Djobzy is a location-based work and services marketplace where workers keep 100% of the agreed price, covering both local and remote work. Upwork is the world’s largest remote-freelance marketplace — freelancers pay a service fee on every contract, and clients pay a separate marketplace fee on every payment.
Upwork changed its freelancer fee model in May 2025, moving from a flat 10% to a variable 0–15% per contract. That’s a real change worth understanding if you’re comparing platforms. Here’s the full picture.
Reviewed by the Djobzy team · Updated 24 July 2026 · All comparisons →
Djobzy
Zero commission, local plus remote
Workers keep 100% of the agreed price. Employers pay a 15% platform fee. Live-map discovery, verified profiles, Career Passport.
Upwork
Commission-based, remote freelance only
Freelancers pay 0–15% per contract. Clients pay 3–7.99% marketplace fee plus contract initiation fees.
Djobzy vs Upwork: side by side
Ten dimensions, no winner declared. Sources are numbered and listed at the end.
Marketplace type
Djobzy
Location-based work and services marketplace with live-map discovery. Covers local and remote work in one profile.
Upwork
Remote-freelance marketplace connecting clients with independent professionals globally. Bid-based: freelancers submit proposals using Connects to be considered for jobs.1
Scope
Djobzy
Local and remote work. Jobs, services, freelance, shift work — and one profile covers all of it.
Upwork
Remote work only, across hundreds of digital skill categories: development, design, writing, marketing, admin, virtual assistance, translation. In-person or local-services work is not the platform’s focus.2
What the freelancer or worker pays
Djobzy
Zero commission
Workers keep 100% of the agreed worker price. No proposal fees, no Connects, no per-contract deduction.
Upwork
0–15% per contract
Since May 2025, Upwork uses a variable service fee set per contract and disclosed before you submit a proposal. Common rate: around 10%. The fee is fixed for the life of that contract.3
Freelancers also pay for Connects (roughly $0.15 each) to submit proposals, plus optional $19.99/month Freelancer Plus, and withdrawal fees vary by payment method.
What the client or employer pays
Djobzy
15% platform fee
Charged on top of the agreed price and visible before you confirm. Current pricing is published at djobzy.com.
Upwork
3–10% + initiation fees
Basic plan: 3% (U.S. ACH) to 7.99% marketplace fee (credit card or PayPal) on all payments to freelancers. Business Plus plan: 8–10%. Plus a one-time contract initiation fee of $0.99–$14.99 per new contract.4
Payment protection
Djobzy
Payment is held in escrow until the job is completed. Workers are paid on completion; clients are protected until then.
Upwork
Fixed-price contracts use escrow. Hourly contracts use Work Diary time tracking with Upwork’s Hourly Protection. Dispute resolution is available through Upwork.5
How people find each other
Djobzy
Live map with active listings and provider profiles visible by location. Also open to remote engagement globally.
Upwork
Bidding: clients post projects, freelancers spend Connects to submit proposals. Clients can also search Project Catalog for pre-packaged services, or invite specific freelancers directly.6
Verification
Djobzy
Seven levels: email, phone, social, address, government ID, payment card, and interview plus third-party background check.
A trust signal, not a guarantee of safety, character or competence.
Upwork
Freelancers complete identity verification and may take skill tests to display badges. Talent Badges (Rising Talent, Top Rated, Top Rated Plus, Expert-Vetted) signal experience level but are earned within Upwork.7
Reputation portability
Djobzy
Career Passport — a portable professional record carrying reputation, reviews, experience and work history across locations and opportunities.
Upwork
Job Success Score, reviews and Talent Badges live on the Upwork profile. A freelancer’s reputation stays inside Upwork — there’s no built-in mechanism to export it, and off-platform hiring after a match may involve a conversion fee.8
Repeat work
Djobzy
Employers can build a trusted list over time and re-hire directly. No Connects, no repeat proposal fees.
Upwork
Repeat contracts on Upwork stay on-platform. Direct Contracts and Any Hire contracts have reduced or waived freelancer service fees for existing off-platform relationships you bring in.9
Where it works
Djobzy
Live map active globally. Local work concentrated in focus markets (Vancouver, Toronto); remote work open worldwide.
Upwork
Global. Upwork operates in over 180 countries, all remote-first.10
What you actually take home
Say you complete a job. Both platforms lead to the same client-facing price — but a service fee changes what actually reaches your pocket. Pick a job price below.
The job pays
$500
On Djobzy
Job pays
$500
Commission you pay
$0
You take home
$500
On Upwork (~10% typical)
Job pays
$500
10% commission
−$50
You take home
$450
Note: Upwork’s freelancer service fee is set per contract between 0% and 15% (typically around 10%), disclosed upfront and fixed for the life of the contract. Freelancers also pay for Connects (~$0.15 each) to submit proposals, and withdrawal fees vary by payment method.
Illustrative comparison at Upwork’s typical 10% rate, not a quote. Actual fee varies per contract. Verified 23 July 2026.
Which situation fits which platform
Upwork may fit better if
You're an established remote freelancer with a strong Upwork profile and Job Success Score, or a client hiring for a discrete remote project in categories where Upwork has deep talent (development, design, writing, marketing) and you want built-in escrow, dispute resolution and Hourly Protection.
Djobzy may fit better if
You want to keep 100% of what you agree rather than losing 10–15% to a service fee, or you do a mix of local and remote work and want one profile that covers both. Djobzy also skips the Connects/bidding system — discovery is via the live map and profile, not via paid proposals.
Different centre of gravity
Upwork is built around remote digital freelance. Djobzy covers that plus local, in-person, and shift work in the same platform. For a lot of workers they're complementary, not competing.
Zero commission. No Connects. Local plus remote.
Keep 100% of what you earn.
Workers pay zero commission. Employers pay a 15% platform fee, visible before you confirm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related comparisons
Looking at Djobzy alongside another platform? These may help:
About Djobzy
Djobzy is a location-based work and services marketplace with live map discovery. It connects people who need work or services completed with workers, freelancers, professionals and service providers who can provide them locally or remotely. Users can find opportunities, hire help, offer services and build portable reputation through Djobzy's Career Passport. Workers pay zero commission and keep 100% of the agreed worker price, while employer and client platform pricing applies.
Sources and verification
All Upwork figures verified 23 July 2026. Platform terms, fees and features change — confirm current details directly with each platform before deciding.
1, 2. upwork.com about pages and category structure
3. support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/211062538 (Freelancer Service Fee); May 2025 model change confirmed on Upwork's own Help Center
4. support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/4660220468499 (Client Marketplace Fee) and upwork.com/pricing/client (contract initiation fees)
5. Upwork Hourly Protection and dispute resolution documentation
6. upwork.com/pricing/freelancer (Connects and proposal system)
7. upwork.com Talent Badge and verification pages
8. Job Success Score and reputation system on upwork.com; portability described as absence of documented feature
9. support.upwork.com on Direct Contracts and Any Hire contract types
10. upwork.com global reach statement
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