Upwork Fees and Connects: What It Really Costs

Freelancer service fee: 0% to 15%

Until 2025, Upwork charged a fixed percentage. Now the fee is variable: according to Upwork, it ranges from 0% to 15% of everything you earn (including bonuses), is set for each contract based on factors like the type of work and demand, and you see it before sending the proposal or accepting the offer. Once the contract has started, it doesn't change.

It's only deducted when you get paid. On Direct Contracts (clients you bring to Upwork yourself), the fee is 5% on the Basic plan and 0% with Freelancer Plus.

Connects: what you pay to apply

Each proposal uses Connects. Upwork sells each Connect at USD 0.15 (in packs, with a minimum of 10) and decides how many each job asks for based on its size, scope and demand; the number appears in the listing before you apply. You can also “boost” a proposal by offering extra Connects to appear higher up.

The free plan includes 10 Connects per month. Freelancer Plus costs USD 19.99 per month and includes 100 Connects per month, according to Upwork's help center.

What the client pays

On the Basic plan, the client pays a 5% marketplace fee on each payment (3% for some US clients who pay with a bank account) and a contract initiation fee of USD 0.99 to USD 14.99 for each new contract, even if they have worked with that freelancer before. The Business Plus plan has a different fee structure.

Full example: a USD 500 contract

Let's assume a USD 500 fixed-price project with a 10% freelancer fee, which you applied to with a 10-Connect proposal (USD 1.50), and a client on the Basic plan:

• The freelancer receives USD 450 in their balance (USD 448.50 if we subtract the Connects).
• The client pays USD 525 (USD 500 + 5%), plus a contract initiation fee of between USD 0.99 and USD 14.99.
• If the freelancer withdraws via Direct to Local Bank, Upwork charges USD 0.99 per withdrawal; via USD wire transfer, USD 50.
• In total, between both parties, Upwork keeps between USD 76 and USD 90 in fees on a USD 500 job, not counting Connects or withdrawal costs.
• On WorkIsThere, the same job: the freelancer gets USD 500, the client pays USD 500 and applying cost nothing.

Withdrawal costs

The available methods depend on your country: Direct to Local Bank (USD 0.99 per withdrawal, in local currency), Payoneer (with a small transfer fee), PayPal and USD wire transfer (USD 50 per withdrawal). Your bank, PayPal or Payoneer may add their own fees and exchange rate.

Can you avoid Upwork's fees?

Not within Upwork: the fees are part of its terms, and paying a client you met there outside the platform is prohibited. What you can do is choose carefully which jobs you apply to in order to spend fewer Connects. The legitimate way to avoid fees is to use a platform that doesn't charge them, like WorkIsThere: 0% for freelancers and clients and free proposals.