How much would you pay a freelancing platform?
http://preface.app
Some platforms charge 20% over the value of a project. So if you spend EUR 500 on a developer, you commit to paying EUR 100 before the first line of code is written. And this can add up if you're doing a lot of smaller projects.
So how much would you want to pay for a service that connects you with freelancers?
I recently added Stripe to preface.app and started charging $10 to get your job posting "boosted". Jobs posted so far have received 23 candidate responses on average.
Hey, a small suggestion to get better feedback — reframe your question to "how much did you pay" and not how much would you pay 😊 This way you'll get facts and not assumptions ("Validating product ideas" by Tomer Sharon is a great book to learn about doing such research.).
If I don't work with freelancers directly I use UpWork. If I remember correctly — they take 3% processing fee from my side and I think they make money from the freelancers (I believe they take 20%). Obviously I don't mind paying 3% at all.
I used https://reedsy.com to find an editor for my book and I believe they charge 10% each side. I was happy to pay more since it was a niche marketplace that solved me a problem that I could not solve in another place.
Thanks for the feedback, I'll check out the book! I actually want to find out how much someone would want to pay instead of how much they paid because I hear a lot of discontent about the high fees that freelancing platforms currently charge.
In your case 23% was paid over the value of a project. If there was no percentage fee then either you would have paid 23% less of the freelancer would have earned 23% more. I believe that's a lot.
So from what I understand you used Reedsy because they focus on a niche. What's the reason you would use Upwork and not another option?
I'm working with UpWork for a while so there should be a very good reason for me to switch. I'd assume that 10% price different would not make me switch.
I hired photographers, editors, customs brokers, copywriters etc. via UpWork, so it just gives me a wide range of solutions. I'd probably not go to a niche marketplace assuming the only difference is 10% of the price. Although I work on relatively small projects via UpWork (up to $300 per project) so if I'd hire a developer for a project it might be different.
(On Reedsy I spent much more).
Thanks, these are some great insights! What is it about the platform that keeps you there, and what would be a reason that would make you want to switch nevertheless?
btw I dont understand your website :) I signed up as freelancer and I don't know what next, you dont have active jobs now or I am making something wrong?
Great you signed up :) Right now there is no jobs feed because the interface focusses on job creators. So you can post a job and receive applications from freelancers.
So since you signed up as a freelancer you will receive job notifications. A jobs feed is definitely in the backlog though.
ok, I was searching what to do or maybe I broke something ;)
I am on Envato Studio and I am paying 30% fee, I don't like it but what to do :)
😦That's a lot. If you don't mind me asking, what service do you offer and why haven't you switched platforms?
Webdesign, now I am trying finding clients directly. what you mean switching platform? I tried with Upwork / other services: all designers are very cheap, I made accounts everywhere but had clients only from Envato Studio ;)
I see. On some platforms the supply of freelancers it very high, making it difficult to charge 'normal' rates.
yes, especially if you are from a country with high cost of living (mine was quite cheap - eastern Europe, but I don't know how people from United States compete with people from India there. I didn't have high rate ($25-30) but maybe I didn't spend enough time to make my profile better :)
This comment was deleted 7 years ago
Totally understand. As a Product Designer I also started doing direct acquisition.
At some point I just wasn't incentivised anymore to pay 20% and put a ton of energy into writing proposals just to compete with 30 other freelancers offering their service at a much lower rate.
I designed Preface to make sure that candidates cannot be influenced by each other's rates to prevent race to the bottom scenarios.