Freelance work marketplace where clients post jobs and freelancers send proposals. Documented founders used it to find automation and AI service clients, and one built an AI tool that finds Upwork leads. In our data, 3 sourced cases name Upwork as a tool they used. Of those, 3 report a monthly figure, ranging from $20,000 to $100,000 a month (median $20,354). These figures are as reported by each source: 0 independently documented, 0 source-supported and 3 self-reported. They are examples, not typical results.
Free Basic account. Freelancers pay a service fee of 0% to 15% per contract, shown before accepting an offer. Freelancer Plus is an optional paid membership. Proposals use Connects, which can cost money.
Free plan: Yes. Basic freelancer account with a per-contract service fee.
Checked on the official pricing page on October 20, 2026. Prices change and can vary by region, tax, and billing period.
How It Is Used in Our Cases
•Finding clients for AI automation and agency work
•Building a track record and reviews
•Validating demand for a service
Limitations
•Service fee of up to 15% per contract
•Sending proposals uses Connects
•Payments must stay on Upwork for two years with clients met there, unless a conversion fee is paid
Justin Lob started by using Spotify's API and Make.com to build a music recommendation system for himself, then packaged the same skills as a service. He joined Maker School and grew the agency to $20,354 a month in February 2026 while holding a full-time supply chain consulting job, which he has since left.
Nedelkovski dropped out of university twice, ran small local businesses in Skopje, then grew a software consultancy to 15 staff and seven figures in revenue before exiting in 2025 to start a product studio. Its first product, Lancer, is an AI agent that helps freelancers and agencies get leads on Upwork. He says it reached $10K MRR within two months and now has $20K MRR with a two-person team.
Aryan Mahajan describes living in a 400 square foot room in Dubai on canned tuna in late 2024 while he figured out what to build. Indie Hackers reports he now runs a $100K a month portfolio that includes Zoro, an AI services business that grew out of freelancing on Upwork.
Freelance marketplace where sellers list fixed-price services called gigs. Documented freelancers use it to sell AI-assisted copy editing and to find clients for AI content work.
Free plan: Yes. No fee to create gigs; Fiverr takes a commission on each order.
Pricing: Free to join. Fiverr says it charges sellers a 20% commission on all transactions, including extras and add-ons. Optional Seller Plus plans cost extra.
Checked October 20, 2026
Used in 3 documented casesView Profile
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