Upwork fees and the freelancer service fee, explained

Upwork fees for freelancers at a glance

These are the main costs for freelancers at the time of writing (October 2026), in US dollars. Upwork changes its pricing from time to time, so check the figures shown in your account before you rely on them.

Want the numbers for a specific job? Our Upwork fee calculator works out your take-home pay and the Connects you'll spend.

How the Upwork service fee works

Upwork's Freelancer Service Fee ranges from 0% to 15% per contract. It isn't a flat commission: it's variable, so different contracts can carry different fees.

• What affects it: Upwork's fee terms say the rate is set by its own algorithms and can include factors such as client demand, freelancer supply, job category and membership plan. Upwork doesn't publish a formula.
• When you see it: the percentage is shown when you submit a proposal or receive an offer, so you know the fee before you commit. You can also find it in your contract details and transaction summaries.
• It's locked in: once a proposal, offer or contract is sent, that fee won't change for the contract.
• What it applies to: all your earnings on the contract, including bonuses. Clients see your rate including the fee; your reports list the fee as a separate line.
• Refunds: if money goes back to the client, Upwork refunds the fee you paid on it.
• Discounts: Upwork says it offers no regular discounts on the fee, only occasional promotions it will tell you about.

Some contracts work differently:

• Direct Contracts, for clients you bring to Upwork yourself: 5% on the Basic plan, 0% if you're an active Freelancer Plus member.
• Enterprise clients: typically 10%, depending on that client's agreement.
• Any Hire and Upwork Payroll contracts don't carry the freelancer service fee.

Upwork's minimum rates are $3 an hour on hourly contracts and $5 for a fixed-price contract.

Freelancer Plus: what it costs and what it changes

The Basic plan is free. Freelancer Plus is listed at $19.99 a month on Upwork's pricing guide at the time of writing; Upwork's help centre asks you to check the current price under Membership plan in your account. Plus includes:

• 100 Connects a month (some Basic accounts may get 10).
• 0% freelancer service fee on Direct Contracts, instead of 5%.
• Insights into competing bids and hiring activity on job posts.
• Instant job alerts, full access to Upwork's assistant, and profile options such as hiding your earnings and a custom URL.

Plus doesn't lower the service fee on ordinary marketplace contracts. It renews monthly on the date you upgraded, and you need to cancel before your renewal date to avoid the next charge.

Connects: the cost of applying for Upwork jobs

Each proposal costs a number of Connects, set per job and shown on the post. Connects cost $0.15 each, and you can spend extra to boost a proposal to the top of the client's list. Connects aren't returned if you don't win the job, only if the client cancels the post before hiring or Upwork removes it.

Connects are easy to overlook, but they add up: 20 proposals a month at 12 Connects each is 240 Connects, or $36 a month if you buy them all. Our guide to Upwork Connects covers prices, free Connects and boosting in detail.

Upwork withdrawal fees by method

Upwork charges a fee each time you withdraw, depending on the method. At the time of writing, its help centre lists:

Upwork doesn't publish a fixed figure for PayPal or Payoneer in its help centre; you'll see the current fee when you add the method under Settings, Withdrawals. Your bank or provider may charge its own fees as well, and a new withdrawal method only becomes active three days after you add it.

When your money becomes available: on fixed-price contracts, funds are released five days after the client approves a milestone. If the client neither approves nor asks for changes, payment is released automatically 14 days after you submit the work. Hourly work is billed weekly (Monday to Sunday) and available ten days later, on the following Wednesday; Top Rated freelancers get hourly payments five days sooner.

Currency conversion on Upwork

Your Upwork balance is held in US dollars. If you withdraw in another currency, the conversion is handled by Upwork's payment partners, who set the exchange rate and may include a markup to cover their costs. That means the rate you get is usually a little worse than the mid-market rate you see on Google.

With wire transfers to a non-USD account, your bank sets the exchange rate and may add its own fees. Direct to Wallet withdrawals in local currency build conversion costs into the rate instead of charging a separate fee.

Depending on where you live, Upwork may also add VAT, GST or similar taxes to its fees. Upwork notes the fees you pay may be deductible as business expenses; check your local rules or speak to an accountant.

What clients pay: the Upwork marketplace fee

Clients pay their own fees on top of your rate, so these don't come out of your earnings:

• Client Marketplace Fee (Basic plan): up to 7.99% on payments to freelancers, according to Upwork's help centre, or a reduced 3% for eligible US clients paying by bank account. It isn't refundable.
• Business Plus plan: up to 10% on payments, or 8% for eligible US clients paying by bank account.
• Contract Initiation Fee: a one-time $0.99 to $14.99 per new contract on Basic, even with a freelancer the client has hired before. Business Plus clients pay none on hourly contracts and up to $4.99 on fixed-price contracts of $100 or less.

It's worth knowing when you price: a client approving your $1,000 contract on the Basic plan could be paying up to about $1,095 once their fees are added.

Worked example: what you keep from a $1,000 Upwork contract

Say you win a $1,000 fixed-price contract and withdraw to a local bank. Your fee will be whatever Upwork shows for that contract; this example uses 10% and a month of Connects bought for 20 proposals, as illustrations:

At a 0% fee you'd keep $999.01 before Connects; at 15% you'd keep $849.01. Connects aren't tied to one contract, so whether you count them against a single win depends on how many proposals it took.

On hourly work, set your rate with the fee in mind. Upwork's own example: to take home $20 an hour at a 10% fee, charge $22.22. Twelve hours bills the client $266.64, the fee is $26.66 and you net $239.98.

How to keep more of what you earn on Upwork

• Read the fee before you apply. It's shown on every proposal and offer, so factor it into your price.
• Spend Connects carefully. Apply to fewer, better-matched jobs and boost only the ones you really want.
• Bring your own clients through Direct Contracts. The fee is 5% on Basic and 0% on Freelancer Plus, which can make Plus worth paying for.
• Pick a cheap withdrawal method. Direct to Local Bank at $0.99 beats a $50 wire for most amounts.
• Withdraw less often, in larger amounts, so flat fees matter less.
• Compare exchange rates if you withdraw in your local currency.
• Make every proposal count. Our free Upwork proposal generator drafts a tailored proposal in seconds.

Comparing Upwork with Freelancer.com?

Freelancer.com charges a flat 10% (or $5 minimum on fixed-price work) and uses a monthly bid allowance instead of Connects; see our Freelancer.com fees guide and Fiverr vs Upwork vs Freelancer comparison. If you also work on Freelancer.com, MoreGigs bids there for you around the clock with a fresh proposal per project, priced inside the client's budget. It doesn't work with Upwork. Check your profile for free.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Upwork take from freelancers?

At the time of writing, Upwork's freelancer service fee is between 0% and 15% per contract. You see the exact percentage before you submit a proposal or accept an offer, and it stays fixed for that contract. Connects, an optional Freelancer Plus plan and withdrawal fees are extra.

What is the Upwork service fee?

It's the fee Upwork takes from what you earn on each contract, covering payment protection, fraud prevention, dispute help and its tools. It varies from 0% to 15% depending on factors Upwork lists as client demand, freelancer supply, job category and membership plan.

Why is my Upwork fee different on each contract?

Because the fee is variable. Upwork sets it per contract based on factors such as demand, supply and the type of work, so two contracts can carry different fees. Once a proposal, offer or contract is sent, that contract's fee is locked in.

Does Freelancer Plus lower the Upwork service fee?

Not on ordinary marketplace contracts. Upwork says it doesn't offer regular discounts on the service fee. Freelancer Plus does remove the 5% fee on Direct Contracts with clients you bring to Upwork.

How much does it cost to withdraw money from Upwork?

It depends on the method. At the time of writing, Direct to Local Bank costs $0.99, US dollar wires $50, Instant Pay $2 in the US, and Direct to U.S. Bank is free with a US tax address or $2.99 without one. PayPal and Payoneer carry a small fee shown in your settings, plus the provider's own fees.

How much do clients pay on Upwork?

Upwork's help centre says clients on the free Basic plan pay a Client Marketplace Fee of up to 7.99% on payments to freelancers (3% for eligible US clients paying by bank account), and Business Plus clients up to 10%. Most new contracts also carry a one-time Contract Initiation Fee of $0.99 to $14.99.

Do I get the Upwork fee back if I refund a client?

Yes. If money is returned to the client, by you or through Upwork's payment protection, Upwork refunds the service fee you paid on that amount.

How do I work out what to charge on Upwork?

Divide the amount you want to take home by one minus the fee. Upwork's own example: to keep $20 an hour at a 10% fee, charge about $22.22 an hour. Our Upwork fee calculator does the sum for you.