Landing a gig job can be difficult. Check out our list of the best gig economy platforms to land your next project with ease.
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The gig economy is rapidly expanding.
In 2022, 16% of Americans used a gig platform to earn additional income.
By 2023, that figure has risen to nearly 20%.
For many people, however, the many types of work available can make it hard to distinguish between great jobs and ones that are a waste of time.
That’s why we’ve curated a comprehensive guide to the best gig economy jobs on the internet.
With the growing demand for remote and flexible work, gig economy platforms have cropped up across the web.
If you find yourself wanting to work for yourself, a gig platform is a great option.
Many platforms require an up-front investment or need to vet their listings properly.
Others do not strictly offer work that is categorized as a gig.
Gig economy platforms are digital platforms that facilitate the temporary or freelance jobs that make up the gig economy.
Rather than working for one company, many gig workers choose to work with many different entities for a temporary, set period.
Research shows that gig platforms are more efficient in connecting employers to employees than traditional hiring structures.
Additionally, gig economy platforms can provide a flexible income and schedule for many workers to depend on.
They have allowed a new, previously excluded workforce to enter the market.
Using a gig economy platform is a distinct advantage for anyone seeking to maximize their income without compromising too much of their time.
You should use a gig economy platform if you:
The gig economy platforms below offer the best work experience and the highest pay.
Either would be an excellent choice for those seeking to join the market.
The best gig economy platform is Upwork.
Upwork offers the best work experience, including a comprehensive platform with embedded payment, scheduling, and communication capabilities.
The highest-paying gig economy platform is Flexjobs.
Before choosing a gig economy platform, consider what the gig economy offers you as a worker.
While most gig workers primarily look for optimal pay, you may wish to assess other factors that contribute to your experience, including perks and benefits, worker support, and educational resources.
Whether you are looking for a long-term, full-time position or a side hustle, consider the income you stand to earn from your job.
Additionally, consider any additional benefits or perks that may accompany your employment.
For example, some companies offer bonuses and special employee prices.
When choosing a platform, consider the quantity and quality of job opportunities available on the website.
Consider the number of listings and updates on the platform to ensure that you will have access to opportunities.
Determine whether you wish to work by assignment or under consistent management.
Some platforms may require you to schedule or plan work ahead of time, while others let you operate whenever you want to.
Consider your options for turning work down or failing to meet deadlines/quotas.
It’s essential to know how much flexibility you have.
No matter where you work, it’s always good to have access to a robust support system.
If you have a question or if something goes wrong, you will want to be able to reach out to someone or find the right resources to resolve your issue.
The best job opportunities offer the potential for advancement and growth.
Determine how important it is to you to have access to skill development opportunities and promotions and choose accordingly.
Some platforms even offer courses or certifications to help you advance in your career.
Once you have determined which features matter to you most in a gig economy platform, it’s time to choose the right website for your needs.
Upwork is one of the most popular gig economy platforms.
Founded in 2013, this website operates on a marketplace structure in which employers post job listings and freelancers “bid” on them with tokens.
Freelancers receive ten free tokens, called “Connects,” every month, though they must pay for additional tokens.
Upwork is famous for its high-paying job, robust security features, and diverse work opportunities.
Consider the following key features of Upwork before using the platform:
There are many advantages to using Upwork. These include:
Although there are many benefits to using Upwork, there are several drawbacks. Consider the following:
There is no natural way to know how much you stand to earn from Upwork since each job offers different pay.
However, you can expect at least $3 per hour for every job, and many users report relying on Upwork for their entire income, so it’s possible to earn significant money.
Upwork will claim a percentage of your earnings, so keep this in mind when using the platform.
Upwork is an ideal solution for most gig workers.
With its accessible and valuable platform, additional resources and educational materials, and relatively high-paying jobs, Upwork is the best gig economy platform.
Upwork is ideal for remote workers and those seeking to break into freelance industries like copywriting or graphic design, and you can find almost any remote job on the platform.
Much like Upwork, Freelancer is an outsourcing marketplace where employers connect with willing freelancers.
This platform is among the best ways to find gigs.
Freelancers bid on detailed proposals and start working immediately when approved.
Freelancer typically claims a small commission for each job, and gig workers can choose to upgrade their profiles to acquire more jobs.
Freelancer offers the following key features to gig workers:
Consider the many benefits of using Freelancer below:
Consider the following drawbacks before using this gig platform.
As with Upwork, you are estimating your income from Freelancers is hard.
This platform also has a $3 minimum payment requirement, but the company takes a commission (typically from the buyer).
Freelancer is an excellent gig economy platform.
Many users love it for its broad offerings, diverse listings, and flexible payment and communication features.
Although Freelancer doesn’t screen its listings, as some would like, the company offers secure payments and dispute resolution services to protect its employees.
A freelancer is a great place to look for work unless you are a freelancing beginner.
Fiverr is a freelancer marketplace that functions differently from most.
On this popular platform, freelancers create profiles to list their credentials, skills, and achievements, and employers connect with them.
By eliminating bids and proposals, Fiverr makes it less time-consuming for freelancers—but harder to reliably find work.
Weigh your pros and cons before deciding whether to go with Fiverr.
Consider the following key features of Fiverr before making your decision:
Consider the benefits of using Fiverr before opting for this platform:
Although Fiverr is an excellent platform, there are certain drawbacks, including:
The average monthly income on Fiverr is $2100.
This averages to around $105 per gig, far more than most freelancers make from gigs.
However, Fiverr takes a 20% commission, which is a lot compared to other similar sites.
You will need the credentials to get those gigs, so keep this in mind before using the platform.
Fiverr is an ideal gig economy platform for those with experience in their relative fields.
Because it functions slightly differently than demand-first platforms, you’ll have to build a compelling profile to land jobs.
Once you do, however, they pay better than most.
If you haven’t yet found your ideal gig economy platform, consider choosing one of our additional options below.
Toptal is a unique database of freelancers that helps employers find the right person for their jobs.
The company maintains an exclusive database of freelancers chosen from a vast pool of applicants.
They allegedly accept only 3% of applicants to ensure the highest quality.
If you can get into Toptal, you can earn significantly more money than other platforms, making this an ideal solution for qualified experts seeking lucrative work.
Toptal is an excellent option since most employers pay more through Toptal than other platforms.
Additionally, Toptal uses AI and live support to pair freelancers with employers, ensuring a better fit than if you were shooting in the dark.
Lastly, Toptal handles any disputes or issues internally, as the company aims to reduce freelancers’ efforts to get the work they need.
There are several issues for freelancers using Toptal.
First, it is highly selective, so you may only get accepted onto the platform if you have the proper credentials for your field of work.
Toptal is also less appropriate for creative freelance work like writing, graphic design, or art. Toptal is more suitable for web designers and developers or finance experts.
According to Glassdoor, the estimated yearly pay for a freelancer is $93,467 on average.
This is significantly higher than most gig workers can make on digital platforms, so Toptal offers the highest pay.
Remember that pay is higher because competition is lower. Toptal accepts only the most qualified freelancers on the site.
Guru is a freelance marketplace not unlike Upwork or Freelancer.
With Guru, simply sign up and create a profile.
You can then view job listings and bid on jobs that suit your needs and skill set.
Guru takes only a tiny percentage of your earnings and charges meager fees, so it is one of the best platforms, to begin with.
A guru is an ideal option for beginners and expert freelancers alike.
This platform charges low commissions and fees to prioritize accessibility.
The venue is easy to use, boasts an intuitive design, and you can take advantage of flexible payment methods.
Additionally, Guru offers project management functionalities, allowing you to track your work and payments through the website easily.
Guru’s website is less secure than others, and buyers and sellers must be appropriately vetted.
Additionally, Guru’s fee structure tends to become more complicated as your earnings grow, which can be a deterrent to some.
Lastly, Guru does not offer comprehensive service options.
There is no live chat or dispute resolution service.
While you will likely earn less on Guru than on another platform, the company only takes 9% of your earnings, allowing you to keep more than you usually would.
However, jobs aren’t always easy to find on Guru, and the platform isn’t the most secure, so if you are looking for reliable income, this may not be the best place to start.
LinkedIn is one of the oldest platforms on this list.
Launched in 2002, this social media platform and job board caters specifically to professionals seeking to expand their professional connections and build the relationships that lead to jobs.
LinkedIn is an excellent resource for most freelancers and professionals.
Making an account on LinkedIn can allow you to connect with other professionals and creators, building invaluable connections that can serve you.
LinkedIn isn’t specifically a gig economy platform, so it may be more difficult to find individual gig jobs on this platform.
LinkedIn isn’t optimized for gig work, so it doesn’t embed many valuable features that other platforms might, like built-in payment portals and video conferencing.
Because LinkedIn is a massive social network and job board, it is impossible to estimate how much you will make from the platform.
However, LinkedIn is typically best for career jobs and high-skill labor, so you can expect to earn more than you would on a standard gig economy platform.
FlexJobs is a job board and freelance marketplace that allows people to find part-time, full-time, and remote jobs.
Flexjobs offers more resources than any other platform on this list, making it ideal for beginners and those seeking to grow and improve.
FlexJobs is an ideal option for beginners and those seeking to grow and expand their practice.
This platform offers more supportive resources and educational tools than any other on this list, so you can count on finding the answer to your every question—and expanding your repertoire of skills and capabilities.
FlexJobs is also ideal for those seeking flexibility, as you can accept or turn down jobs without penalty.
FlexJobs does not claim a commission, unlike other sites.
There are a few drawbacks to FlexJobs.
The platform is crowded, so you may face high rates of competition.
Pay is relatively low compared to other platforms, although the company does not claim a percentage of your earnings.
With FlexJobs, you can benefit from a small side hustle or make up to six figures with consistent, reliable work.
Flexjobs does not claim commission or take any amount of your earnings, allowing you to make the most of your time.
Prospa is a gig economy platform that allows entrepreneurs and freelancers to create profiles and peruse listings freely.
However, if you’re looking for a long-term, full-time remote job, Prospa isn’t the wrong place to start.
It’s great for those in professional fields like law and healthcare, and customer service jobs.
With Prospa, you can choose your clients according to your preferences as a freelancer.
Like other gig platforms, you can also choose from various options.
Prospa is ideal for select markets like healthcare, telecommunications, financial services, real estate, transportation, utilities, software development, graphic design, and human resources.
To create jobs, consider looking elsewhere.
Prospa does not cater to creative sectors like copywriting or design, so if you want to exercise an artistic ability, consider looking elsewhere.
Additionally, this platform is less well-known than others, so you may need help finding a job.
There are few metrics available and few reviews online, so it isn’t clear how much users enjoy this platform.
No data is available for the average income freelancers earn from Prospa.
Ultimately, each job offers a different income level.
However, since Prospa is better for full-time employment, you can count on a more reliable and predictable payment structure than you would get with other gig apps.
appen is a data management company that hires freelancers to train artificial intelligence and work on search engine evaluation and other tech-related jobs.
With appen, you can create your schedule and work on your time, making this the most flexible platform we’ve evaluated.
appen does take applications and requires you to take a qualification test, so keep this in mind before applying.
appen is ideal for those seeking flexibility.
On this platform, you can completely assemble your schedule.
You can claim as many tasks as you wish or choose not to work for a while.
The platform is excellent for those seeking a side hustle or part-time gig.
Additionally, appen offers more exciting jobs than most other platforms, so you can learn about different fields and topics as you go.
appen makes you take a qualifying exam before working for the company, so this platform may not be accessible to all.
Additionally, appen is ideal for those in the digital economy or tech-related jobs and less appropriate for creative freelancers and writers.
Lastly, appen takes security very seriously, and you may have to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
If you ever breach data security, it will likely be taken quite seriously.
According to reviews, appen typically offers lower pay than most other gig apps.
Wages typically range from $12–$15 an hour.
Each gig offers a different pay rate; this platform has no guarantees.
Consider searching elsewhere if you’re looking for lucrative jobs and a reliable payment structure.
If you are still trying to decide which gig economy platform to use, consider the answers to our most frequently asked questions below.
Which Platform is Best for New Freelancers?
Upwork and FlexJobs are the best platforms for new freelancers.
Upwork is the best online freelance marketplace, while FlexJobs offers tons of educational resources for novice freelancers to get acclimated to the industry.
What is the Fastest App to Earn Money?
The fastest app to earn money is Freelancer.
The sheer number of listings on the platform makes it easy to find something that adapts to your needs and skills.
These best gig economy platforms will help you find jobs quickly and efficiently.
You should experiment with the options we covered above before committing to one platform.
If you can’t find one that works for you, consider using Upwork, as it provides the highest relative pay and the most diverse opportunities of any platform.
Remember to exercise patience and don’t be afraid to start out by taking small jobs for lower pay.
That small gig could grow into large gigs.