Tired of routine office work or looking for extra income on the side? Freelancing might be just what you need! It’s one of the easiest ways to use your skills, work from home, and earn on your own schedule. From content writing to app design, there’s a freelancing gig for almost every talent out there.
But before we jump into the top 15 freelancing apps in India, let’s first talk about what freelancing really is and why so many people are choosing it today.
What is Freelancing?
Freelancing is a work model where you offer your skills and services to various clients on a project-by-project basis, rather than working for a single employer.
As a freelancer, you are self-employed, giving you control over your schedule, the projects you accept, and where you work.
In India, freelancing has become a significant career path, driven by factors like greater internet access, a global demand for skilled Indian professionals, and a cultural shift towards remote work.
For many, the flexibility and opportunity to specialize in a field they are passionate about are more appealing than a traditional 9 to 5 job.
Choosing the right platform is one of the most critical steps in a freelancer's journey. Each website operates on a different business model, which affects everything from the fees you pay to the types of clients you attract.
This guide provides a straightforward analysis of the top 15 platforms to help you find the best fit for your skills and career goals.
Apps for Freelancing Platform Comparison
| Platform | Best For | (Commission /Subscription) | The Vibe (Quick Review) |
| Upwork | Professionals, long-term projects | 10% service fee | The professional standard; serious clients and high competition. |
| Fiverr | Beginners, creative gigs | 20% flat fee | A bustling marketplace; great for getting started but with a high commission. |
| Freelancer.com | Bidding on a huge variety of jobs | 10% fee + paid memberships | A vast but risky platform; requires careful vetting of jobs and clients. |
| Toptal | Elite tech & finance experts | Opaque markup (undisclosed, often 50%+) | An exclusive, high-paying network for top-tier talent with a tough entry process. |
| Truelancer | Indian freelancers (in theory) | 8-10% fee + paid memberships | An India-focused platform with a concerning number of negative user reviews. |
| WorknHire | A cautionary tale | 0% commission | A defunct platform; a reminder to always check a site's current status. |
| 99designs | Competitive graphic designers | Intro fee + 5-15% platform fee | A design contest platform; good for portfolio building, but you only get paid if you win. |
| Dribbble | High-end visual designers | 0% with Pro subscription ($8/mo) | The art gallery of design is where you go to be seen by premium clients. |
| Behance | All visual creatives | Scaled fee (starts at 5%) + processing | The ultimate free portfolio site; build your presence and let clients find you. |
| PeoplePerHour | Hourly projects, long-term clients | Sliding scale: 20% down to 3.5% per client | Rewards long-term relationships but can be costly for single projects. |
| Guru | Tech & business freelancers | 9% fee (or 5% with paid plan) | A reliable, old-school marketplace; less flashy but also less crowded. |
| FlexJobs | Serious, scam-averse freelancers | Subscription-based (starts ~$10/week) | The gated community: you pay for access to clean, high-quality, vetted job listings. |
| SolidGigs | Busy, established freelancers | Subscription-based (~$19/mo) | Your personal lead generator saves you time by bringing the best jobs to you. |
| Contra | Modern, commission-hating creatives | 0% commission | A modern, community-focused platform that lets you keep all your earnings. |
| All professionals, networking | 0% commission (Services Marketplace) | The ultimate professional network; build your brand to attract high-value opportunities. |
Filing taxes as a freelancer? Read How to File ITR for Freelancers in India to simplify your filing process step-by-step
The Top 15 Freelancing apps for Indian Freelancers
Here is a detailed breakdown of the leading platforms, focusing on how they work, their fee structures, and the typical experience for freelancers.
1. Upwork
- Best For: Professionals seeking high-quality, long-term projects.
- How it Works: Clients post jobs, and freelancers submit proposals to compete for the work. You can also package your services into a "Project Catalog" for clients to purchase directly.
- The Details: Upwork is a major platform that attracts serious clients with significant budgets, making it ideal for experienced professionals. However, this also means competition is intense, which can be a challenge for newcomers.
- The platform charges a straightforward 10% service fee on all earnings. User reviews from Indian freelancers are generally positive, highlighting the platform's secure payment system and the quality of available clients.
2. Fiverr
- Best For: Beginners and creatives offering specific, productized services (e.g., logo design, voiceovers).
- How it Works: Instead of bidding on jobs, you create "Gigs" prepackaged services that clients can browse and buy. This model allows clients to come to you.
- The Details: Fiverr is known for being extremely beginner-friendly and is an excellent place to secure your first projects and build reviews. Its primary drawback is the high commission fee of 20% on all earnings, which also applies to any tips you receive .
- Indian freelancers have mixed opinions; some find the platform leads to low-priced bidding wars, while others who establish themselves report earning a substantial income.
3. Freelancer.com
- Best For: Freelancers willing to navigate a crowded marketplace for a wide variety of projects.
- How it Works: It operates on a bidding system similar to Upwork, where freelancers apply for jobs posted by clients. It also features a "contest" model for design projects.
- The Details: While Freelancer.com is one of the largest platforms, its reputation is mixed. The standard project fee is 10%, but freelancers often need to purchase a paid membership to get enough bids to compete effectively.
- Many user reviews caution against scams, low-quality job postings, and unresponsive customer support, making it a platform to approach with caution.
4. Toptal
- Best For: Elite, highly experienced developers, designers, and finance experts.
- How it Works: Toptal markets itself as an exclusive network for the "top 3% of freelance talent." Applicants must pass a rigorous multi-stage screening process. Once accepted, Toptal matches you directly with high-caliber clients like Airbnb and JPMorgan, eliminating the need to bid on projects.
- The Details: The compensation on Toptal is excellent, and the projects are challenging. However, the platform's business model lacks transparency. Toptal adds a significant, undisclosed markup often reported to be 50% or more to the freelancer's rate that the client pays.
- While freelancers are paid well, this opacity is a significant point of criticism.
5. Truelancer
- Best For: Indian freelancers looking for a locally focused platform, though caution is advised.
- How it Works: A bidding-style marketplace designed with a focus on the Indian market, offering jobs from IT and design to data entry.
- The Details: Truelancer charges a service fee of 8-10%, depending on your membership plan. Although it aims to be a dedicated platform for Indian freelancers, user reviews are overwhelmingly negative.
- Common complaints include spam calls pressuring users to buy paid memberships, project coordinators taking unauthorized commissions, and accounts being banned without releasing payments.
6. WorknHire
- Best For: A case study in platform viability.
- How it Works: WorknHire was one of India's first freelancing portals, using a bidding model with an escrow service to ensure payment safety.
- The Details: This platform serves as a cautionary tale. Once a notable player, WorknHire is now reported to be a "deadpooled" company, meaning it is no longer active.
- This highlights the importance of researching a platform's current operational status before investing time in building a profile.
7. 99designs
- Best For: Graphic designers who thrive in a competitive environment.
- How it Works: 99designs is primarily a contest-based platform. A client posts a design brief, and designers submit their concepts. The client selects their favorite, and only the winning designer is paid.
- The Details: This model can be a fast way to build a portfolio and work with diverse clients. The major drawback is the nature of spec work you may end up doing significant work for no pay if your design isn't chosen.
- The fee structure is also complex, involving an introduction fee for new clients and a tiered platform fee (5% to 15%) based on your designer level.
8. Dribbble
- Best For: High-end graphic designers, UI/UX designers, and illustrators.
- How it Works: Dribbble is primarily a portfolio platform for elite designers to showcase their work. It also features a premium job board and a freelance marketplace where clients can find and hire talent directly.
- The Details: This is a platform for established professionals where the quality of work is exceptionally high. Success here is more about being discovered by clients than actively bidding.
- To maximize opportunities, a Pro subscription (around $8/month) is recommended, as it boosts your search ranking and, most importantly, gives you 0% platform fees on projects.
9. Behance
- Best For: Visual creatives of all types (designers, illustrators, and photographers) seeking a free platform to be discovered.
- How it Works: Owned by Adobe, Behance is a massive, free to use portfolio platform. It includes a jobs section where clients can post freelance and full time opportunities.
- The Details: Behance is an excellent tool for building a professional portfolio and gaining visibility among millions of potential clients. It's free to join and showcase your work.
- For projects secured and paid through the platform, Behance charges a scaled platform fee (starting at 5% for freelancers) in addition to payment processing fees.
10. PeoplePerHour
- Best For: Freelancers in marketing, SEO, and web development, particularly for hourly projects.
- How it Works: This UK-based platform features both fixed-price "Offers" and a traditional project bidding system. It is well-regarded for hourly work.
- The Details: PeoplePerHour uses a unique sliding commission scale that rewards long-term client relationships. The fee starts at a high 20% for the first £250 (approx. ₹26,000) billed to a client, then drops to 7.5%, and finally to 3.5%.
- This can be expensive for small, one-off projects but beneficial for ongoing work. Competition on the platform is high.
11. Guru
- Best For: Freelancers in tech and business looking for a less saturated alternative to major platforms.
- How it Works: A traditional bidding platform where freelancers create a profile and submit quotes for jobs. It includes "WorkRooms" for project management.
- The Details: Guru is one of the older platforms in the space, and while its interface may feel less modern, this often translates to less competition.
- The free plan comes with a 9% commission, which can be reduced to 5% with paid memberships . User reviews are mixed, with some users citing issues with customer support.
12. FlexJobs
- Best For: Serious freelancers who want access to high-quality, pre-vetted remote jobs and are willing to pay for it.
- How it Works: FlexJobs is a subscription-based job board, not a marketplace. Instead of taking a commission, they charge users a fee (starting around $9.95/week or ₹830) to access their curated list of jobs. A team manually screens every posting to filter out scams and low-paying offers .
- The Details: The subscription fee acts as a quality filter, attracting serious freelancers and reputable employers. This results in a much cleaner and more reliable job-hunting experience.
- If you are tired of sifting through low-quality posts on other sites, the fee can be a worthwhile investment.
13. SolidGigs
- Best For: Established freelancers who want to spend less time searching for leads.
- How it Works: SolidGigs is a lead generation service. Their team scours the web for the top 1% of freelance jobs and delivers a curated list to your inbox. It operates on a subscription model (around $19/month or ₹1,600) and takes no commission on your earnings.
- The Details: This service is a significant time-saver, making it ideal for busy freelancers who want a steady stream of high-quality leads without the daily grind of searching multiple job boards.
14. Contra
- Best For: Modern, creative freelancers who want to keep 100% of their earnings.
- How it Works: Contra is a newer professional network and marketplace built for independent workers. Its most compelling feature is its 0% commission model.
- The Details: Keeping all of what you earn is a major advantage. The platform is visually focused, helping you build a professional portfolio to attract clients.
- As a newer platform, it is less saturated than giants like Upwork, which can make it easier to get noticed.
15. LinkedIn
- Best For: All professionals looking to build a personal brand and find high-value clients through networking.
- How it Works: LinkedIn is more than a resume site; it's a powerful tool for freelancing. You can optimize your profile to attract clients, publish articles to demonstrate your expertise, and use its "Services Marketplace" to list your offerings.
- The Details: The Services Marketplace is completely free to use, with no commissions or fees . However, the true power of LinkedIn lies in direct networking.
- By connecting with industry leaders and sharing valuable content, you can attract high-quality clients who are seeking an expert, not just the lowest bid.
Looking to earn real cash online? Don’t miss our Best Real Money Earning Apps in India to discover the top trusted platforms.
The Freelancer's Toolkit: Best FREE Tools
Stay organized and boost your freelance game with these essential free tools, perfect for getting the job done without any cost.
Project & Task Management
- Trello: A visual tool using boards and cards to track project progress (To Do, In Progress, Done).
- Asana: A powerful to-do list for breaking down big projects into small, manageable tasks.
- Notion: Your all-in-one workspace for notes, tasks, and client management.
Invoicing & Payments
- Zoho Invoice & References: The best choice for Indian freelancers, with built-in GST support and local payment options.
- Wave: Great for international clients, offering completely free invoicing and accounting.
Time Tracking
- Toggl Track: A simple one-click timer to easily track your hours on any project.
- Clockify: Track unlimited projects and generate reports to see where your time goes.
Writing & Design
- Grammarly: Your AI writing assistant for error-free grammar and spelling.
- Canva: Easily create professional graphics with a simple drag-and-drop editor.
- ChatGPT: An AI partner to help you brainstorm ideas and draft emails in seconds.
Communication & Meetings
- Krisp: Mutes background noise on calls, so you always sound professional.
- Loom: Quickly record your screen and voice to explain things visually instead of writing long emails.
Want to know how much a chartered accountant earns? Check out our blog on CA Salary in India in 2025 to find out.
Choosing the right freelancing platform is a foundational step in building a successful independent career.
There is no single best option The ideal choice depends on your industry, experience level, and long-term goals.
Use this guide to select a platform that aligns with your strategy, create a strong profile, and begin building your freelance business.
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