionals are located in shared time zones in Latin America and well-versed in U.S. workplace culture. In this way, they can achieve strong, business-aligned collaboration.
4. Support in Finding the Right Fit for Long-Term Nearshore Roles
At TECLA, we support you at every stage in your tech talent life cycle. In particular, we’re keen to help you find the right developers for long-term roles. That’s why we create personalized recruitment and retention strategies so that your talent needs are met now and into the future.
How to Hire Nearshore Talent Through TECLA
Using nearshore work marketplaces doesn’t have to be complicated. At TECLA, we’ve streamlined recruitment using the highest tech talent standards in the industry.
Simple and Efficient Hiring Process
Let us know your ideal candidate profile, including experience level, specializations and location. Our talent specialists will get back to you within days and handle all the logistics on your behalf, including interview scheduling, hiring paperwork and more.
Personalized Matching to Ensure the Right Fit
We hand-select talent matches from our pre-vetted pool of experts. To optimize fit, we are meticulous about finding developers who meet your full technical and soft skill requirements.
We Make Sure You’re 100% Satisfied
Once you’ve found the right professional, we’ll support you through hiring and onboarding. We make a point to check in during your initial engagement period and guarantee you’re satisfied with your hire. Overall, our clients say our services are “extremely attentive” and “uniform and smooth.”
Choose TECLA Nearshore Hiring
Upwork isn’t your only option for scaling complex tech needs. Take advantage of high-value Upwork alternatives like us. TECLA is a best choice to hire first-rate and cost-effective nearshore tech talent.
At TECLA, we connect you to best-fit tech specialists located in Latin America. Our mission is to empower your business with elite developers, while also keeping your budget affordable. Get in touch to hire top tech talent today!
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