Fiverr: What It Is, How It Works and What It Costs

What is Fiverr?

Fiverr is an Israeli company founded in 2010 in Tel Aviv by Micha Kaufman and Shai Wininger. It is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and is one of the best-known freelance platforms worldwide. Its name comes from its origins: at first every service cost USD 5.

Today each freelancer sets their own prices and there is a bit of everything: logo design, video editing, programming, translation, voice-over, digital marketing, copywriting and AI services. The site has a Spanish version, but most buyers search and write in English.

How Fiverr works step by step

The big difference from Workana or Upwork is that on Fiverr you generally don't apply to projects: you list a service and wait for the buyer to find you.

• The freelancer creates a “gig”: a service with a description, photos, delivery times and up to three price packages (basic, standard and premium).
• The buyer searches, compares gigs and buys a package, or asks for a custom offer in the chat.
• The buyer pays upfront and Fiverr holds the money while the order is in progress.
• The freelancer delivers; the buyer accepts (or the order completes on its own if they don't respond) and both rate each other.
• The money stays “pending” during the clearance period and can be withdrawn afterwards.

How much does Fiverr charge?

According to Fiverr's help center, the freelancer receives 80% of each order: the platform keeps 20%, and that includes extras and tips. There are no tiers that lower the percentage over time or with volume.

On top of that, the buyer pays a 5.5% service fee on the purchase amount and, on orders under USD 200, an additional flat fee of USD 3.50. On a USD 500 order, the buyer pays USD 527.50, the freelancer receives USD 400 and Fiverr keeps USD 127.50.

Levels, Fiverr Pro and Seller Plus

Fiverr ranks its freelancers in levels (Level 1, Level 2 and Top Rated) based on metrics such as success score, rating, response rate, number of orders and earnings. Top Rated also goes through a manual review. Moving up a level doesn't lower the fee, but it gives more visibility and, for Top Rated, a shorter clearance period.

Fiverr Pro is a separate program for professionals vetted by the platform, with higher-budget clients. And Seller Plus is a paid subscription for freelancers: the help center lists Kickstart (USD 15 per month), Standard (USD 25 per month) and Premium (USD 49 per month), with promotion tools, analytics and priority support.

How you get paid on Fiverr from Latin America

When an order is completed, the money is held for 14 days before it becomes available (less for Top Rated and Fiverr Pro). After that you can withdraw it via PayPal, a Payoneer account, bank transfer through Payoneer or the Fiverr Revenue Card, depending on your country. Some methods have a flat fee per withdrawal, and PayPal or Payoneer may add their own fees and exchange rate.

The free alternative: WorkIsThere

WorkIsThere is a 100% free freelance platform for the 20 countries of Latin America, in Spanish, Portuguese and English. It works with projects and proposals: the client posts what they need and freelancers apply. There is real-time chat, a workspace with progress updates and deliveries, and mutual ratings.

It charges no one a fee and has no paid plans. Each freelancer gets 4 proposals per week and adds 2 permanent ones for every finished job. WorkIsThere doesn't process payments: client and freelancer agree on how to pay (bank transfer, Mercado Pago, Pix, PayPal, Payoneer, Wise…), so it's best to work in deliveries.