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Freelancing: Selling Your Skills to Clients Online

Freelancing: Selling Your Skills to Clients Online

By Owen Abbott · Updated
A freelancer reaches across a desk to shake hands with a client framed on a screen.

Freelancing means selling a skill, such as writing, design, development, marketing or bookkeeping, to clients project by project instead of working for one employer. Online platforms connect you with those clients, manage the contract and handle the payment, usually in exchange for a share of what you earn.

See all 70 Freelancing listings

In this guide

  1. What freelancing is
  2. How freelance platforms work
  3. What freelancing really pays
  4. The kinds of freelance platforms
  5. How to choose a platform
  6. Your first steps
  7. Costs, taxes and risks
  8. Red flags to watch for
  9. How to build your skills
  10. Recommended resources
  11. Owen’s take
  12. FAQ

1. What freelancing is

A freelancer is self-employed and works for several clients, each on agreed terms. Some freelance full time; many do it on top of a job, which is what makes it one of the most common eSide hustles.

It’s also big. Upwork’s Freelance Forward survey found that 64 million Americans, about 38% of the US workforce, did some freelance work in 2023, earning an estimated $1.27 trillion. The definition is broad and includes occasional work, but it shows how normal project-based work has become.

Side income or full-time business?

Freelancing works at any scale. Many people start with a few hours a week alongside a job, take small projects in the evenings and keep their main income as a safety net. Others grow it into a full-time business with regular clients and their own website. The skills and platforms are the same; the difference is how many clients you take on and how much of your week you give it. Starting on the side lets you test demand for your skill before you depend on it.

What sets freelancing apart from other eSide hustles is that you sell a skill, not your time on a set task. A survey site pays the same few cents to everyone; a freelance client pays what your work is worth to them. That’s why earnings range so widely.

2. How freelance platforms work

Most platforms follow one of three models.

Open marketplaces. Clients post jobs and freelancers send proposals, or freelancers list fixed-price services that clients buy. Anyone can join, so competition is high, especially for beginners. Upwork, Freelancer.com and PeoplePerHour work this way.

Screened networks. You apply, pass tests or interviews, and the platform matches you with clients. There are fewer members, larger clients and better rates, but getting in is hard. Toptal says it accepts fewer than 3% of applicants.

Job boards. The site lists freelance, contract and part-time roles, and you apply directly to the employer. The board usually takes nothing from your pay. We Work Remotely and Indeed are examples.

On marketplaces and networks, the platform holds the client’s money in escrow for fixed-price work or tracks hours for hourly contracts, then releases payment after approval. That protection is the main reason to stay on the platform, even when fees feel high.

Hourly or fixed price?

Most platforms let you work either way. Hourly contracts suit ongoing or open-ended work, such as support, maintenance or long writing retainers; you’re paid for the time you log, often with tracking software. Fixed-price contracts suit work with a clear result, such as a logo or a landing page; you agree a price and milestones, and the client approves each one before payment is released.

Beginners often find fixed prices easier to win, because clients see the total upfront. The risk is scope creep: clients asking for “one more change”. Write down exactly what’s included, how many revisions you’ll do and when the job counts as finished.

3. What freelancing really pays

There’s no single figure, because a translator in one country and a senior developer in another are both freelancers. What you can control is where you sit within your field.

A few patterns hold across platforms:

  • Specialists earn more than generalists. “WordPress speed optimisation” sells better than “web developer”.
  • Your first projects pay least. Most freelancers accept lower rates to earn reviews, then raise prices.
  • Fees come off the top. On Upwork, the freelancer service fee ranges from 0% to 15% per contract and is shown before you send a proposal. Fiverr, listed in our Gig Work Area, takes 20% of each order.
  • Repeat clients matter most. Winning new clients costs time and, on some sites, money; keeping one is free.

The listings on eSideHustles show each platform’s fees and payout rules as of their last update, so you can compare what you’d actually keep.

4. The kinds of freelance platforms

General marketplaces

The biggest pool of clients across most skills. Good for building a track record.

Regional and language marketplaces

Platforms built around one country, region or language, often with less global competition.

Screened talent networks

For experienced professionals who want bigger clients and don’t mind a tough entry process.

Creative and design platforms

Portfolios, contests and creative briefs.

Voice and audio

Job boards for remote and freelance roles

Expert and niche work

5. How to choose a platform

Ask five questions before you sign up anywhere.

  1. Does it accept people where you live? Some platforms only take freelancers from certain countries, or pay out in limited ways.
  2. Do clients buy your skill there? Browse open jobs or top profiles in your field before creating an account.
  3. What will it cost you? Add up the service fee, any paid bids or credits, and withdrawal fees.
  4. How hard is it to get in? Open marketplaces let you start today; screened networks can take weeks.
  5. How does it pay? Check the payout methods, minimums and how long funds are held.

Most freelancers do best on one general marketplace plus one specialist platform, rather than spreading thin across five.

6. Your first steps

  1. Pick one narrow service. Write it as a sentence a client would search for.
  2. Build three samples. Real work is best; well-made practice pieces are fine to start.
  3. Write a profile around results. Lead with what clients get, not your life story.
  4. Price to win, then raise. Accept slightly lower rates for your first few reviews, then increase steadily.
  5. Send fewer, better proposals. Answer the client’s actual question in the first two lines.
  6. Ask every happy client for a review. Reviews are the currency of every marketplace.

7. Costs, taxes and risks

Platform costs. Service fees, paid proposal credits, membership plans and withdrawal or currency fees all come out of your earnings. On Upwork, for example, each proposal needs Connects, which cost $0.15 each.

Taxes. Freelancers are self-employed. You’re responsible for reporting your income and, in most countries, for paying your own social contributions. In the US, self-employment tax is 15.3% on top of income tax. Set aside a share of every payment and keep records from day one.

Tools and equipment. A reliable computer and internet connection are the minimum. Some fields need paid software.

Getting paid late. Escrow and hourly protection cover most platform work, but only if you follow the platform’s rules: use its tracking tool, keep messages on the platform and submit work through it. For clients you work with directly, send a short written agreement and ask for a deposit before you start.

Risks. Accounts can be suspended, algorithms can stop showing your profile, and clients can dispute work. Keep copies of your work and messages, and never rely on a single platform or a single client.

8. Red flags to watch for

  • Clients who ask to pay off-platform early. You lose payment protection, and it can break the platform’s terms.
  • “Test tasks” that are full projects. A short paid test is normal; a free one that looks like real work is not.
  • Overpayment scams. Anyone who sends too much money and asks you to refund the difference is running a scam.
  • Fees to apply for a job. Real clients don’t charge you to be hired.
  • Requests for your login or ID. Never share access to your accounts or rent them out.

9. How to build your skills

Freelance income follows skill, so time spent learning pays off directly.

  • Learn one marketable skill deeply. Depth beats a list of half-learned tools.
  • Use free courses first. Many universities and platforms offer free introductions; pay only when you know the field suits you.
  • Practise on real briefs. Recreate work you admire, or help a local business or non-profit to build samples.
  • Learn the business side. Pricing, proposals, contracts and client communication decide how much of your skill turns into income.
  • Keep up with AI tools. Clients increasingly expect freelancers to use them well; learn the tools used in your field.

These are listed in our Resources section.

  • Coursera and Alison for courses in writing, design, development and business skills
  • CreativeLive for creative skills such as photography and design
  • SkillUp for free tech and digital skills courses
  • Wise for receiving international client payments at a lower cost

11. Owen’s take

Freelancing is the eSide hustle with the highest ceiling, but the first few months are the hardest. My advice: choose one service narrow enough that you can be the obvious choice for it, start on one big marketplace to earn reviews, and move your best clients toward longer contracts as soon as you can. The freelancers who last aren’t always the most talented; they’re the ones who answer quickly, deliver on time and keep their clients.

FAQ

How do beginners get their first freelance client?
Pick one narrow service, build a few samples and send short, specific proposals to small jobs. Early reviews matter more than early rates.

Which freelancing platform pays the most?
Screened networks such as Toptal tend to have the highest rates, but they’re the hardest to join. Open marketplaces pay less on average but anyone can start.

How much do freelance platforms take?
It varies. Upwork’s freelancer fee ranges from 0% to 15% per contract, Fiverr takes 20%, and most job boards take nothing from your pay.

Do I need experience to freelance?
You need a skill clients will pay for and proof you can do it. Formal experience helps but samples often matter more.

Do I pay tax on freelance income?
Yes, in almost every country. Freelancers are self-employed, so set money aside for income tax and social contributions.

Sources

All 70 Freelancing listings

Guides on Freelancing