How To Get Free Connects on Upwork in 2026

Freelancers on Upwork may get 10 free Connects every month. Upwork also rewards free Connects to recognize certain activities or, occasionally, as part of other initiatives. You can also purchase Connects in bundles or get additional monthly Connects by upgrading to a Freelancer Plus membership.

Key takeaways about free Connects on Upwork

• Freelancers on Upwork may get 10 free Connects per month on the Basic plan or 100 with Freelancer Plus ($19.99/month).
• Earn additional free Connects by receiving specific talent badges (30 each), scoring interviews, or redeeming an Upwork Connects promo code.
• New freelancers may receive up to 50 free Connects as a one-time bonus.
• Unused Connects roll over each month and expire one year after reward or purchase.

When you’re a freelancer on Upwork, Connects are like a virtual token you can use to submit proposals for projects and run ads. The Upwork Future Workforce Index 2025 found that one in four U.S. skilled knowledge workers now freelance, and independent professionals generated $1.5 trillion in earnings in 2024 alone. As additional talented professionals join the platform, learning how to get free Connects and use them strategically helps you stand out for projects you want to win. 

In this guide, we’ll explain how to get free Connects on Upwork, how to use them, and tips for managing your balance.

How Connects work on Upwork

If you’re new to learning what Connects are, Connects help independent professionals “connect” with clients to express interest in job posts and enhance visibility through ads. These virtual tokens help keep the marketplace free of spam by encouraging freelancers to be intentional about the proposals they send, while also signaling to potential clients their level of interest. 

You can use Connects to submit proposals or to get in front of potential clients by using ads on Upwork. Examples of this are boosting a proposal to the top of a client’s list or using the Availability Badge to signal that you’re ready to take on new work.

Free Connects versus buying Connects

While there are actions and activities to earn free Connects on Upwork, you can also get more Connects by purchasing them in bundles of 10 or a custom amount. Each Connect costs $0.15, and you can buy them using your earnings balance or billing method on file. Each month, unused Connects will roll over — there’s no limit on the number of Connects you can keep. Connect tokens will be used in the order you get them, and any that are unused will expire after one year. 

You can set aside a reserve balance of up to $250 in your automatic payment schedule to cover the cost of Connects and Freelancer Plus membership plans. If your balance falls below the reserve amount, Upwork will automatically use your earnings to restore it.

How to get free Connects on Upwork in 2026

Before you start earning Connects through activities, Upwork offers two ways to receive free Connects just for being on the platform.

• New freelancers can receive a one-time bonus when they purchase Connects or subscribe to Freelancer Plus.
• All freelancers may receive a monthly allocation of free Connects based on their plan.

Get free Connects as a one-time new registration bonus

Before you can start using Upwork as a freelancer, you need to register for a new account. At that time, you may be prompted to purchase a bundle of Connects or to subscribe to our Freelancer Plus plan. Once you’ve selected an option, you may receive a one-time bonus of 50 Connects to help you start building your business on Upwork.

Check out the complete guide on how to become a freelancer.

Get free Connects monthly

Receiving free Connects each month at no extra cost depends on the offers that were available when you first signed up for Upwork. For example, you may receive 10 free Connects each month on the first day of your billing cycle, or you may get 50 free tokens when you first purchase a bundle of Connects or subscribe to a Freelancer Plus plan.

How to earn free Connects on Upwork

Connects are an investment in your freelance career. While you can buy them in bundles or be awarded them on Upwork for free, there are ways to earn free Connects, too. Occasionally, Upwork may reward additional free Connects to help freelancers find new opportunities. We can’t share the specifics because we don’t want to encourage anyone to try to “game” the system, but there are potential opportunities to keep in mind:

• Earning a new talent badge
• Scoring an interview
  

Redeem a Connects promo code reward

Upwork gives free Connects as a thank you for performing select activities from time to time that enhance your experience or support the Upwork community. If you’re eligible and participate in one of these limited promotions, you’ll receive an Upwork Connects promo code you can use to redeem free Connects.

How to use an Upwork Connects promo code:

1. Go to Connects and choose Buy Connects
2. Select an amount
3. Enter your coupon or promo code
4. Choose Apply

Earn a new talent badge for 30 free Connects

Earning a specific talent badge awards you 30 free Connects. As a freelancer, these badges can help you stand out to clients so you land more interviews and job invites. They’re also displayed publicly on your profile and let clients know that you’re among the top talent on the platform. 

The talent badges that help you earn free Connects include:

• Rising Talent. Awarded to freelancers who show the potential to deliver high-quality work based on their early Upwork activity and history of success outside of Upwork.
• Top Rated. Awarded to the top 10% of freelancers on Upwork based on a number of criteria, including a complete profile, earnings, and your Job Success Score. 
• Top Rated Plus. Awarded to the top 3% of freelancers on Upwork. You must earn a Top Rated badge first.

You can earn 30 free Connects for each badge that you earn. 

(The Expert-Vetted badge, available in select categories on an invitation-only basis to the top 1% of talent, does not include bonus Connects.)

Score an interview for free Connects

Freelancers may receive free Connects on Upwork after interviewing with an established client. Keep in mind that this won’t happen for every interview, and the amount varies and may not be equal to the amount you spent to send your proposal. To prevent people from gaming the system, we don’t share the criteria we use to decide whether a client is considered “established.” However, they’re generally clients who have hired and spent money on Upwork in the past.

Get 100 free Connects monthly with Freelancer Plus

Creating an Upwork account is free, but if you want to grow your business, you can upgrade to Freelancer Plus for $19.99 per month. Freelancer Plus members receive 100 free Connects each month and, on average, have a 50% higher chance of being hired. When you get free Connects on Upwork as a Freelancer Plus member, you can spend them on proposals and ads and receive other perks like: 

• Proposal insights to help you strategize your bids with real-time information
• 0% service fees when you bring new clients to Upwork through direct contracts
• Full access to Uma, Upwork’s Mindful AI 
• Customizable job alerts for instant notifications about jobs that match your skills 
• Custom profile URL
• Keep your profile active even when you take a break
• Keep your earnings private

Remember that any Connects that you don’t use roll over. There’s no limit on how many Connects you can have, but they do expire one year after they’ve been purchased, awarded, or earned. 

What is an Upwork Connects promo code?

An Upwork Connects promo code is a limited-time code that gives you free Connects when redeemed. Upwork occasionally distributes these codes through email campaigns, in-app notifications, or special promotions — often targeting new freelancers or those returning to the platform after a break. Promo codes are not always available, and they typically expire within a few days of being issued.

If you receive a promo code, you can redeem it by going to Connects, choosing Buy Connects, selecting the amount, and entering your code before completing the purchase. The free Connects from your code will be applied automatically. Keep an eye on your email and Upwork notifications so you don't miss one when it comes around.

Tips for managing free Connects wisely

Many freelancers start with free Connects on Upwork each month — 10 on the Basic plan or 100 with Freelancer Plus. You’ll want to make sure you’re using them wisely for maximum impact. Be strategic about how you use your Connects so they become a true investment in your career. 

Start by creating a Connects budget and deciding how many Connects you’d like to have each month and what you should spend them on. The Connects Calculator can help you figure this out. Once you start landing clients and earning income on Upwork, you can use your earnings to pay for additional Connects. 

1. Keep an eye on your Connects balance

Just like your bank account, you want to keep an eye on your Connects balance so you can be mindful with your spending. 

To check your Connects balance, go to Find Work. Your balance is shown on the right underneath the “Connects” drop-down. 

Click on “View details” to see more details about your billing cycle and view your Connects history.  This is also where you can track when your monthly free Connects are added to your balance.

2. Use free Connects to run targeted ads

Freelancers can grow their businesses by using Connects to run ads on Upwork and keep them active. Ads can help you stand out and get discovered by more potential clients. They’re a strategic tool for increasing your visibility when and where it matters most. Choose from three different ads, depending on your goals:  

• Boosted Proposal. Bid to have clients see your proposal first. 
• Boosted Profile. Appear at the top of client search results to receive job invites. 
• Availability Badge. Let clients know that you’re ready to take on work right now.

3. Create a stand-out profile before using Connects

Spend time creating your Upwork profile. This is how you’ll win interviews and job invites. Your profile should clearly let clients know who you are, what you do best, and why they should hire you.

You need a profile that stands out to maximize your chance of success. Make sure your profile is 100% complete — this is a requirement for earning and maintaining talent badges, which can award 30 free Connects each. 

When you submit proposals to potential clients, your profile is a key part of the package. Your profile is your introduction to prospective clients — an important opportunity to grab attention and set yourself apart from the competition. 

Clients can search for talent with the skills they need on Upwork and send job invites. If you receive a job invite, you won’t need to use any Connects to submit a proposal. A strong profile that effectively markets your skills can help clients come to you, so you can save your Connects and spend less time looking for jobs. 

4. Use Connects for jobs that match your skill set

Whether you’re applying to your first job or fifteenth, always make sure you’re actually a good fit for the project. Review the job post and requirements to make sure they match your skills and availability before spending free Connects. 

Freelancer Plus subscribers can turn on Job Alerts to get instant notifications when clients post jobs that match their skills and interests, to be one of the first few freelancers to submit proposals.Upwork’s internal algorithm compares freelancer proposals to the client’s job posting. When organizing proposals for clients, the closest matches will appear at the top of the results list. Being closely aligned with the job posting increases your chances of clients seeing your proposal.

5. Review the job post and client before spending free Connects

If the project appears to be a good fit, you’ll still want to dig deeper into the job post before you spend your free Connects. 

Start by checking the job activity to see how competitive the posting is. You’ll be able to see how many proposals the client has received. If the job has been posted for a while, the client may already be interviewing other freelancers.

Ideally, you want to be one of the first few freelancers to submit a proposal. While you can still submit a proposal for a project that already has many applicants or has freelancers in the interview stage, it may be more difficult to get the client’s attention and your proposal may not be viewed.

Before bidding on a project, review the client’s history on Upwork. Read their reviews to see if other freelancers enjoyed working with them. You’ll find many different types of clients on Upwork, and some may have red flags or be a better fit for your style than others. 

Subscribing to a Freelancer Plus membership will give you access to proposal insights. This will allow you to see what your competitors are bidding on a job post and give real-time information on job opportunities, so you can adjust your strategy. 

6. Write and submit compelling proposals

It costs Connects to submit proposals on Upwork, and crafting a winning proposal helps you get more from each free Connect you spend. The more targeted your proposals, the fewer Connects you spend before landing a contract.

When you click on a job posting to learn more, you’ll see how many Connects are required to submit a proposal. Upwork calculates this based on a range of factors, including project size, scope, and market demand.

Instead of making your profile, proposals, and communication all about you, focus on the needs of the potential client and how you can be a benefit to them. Demonstrate the value you can add and how you've successfully helped clients with similar problems in the past. 

Keep your pitch short and direct — 100 to 300 words will typically tell the client everything they need to know. You can open Uma chat and answer a few questions to have Uma generate the first draft of your proposal based on your responses. Always review and customize the draft to create a compelling proposal.

If you want to show clients that you’re really interested in their job, you can also boost your proposal using additional Connects so it’s in one of four "Boosted" slots.

Start your Upwork journey with free Connects

Earning free Connects or purchasing them on Upwork enables you to invest in your success and freelance career. Maintaining a strong Job Success Score helps when it comes to earning talent badges, which can award free Connects. 

Finally, you can upgrade to a Freelancer Plus membership, which can help you more effectively market your services, submit proposals, and stand out from the crowd. Freelancer Plus offers plenty of great perks, including better visibility and more free Connects! Upgrade today.