There are lots of online freelance marketplaces offering opportunities across all fields and niches. Fiverr and PeoplePerHour are two of the most popular. But which one is best for you in the battle of Fiverr vs PeoplePerHour?
In this article, we look at the main differences between Fiverr and PeoplePerHour when it comes to price, quality of work, fees, and ease of use to help you decide which one suits you best.
What Is Fiverr?
Fiverr is one of the most popular freelancing marketplaces on the internet, and it was founded in 2010. Anyone can set up an account on Fiverr and start monetising the service or skill they have to offer. There are more than 500 different categories of jobs to choose from. So, if you’re a buyer, you’ll be able to find someone perfect for your project, no matter what it is. And if you’re a seller, you’ll always find clients interested in the service you’re offering!
You can create up to seven gigs and set your own fee for each gig. The more gigs you sell on Fiverr, the more the platform rewards you with exposure. The more clients you work with, the more your earning capacity increases.
What Is PeoplePerHour?
PeoplePerHour is another popular freelance marketplace founded in the UK in 2007. It connects clients with freelancers around the world, by allowing them to easily browse freelancer profiles and portfolios.
PeoplePerHour’s main distinguishing feature is that it is more location-specific than other freelance marketplaces. Many of the clients are seeking to hire freelancers from their local area, which can be helpful for some projects and may lead to longer-term working relationships.
Fiverr vs PeoplePerHour – Setting Prices
Fiverr
On Fiverr, you can charge a minimum of $5 (hence the name of the website) for a single gig, up to a maximum price of $20,000 for custom offers. Within that price range, you’re bound to find different types of work, with varying degrees of quality.
PeoplePerHour
On PeoplePerHour, you don’t advertise your services like you do on Fiverr. Instead, you apply for projects put on the site by buyers. The minimum price for a project is £6/$10. On paper, Fiverr may look like the cheaper option for clients. But it’s also important to remember that you get what you pay for, and the lowest-paid work can lack quality. While there are lots of top-quality freelancers on both platforms, there are also some that aren’t quite so good.
Fiverr vs PeoplePerHour – Quality of Work
Fiverr
Anyone who has a computer and a skill or service to offer can use Fiverr. Given the volume of freelancers on the platform, Fiverr doesn’t extensively evaluate every person that creates an account. This means there are a lot of poor-quality freelancers on the platform.
Fiverr has tried to address this issue with its levelling system. From level 1 sellers up to Fiverr Pros, this system is designed to separate the best from the rest. Fiverr Pro is a sub-section of Fiverr that consists of freelancers that Fiverr’s team has personally checked. So, if you want to make sure you’re getting quality work on Fiverr, it’s best to take the seller’s level into account. However, the more experienced the seller is, the higher their prices usually are.
PeoplePerHour
It’s not as easy to get accepted to work on PeoplePerHour. Unlike Fiverr, PeoplePerHour requires all freelancers to apply to be able to work on the platform. So, you’re more likely to find people with real, verified skills on PeoplePerHour, which increases the chances of getting better quality work. However, this also means you might have to pay more money for the same job.
Fiverr vs PeoplePerHour – Fees
Fiverr
Fiverr’s fee structure for freelancers is very simple to understand. Regardless of what services you’re offering or your seller level, Fiverr takes a flat fee of 20% of the gig price. So, if you charge $100 for a gig, on completion you receive $80, while Fiverr takes $20.
The website also collects fees from buyers. These vary depending on the price of the gig you’re ordering. The rate is 5.5% of the order price, plus $2 if the order is less than $50. You can check out how much you’ll earn as a freelancer on the platform or how much you’ll need to pay for services using our Fiverr fees calculator.
PeoplePerHour
In December of 2019, PeoplePerHour announced an update to their fee structure, based on the lifetime earnings of a freelancer:
- For a freelancer with a lifetime billing below £250 ($350/€300), PeoplePerHour charges a service fee of 20%
- For those with lifetime earnings between £250 ($350/€300) and £5,000 ($7,000/€6,000), the platform charges a 7.5% service fee
- For freelancers with over £5,000 ($7,000/€6,000) earnings in total, PeoplePerHour charges a 3.5% service fee
This structure incentivises freelancers to work long-term on PeoplePerHour. The more you make, the lower the fees need to pay. The fees are a bit more complex for buyers, depending on the payment method you use and whether or not you upgrade your project in some way. You can find a full list of buyer fees here.
Fiverr vs PeoplePerHour – Setting up an Account
Fiverr
Setting up an account on Fiverr is quick, easy, and completely free. After filling out some personal information, you can start creating gigs. Marketing yourself is a huge part of freelancing. So, you must give it your all when presenting and describing your services to potential clients! You can create a profile page, and individual descriptions for each gig you offer.
Creating gigs starts with choosing a title that follows the expression “I will…” For example, “I will write financial blog posts for you”. After that, you choose how much you want to charge for what you’re offering and you’re ready to start freelancing on Fiverr!
PeoplePerHour
Creating an account on PeoplePerHour is more time-consuming and complicated than on Fiverr. PeoplePerHour requires a lot more information from you as a freelancer. They want to know about you, your skills, your certifications, and what you’re offering. They’ll also want you to link to some personal profiles, a portfolio, and references if you have any.
After completing these details, PeoplePerHour evaluates your profile to decide whether to approve your application. You can either wait up to 7 working days for approval or choose a 24-hour option that costs £10. Once you’re approved, there’s a 3-month qualification period. During this time, you must complete two projects resulting in a 4-star rating to be able to keep working on the platform. This might make it harder for beginner freelancers to gain traction on PeoplePerHour, but it helps the platform maintain relatively high standards.
Fiverr vs PeoplePerHour – Ease of Use
Fiverr
Fiverr is a very intuitive website. If you’re looking to hire a freelancer for a specific project, you simply search the relevant category and choose the freelancer who best suits your needs. If you’re unsure or want to clarify anything, you can message the freelancer to discuss the project in more detail.
Fiverr also has a very user-friendly app that allows you to manage your work, wherever and whenever you want to. The app works well across all types of devices.
PeoplePerHour
Like Fiverr, PeoplePerHour allows clients to search for potential freelancers by category. While there are fewer categories and filter options than on Fiverr, it’s also possible to search for freelancers by location. PeoplePerHour also has a mobile app that gives users access to the major functions of the website.
Fiverr vs PeoplePerHour – Dispute Resolution
Fiverr
Fiverr encourages users to resolve disputes using the Resolution Centre, rather than involving a formal dispute resolution process manually facilitated by the platform. The risk of a dispute between the parties is lower because of the way the purchasing process is designed. Buyers and sellers can follow the progress of a gig, request updates, and cancel requests. This means you’re unlikely to face any surprises as either the buyer or the seller. The seller is always allowed to respond before the request is approved or cancelled.
PeoplePerHour
PeoplePerHour’s dispute resolution process is the complete opposite. When a client raises a concern, an arbitration process automatically starts. PeoplePerHour simply looks at what happened on the website between the buyer and the seller, and they make the final decision. Note that there is a dispute fee if you’re a freelancer raising the dispute.
Fiverr vs PeoplePerHour – Which Should You Use?
Considering the features we’ve explored, Fiverr seems to be the best option for freelancers because:
- You have full control over your prices and the way your gigs look
- It’s easy to build some authority on the platform if you provide high-quality work
- It’s easy to use on all devices
- Setting up an account is straightforward
PeoplePerHour is a more selective freelancer market. While it has an advantage over Fiverr when it comes to fees and the ability to work with local freelancers, Fiverr offers more benefits overall.
However, the only way to know what works best for you as a freelancer is to try it out! When you’re first starting out, it pays to explore both marketplaces to decide which one is best for you and your circumstances.