The 20 Best Upwork Alternatives: Find Top Freelancers in 2026

Paying high fees on Upwork but still getting freelancers who miss deadlines, lack key skills, or deliver low-quality work? 

Finding skilled professionals shouldn’t feel like hunting for a needle in a haystack, especially not when platforms charge high fees and deliver inconsistent results.

Betternship changes that. We give you pre-vetted African tech talent ready to jump into your project, freelance or full-time, without the headaches of compliance or endless screening.

In this guide, we break down the 20 best Upwork alternatives for 2026. You’ll see which platforms deliver top-tier tech talent fast, which are budget-friendly, and which fit specialized roles like software development, UX/UI design, and digital marketing.

With Betternship, you can:

• Hire pre-vetted developers, designers, and marketers in days, not months
• Build remote teams anywhere in the world without compliance stress
• Scale smarter, faster, and more cost-effectively

Start building your team with Betternship today →

The 20 Best Upwork Alternatives to Hire Tech and Business Talents

1. Betternship – The premier African tech talent platform

Betternship is a global hiring platform connecting companies with vetted African tech talent. From developers and designers to marketers and product managers, Betternship helps you scale fast without compliance headaches.

• Best for: Startups and SMEs looking for highly vetted African tech talent

• Candidate quality: Pre-screened and verified professionals

• Pricing model: Flexible rates based on project scope or hourly contracts

• Key differentiator: End-to-end hiring support with fast candidate matching

Pros:

• Access top 5% of African tech talent

• Full support for recruitment and compliance

• Transparent pricing

Cons:

• Focused primarily on African talent

You can learn more about our process on How It Works – Hire Remote Talents 

Hire African Talent Now with Betternship→

💼 You can also post a job for free on Betternship

2. Arc – Quick access to global remote talent

Arc specializes in developers, designers, and marketers. Their AI-powered matching shortlists candidates in seconds.

• Best for: Remote tech hires across multiple disciplines

• Candidate quality: Top 2% freelancers, pre-vetted

• Pricing model: Hourly or one-time fees for full-time hires

• Key differentiator: Fast candidate shortlisting with AI

Pros: Instant matching, vetted freelancers, flexible hiring
Cons: Remote-only talent

3. Toptal – High-end vetted freelancers

Toptal focuses on the top 3% of talent in software, design, finance, and product management. Ideal for companies willing to invest in premium freelancers.

• Best for: Complex or high-stakes projects

• Candidate quality: Rigorously vetted top 3%

• Pricing model: Subscription + hourly or monthly fees

• Key differentiator: Access to elite freelancers

Pros: High-quality talent, pre-vetted professionals
Cons: Premium pricing, not ideal for small budgets

4. Codeable – WordPress experts

Codeable is a niche platform for WordPress developers. They vet talent rigorously, ensuring only the top 2% of applicants are accepted.

• Best for: WordPress website and plugin development

• Candidate quality: 2% of applicants pass vetting

• Pricing model: Fixed project fees + 17.5% service fee

• Key differentiator: Specialized WordPress expertise

Pros: High-quality developers, fixed pricing
Cons: Higher fees, small talent pool

5. Gigster – Full dev teams with project management

Gigster assembles entire development teams for software and app projects, led by a project manager. Great for complex, multi-role projects.

• Best for: Teams and large-scale projects

• Candidate quality: Top 1% talent

• Pricing model: Hourly rates $100–$149

• Key differentiator: End-to-end project teams

Pros: Full teams, project management included
Cons: Expensive, not ideal for small projects

6. Gun.io – Long-term remote contracts

Gun.io focuses on software developers for long-term or contract work. Project-based interviewing ensures skill alignment.

• Best for: Remote-first, async-focused dev hires

• Candidate quality: Skilled software developers, vetted

• Pricing model: Flexible project-based pricing

• Key differentiator: Long-term contract focus

Pros: Flexible pricing, fast hiring
Cons: Non-transparent pricing, better for longer engagements

7. Hired – Rapid tech talent placement

Hired matches developers, designers, and project managers with companies quickly, making it ideal for urgent hiring.

• Best for: Fast-growing startups needing rapid hires

• Candidate quality: Vetting of 70,000 applicants monthly

• Pricing model: Custom, non-transparent

• Key differentiator: Rapid talent placement

Pros: Quick hiring, pre-qualified talent
Cons: Costs may be high for small businesses

8. Indiez – Invite-only development platform

Indiez offers pre-vetted developers, designers, and PMs from 50+ countries. They provide hands-on support, almost like a development agency.

• Best for: Full-project development without managing individual freelancers

• Candidate quality: Thorough assessment and interview process

• Pricing model: Non-transparent

• Key differentiator: Personalized project support

Pros: High-quality vetted talent, project guidance
Cons: No direct developer access

9. Pangara – Vietnam-based software engineers

Pangara offers cost-effective, vetted software engineers from Vietnam. Great for startups looking to scale development teams affordably.

• Best for: Software engineering projects on a budget

• Candidate quality: Coding, problem-solving, and English communication vetted

• Pricing model: Non-transparent

• Key differentiator: Low-cost, scalable developers

Pros: Affordable, vetted developers
Cons: Time-zone challenges, limited global talent

10. Scalable Path – Vetted developers for committed projects

Scalable Path connects you with global developers through a 4-stage vetting process. Strong fit for projects needing sustained engagement.

• Best for: Long-term developer hires

• Candidate quality: Top-tier vetted developers

• Pricing model: Minimum engagement 150 hours or $7,500

• Key differentiator: Live video challenges to test skills

Pros: Vetted developers, strong quality assurance
Cons: High minimum engagement

11. TopCoder – Crowdsourced tech projects

TopCoder is a platform where developers, designers, and data scientists compete on coding and design challenges. It’s ideal for short-term, high-quality project solutions.

• Best for: Crowdsourced coding, design, and data science projects

• Candidate quality: Global talent competing for projects

• Pricing model: Non-transparent; project-based competitions

• Key differentiator: Crowdsourcing ensures multiple solutions

Pros: Fast delivery, competitive solutions
Cons: Limited personalized hiring support

12. X-Team – Long-term developer placements

X-Team offers pre-vetted developers for full-time or ongoing contract work, with professional development and support for each developer.

• Best for: Ongoing software projects requiring dedicated developers

• Candidate quality: Vetted developers

• Pricing model: Non-transparent; typically contract-based

• Key differentiator: Focus on developer growth and long-term support

Pros: Reliable long-term talent, ongoing training
Cons: Requires longer contracts, slower hiring process

13. Crossover – Top-tier remote developers

Crossover rigorously vets remote tech talent, accepting only 1% of applicants. Focused on long-term remote contracts for developers and IT professionals.

• Best for: High-skill, long-term remote tech hires

• Candidate quality: Elite, rigorously vetted

• Pricing model: Full-time hiring commitment required

• Key differentiator: AI-powered shortlisting for top talent

Pros: High-quality, pre-vetted talent
Cons: Not suitable for short-term projects

14. MarketerHire – Vetted marketing and growth tech

While marketing-focused, MarketerHire also connects startups with marketing technologists for growth engineering, analytics, and automation projects.

• Best for: Tech-driven marketing projects and growth operations

• Candidate quality: Top 1% talent

• Pricing model: Starts at $5,000/month

• Key differentiator: Rapid vetting and trial periods

Pros: Pre-vetted, fast hires
Cons: Premium pricing

15. SoundBetter – Audio tech and music production

SoundBetter specializes in music production, mixing, and audio engineering. Tech-heavy for software-based audio projects and digital sound design.

• Best for: Audio tech projects, music apps, sound engineering

• Candidate quality: Vetted songwriters, engineers, and producers

• Pricing model: Commission + freelancer rates

• Key differentiator: High-quality vetted professionals for digital music projects

Pros: Access to expert audio tech talent
Cons: Non-transparent pricing

16. Yeeply – Certified software developers

Yeeply vets only 15% of applicants, focusing on developers and designers for app and software projects.

• Best for: App development and software design projects

• Candidate quality: Certified professionals

• Pricing model: Non-transparent; proposal-based

• Key differentiator: Formal project proposals and contract handling

Pros: High-quality vetted developers
Cons: Limited visibility into pricing

17. Freelancer.com – Broad tech and software talent

Freelancer.com remains a large platform for tech projects. It’s less curated but offers access to a huge pool of developers and designers worldwide.

• Best for: Large-scale tech hiring with budget flexibility

• Candidate quality: Varies; mostly unvetted

• Pricing model: Bidding system; project or hourly

• Key differentiator: Massive talent pool

Pros: Competitive pricing, wide selection
Cons: Inconsistent quality, requires manual vetting

18. Fiverr Pro – Vetted tech freelancers

Fiverr Pro provides verified freelance developers, software engineers, and designers, unlike standard Fiverr. Ideal for short-term tech projects.

• Best for: Quick, vetted freelance hires for tech projects

• Candidate quality: Vetted professionals

• Pricing model: Fixed-rate gigs

• Key differentiator: Pro-level verified freelancers

Pros: Fast, reliable hires
Cons: Limited to available gig offerings

19. Working Nomads – Remote-first tech professionals

Working Nomads aggregates remote tech job listings and connects you with developers and designers actively seeking remote opportunities.

• Best for: Remote hires for software and IT roles

• Candidate quality: Varies; primarily self-screened

• Pricing model: $199 per job posting

• Key differentiator: Exposure to global digital nomads

Pros: Global reach, remote-focused
Cons: Minimal vetting, limited support

20. Localancers – Location-based tech talent

Localancers lets you find developers and IT freelancers near your location. While mostly unvetted, it’s a free and quick solution for smaller projects or local hires.

• Best for: Local software and IT projects

• Candidate quality: Varies; unvetted

• Pricing model: Free, no commissions

• Key differentiator: Zero-commission, location-specific hiring

Pros: Free, local talent access
Cons: Limited quality control, smaller talent pool

Conclusion

Upwork isn’t the only option for hiring freelance or remote tech talent, as you can see, and it’s often not the most efficient. Exploring alternatives can save you time, reduce risk, and connect you with the right candidates faster.

Platforms like Betternship give you access to pre-vetted African developers, designers, marketers, and project managers, freelance or full-time, without compliance headaches. 

Hire smarter, faster, and with confidence…

You can learn more about our process on How It Works – Hire Remote Talents 

Hire African Talent Now with Betternship→

💼 You can also post a job for free on Betternship

Meta Description