Top 8 Upwork Alternatives for Hiring Remote Developers in 2026

Upwork is a US-based, global marketplace for freelancers in a wide variety of fields. Since it launched in 2013, the platform’s professional base has reportedly grown by 20% annually since 2020, reaching 18 million freelancers as of 2024, the most recent data. On the client side, over 794,000 active users post jobs on Upwork, including from many Fortune 100 companies, as of 2025.

If you’re in the market to hire remote developers, Upwork has probably been recommended to you. But there are some drawbacks to the platform that may prompt you to consider Upwork alternatives.

What Are Upwork’s Features? 

Upwork is a talent marketplace where you can post jobs and find competent professionals to handle them. The platform is popular for a reason, offering several benefits:

Flexible Hiring

Upwork clients meet the freelancers they need mainly by posting jobs on the platform and waiting for candidates to submit proposals. However, if you’d rather not go that route, perhaps because you have spotted specific individuals who meet your requirements, the platform also allows you to invite freelancers to interview directly. 

Upwork is also quite flexible regarding hiring options; its freelancers are available for short-term, long-term, full-time, and part-time work arrangements. 

Effective Freelancer Profiling

Upwork makes it easier for you to pre-evaluate freelancers through detailed user profiles and badges. An Upwork freelancer’s profile includes their background, work experience, ongoing jobs, client feedback, and rating. The badge system aids your selection process by indicating the credibility and skill levels of various freelancers with designations like Rising Talent, Top Rated, Top Rated Plus, and Expert-Vetted.

Thanks to this system, you can significantly reduce screening times.

Pricing Transparency

Upwork posts its pricing, with a minimum freelancer rate of $3 per hour for hourly contracts or $5 for fixed-price projects. (Bear in mind that most freelancer rates are significantly higher.) Upwork also takes a 5% service fee for Basic plans and 10% for Business Plus. Freelancers also pay a service fee based on their earnings.

Global Reach

Upwork offers access to a global talent pool. Businesses can hire freelancers in more than 180 countries. This means you’re more likely to find the skill sets you need, even if they aren’t within your geographical borders. 

Why Should You Consider Upwork Competitors for Developers?

Word in the Upwork ecosystem is that entropy has begun to set in. Client engagement is declining, with proposals falling through, low payments, and the value of the platform falling. 

Meanwhile, Upwork has been downsizing, notably laying off 15% of its workforce in May 2023 and 21% in October 2024. These layoffs have undermined Upwork’s customer support system, which has now shifted towards AI, much to the chagrin of the platform’s freelancers. 

Moreover, if you’re looking specifically to hire remote software developers and engineers, there are several factors you should consider:

No in-market expertise

Upwork’s global reach is significant, but it doesn’t offer in-country help as you’re looking to hire developers for your project. It doesn’t provide experts to help better understand the talent bar, expertise, and capabilities of the candidates in each country or region.

Lower quality staffing

The software engineers on Upwork are mostly junior to mid-level ones looking for short-term gigs, thanks largely to the platform’s operating model. Senior to elite-level developers generally favor more stable, longer-term, and more challenging work—the kind that befits an elite professional’s resume. While you can find senior developers on the platform, they’re less common.

Jack of too many trades

The best developer hiring platforms are tech-focused. Unfortunately, Upwork is not. Because it offers specialties ranging from content writing and voice-over artistry to graphics design and software programming, it risks spreading itself too thin.

No pre-vetting

Upwork does not provide a comprehensive vetting process for its basic plan. Instead, mainly relies on user reviews to assess its freelancers. Some plans offer background and identity checks, but they do not constitute thorough vetting. Only the most exceptional freelancers are “Expert-Vetted,” and this badge is solely visible to members of the more expensive Business and Enterprise plans.

Drawn-out hiring process

To hire remote developers on Upwork, you must post a job, wait for proposals to pile up, and then assess as many as possible to determine the best candidate. In the past, you might have had several good proposals within the day and hired your freelancer shortly after. However, given the exodus of skilled developers from the site, you may have to wait for days or weeks before seeing some passable proposals. 

No perks, no help

Given the way Upwork’s DIY marketplace model works, you don’t get any assistance with sourcing or onboarding your new developers. 

Upwork Alternatives to Hire Remote Developers

Upwork is a good candidate for some businesses, but given its drawbacks, it may not be the best choice for your needs. So, where should you look instead?

1. Terminal.io

Terminal is a top-ranking remote developer talent network that makes it easy for businesses to find and connect with highly skilled software engineers. While it’s three years younger than Upwork, Terminal has a far more impressive track record of reliability and service quality.

Terminal uses AI technology just like Upwork does, but the difference between the two platforms is in the reason and scope of AI use. 

Upwork uses the technology primarily due to financial constraints; indeed, the company’s increase in AI reliance followed the 2023 layoffs. And since the layoff roster mainly included support staff, Upwork’s AI capabilities are largely for customer support. 

Meanwhile, Terminal uses AI not to replace its staff but to augment staff efficiency. Every aspect of the platform’s service, from talent screening and hiring to in-house customer support, combines this technology with the ingenuity of the staff to provide robust service. But there’s more:

• Focus on tech: Unlike Upwork, Terminal does not have the problem of spreading its focus too thin. Terminal focuses entirely on offering the best remote hiring service for engineering and talent leaders in need of tech talent. Available roles include data scientist, full-stack developer, manual QA tester, QA automation engineer, and DevOps engineer, among others.
• Regional focus: Terminal focuses on hiring the best talent from the fast-growing hotspots in Canada, Latin America, and Europe. That means that you’ll get tech expertise and cultural diversity in one package.
• Pre-screened, ready-to-go talent: Terminal always has a pool of diverse, vetted software engineers on hand. Once you place your request, the algorithm scans the pool and finds you up to five qualified developers you can interview for core developer skills right away. Human specialists are on hand to ensure strong matches.
• Cost Savings: The diversity factor aside, Terminal’s focus on the Canadian, Latin American, and European talent makes hiring more affordable than hiring US-based engineers. In fact, Terminal can help you cut operating costs by up to 40%.
• Holistic platform: On Upwork’s marketplace, you handle all communication and coordination with freelancers yourself. Terminal takes a more integrated approach, offering close assistance with every step of the hiring process, from sourcing to onboarding. That leads to hassle-free hiring.

Moreover, the company’s proactive involvement in the hiring process allows it to offer a service Upwork doesn’t: assembling developer teams for clients. In fact, Terminal has successfully built hundreds of elite developer teams for major tech companies in the US. 

• Perks available: Unlike Upwork, Terminal has perks to incentivize employers, including a 14-day risk-free trial period for contractors.

2. Toptal

Founded in 2010, Toptal—a name that comes from “Top Talent”—operates globally across more than 100 countries. The organization matches freelance specialists in technology, design, or business to employers based on their specifications and project needs. 

Toptal boasts a rigorous vetting process and a fast matching process, saying it usually introduces a candidate within 24 hours.

Why Toptal?

• Rigorous vetting process: Toptal employs a comprehensive vetting process, including an English language assessment, skills review, live screening, and test projects.

• Trial period: Each engagement begins with a trial period of up to two weeks. You won’t be billed if you’re not satisfied and can get a replacement if you wish. Clients may begin their trial period with up to three people from Toptal’s network per position to ensure the best fit.

• Focus on tech: Toptal is largely focused on tech, offering a large network of specialized and general software engineers across numerous categories. However, beyond tech professionals, the company’s pool of specialists includes marketing experts, sales experts, designers, project managers, product managers, and management consultants.

Toptal’s Deficiencies

• Steep price tag: Toptal’s software engineer rates can be expensive, often ranging from $100 to $200 per hour. That’s on top of a flat monthly subscription fee of $79.

• Freelancer focus: Toptal is nearly exclusively focused on connecting freelancers with businesses. While you may be able to hire a more permanent engineer, the company doesn’t explain how this works or the cost. It notes in its FAQ that it is possible to hire a full-time worker from Toptal and that the company “will work with you to fully understand your specific requirements so that we can establish a mutually beneficial arrangement.”

• No visibility into talent: You can’t browse profiles as you can on several other freelancer platforms, including Upwork and Terminal. This means it can be difficult to find the best match, even with Toptal’s vetting process. 

• Best for larger companies: While Toptal caters to companies of all sizes, it’s better suited to medium-sized and larger enterprises.

3. Fiverr

Fiverr is one of the most well-known Upwork competitors, operating according to a similar model. Freelance “sellers” connect with “buyers,” or employers. You can browse the platform’s database, which includes specialists across numerous fields, such as Programming & Tech. 

Similar to Upwork, Fiverr requires employers to do their own vetting. However, the platform offers more expensive plans via Fiverr Pro, which perform recruitment, onboarding, and management of freelance talent for projects.

Why Fiverr?

Fiverr’s strengths include:

• Transparent costs: Prices are set by sellers. There is also a standard service fee of 5.5% of the total service fee, plus an additional $3.50 fee for orders costing less than $200.

• Plethora of tech specialties: Fiverr is not limited to tech services, but it does offer a variety of specialties in the sector. Just a few examples are iOS developer, website designer, and prompt engineer. 

• Global marketplace: Headquartered in Tel Aviv, Fiverr has satellite offices in New York, London, Berlin, Orlando, and Kyiv. Businesses can recruit remote developers across 160 countries. 

Fiverr’s Deficiencies

Fiverr does have some drawbacks as well:

• Lack of specialization: Like Upwork, Fiverr isn’t limited to software development. The marketplace has 700 categories, spanning niches like Writing & Translation, UX Design, and Website Development.

• Lack of vetting: The basic Fiverr marketplace doesn’t vet candidates. Employers must rely on candidate portfolios and reviews to evaluate experience and fit. Fiverr Pro does have a vetting process, but this is a much more expensive option.

• Focus on discrete projects: Fiverr focuses on individual projects and tasks, rather than long-term engagements. That makes it difficult to work with freelancers for ongoing, complex, or longer-term partnerships.

4. Freelancer.com

Founded in 2009, Freelancer.com has a global presence, with headquarters in Sydney, Australia, and offices in London, Buenos Aires, Manila, Jakarta, and Vancouver. Today, it claims to be the largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace by users and projects.

Similar to Upwork, Freelancer uses a project bidding process. It also has a contest feature, allowing clients to post a project and choose a “winner” among the submissions.

The fee structure is also somewhat similar to Upwork. Freelancer offers several different plans that range from $4.99 to $99.00 per month. Plus plan, the second tier, has a free trial, and there are discounts on annual plans. Clients post a project or contest, choose the right fit by browsing freelancer profiles, and pay when you’re “100% satisfied.”

Why Freelancer?

• Diverse talent pool: Freelancer.com has a diverse talent pool, with vast skill sets—1,800, according to the platform—and projects of all sizes

• Ideal for shorter-term projects: The platform is well-suited to businesses that have discrete project needs, as opposed to longer-term demands and engagements.

• Option to expedite: You can mark projects as “Urgent” for an additional fee. That means a faster turnaround—at a higher price.

Freelancer.com’s Deficiencies

• Not strictly tech talent: Freelancer’s professional network spans many different niches, including software development, data entry, design, marketing, and writing. There’s no focus on tech, unlike platforms like Terminal.

• Lack of vetting process: There is no thorough vetting process. That means that you risk going with a freelancer without proven expertise and have no insight into what kind of work you’ll receive. Freelance Enterprise offers a vetting service, but this model, targeted toward businesses that hire freelancers regularly, is custom-priced.

• Risk of scams: Many reviews complain of scams and a lack of responsiveness to complaints. Examples include fake testimonials, plagiarism, and ghosting.

5. ZipRecruiter

ZipRecruiter is another of the Upwork competitors based in the US. Headquartered in Santa Monica, it has a local branch office in Arizona and foreign offices in the UK and Israel. 

The model is different from Upwork in that there is no established pool of candidates. Instead, employers post jobs and can share them to a large network of job boards to expand their reach. They can also use templated auto-messages to reach out to potential fits directly and invite them to apply. 

Why ZipRecruiter? 

The following selling points make ZipRecruiter one of the more preferable alternatives to Upwork for hiring developers: 

• AI-powered matching: ZipRecruiter uses an AI matching algorithm that scans millions of resumés on job boards and social platforms. The algorithm identifies the best of these resumés and alerts the candidates to apply for the open role. 
• Vast Network: ZipRecruiter has a vast recruitment network with a nearly limitless supply of remote developers for hire. This expansive network makes hiring more flexible since ZipRecruiter can find workers for contracts of any duration. Moreover, you can send your job description to more than 100 job boards with a single click. 
• Jack of all trades, but mostly of tech: While ZipRecruiter doesn’t precisely specialize in tech, it does offer access to many specialists in the field. This is one of the most popular niches on the platform.
• Client incentives: Clients can take advantage of a two-day free trial of ZipRecruiter. You may post a job ad and keep any candidates you receive.

ZipRecruiter Deficiencies

ZipRecruiter does have several downsides. These drawbacks include:

• Opaque and less affordable pricing: ZipRecruiter does not post its pricing. It does offer several plans, although the cost details are not available on the website. However, many reviews complain about unaffordable prices.
• Less help with hiring: ZipRecruiter’s algorithmic candidate selection is as much help as you’ll get from the platform in terms of hiring. Once the candidates contact you, you onboard them yourself.
• No vetting: While ZipRecruiter does provide some tools for employers to vet candidates, it performs no screening itself. Businesses need to do the legwork themselves. 
• Lack of specialization: Despite having more tech focus than Upwork, ZipRecruiter still lags behind dedicated tech talent hiring platforms like Terminal. ZipRecruiter’s postings span specialties and niches.

6. Index.dev

Index is a global remote talent network that combines operational features of job-posting boards like Upwork and holistic ecosystems like Terminal. Supported by AI tech, Index’s scouts recruit the best developers from tech talent hubs in Latin America, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, and the Balkans. Meanwhile, you can post your tasks and requirements on the Index job board and wait for the algorithm to present the best candidate from the in-house talent pool.

However, like regular job board sites, Index also allows its in-house developers to engage directly with your job postings. This alternative to algorithmic matching affords you more control over talent screening.

Why Index.dev?

Most of Index’s advantages lie in the features it shares with platforms like Terminal. Still, Index has some unique selling points. 

• Tech specialization: Index is a tech-focused remote developer sourcing company. Usually, that means that the platform produces results superior to those of the more generalized hubs like Upwork.
• Holistic service: Index’s service handles multiple stages of the hiring process, including talent sourcing, payroll, and compliance. This involvement puts the company leagues above Upwork, especially in terms of convenience.
• Cost calculator: Index does require an initial deposit that is not posted. It offers a cost calculator to help you determine how much you will pay.
• Free trial: Index offers a 2-week free trial with a full refund if you are dissatisfied with your new developer within that period. 

Index.dev’s Deficiencies

Index’s drawbacks include:

• Less rigorous vetting process: Some reviews complain that the vetting process is not thorough, resulting in subpar hires.
• Smaller talent base: The talent pool is relatively small compared with other Upwork alternatives. That means that you’re less likely to find a candidate to meet your requirements on the platform.
• High developer rates: Index’s developers have somewhat higher rates than many of the other Upwork competitors.

7. BairesDev

BairesDev is a nearshore software outsourcing company. It is fully remote, with developers largely based in Latin America, although the organization operates globally. 

Founded in 2009, BairesDev was established with the goal of connecting top Latin American tech talent with global businesses. Today, the company offers three models: Staff Augmentation, Software Outsourcing, and Dedicated teams.

Why BairesDev?

BairesDev ranks as one of the top Upwork competitors for several reasons, including:

• Time zone alignment: Because of its nearshore model, most developers are time zone-aligned with businesses in the US, facilitating stronger collaboration and communication.
• Team-building focus: BairesDev specializes in curating development teams. You can fill a variety of roles, ranging from project managers and database administrators to software developers and QA engineers. 
• Rigorous vetting process: BairesDev boasts a comprehensive vetting process, evaluating technical skills, soft skills, and English proficiency.

BairesDev’s Deficiencies

While it does offer several advantages, BairesDev isn’t the best fit for every business. Its disadvantages include:

• High costs: BairesDev does not post its pricing, but many reviews complain that costs are very high, particularly compared with other outsourcing companies and Upwork competitors.
  
• Lack of free trial: The company doesn’t offer any incentives or free trials, meaning it’s higher risk than some alternatives.
  
• Aggressive marketing: Many potential customers complain of BairesDev’s persistent and salesy marketing outreach, saying that overly frequent emails and calls are off-putting.

• Long-term emphasis: BairesDev emphasizes long-term engagements, making it less suitable for businesses looking for help with short-term or one-off projects.

8. TEKsystems

Offering more than 40 years of experience, TEKsystems is a global IT staffing and consulting services provider that places tech professionals across North America, Europe, and Asia. The company provides contract, direct hire, contract-to-hire, and consulting roles, specializing in several different niche areas like big data, AI, and cybersecurity. 

TEKsystems uses specialized recruiters to find tech talent for myriad purposes and aids businesses in quickly scaling their teams. The company doesn’t just provide development services but also assists with areas like strategy and design. 

Why TEKsystems?

TEKsystems beats Upwork in the following regards. 

• Holistic hiring service: TEKsystems is invested in all stages of the hiring process, guiding and aiding you through management, training, and talent upscaling. They also perform periodic check-ins and project transitioning.
  
• Quick hiring: The platform is efficient, quickly sourcing and vetting candidates. The average hiring time on TEKsystems is 18 days, typically faster than Upwork.
  
• Vast pool of tech professionals: TEKsystems has a large talent pool spanning continents and providing access to global professionals and skill sets. 

TEKsystem’s Deficiencies

While it has some strengths, TEKsystems has a few “cons.”

• Intransparent pricing: TEKsystems does not post information about pricing on its website. Costs depend on the specific solutions provided, skills needed, and requirements of the client.
  
• No free trials: TEKsystems does not offer trial periods or money-back guarantees, despite claiming to ensure the right talent fit.
  
• Poor employee satisfaction: Many employees complain of limited career growth opportunities and low satisfaction. Some also say there is little support for contractors.
  
• Inflexibility in hiring: The platform offers no project-based hiring; it focuses entirely on part-time and full-time arrangements. 

Which of the Upwork Competitors is the Best in 2026?

So, which of the Upwork competitors stands out the most in 2026?

These diverse platforms offer a wide variety of specialized services, and several may meet some of your needs. However, Terminal is the only one likely to meet all of your needs with its flexible, cost-efficient, transparent, and AI-augmented hiring service. 

Terminal offers the best features of all the other platforms with none of their shortfalls. Wondering how it will help you? Take a test drive of Terminal to find out.