Is Upwork Safe? What Clients and Freelancers Need To Know

Whether you’re trying to find a freelance job or you want to hire a freelancer to help you with a project, you might be confused about the best path forward. If you haven’t yet used a work marketplace like Upwork, the idea of working with someone you’ve never met can (understandably) seem strange or uncomfortable — but Upwork has over a decade of experience helping freelancers and their clients make genuine connections so that their work together is productive and safe.

When you use Upwork, you benefit from the platform’s project management tools, screening processes, contracts, secure payment processing, dispute resolution support, and more.

I’ve been working with clients (and hiring freelancers) through Upwork for six years, and I’m here to walk you through why Upwork is a safe option for clients and freelancers of all experience levels.

How does Upwork keep you safe?

Upwork has created a series of guardrails and processes to help keep its users safe, including identity verification, payment protection, reporting tools, built-in contracts and invoices, and access to a customer support team.

As one example of how these guardrails help real-world clients, Reddit user u/sachiprecious finds their Upwork account to be a safe way to work, saying “Upwork lets you see freelancers’ work history and testimonials so you can get a feel for their experience and reliability … I recommend having a video call interview with freelancers before you hire them. Upwork has a built-in feature that lets you schedule (video) calls with freelancers using Upwork’s messaging and scheduling system … Upwork has a wide variety of freelancers, some with little experience and some with years of experience.”

And from the perspective of a freelance agency, Redditor u/OneAussieCow agrees — they say, “Yea, it’s legit! You can make good money on Upwork. When I first built my digital agency I basically got all my clients from Upwork.”

Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels

Upwork’s safety features for freelancers

As a freelancer on Upwork, you don’t have to figure out how to create a contract or send an invoice, as it’s all built into the platform. You can also be confident that the clients you contact on Upwork are actually looking for freelance help — they’ve posted a job or request on the platform, after all.

As you search for work and start a contract, you’ll benefit from freelancer-specific features and safety measures like:

• Project funds. Upwork’s project funds system requires your client to supply payment for fixed-price projects in advance. Upwork then holds onto this money until your work is completed, submitted, and approved — at which point it’s paid to you.
• Upwork’s desktop time tracking app. If you prefer to work hourly, the Upwork desktop app automatically logs your time and submits it to your client for review so you don’t have to remember to track your time and create an invoice.
• Verified client payment methods. When browsing for jobs on Upwork, you can see if clients have already verified their payment method or not. This can offer added peace of mind that your client is serious about hiring. Redditor u/silversatire says “it’s a good indicator the client has shared a real payment account with Upwork.”

Upwork’s safety features for clients

Clients also benefit from platform features that are built to make Upwork safe. These include:

• Project funds. The project funds system helps to keep clients on Upwork safe, too, as you won’t pay for work that you don’t receive.
• Freelancer profiles. Upwork’s freelancer profiles make it easy to see if someone’s the right fit for a project. As you browse profiles on Upwork, you’ll be able to see freelancers’ experience, read reviews from past clients, and view portfolio examples. Plus, Upwork’s talent badges and job success scores (JSS) make it easy to evaluate freelancers at a glance.
• Verified freelancer identities. Upwork allows for (and sometimes requests) freelancer identity verification. The process typically compares the freelancer’s appearance on camera to their government-issued photo ID, and may also verify their working location for regulatory compliance. As a client, you can opt to only work with verified freelancers for added peace of mind.

And whether you’re working as a client or freelancer on Upwork, you can also benefit from the platform’s dispute resolution process and reporting tools. If you’re having an issue with someone you’re working with or simply want to flag a suspicious job or profile for review, the Upwork team is ready to help.

7 tips for staying safe on Upwork

All of Upwork’s safety features mean that when you work with someone for the first time on the platform, you can be more confident in their identity and abilities than if you were to find them elsewhere online.

That said, it can always be a nerve-wracking experience to work with someone new for the first time. It requires a lot of trust and faith in the other party — and also in Upwork.

The seven steps listed here can help you stay safe when working with someone on a new project.

1. Start small

Starting every working relationship with a test project is smart, as it lets you make sure all parties are compatible and aligned. Freelancers can gain confidence in a client’s communication style and payment method, and clients can see what kind of work the freelancer produces.

On Upwork, you have the option to do paid consultations in lieu of a test project. These paid consultations are another great way to get to know each other before committing to a big, expensive contract with multiple milestones.

2. Always have a contract in place

Contracts outline what a project will and won’t include, how much the freelancer will be paid, and what everyone’s responsibilities are. Depending on the type of project you’re doing, contracts can include provisions related to copyright and ownership of work, too.

Always have a contract in place for freelance projects — whether it’s your first or 40th time working with someone. Contracts make sure everyone is on the same page and can offer protection if issues do arise.

When you work with a freelancer or client on Upwork, contracts are an automatic part of the process. By converting a proposal into an active job, you create a contract that lays out expectations, deliverables, milestones, payment terms, and more.

3. Keep communication on the Upwork platform

When you’re seeking work or freelance support on Upwork, be sure to keep your communication on the platform — at least until a contract starts.

Communicating on the platform before a contract starts is a requirement in Upwork’s Terms of Service, but it also helps to keep you safe. The longer you keep your communication in the Upwork app, the better — if you run into any issues with your client or freelancer, these communication records can help Upwork’s dispute team better support you.

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels

4. Read reviews

Clients can leave freelancers reviews on Upwork and vice versa. When you’re checking out a potential client or freelance professional for the first time, take a look at what previous collaborators have said about their experience. Reading both positive and negative reviews (and the client or freelancer’s response to said reviews, if any) can be very enlightening.

Through these reviews you can learn more about someone’s working style, communication preferences, expectations, and more.

5. Watch out for red flags and signs of online scams

An unfortunate truth about the modern world is that you might encounter a scammer anywhere online, but choosing a reputable platform like Upwork lessens the risk. Regardless of where you choose to find work or freelancers, keep these scam prevention steps in mind:

• Don’t share your Upwork or other online accounts with others
• Don’t offer personal details that aren’t related to the work
• Don’t start working with someone until a contract is in place
• Don’t accept any jobs that require you to pay a fee, purchase cryptocurrency, or buy gift cards as part of the work
• Don’t accept or cash any checks written out for more than the amount you’re owed
• Do read reviews or ask for references
• Do scrutinize email addresses and sender names to spot potential phishing attempts
• Do report any suspicious activity you see on Upwork

6. Use the Upwork desktop app

Upwork’s desktop time tracking app automatically logs freelancers’ time spent working, complete with screenshots and space for notes about the work.

While the desktop app isn’t a required part of working on Upwork, it is required for Hourly Payment Protection, and it can offer both clients and freelancers additional security as it shows what was worked on, for how long, and when. Plus, tracked time appears in the freelancer’s work diary for seamless invoicing.

7. Keep payment on the Upwork platform

Upwork’s Terms of Service require users to keep payment on the platform. If you start a contract on Upwork, you have to pay for it (or be paid) through Upwork. This is a requirement specifically designed to improve safety, as it allows Upwork to implement payment protection measures. These protections won’t work for off-platform payments.

Upwork does assess a service fee on freelancer earnings, but many self-employed professionals find these fees to be worth it — especially when considering the protections that Upwork offers.

Redditor u/_BigMacStack_ explains it well, saying “I do a decent amount of work both on and off Upwork and I’ve reached the point where I genuinely appreciate the small amount of fees I have to pay on Upwork for the peace of mind it provides … in the past six months I’ve spent far too much time chasing some of the (non-Upwork) clients around for overdue invoices.”

Another Reddit user, u/WhyNotYoshi, agrees and says “I personally love the (service fee) vs invoicing companies that never pay on time or decide not to pay at all. Plus, when I invoice companies directly, I have to pay at least 3% in credit card fees, so it is really only (a little) more to work jobs on Upwork.”

If you like how Upwork’s payment system works, you can migrate your other contracts here, too — Direct Contracts let freelancers bring their off-platform clients to Upwork.

Give Upwork a try for free

It’s my opinion — and that of many other users, such as the Redditors quoted here — that Upwork’s legit. From hiring to finding work, Upwork is a reliable place to meet clients, connect with freelancers, and move projects forward.

And the best part? There’s no cost to join the platform. You can create an Upwork account for free today as a client, a freelancer, or both. Simply sign up to start exploring what Upwork can offer you. 

Upwork is not affiliated with and does not sponsor or endorse any of the tools or services discussed in this article. These tools and services are provided only as potential options, and each reader and company should take the time needed to adequately analyze and determine the tools or services that would best fit their specific needs and situation.