In an ever-changing business landscape, flexibility and adaptability are paramount for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs).
The rise of the gig economy has seen a seismic shift towards project-based, short-term contracts, offering businesses and workers a level of flexibility previously unseen.
A recent study by the University of Oxford suggests that 36% of U.S. workers are in the gig economy, which is approximately 57 million people. And it's not just a trend in the US for job boards, the UK’s gig economy has more than doubled over the past three years and now accounts for 4.7 million workers, according to a new report.
This growth underscores the importance of freelance job boards in bridging the gap between SMBs and freelancers.
In this article, we will explore the top 20+ freelance job boards for SMBs, providing a comprehensive guide for businesses looking to navigate the vast landscape of freelance hiring platforms.
We'll discuss the unique offerings, strengths, and weaknesses of each, providing you with the necessary insight to make an informed decision about the best platform for your specific hiring needs.
Perhaps one of the most recognisable names in the freelance world, Upwork offers various categories from writing and translation to software development and design. Its user-friendly interface, secure escrow payment system, and community of over 12 million freelancers make Upwork a go-to platform for many SMBs.
However, Upwork operates on a bidding system, and the high volume of freelancers can sometimes make it challenging to find the perfect match. Nevertheless, with its robust review system and comprehensive skills tests, Upwork ensures reliability and quality control.
Freelancer is another global giant in the freelance marketplace, with over 41 million users spanning 247 countries. Like Upwork, it offers a vast range of job categories. One unique feature of Freelancer is its contest model, where SMBs can crowdsource ideas by hosting competitions.
While the platform does charge a fee for posting projects and takes a commission from payments, it offers free bids every month, which can help SMBs minimise costs. Its large user base and contest feature make Freelancer a flexible and diverse platform for SMBs.
Fiverr flips the script on the traditional freelance platform model. Instead of businesses posting projects, freelancers create 'gigs' that outline their services, with SMBs able to browse and select the ones that fit their needs.
The platform hosts millions of gigs across over 200 categories, ensuring a broad selection. However, while Fiverr can be an excellent platform for finding inexpensive freelance work, the quality can vary, so SMBs must conduct due diligence when selecting freelancers.
With a community of over 3 million freelancers, Guru is a platform that focuses on providing a seamless workroom environment. It allows SMBs to manage jobs, share documents, and collaborate with freelancers all in one place.
While the platform charges a handling fee on payments, it offers a range of membership options that provide benefits such as discounts on prices and additional bids. Its robust workroom feature makes Guru an excellent choice for SMBs seeking an all-in-one freelance management solution.
Toptal takes a different approach to the freelance marketplace. Instead of providing a platform for SMBs to search through a vast pool of freelancers, Toptal does the work for you. They promise to connect businesses with the top 3% of freelance talent in business, design, and technology.
While this curated approach can help ensure quality, it also means that Toptal's services can be pricier than other platforms. However, for SMBs with specific needs and a desire for top-tier talent, Toptal can be an excellent choice.
As the name suggests, 99designs is a platform specifically for design work. SMBs can either work directly with a designer or start a design contest and choose from submissions.
99designs offers a variety of pricing tiers, with each higher tier attracting more experienced designers. While it can be slightly more expensive than other platforms, its focus on design and quality makes it a go-to choice for SMBs looking for design work.
Behance is Adobe's social media platform and doubles as a freelance job board. It is an excellent platform for SMBs looking for creative freelancers, such as graphic designers, illustrators, and artists.
While it doesn't have other platforms’ project management and payment features, its integration with Adobe's creative software makes it a compelling option for creative projects.
Dribbble is another platform focused on creative freelancers. It offers a job posting service, and its user base of designers can make it a great place to find freelance design talent.
However, Dribbble is more of a traditional job board than a comprehensive freelance platform, so SMBs may need to manage communication and payments independently.
LinkedIn ProFinder is a professional services marketplace that helps you find the best freelance or independent professionals in your area. It uses LinkedIn's extensive network to provide recommendations, making it a reliable source for professional services.
While it is currently only available in the US, its robust recommendation system and LinkedIn's established network make it a valuable tool for SMBs.
AngelList was originally created as a platform for startups to meet investors, but it has grown to include a job board for startup jobs. It's an excellent resource for SMBs in the startup space looking for freelancers who understand the unique challenges of working with startups.
While it might only be suitable for some SMBs, its focus on the startup community makes it a unique resource for relevant businesses.
Remote.co is a resource for remote work, and their job board is an excellent resource for finding remote freelancers. It offers a curated list of remote jobs, focusing on quality over quantity.
While it doesn't offer the same volume of freelancers as other platforms, its focus on remote work makes it an excellent resource for SMBs looking for remote freelancers.
Simply Hired is a traditional job board aggregating job listings across the web. It also includes resources like a salary estimator and a blog with hiring tips. While it's not a freelance-specific platform, its extensive listings make it a valuable resource for SMBs.
The platform doesn't offer project management or payment processing features, so SMBs must handle these aspects independently.
Workana is a freelance marketplace focusing on Latin American professionals. It covers a range of job categories, from IT and programming to writing and translation. Its regional focus makes it an excellent platform for SMBs looking for freelancers in this area.
It operates on a bidding system, and while it offers free proposals, there is a cost associated with additional suggestions.
PeoplePerHour connects businesses to an international community of freelancers. It offers a unique feature where SMBs can post a job and receive custom proposals or search for services offered by freelancers.
The platform does charge a service fee, but in return, it provides features like in-app messaging, invoicing, and a secure payment system. Its international user base and flexible hiring options make it a versatile platform for SMBs.
TaskRabbit focuses on local service jobs, from cleaning and delivery to furniture assembly and general handyman work. It’s an excellent platform for SMBs that need to find local help quickly.
Freelancers (or 'Taskers', as they're called on the platform) set their rates, and SMBs can check reviews and ratings before hiring. While it’s more geared towards household tasks, it can be a valuable resource for businesses needing local, hands-on help.
Gigster is a curated freelance platform focusing on web developers, designers, and project managers. It's a great resource for SMBs looking for high-quality tech talent for project-based work.
One of Gigster's key features is its project management support, helping to ensure projects are completed on time and to the required standard. While it is more expensive than some platforms, its focus on quality and project support makes it worth considering for tech projects.
DesignCrowd is a platform specifically for design work where SMBs can crowdsource designs from designers worldwide. Its content model allows businesses to receive multiple design concepts before choosing their favourites.
While it does require a posting fee, its global pool of designers and contest model makes it a flexible and creative platform for design work.
Aquent focuses on matching freelancers with creative, marketing, and digital roles. One unique feature is that they offer benefits to freelancers working on long-term projects, which can help attract top talent.
Though it is more of a traditional staffing agency than a job board, its focus on creative roles and benefits offerings makes it a unique option for SMBs.
Crowded brings together freelance job postings from various job boards, making them accessible in one place. It's an excellent resource for SMBs looking to save time, as they can access a broad range of freelance opportunities without visiting multiple sites.
While it doesn't offer project management or payment features, its convenience makes it a handy tool for SMBs.
OnSite is a curated marketplace for the creative industry. While it's smaller than some other platforms listed, its focus on quality over quantity makes it a great resource for SMBs looking for top creative talent.
OnSite is invite-only for clients and freelancers, ensuring a high standard of work. While this does limit the number of freelancers available, it helps provide a higher quality of work.
As you can see, a wide range of top freelancer job boards is available to SMBs, each with its unique strengths and offerings. Whether you're looking for a large pool of freelancers, a specific skill set, or a platform that manages the hiring process, there's a job board out there to suit your needs.
While this list is not exhaustive, it provides a solid starting point for SMBs looking to leverage the power of the gig economy. Remember, choosing the right platform is about understanding your specific needs and finding a platform that can meet those needs most effectively.
With the gig economy showing no signs of slowing down, finding the right platform for your business is an investment that is likely to pay dividends in the future.