PeoplePerHour And Upwork: Why They Are Bad Places to Find Designers

Freelancer marketplaces like PeoplePerHour, Upwork, and Fiverr are popular places for businesses and entrepreneurs to find freelance talent for everything from data entry to software development. While these marketplaces have their place, you should avoid finding designers on them at all costs if you value unique designs for your business or nonprofit.

In this post, we'll highlight some drawbacks of using these platforms, specifically when looking for designers.

Inconsistent Quality of Work

As Forrest Gump famously said:

Finding designers on freelancer platforms is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get*

*It’s been a while since I’ve seen the movie, so this might not be accurate

The freelancers’ design work on these platforms is all over the place. While great designers are on these platforms, there are more bad ones. Vetting can be tricky as you don’t always know that the work they display in their portfolio is theirs. Collaborating with experienced freelancers can mitigate this risk, as they bring proven skills and reliability to the table.

Additionally, many designers use generic templates, blatantly copy designs, or use AI. If you’re looking for something unique and designed to your specifications, buyer beware!

For my first startup, we used 99Designs to create our first logo. When we ultimately chose one, it was good for what we paid. But over time, I saw basically our same logo everywhere being used by other companies. Turns out our custom logo was basically clipart. It became a running joke in our company so much so that we started a Slack channel to share variants of our logo we found in the wild.

High Competition Leading to a Race to the Bottom

The nature of these platforms, where thousandsof freelancers bid for hundreds of jobs each day, inevitably leads to a race to the bottom. Clients, of course, want to pay as little as possible, and the massive mismatch between how many freelancers are bidding and the available jobs means freelancers have to bid lower and lower to land their next gig. Not to mention that many new freelancers to the platform will bid well below market rate for gigs to land their first ones and get ratings and a reputation.

The mismatch between supply and demand partly leads to the previously described problem, where only the bad designers who can’t find work outside these platforms remain. They’re increasingly incentivized to recycle old designs to save time, get paid, and move on to the next bid.

Communication Barriers in Freelance Work

Generally, freelancers are based in less developed countries, where their smaller fees go a longer way. Hiring people from all over the world is great, but it potentially leads to communication barriers. Most obviously, they could be working in a completely different timezone from yours (though most freelancers will alter their hours to work in US time zones as that’s where most of their clients will be based).

Communication barriers can also impact the quality of the design. Developing designs that match your brand or business is more complex if the designers aren’t familiar with your market or unique voice.

Lack of Long-term Commitment from Freelancers

Often, you need ongoing support with design. Branding guidelines are great. But to properly implement your branding across flyers, social media posts, blogs, and all your other content, you’ll want someone you can rely on to produce these assets on an ongoing basis.

Freelance work involves many plates in the air at once—while you might luck out and be able to return to them for a few ongoing projects, that is relatively rare on these platforms.

High Service Fees

One of the major drawbacks of using freelance platforms is the high service fees they charge. Take Upwork, for instance. They slap a hefty 20% commission on the first $500 billed, then 10% on total billings between $500 and $10,000, and finally 5% on anything over $10,000. Freelancer isn’t much better, with a service fee of 10% of the project bid amount or $5, whichever is higher. These fees can seriously eat into the earnings of freelancers, making it tough for them to sustain themselves on these platforms. So, while you might think you’re getting a good deal, remember that a significant chunk of what you pay goes straight to the platform, not the designer.

Low-Quality Clients

Another issue plaguing freelance platforms is the prevalence of low-quality clients. These clients often have no clear idea of what they want, aren’t willing to pay a fair price, or are just plain difficult to communicate with. This can lead to endless frustration and wasted time for freelancers, who might have to sift through countless client inquiries and job postings before landing a suitable project. It’s a bit like searching for a needle in a haystack, and it can be incredibly demoralizing for talented professionals trying to make a living.

Alternatives to PeoplePerHour and Upwork Freelance Platforms

With all the problems presented by freelance marketplaces like PeoplePerHour and Upwork, where are good places to find designers?

We recommend subscription design agencies like Peak Digital Studio and have written extensively about why this option is best for startups, small businesses, and non-profits. Subscription design agencies give you an ongoing resource to access excellent design and provide you with all the flexibility of a freelancer without any hassle.

If subscription design agencies are slightly outside your budget, look at freelancer forums like Behance and Dribbble, where you can view their work and ensure you’re getting a high-quality graphic and web designer.

View our article on alternatives to Upwork

Conclusion

While platforms like PeoplePerHour and Upwork offer easy access to freelancers, they are often not the best choice when it comes to finding quality designers. Inconsistent work quality, high competition driving prices down, communication barriers, and a lack of long-term commitment from freelancers all contribute to the challenges. Add in the high service fees, and these marketplaces may end up costing you more in the long run, both financially and creatively. Instead, consider alternatives like subscription design agencies or specialized platforms like Behance and Dribbble, where you're more likely to find talented designers who understand your vision.