Upwork vs Fiverr fees
Fiverr keeps 20% of every order. Upwork charges 0–15% depending on the contract. On the same price Upwork usually leaves more, but each platform’s withdrawal fee changes the gap, most on small jobs. Price one job on both and see where they meet. Fees checked 14 Oct 2026.
The fees, side by side
| Upwork | Fiverr | |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | 0–15% per contract, locked when it starts. Upwork Help, checked 14 Oct 2026 | 20% of the order (you get 80%). Fiverr Help, checked 14 Oct 2026 |
| To PayPal | “A small fee”, not published. Unverified Upwork Help, checked 14 Oct 2026 | $0.00. Fiverr Help, checked 14 Oct 2026 |
| To Payoneer | “A small fee”, not published. Unverified Upwork Help, checked 14 Oct 2026 | $3.00 to a Payoneer Account. Fiverr Help, checked 14 Oct 2026 |
| To Wise | Direct to U.S. Bank to your Wise USD details: $2.99 with a non-U.S. tax address. Upwork Help, checked 14 Oct 2026 | No Wise option. A $1.00 USD wire via Payoneer is the only possible route, and neither side confirms it works. Fiverr Help, checked 14 Oct 2026 |
| When you can withdraw | Depends on contract type; not compared here. | 14-day clearing period after an order completes (shorter for some programs). Fiverr Help, checked 14 Oct 2026 |
Worked example: three job sizes
Upwork at 10%, Fiverr at 20%, both withdrawn to Payoneer and converted to local currency at Payoneer’s lowest published rate (1.2%). Upwork’s own Payoneer fee isn’t published, so it’s counted as $0; the last column shows how high it could go before Fiverr comes out ahead, even at Upwork’s top 15%.
| Job | Fiverr leaves | Upwork leaves | Break-even Upwork fee | Upwork’s Payoneer fee could reach (at 15%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50.00 | $36.56 | $44.46 | 26% | $5.50 |
| $200.00 | $155.12 | $177.84 | 21.5% | $13.00 |
| $1,000.00 | $787.44 | $889.20 | 20.3% | $53.00 |
The break-even is above 20% because Fiverr’s flat $3.00 Payoneer fee is a bigger share of a small order: 6% of a $50.00 job, 0.3% of a $1,000.00 one. Since Upwork can’t charge more than 15%, the same price leaves more on Upwork in every row, unless Upwork’s Payoneer fee is above the last column. Withdrawing several Fiverr orders at once spreads that fee.
break-even % = (1 − amount Upwork must leave after its fee ÷ price) × 100
“Amount Upwork must leave” is the smallest sum that, after Upwork’s withdrawal fee and the provider’s fees, still matches what Fiverr pays out. Every fee is rounded to the cent, as on a statement.
What this comparison leaves out
- What the client pays on top of your price on each platform. This page compares what you keep from the same price.
- The cost of winning work: Upwork proposals use Connects, which aren’t counted here.
- Tax. The same tax rate on both sides doesn’t change which one leaves more.
- Payoneer’s conversion can be up to 4% for your currency and some countries have a minimum fee. Payoneer pricing, checked 14 Oct 2026
One platform at a time: Upwork fee calculator, Fiverr fee calculator. Every Upwork payout method and its fee: Upwork withdrawal fees.
gigfees is independent and not affiliated with Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer.com, PayPal, Payoneer or Wise. Fees change; check the linked official page before you rely on a number.